A Weekend Guide to Scenic Namhae Island, South Korea

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Namhae Island is a beloved vacation destination in South Korea, and spending a weekend in Namhae is the best way to soak up all of the island’s scenic beauty.

Namhae Island, Korea’s 5th largest island, lies along the southern coast of the country. About a 2.5 hour drive from Daegu and 4 from Seoul, we picked up our rental car and embarked on our journey. Touted as one of Korea’s grandest landscapes, we were pretty excited to see if the hype was true during our weekend in Namhae!

Armed with cheap tents and all the supplies for a hearty grill out, our plan was to find and camp on Namhae’s popular beach campground, Sangju Silver Sand Beach (상주 은모래비치). We had a fabulous weekend exploring the island’s dramatic seascapes, rolling green mountains, and overall spectacular views. A weekend in Namhae is a weekend well spent!

Without further ado, here’s a guide to the best things to do in Name and more so you can soak up the natural wonder of Namhae yourself!

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How to get to Namhae via car

Driving a car is the absolute best way to get around Namhae. Because Namhae’s best attractions are spread out and it’s a small island, driving will give you the freedom to see everything easily and on your own time.

• Rent a car from Lotte. They are our go to company and often offer the cheapest prices for car rentals in Korea. You can visit their English website here.

• Get a GPS in English. Make sure you rent a GPS from the car rental company and that it’s in English! Google Maps doesn’t work here for road navigation and the other phone app options are in Korean. We’ve had great success with the English GPSs here.

• Put in your hostel or your campsite phone number. If you’re struggling with the Korean address, you have the option here to input the phone number of your destination. Your GPS should populate the address automatically! We struggled finding an exact address or phone number to input for Silver Sands Beach. As a solution, we found the phone number of a business close to the beach and used that instead. 

• Pack up the car, crank up the tunes and get on your way! From Daegu and Busan it’s about 2.5 hours and from Seoul it’s about a 4 hour drive.

Where to Stay on Namhae-do: Best Namhae Hotels

We visited Namhae with the sole intention of camping on the beach, which we did! But if beach camping isn’t your thing, you’re in luck. As a popular vacation destination amongst locals, Namhae is home to plenty of nice hotels and cute pensions (Korean guesthouses).

• Namhae Neuhaus is a homey guesthouse with sea views in the popular German Village.
• Herkules Namhae German Village is another hotel in the German village with good reviews.
• Arte Resort Spa & Pool Villa a popular resort on the coast located in Sacheon, a short drive from Namhae.

The Best Things to Do on Namhae Island, South Korea

1. Drive along the coast

There’s just something about cruising on a seaside road with good jams and good company. Driving around and seeing the beautiful landscape was one of the highlights of Namhae.

Take a road less traveled and see the agricultural side of Korea that isn’t obvious in cities like Seoul, Daegu and Busan, and be sure to stop at all of the lookout points along the way!

2. Go to the beach and camp out.

No island weekend is complete without a trip to the beach. We went to Namhae in early June and enjoyed lovely but cooler temperatures the entire time we were there. So while the weather didn’t exactly inspire us to dive into the water, we still enjoyed waking up to views of Sangju Silver Sand Beach and walking along the water’s edge.

We decided to spend the night on the beach for a fun Namhae adventure. We were able to find a cheap but low-quality tent on Coupang, but you may want a more reliable quality beach tent before you go. As a tall woman, I hardly fit into these cheap tents!

3. Visit Boriam Temple.

Boriam temple is situated up in Geumsan Mountain on a cliff’s edge overlooking the ocean. From the top, you can see Namhae City, the forested mountainside and the many islands that dot the coastline. Definitely my favorite Korean temple visit yet, and I’ve been to quite a few!

You’ll need to pay an entrance fee for your vehicle as well as per person once you’ve gotten to the top. To get to the top to see the temple, you have a few options. You can drive up the mountain directly to the temple or park at the base and either hike or take a shuttle bus. It’s quite simple!

4. Hike Geumsan Mountain.

Not only is the view from Boriam Temple breathtaking, but the views all along the ridge of Geumsan Mountain are as well. If you have the time and energy, follow one of the hiking trails behind the temple. One trail in particular takes you past a small Korean restaurant that came recommended from locals on the trail (cash only), and on through to a rocky edge. We made the most of the epic view and couldn’t resist the photo op.

5. See the rice terrace fields in Daraengi Village.

Daraengi Village’s claim to fame is its picturesque rice terrace fields that scale the cliffside to a height of 500m. On the outskirts of Mt. Seolheul, the terraces have 108 total steps overlooking the East China Sea. From an observation deck, you can see this agricultural gem in its entirety and it’s a sight to see.

6. Visit the American and German Villages.

The American and German Villages offer an interesting look into South Korea’s history. They were recently built to welcome back Koreans who had left in the 60’s/70’s in search of jobs abroad during rough economical times. These villages are meant to make the transition from life abroad to Korea a little easier and homier.

If I could recommend one over the other, the German Village was a bit more interesting and bustling. It has many cute cafes, beer gardens and unique restaurants with the same stunning view all of Namhae seems to share.

Namhae Travel Tips

• Camping in Korea is a popular past-time. If you’re planning to visit during the peak summer months, make sure to arrive early enough to grab a spot!

• Sangju Silver Sands Beach is the most popular campground in Namhae. Camp spots run 8,000 won / $8 USD per tent, per night. We grabbed a spot and paid once we arrived without a reservation. The campground has public toilets, showers and wash sinks. The shower facilities are only open during the summer season though (July – August), so while we were there in June they were still closed. The official website is in Korean, but can be found here!

• If camping isn’t your thing, there were plenty of cute seaside pensions (hotels) around the island as well. Booking.com is my go-to for any hotel stays. You can’t beat the free cancellation service they offer!

• Korean road signs are incredible and make driving fairly easy! Keep an eye out for brown street signs that denote tourist attractions. Signs are almost always in both Korean and English throughout the country.

• Make a killer road trip playlist before you leave 😉

For more in depth advice, check out my 20 Travel Tips for South Korea for a smooth and hassle free adventure!

What’s your favorite weekend trip in Korea? Comment below!