The fourth largest city in South Korea after Seoul and Busan, a must-visit for in-depth Korea travel

Some say Daegu is like Chengdu—petite, quiet, with few tourists and locals living a leisurely life. But it also hides many great places to eat and have fun. Daegu is known for producing beautiful women; recently, Son Ye-jin, who announced her relationship with Hyun Bin, is from Daegu!

Daegu first became known to the Chinese largely because it was the epicenter of South Korea's earliest COVID-19 outbreak. It is the fourth largest city in South Korea and one of the favorite tourist destinations among domestic travelers.

Daegu boasts natural landscapes listed as World Cultural Heritage, an aquarium, an amusement park, and various cultural events every year. When we say it's like Chengdu, of course we can't miss the delicious food on the tip of the tongue!

So, here we go—from a bird's-eye view of the entire Daegu down to the bustling street stalls, both scenery and cuisine come into my sight.

“Apsan Observatory” offers a panoramic view of Daegu

This is the filming location for "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim." When visiting a city, you must climb high to see the full view.

Daegu's night scenery is brightly lit. This seemingly bustling city is actually full of various fresh and pleasant beauties.

The Apsan Observatory, built at an altitude of 500 meters, is the best spot to overlook Daegu. You can see the entire downtown area: straight ahead, the iconic 83 Tower of E-World and Daegu World Cup Stadium; to the right, Suseong Lake, known as "Daegu's West Lake"; the view is expansive.

There are two ways to reach the observatory: one is by cable car from the large valley, which takes about 15 minutes; the other is by hiking the mountain trail from Anjirang Valley, which takes about 1 hour.

Going up by cable car, you enjoy both natural and urban scenery along the way. Autumn in South Korea is rich in colors—red, yellow, green—layered forests have an oil painting quality. As night falls, come here to experience Daegu's nightscape and finally understand why Korean dramas always have scenes of climbing mountains and looking into the distance. Gazing at the distant city lights is very healing. Perhaps that is the meaning of travel.

Adults: 10,500 won / Children: 7,500 won

Going back down to the city, the foot of Apsan has many trendy cafes. Drink coffee, look around, and zone out. Search the hashtag #ApsanCafe#—the most photogenic one is the one below!

The Westin Daegu

Watching the sunset in an unfamiliar city brings a feeling of freshness and love for the world.

A cup of coffee and a piece of cake or pastry cost around 7,000 won per person on average.

It's dreamy, romantic, and lovely! This is the authentic and colorful charm of Korea.

This is definitely a great place to create romance!

200 Duryu Park-ro, Dalseo-gu, Daegu

대구광역시달서구두류공원로200 (두류동)

Admission: Adults 10,000 won / Children 5,000 won

At night, the market is very lively!

The cute stalls in the market look adorable in any candid shot.

All kinds of food—pan-fried, deep-fried, boiled, stir-fried, braised, sweet, spicy, light, rich—choose as you like to satisfy any foodie’s cravings.

Cheese shrimp is a common street food in every Korean night market.

45 Daejang-ro 26-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu

대구광역시중구큰장로26길45

First and third Sunday of each month

The charm of retro style makes you feel the hidden stories here.

Samil Movement Stairs. Going there in spring is definitely wonderful. Warm sunlight filters sparsely through the leaves onto the stone street, light and shadow interweave, making you feel like sitting on the ground and sensing the beauty.

Walking along the alley, you can see murals and lyrics of the singer Kim Gwang-seok. After walking through this alley, you will especially want to listen to his songs.

2232 Dalgubeol-daero, Jung-gu, Daegu

대구광역시중구달구벌대로450길(대봉동)

Food is the foremost necessity of the people. Travel is not just about seeing but also eating. Next, let's look at Daegu's cuisine.

Daegu's most representative food—grilled intestines

Grilled intestine restaurants also sell grilled meat, usually as a combo set of intestines and meat. Families with kids can go eat grilled intestines; children can eat grilled meat, satisfying both adults and children.

Onions are an indispensable vegetable on Korean tables. When eating grilled intestines, you can either dip raw onions in sweet-spicy sauce or grill them.

Casa de Teja

16-11 Nokmun-gil, Gachang-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu

대구광역시달성군가창면녹문길16-11

First, a set of beautiful photos~

Traditional buildings under the starry sky, super gorgeous!

These beautiful corners are hard to refuse. The hanok-style café—what is ethnic is global. No wasted shots here, every casual picture looks professional. Stop by for a while, buy a cup of coffee, find a corner, and start snapping pictures.

둥우리Doongwoorl

4F, 55-1 Suseongmot 2-gil, Suseong-gu, Daegu

대구수성구수성못2길55-1 4층

The most popular item here is the pork cutlet—crispy, soft, and tender. The satisfaction is 100% with every bite.

Eating pork cutlet here, though without the lively hustle and bustle, the exquisite and quiet atmosphere, the collision of sight and taste, leaves a deep impression.

If you don't want to see the crowded Myeongdong or waste precious vacation time on transfers, then buy a ticket, pack your luggage, and fly directly to Daegu!

Major domestic cities have direct flights to Daegu. Check if yours is included: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Changzhou, Hefei, Xuzhou, Wuxi, Taiyuan, Hohhot, Yichang, Yiwu, Nanjing, Zhangjiajie, Yanji—2 to 3 hours of air travel will give you the in-depth Korea tour you desire. Colorful Daegu is worth a visit.

The editor unfortunately ended up in Korea during the pandemic and cannot go out. I plan to travel all over Korea. Next, Erica will introduce you one by one to the big and small cities worth visiting in Korea, exploring deep and interesting places and good food. Click follow me~

See you!