48 Hours in Daegu
Daegu, located on the southeastern side of Korea, is the third largest city in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is well known for its scenic views, including the Palgongsan and Apsan mountains, and for its historical sites dating back to the Silla (57 BCE -935 CE) and Joseon dynasties (1392-1910). Daegu is also recognized as the hottest city in Korea during the summer, lending to its nickname “Dae-frica” (Daegu + Africa).
This summer, I took a short 48-hour trip to Daegu. The trip lasted three days, arriving and departing in the afternoon of the first and last day. This post will detail what I did during those three days!
Day 1
Getting to Daegu From Seoul
The best way of getting to Daegu from Seoul is by taking the KTX. Trains from Seoul Station depart every 10~20 minutes and arrive at Dongdaegu Station in Daegu two hours later. One-way tickets generally cost 43,500 won (~$33USD). There is a subway (line 1) connected to Dongdaegu Station that leads directly into Jung-gu, the downtown district of Daegu. I recommend getting accommodation in Jung-gu as it is central to most of the city’s popular attractions and is only a 10-minute ride from the train station.
I boarded the train in Seoul at 9:25am, arrived at Dongdaegu Station at 11:10am, and checked into my Airbnb by 12:00pm.
Mansion 5
After checking in, the first stop of the day was at Mansion 5, a bakery and brunch spot that’s been trending online for its chic hanok-style architecture. The café exudes a feeling of elegance, seamlessly combining modern and traditional aesthetics with its glossy wooden high beams and white-painted walls.
I ordered the Salmon Poke Bowl with Deonjang (fermented soybean paste) sauce and an iced americano. The sauce was delicious; earthy, salty, and rich in flavor with a creamy texture. The bowl itself, while good, was rather shallow and thus somewhat unfulfilling as a meal. If you order it, I suggest either getting extra toppings or purchasing a pastry on the side.
Kim Kwang-seok Road
After lunch, I took the bus to Kim Kwang-seok Road, an art and mural street dedicated to the incredibly successful and influential folk singer, Daegu-native Kim Kwang-seok. Kim became famous in the late 80’s/early 90’s for his songs which underlined the Korean peoples’ concerns regarding their country’s rapid industrialization and new democracy. Kim suddenly passed away in 1996. While the police deemed it as suicide, Kim’s family believed it to be homicide, though evidence was unsubstantiated.
Translation: “Hyung, do you know what the best side dish for soju is?” “It’s Kim Kwang-seok’s music. The best side dish for soju is Kim Kwang-seok’s music.”
Many of the paintings along Kim Kwang-seok Road reflect specific lyrics from his songs, while others are either simple murals or parody other famous works. Buskers will often perform Kim’s songs along the street during the weekend. When I was there, on a Monday afternoon, the street was relatively empty besides the few men who were there to touch-up some of the paintings.
Daegu hyanggyo Confucian school
After Kim Kwang-seok Road, I walked to the Daegu hyanggyo Confucian School, located about 22-minutes away by foot. Confucianism in Korea experienced massive growth during the Joseon Dynasty as rulers and scholars fought to diminish Buddhist policies. During that time, hyanggyo schools were built across the country to teach Confucianism, literacy, and traditional culture to the public. The Daegu hyanggyo has a complicated history: it was originally built in 1398, destroyed during the Imjin War, rebuilt, shut down again during the Japanese occupational period, then finally relocated in 1932 to its current location where it continues to function as a Confucian academy.
Unless you’re ecstatic about Confucianism or Korean history, the Daegu hyanggyo isn’t a necessary tourist stop. However, it makes for a nice walk from Kim Kwang-seok Road and allows you to see more of the city. Along my walk, I passed by this cute vintage shop called Vintage Mei which sold a lot of cute and affordable pieces!
Suseong District
From the Confucian school, I took the subway down to Suseong-gu, one of Daegu’s most affluent districts. The first stop in Suseong-gu was Carrot Bakeshop, a quaint carrot-themed café nestled in the back of a small neighborhood. Carrot Bakeshop serves an assortment of drinks and desserts all made using carrots; from carrot lattes to carrot cookies, cakes, and more.
I ordered a carrot juice and their two vegan bakery options: a carrot coconut scone and carrot bread. The juice was earthy, sweet, and incredibly refreshing—perfect after the long day in the sun. The scone had a pronounced carrot flavor, balanced by the taste of sweet, buttery coconut. The bread had a nice light and fluffy texture, but didn’t taste like carrot. I visited Carrot Bakeshop under the false impression that it was fully vegan. While most of their menu is non-vegan, the few vegan options they had were enjoyable and the staff were very kind.
*Do note that they do not have milk alternatives for drinks!
From Carrot Bakeshop, I took a bus to Suseong Lake, a popular spot among locals for relaxing. The lake is surrounded by a wide walking track. Nearby there a couple basketball and tennis courts, duck paddle boats available for rent, a small amusement park called Arte Suseong Land, and a café called Bihaenggi Air Café (Airplane Air Café)—a café renovated inside an old airplane.
There’s a plethora of upscale restaurants surrounding the lake, but for a more budget-friendly dinner I recommend heading across the street to Myunjangsu. Myunjangsu is a sit-down restaurant serving a variety of traditional Korean dishes such as knife-cut noodles, bibimbap, bossam, and Korean pancakes. I ordered the vegetable hand-tofu plate and ate every last bite of it! The tofu was nutty and savory, perfectly complimenting the sharp-tasting kimchi side dishes and vegetables mixed in a sweet sauce.
Suseong Lake is known for its nighttime light show which runs from March to October. The lightshow is closed on Mondays, the day that I visited, so I didn’t get to see it myself. Regardless, the sky views and calming atmosphere of the park make the visit worthwhile itself. I stayed at the lake until the sun finished setting behind the mountains. It was the perfect way to end the day.
Day 2
Dongseong-ro Cafe Alley and Shopping Street
On the morning of Day 2, I ate breakfast at a nearby café before heading to Dongseong-ro Café Alley. Daegu is considered the coffee capital of Korea, with the greatest number of coffee shops per capita in the country. Thus, it’s no surprise that the city has two coffee streets: Apsan Café Street and Dongseong-ro Café Alley. Dongseong-ro is the younger of the two yet boasts one of Daegu’s most famous coffee shops: Ryu Coffee Roasters.
The minute you step into Ryu, you can tell they take their coffee seriously. The entrance is lined with plaques and trophies from various coffee competitions won worldwide. The shop is adorned with dark wood, red brick, and a wall full of variously colored-coffee cups.
I sat at the tasting bar and ordered an iced americano using their house blend, Dokdo. That americano might have been one of the best I’ve ever had. The coffee had a bold flavor but clean finish, with an initial bitterness that melted into a sweet and floral aftertaste. The staff at Ryu were also incredibly friendly and provided insight into each of their different coffees. The one barista even gave me a free single-serve coffee packet of the Dokdo blend before I left!
From Dongseong-ro Café Alley, I walked to the adjacent Dongseong-ro Shopping Street. Dongseong-ro Street is known as the busiest shopping street in Daegu, popular among the youth for its stores ranging from low-end to designer brand, movie theaters, bookstores, accessory shops, and more.
Daegu Modern History Street
From the end of Dongseong-ro it is a quick five-minute walk to Jin Alley, the first destination of the Daegu Modern History Street tour. I have written a detailed post about the Modern History Street and all its stops here, but to summarize, it is a walking course leading through the city’s oldest historical sites. By exploring the sites, visitors can learn about Daegu’s expansive history related to the Korean War and immigration, nationalism and Japanese Occupation, and the growth of Christianity in Korea. Highlights from the tour include the old Jeil Church and the March First Independence Movement Stairs.
Romance Papa
The tour took me about three hours to complete. I finished atop Cheongna Hill, one of Daegu’s most iconic tourist locations. From there, it was a short seven-minute walk to Romance Papa, a trendy café fit inside an old hanok house. If I were to recommend only one café in Dagu, it would be this place. Unlike Mansion 5, which utilizes hanok architecture in a modern fashion, Romance Papa preserves the antiquity and imperfections of the hanok and mixes it with funky décor, creating a retro-vintage aesthetic.
Like a traditional hanok-house, the center of the café is an open-air courtyard with a series of small rooms surrounding it. I sat in the courtyard and ordered an iced cafe latte with oat milk, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The taste of the espresso was strong yet well balanced with the creamy and sweet oat milk (they use Oatly).
After Romance Papa, I headed to the nearby Seomun Night Market, the biggest market in Daegu. Unfortunately, the market closes on Tuesdays, so I ate dinner at a nearby buckwheat shop before ending the day.
Day 3
On the third and final day, I visited Palgongsan. Palgongsan is a mountain located between the northeastern border of Daegu and the neighboring North Gyeongsang province. It is one of the tallest mountains in the region with a high of 1,192 meters. Palogongsan has numerous tourist attractions, the most popular of which being the Buddhist temple Donghwasa and the cable car. During my trip, I visited both!
Luggage Storage at Dongdaegu Station
Since I had to check out of my Airbnb that morning, I first made a quick stop at Dongdaegu Station to drop off my luggage. The Dongdaegu train station has a luggage storage space located near exit one which you can pay for with cash or card (my foreign card worked fine). It costs anywhere between 2,000~6,000 won ($1.50~$4.50 USD) depending on the size of the locker. There are a couple large lockers; I was able to fit my 22x14 inch suitcase with extra space to spare. Besides the lockers in the train station, there is another similar storage area located inside the Dongdaegu subway station.
Palgongsa
To get to Palgongsan, take Express Bus 1. There is a bus stop behind and below Dongdaegu Station called Dongdaegu Station Underground Passage 2 (동대구역지하도 2). From there, it takes about 40 minutes to reach the mountain base. Naver Maps suggests getting off at Donghwa Bridge Exit 1 (동화교 1), but do not get off here! If you do, you’ll be stuck walking uphill for at least 20 minutes before you even reach the main village. If you want to go to Donghwasa, get off at Donghwa Temple Entrance (동화사입구건너); if you want to go to the cable car, get off at Donghwa Facility Group District (Jongjeom) 2 (Daegu Safety Theme Park) (동화시설집단지구 (종점) 2 (대구시민안전테마파크)). If you’re concerned about where to get off, I suggest telling the bus driver where you’re going.
Donghwasa
Donghwasa is a Buddhist temple located on the southern side of Palgongsa, originally built in 493. The name “Donghwa” means “paulownia flower,” based on a Korean legend that the temple’s blossoms always bloom, even in the winter. Donghwasa’s most iconic feature is its giant Buddha statue which stands 33-meters tall. The statue is also accompanied by two of the nation’s tallest stone pagodas. Donghwasa is also known for its temple stay program which is available to foreigners.
To get to the temple, head right from the Donghwa Temple Entrance (동화사입구건너) bus stop and up the hill. There is a large stone archway forming the temple entrance, at which tickets can be purchased. The admission fee is 2,500 won for adults, 1,500 for teenagers, and 1,000 for children. There are discounts for groups of 30 or more and seniors get in for free. Directly past the gate there is a parking lot.
Overall, the temple was beautiful and tranquil. Situated along the mountainside, the site was lush with greenery and the canopying trees. The sounds of birds and the feeble trickling of streams could be heard throughout, distant over the voices of practitioners chanting inside their temples.
Palgongsa Cable Car
Across the village from Donghwa Temple is the Palgongsan Cable Car ride. The ride takes passengers on a journey to the top of Sinnimbong Peak, showcasing the mountain’s breathtaking landscapes along the way. A two-way pass for the cable car regularly costs 11,000 won (~$8.40 USD), but you can receive a discount by showing your Donghwasa ticket. The ride takes seven minutes going one-way.
Walking to the cable cars from Donghwasa took me about 20 minutes, mostly due to construction along the main road. The walk honestly sucked; between the previous day’s walking tour, the sloped nature of the village, and the brutal heat, I was exhausted and plastered with sweat by the time I reached the station. If you have a car, I suggest driving between the two stops. Nevertheless, the trip was worth it as the view from the cable car was fantastic.
At the top of the peak is a deck with viewing platforms and photo zones. There’s also a restaurant serving a variety of typical Korean dishes: pancakes, bibimbap, pork cutlet, etc. Among them is a dish called the Flying Buckwheat, a buckwheat noodle dish served in a special bowl that makes the noodles look like they’re floating. I ordered the Flying Buckwheat alongside a watermelon juice. The juice was sweet, cold, and absolutely refreshing. The noodles were quite the sight, what I can only describe as culinary camp. The flavor wasn’t anything exceptional. The noodles stuck together quickly, but the broth was flavorful. It tasted good enough that I ate it all—and I had fun doing it!
After lunch, I only had a short time left before needing to head back. I quickly looked around then took the cable car back down to the village.
Return
To get back to Dongdaegu Station, board the same bus you took to get there, Express Bus 1, at Donghwa Facility Group District (Jongjeom) 1 (Daegu Safety Theme Park) (동화시설집단지구 (종점)) 1. It’s a straight walk down from the cable car station.
From Dongdaegu Station, I got my luggage out of the locker and grabbed a quick coffee before boarding my train back to Seoul. Just like that, my Daegu trip was complete!
In all, Daegu is a fantastic city to visit with an exorbitant number of attractions, all unique in their own way. The city is as vibrant and bustling as any other major city in Korea, yet there is a unique charm to it. Many areas of South Korea offer glimpses into its preserved history; from Seoul’s five palaces to the royal tombs in Gyeongju. Yet, those places feel isolated in their past. When you step inside Gyeongbuk Palace in Seoul, you feel as though you’ve teleported back in time; once you step outside the gates, you return to modernity and leave the past behind you. Daegu feels different. The history is living in the city, breathing through the alleyways and buildings. From Donghwasa, built during the Silla Dynasty (493), to the old Jeil Church (1936), to Kim Kwang-seok Road (2010). Daegu reminds us that the past isn’t behind us, it’s progressing with us.
If you’re considering a trip to Daegu, I would highly recommend it—perhaps not in the summer if you can avoid it—but it’s definitely worth the time.