Yeosu was quite an unknown city before Yeosu Expo 2012. In fact, the city is still quite often overlooked because it’s not as big as other destinations like Seoul or Busan. Nevertheless, it’s a great place to visit as there are tons of great things to do in the city despite its small size.
If you only have a day to spend there then it may be difficult to decide what to do, so I’ve created a 1-day itinerary to make your day easier. I’ve made it on the assumption that you have the morning, afternoon and evening to explore the city.
Table of Contents
How to get there
There are two train stations in Yeosu: Yeosu Station and Yeosu (Expo) Station. The latter is the one you want to go to as it’s closer to the main attractions in the city.
The city also has one bus station, but it’s far from the city centre as it’s near Yeocheon Station, so it’s best to catch a train to Yeosu train station from wherever you’re living from.
You can check train schedules here.
The Morning – Hyangiram Hermitage
Hyangiram Hermitage is the furthest place on this list, so it’s best to visit it first so that you do other activities closer to the city later in the day. The hermitage doesn’t take a long time to explore but it takes quite some time to get there, especially if you’re using public transport. In fact, it takes about an hour or so to get there, so it’s best to get there in a taxi.
In the past, Hyangiram hermitage was a base camp for Buddhist monks who helped Admiral Yi Sun-sin fight the war during the Japanese invasion. The hermitage, established by monk Wonhyo in 644 AD, was originally named Wontongam. It then was renamed Geumoam by monk Yunpil 958 AD. Then, in 1715, monk Inmuk finally gave it the name Hyangiram.
You might get hungry by the time you finish exploring this place, so you may want to bring a packed lunch with you or buy something from the street stalls near the hermitage’s entrance.
More info
| Cost: Adults – 2,000 won / Teenagers – 1,500 won / Children – 1,000 won |
| Hours: dawn to 8 pm |
| Website: N/A |
The Afternoon – Yi Sun Shin Square, Angel Alley, Yeosu Hanhwa Aquarium
Yi Sun Shin Square
If you didn’t eat after visiting Hyangiram Hermitage then there are places to eat near Yi Sun Shin Square.
The square is dedicated to Admiral YI Sun Shin, who rose to fame thanks to his victories against Japan between 1592 and 1598. He’s, in fact, the second most South Korea famous figure after King Sejong, the creator of hangul.
Like in Gwanghamun Square Seoul, you see can a stature of Admiral Yi in Yi Sun Shin Square. There’s also a Geobukseon (Turtle Ship) in the square which you can explore. After seeing these attractions, you can take great views of the port and the surrounding areas.
Angel Alley
After you’ve roamed around Yi Sun Shin square, pop over to Yeosu’s Mural Alley also known as Angel Alley which is nearby. The mural alley is specifically located close to Jinnamgwan Hall. It’s similar to Ihwa Mural Village in Seoul and Jaman Mural Village in Jeonju. You can spend as much or as little time as you want here. If you walk far enough you can reach a viewpoint that overlooks Yeosu.
If you’re an art lover then you’ll definitely love this place. It’s also a great place to playful pictures, which will be fun to
After this, you can take a bus to Hanwa Aquaplanet Yeosu.
Hanhwa Aquaplanet Yeosu
Hanhwa Aquaplanet Yeosu is the second largest aquarium in Korea. It contains approximately 34,000 marine animals including rare animals like the white whale and Baikal seal. You can do plenty of things at the aquarium such as watch the Aqua Fantasy show (what is it) and watch the sea animals being fed.
The aquarium also contains a food court which will be useful if you’re feeling peckish.
More info
| Cost: Adults 29,500 won / Teenagers & Senior citizens 26,500. There are extra costs for things such as the 5D theatre and experience programs such as candle making. |
| Hours: 10 am to 7 pm. |
| Website: http://www.aquaplanet.co.kr/yeosu |
Website: http://www.aquaplanet.co.kr/yeosu
Evening – Odongdo Island and Yeosu Maritime Cable Cr
Odongo Island
There are many islands close to Yeosu, but Odongdo Island is the easiest to reach because it’s connected to the mainland by a road you can walk along. Seeing as the island is close to Hanwa Aquaplanet Yeosu, you can easily get there after exploring the aquarium.
The island is especially beautiful when the camellias on it are in bloom, which is normally between November and April.
It’s a fun place to explore, but it does require a lot of walking up inclinations if you want to see everything. There’s even a fountain music show during the day, which is near the exit of the island. I remember hearing one of Beyonce’s songs when I visited.
Once you’ve finished exploring the island, you can make your wake to Yeosu’s cable car, a must-do activity in the city.
Yeosu Maritime Cable Car
You can take a ride on the cable cars any time of the day, but I recommend doing it before or after the sun sets because the views of the city are gorgeous at this time. There are two entrances to the cable: Jasan and Dolsan.
The Jasan entrance is close to Odongdo Island, so it’s the one you’ll use. The Dolsan entrance is located nearer to Yi Sun Shin Square. So, if you’d rather ride the cable cars earlier in the day then you can do that straight after visiting Yi Sun Shin square.
You can choose between riding a standard cabin or crystal cabin that has a see-through glass floor. I haven’t used the crystal cabin, so I can’t comment on this experience. However, I do know that some people say the floor is scratched up whereas others don’t report this, so it’s best to keep that in mind when choosing which type of cable car to ride.
More info
| Cost: (Standard Cabin) Adults – Round-trip 15,000 won / One-way 12,000 won, Children – Round-trip 11,000 won / One-way 8,000 won. (Crystal Cabin) Adults – Round-trip 22,000 won / One-way 17,000 won, Children – Round-trip 17,000 won / One-way 12,000 won. |
| Hours: Weekdays & National Holidays & Sundays – 9 am to 9.30 pm, Saturday – 9 am 10.30 pm |
| Website: http://www.yeosucablecar.com/ |
Extra tips
This itinerary is quite packed, especially for those who like to explore a place for hours or those who don’t like setting out early in the morning. So, if you’re strapped for time then you can cut out certain places.
For instance, you can skip Hyangiram Hermitage completely and stick to the other locations on the itinerary, which are closer to the city centre. Or If you’re not interested in Aquariums then you can visit Odongdo Island instead.
You could also add one more day to your itinerary to comfortably explore Yeosu.
