The last part of the trip split in two. Jinju was a short stop for the lantern festival, calmer than I expected once we left the fairground stalls behind. Seoul, on the way back, still had a hike, a crowded shopping street, and one dinner we are not done talking about.
Jinju Lantern Festival, First Night
After returning the rental car, we flew from Jeju to Busan and took a bus on to Jinju. The ticket was the wrong one. The driver still took us, kindly, to the last stop, a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. The Golden Tulip in Namgang was an easy base for two nights, close enough that we did not need a plan.
A first loop over the river bridge led to a small waterside park, bamboo, and lanterns already out. Quiet, and a better introduction than the festival map suggested. On the way back we found a cafe with odd drinks that worked: a tomato and basil lemonade with little tomatoes in the glass, and a ginger milk. Both were better than they sounded.
Dinner was in a shopping mall. A strong beef broth with meat, plenty of vegetables, and rice was the bowl to order. A superfood soup next to it was a bit flat. Then we walked into the Jinju Lantern Festival. The lanterns, and the path over the water, were genuinely striking. The rest of the grounds felt like a packed fair: stalls, party music, rides. That part was not for us.
The fortress was. The climb was pleasant, the lanterns sat better against the old walls, and there were small concerts and performances along the way. If you only have one evening, I would go up there and skip lingering in the fair.
Yin-Yang Lake, Then a Quieter Second Night
The next morning we went to Yin-Yang Lake. It is a beautiful stretch of water, with wooden boardwalks following the shore. One of us was starting to feel ill, so we cut the loop short and went back.
The afternoon split. One of us stayed at the hotel. The other took on a hard, lovely hike and reached two or three nearby peaks, with views over the river and the lanterns below. By evening the one who had been unwell was feeling better, and we went back to the festival together. It was quieter the second time. The climb to the fortress was just as good, and it felt like the right way to leave Jinju.
Oreno Ramen and a Myeongdong Loop
The train back to Seoul took about three and a half hours. We arrived around 15:00 and took a taxi to our place in Seocho, then walked to Gangnam for Oreno Ramen. It has shown up more than once in the Michelin guide, and the chicken ramen explained why. A very creamy broth, an excellent egg, and juicy chicken breast. Broth and noodles can be refilled. We did not need that.
A short coffee at Starbucks Reserve Gangnam, then Myeongdong for the shopping we had missed earlier in the trip. This time we reached the Uniqlo flagship with enough time to buy what we had actually planned. After that we wandered for an hour or so. Myeongdong was as hectic as before. Useful, not romantic.
Cheonggyesan Maebong, Not Bukhansan
We had looked at Bukhansan National Park and let it go. It was a holiday, the trails would have been packed, and the loop we had sketched was about 800 meters of climbing. Cheonggyesan Maebong, in the forest south of Seoul, was the better call.
Plenty of stairs, and still a pleasant ascent. At the summit stone we stopped for photos and a view over the city and the trees. The way down, on a different path, was less kind: slippery earth, and one of us took a fall. We got to the bottom fine, a little muddier than planned.
Lunch was a poke shop near the apartment. A very good mushroom soup and two poke bowls. In the afternoon we went back to Ikseon-dong, which had already been a favorite on the first Seoul stay. Toast and a bagel from Standard Bread, then two drinks and a small pastry at Onion Cafe. Easy, and still the neighborhood I would send someone to linger in.
Dinner stayed in the room. A salad from Paris Baguette, and a truffle, chicken, and mushroom baguette from a French baker, warmed in the panini press. Better than it needed to be. Later we went to Nodeul Island for a light show. It disappointed us. The installations felt much weaker than the other light nights we had seen in Korea. We walked south across the Hangang Bridge and took the train to the Express Bus Terminal, where a large mall was still worth a look: Uniqlo, a Starbucks cup we did not strictly need, and a factory store that had already closed.
The Expressway Trail, Seongsu, and a Missed Fountain
The last day started on the Gyeongbu Expressway Trail, a surprisingly green park running along the highway toward the Express Bus Terminal. No cars to cross, no traffic lights, just a calm walk that dropped us in Banpo. The neighborhood felt polished, with a park and water, and we had a breakfast bagel there. In the terminal mall we picked up golf balls and, possibly, another sweater.
Seongsu was busier than on our first visit, and more of the pop-ups were open. We liked it again, with less room to wander. At New Dark Tea House we had hoped for matcha and found only tea, so we moved on by bus toward Gangnam. We missed the stop and walked 20 to 25 minutes back to Dosan Park. A Mexican restaurant there made up for it: patacones, and a chicken salad bowl. Both were really good.
New Dark House Dosan, which we already knew for its matcha, was the better cafe stop. The matcha and a yuzu green tea were very good. A croissant-based wasabi cake with a milk cream-cheese filling was interesting, and not for both of us.
In the evening we aimed for the Rainbow Bridge. A wrong stop in Naver put us behind, and we arrived tight on time. Under the bridge a food-truck festival was underway, and the fountain show was due at 19:30. Our table was at 20:00, so we did not stay for it. Leave more buffer than we did.
Dinner at Doughroom by Soigné
Doughroom by Soigné was the meal the last night needed. An Italian pasta restaurant in the orbit of a two-star kitchen, with a menu for two at 150,000 won. Beef tartare, octopus salad, a vegan zucchini pasta, ragù noodles, branzino, and tiramisu. All of it was excellent. The ragù noodles may have been the best bolognese we have eaten.
A last loop through Lotte Mart, then back to pack. Not a grand ending, and a fitting one.
Final Thoughts
Jinju does not need many days. It needs the lanterns and the fortress, ideally on a quieter evening, and maybe the lake if everyone is feeling well. The fairground part of the festival I would treat as optional.
Seoul, even at the end of a long trip, still had unused corners: Cheonggyesan instead of the famous national park, the expressway trail into Banpo, and Doughroom when we wanted one serious dinner. If a reservation is sitting at 20:00, I would not trust a fountain show, or Naver, to cooperate. We already knew that. We tested it once more anyway.
