Jeonju – Day 12 of a 14-Day Trip in South Korea
Day 12 consisted of bike rides and Jeonju exploration. This is a great way to explore Jeonju! There are three public bike rental shops (operated by the municipality) along the Jeonjuchun River. One bike rental is 1000won ($1 CAD) for the day (8am-5pm in the winter, 8am-6pm in the summer) – such a great deal!
Day 12
Jeonju
We started our day with breakfast at the hanok hotel, which was included with our stay. The meal consisted of local mochi, freshly cut fruit, vegetables, and coffee! It was delivered by the owners of the hanok hotel to our room at 9am. It was a really filling meal and a great way to start our day.
Afterwards, we walked to the Cheonyeollu Pavilion, where we saw the public bike rental shop the day before. We paid the 1000won fee per bike for the day (included a bike lock). Next stop was a bike ride to Hanbyeokdang Pavilion, which was a 15 minute bike ride from Cheonyeollu Pavilion. We took in the gorgeous mountain views as we biked along the river.
Afterwards, we rode the bikes to the base of Chimyeongjasan Martyrs Ground. There is a steep 200 meter pilgrimmage route leading to a church and a cross with great views of Jeonju. The hike to the highest point (the cross) is less than an hour. The entrance to the pilgrimmage route is obvious – look for the white signs and stairway beside the Jeonjuchun River. It is about a 10 minute bike from Hanbyeokdang Pavilion, in the opposite direction from the Jeonju Hanok Village. We biked slightly past the trail entrance to the parking lot, which is where we left our bikes. The trail was quiet and we only passed 3 people throughout our hike. The view of Jeonju from the top is amazing.
We walked further along the pathway to Donggosa Temple (downhill), but turned around after as the route was headed back to the city and further away from our bikes.
It was lunchtime, so we embarked on a culinary tour in Jeonju stopping at multiple shops – Gilgeoriya (specializing in the Gilgoria Baguette – a mixture of bulgogi, veggies, and sauces in a toasted baguette), Dawoorang (a shop specializing in a variety of dumplings), a croquette store, and Kkotgama (a cafe in a traditional hanok for mango bingsoo).
Next, we biked to Gyodong Tea Garden, a traditional tea house, for afternoon tea. We picked a table by an open window, ordered a pot of tea and learned about Korean traditional tea.
We then returned to our bikes and biked further along the Jeonjuchun River. The walking trail beside the bike is perfect for this and is split into a bike lane and walking lane! We returned the bikes exactly at 5pm (we really got good use for our 2 dollars!).
Once the bikes were returned, we took the bus to Deokjin Park for a late afternoon walk. Deokjin Park consists of a pagoda at the center of a lake of lotus flowers. It is likely super pretty during the spring and summer when the lotus blooms. As it was late fall, the flowers were mostly wilted, but it was still an interesting spot to wander. The pagoda is beautiful with its intricate wooden design and wooden floors which are perfect for relaxing with a book. The pagoda also has a small library!
It was time for dinner, so we headed to the Bibimbap Family House Gajok Hoegwan, the inventors of the popular Korean dish bibimbap. Bibimbap consists of rice topped with meat, egg, veggies, and a spoonful of gochujang. We ordered the stone bowl bibimbap and the yukhoe (raw beef) bibimbap. The meal also came with soup and side dishes, as was the usual at many Korean restaurants.
We then stopped at a restaurant/bar and ordered a bottle of Jeonju Moju, then went to the herbal foot bath spa for the second night in a row. There are few herbal foot baths spas in the area, but we personally like the one above the PNB Chocopie store. What better way to end our day than dipping our feet in a soothing foot bath!
Complete Day 12 Itinerary
*Travel times may vary. Check Kakao or Naver Maps for most accurate travel details.
9:00am: Traditional breakfast at the Hanok hotel.
10:00am: Rent a bike from the public bike shop near Cheonyeollu pavilion. Bike to Hanbyeokdang Pavilion (15 minute bike from the bike shop).
11:00am: Hike the Chimyeongjasan Martyrs Ground (10 minute bike from Hanbyeokdang Pavilion). Visit the Donggosa Temple too. Hike is about 1.5 hours including return.
1:00pm: Bike back to Jeonju Hanok Village (15 minute bike from Chimyeongjasan Martyrs Ground). Explore the street food in Jeonju for lunch – visit Gilgeoriya, Dawoorang, and Kkotgama!
2:00pm: Visit the Gyodong Tea Garden (2 minute bike from Kkotgama).
3:00pm: Bike along Jeonjucheon River.
5:00pm: Return the bikes and visit Deokjin Park (30 minute transit from Jeonju Hanok Village).
6:00pm: Have bibimbap for dinner at Gajok Hoegwan (24 minute transit from Deokjin Park).
7:00pm: Explore the Jeonju Hanok Village (11 minute walk from Gajok Hoegwan). Suggestion: Visit the foot bath near PNB Chocopie.
14-Day South Korea Itinerary
Click “Download” below for an excel version of my 14-Day South Korea Itinerary. Feel free to use the excel file as a planning template for your own trip!
Travels with Carolyne 