South Korea’s fourth biggest city, Daegu is worth delving into – from the cool cafes and superb shopping of Dongseongno shopping district to herbal medicine and a famous hanok Starbucks, there are many varied things to do in Daegu.
A South Korean university city, Daegu is fun to explore by day but comes alive at night as locals party along Rodeo Street or enjoy epic evening entertainment at Daegu’s theme-parks.
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As the home of Suga and V, K-Pop fans will enjoy Daegu’s BTS murals whilst foodies will relish all the Daegu food specialities, particularly at Seomun Market.
We visited Daegu in May 2025 and really enjoyed our time here. From cable cars to peanut cake, here is our guide to the best things to do in Daegu, South Korea.
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How to get to Daegu
Daegu from Seoul
From Seoul Station you can take the high speed KTX train to Dongdaegu Station in around 1 hour 45 minutes. One-way ticket prices start from around 41,000 Won. You can book your train tickets on trip.com or in person at the train station.
Check out this Korail pass for unlimited access to all trains, including the high-speed KTX >
Alternatively you can take a slower regular train from Seoul Station to either Daegu Station or Dongdaegu Station in around 4 hours for a cheaper price of around 22,000 Won to 32,000 Won depending on which type of train you book. You can book your train tickets on trip.com or in person at the train station.
You can also take an Intercity highway bus from either Seoul Express Bus Terminal or Dong-Seoul Station to bus stations in Daegu such as Seo Daegu Express Bus Terminal or Dongdaegu Bus Terminal in around 3 to 4 hours, starting from around 20,700 Won for an adult one-way. Book your tickets on Klook, Kobus or book them in person at the bus station.
Daegu from Busan
From Busan Station you can take the high speed KTX train to Dongdaegu Station in around 45 minutes. One-way ticket prices start from around 17,000 Won. Alternatively you can take a slower regular train to either Daegu Station or Dongdaegu Station in around 1 hour 35 minutes for a cheaper price of around 8,000 Won to 12,000 Won.
You can also take an Intercity highway bus from Busan Central Bus Terminal to Daegu Seobu Bus Terminal or Dongdaegu Terminal in around 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, costing from 7.500 Won for an adult one-way.
Getting around Daegu
Public transport options in Daegu are very good including four metro lines and an excellent bus network. You can also jump aboard the Daegu hop-on hop-off tourist bus which visits places like E-World theme-park and Apsan Cable Car (two of our favourite things to do in Daegu).
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Daegu recommended hotels
Hotel Insomnia
After much research, we decided to base ourselves in the heart of the Dongseongno district, Daegu’s shopping hub, and stayed at the very affordable Hotel Insomnia – don’t let the name put you off as we slept really well here!
Our room was a pretty good size (especially compared to some of our Seoul hotels) and the included breakfast was very nice, with hot choices including Korean toast (just like Isaac Toast), a ramyeon noodle station and lots of bread / egg choices.
Upstairs, there was also a lovely little terrace you could sit out on and the hotel entrance is in a quiet side-street with several restaurants and coffee shops, just steps from all the main stores.
Check rates and availability for Hotel Insomnia on Agoda | Expedia | Booking.com | Hotels.com
Other hotels you might like…
Budget – Mid-range ($$)
Toyoko Inn Daegu Dongseongro
Highly rated chain hotel located in the busy Dongseongno neighbourhood with a free buffet breakfast and laundry facilities. Check rates and availability on Agoda | Expedia | Booking.com | Hotels.com
luxury ($$$)
UH FLAT Signature DAEGU
Stylish and spacious apartment-style suites located near Dongdaegu Station, with each room featuring a balcony, private kitchen, living and dining area. Check rates and availability on Agoda | Expedia | Booking.com | Hotels.com
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Things to do in Daegu
1. E-World Daegu Theme park, 83 Tower Observation Deck and Fireworks
One of the best things to do in Daegu for us had to be an epic evening of fireworks and sunsets at E-World, one of Korea’s biggest theme parks.
A fun activity with children in Daegu (or for ‘big kids’ like us), we found an E-World foreigner exclusive ticket for 49% off (almost half price) on Trazy for 24,700 Won which included admission to the 83 Tower Observation Deck (£14.70 or $19.60 USD).
We arrived at E-World late afternoon and had a pleasant few hours jumping on rides and walking around the gorgeous grounds – if you aren’t a rollercoaster fan, there are several more sedate options like a cable-car and carousels.
However (and in a similar fashion to Lotte Adventure World in Busan), be aware that some of the more popular attractions involve long queues (although we visited on a Saturday so E-World will likely be quieter in the week).
The E-World fireworks were amazing and held on occasional Saturdays. We also enjoyed the 83 Tower Observation Deck and had some coffees at the top – these were nice brews with Daegu views.
There is even a music museum on level 76 of the tower which includes Psy’s shirt from the Gangnam Style music video and an original ABBA piano (basically there is lots of random stuff).
Book your E-World ticket with Klook or Trazy.
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2. Dongseongno shopping district
Whilst in Daegu, we wanted to stay somewhere central with lots of food and drink choices so we chose a Daegu hotel located in Dongseongno, Daegu’s busiest shopping and entertainment district.
From convenience stores to craft beer bars, fried chicken to high fashion, Donseongno is a must visit for foodies and shoppers at any time of day or night – it is the main shopping area for Daegu.
We drank coffees in cute cafes like Le Pouldu (more on this later) and Ordinary House 오디너리하우스, and the famous Starbucks Daegu Jongro Old House (Starbucks Hanok) is nearby too.
K-Beauty fans can also shop in multiple beauty shops like Olive Young and Innisfree in Daegu plus you’ll find cheap Korean chain cafes and restaurants like Isaac Toast – there is also a cool GS25 concept store right next to the mall that houses Sparkland.
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3. Apsan Observatory and Cable Car
For amazing panoramic views of Daegu and the hills, head to Apsan Observatory 앞산 케이블카(앞산 전망대 at the top of Apsan Mountain by cable car for some awesome panoramic views of the city.
The cable car journey takes about 5 minutes and costs 14,000 won for a round trip (based on our visit in May 2025).
The vistas along the way and at the summit are stunning and we’d highly recommend getting the bus out of Daegu city using your T-Money card to get here.
There is some beautifully bizarre theming at the top once you alight from the Apsan Cable Car – as far as we know, Apsan Observatory this is the only Moon Rabbit themed observation deck in the world.
There is even a free photo machine at the summit where you can be pictured with a virtual moon rabbit (or just stand with an actual big bunny model).
There was also a small restaurant at the top where we ordered a couple of cheap Korean dishes and enjoyed our noodles looking out over the city – there is a tiered alfresco seating area too which is a great place to enjoy drinks.
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Daegu BTS Murals
Daegu is famous for its BTS murals as two BTS members – Suga and and were born in Daegu.
There are two distinct BTS murals and street-art areas in Daegu depicting all the members of BTS and it is a colourful addition to Daegu’s street-art scene.
4. BTS Suga Mural Street near Myeongdeok Station in Nam-gu
AKA the Min-yoongi Mural BTS Street in Daegu, this Suga street-art really is sweet ….erm like Butter!
The Suga murals are all quite spread out near Myeongdeok Station and the Youth Culture Street Zone but there are about a half a dozen photo-spots.
BTS Army fans visiting Daegu will likely recognise all the BTS references on the murals like song lyrics and little details like ‘1993’ and ‘0309’ (Suga’s birth date).
We even spotted a very cool Agust D / Suga BTS mural by a Daegu 7-Eleven.
5. BTS’s V Mural Street (V) near Seomun Market
“BTS V – We Purple U” – so says the Daegu V Mural outside Daesung Elementary School, where V used to go to school in Daegu.
This is a long (and very purple mural) that is inspired heavily by Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ artwork plus V’s passion for music and art.
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6. Nakdong River Victory Memorial Hall
On the way back from Apsan Cable Car, we stopped by the outdoor exhibition hall section of Nakdong River Victory Memorial Hall – 낙동강승전기념관 (map).
In a mountain park next to the river, there are several old tanks, planes and artillery from the Korean War on display outside.
Free to visit, this museum was built in memory of the victory at the Nakdong River defense line which was the final fortification to protect the country during the Korean War.
We only had time to explore the outdoor exhibition hall but inside, there are lots of immersive exhibits and more military vehicles and air-craft.
7. Daegu Dongseong-ro Rodeo
Most big Korean cities like Busan and Seoul have a dedicated ‘Youth Streets’ and Daegu’s largest youth street (Rodeo Street) can be found in Dongseongno shopping district.
Busy at night with bustling bars and chilled cocktail spots, this is where all the cool kids in Daegu hang out. We saw a lot of very interesting bars here including one that consisted of lots of indoor Pojangmacha tent style eating areas and BBQ pits.
Although favoured by local students and young couples, we spent a fun night in Daegu at Rodeo Street’s Grandma’s Beer pub (Yeokjeon Halmek) to watch a Korean baseball game and drink lots of cheap beer with fried chicken. Read our Grandma’s beer bar guide here >
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8. Seomun Market
This is one of the biggest and best food / traditional markets we’ve been to in the whole of South Korea.
It is said that Seomun Market used to be home to 5,000 stalls and is one of the ‘100 Must-Visit Tourist Spots of Korea’, as designated by the Korean Tourism Organisation.
It is one of Korea’s oldest surviving markets established in 1909 and rebuilt in the 1920s. Even today, it is a bustling market with a couple of huge food court areas, fresh and dried food stalls plus it sells everything from fabrics to ceramics.
We visited Seomun Market on several occasions and as well as eating bibimbap and kalguksu at one of the many eateries here run by enthusiastic ‘ummas’ (elderly Korean ladies), we also tried a couple of really nice local Daegu food dishes here:
Nabjak Mandu
One of the 10 listed foods that are exclusive to Daegu, nabjak mandu are flat dumplings, fried in lots of oil and filled with glass noodles and chives. You can also top them with a special soy sauce and spring / green onions.
We found several Nabjak Mandu stalls at Seomun Market and paid 3,000 won for a small portion. We ate ours cooked but many locals were buying uncooked dumplings to heat and eat at home.
Seomun Market Peanut Cake
Now this was a tasty discovery – 20 pieces of Seomun peanut cake for only 3,000 Won.
There were several Daegu peanut cake stalls in Seomun Market but we just went to one of the busy ones with lots of locals queuing up.
Served warm, the peanut cakes are bite-sized, very cheap and delicious but also quite dry so you might want to have a drink on standby.
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9. Starbucks Daegu Jongro Old House (Starbucks Hanok)
There are many beautiful Starbucks in Korea but perhaps the most famous is the Starbucks Daegu Jongro Old House 스타벅스 대구종로고택.
Housed in a hundred year old hanok house with a gorgeous green courtyard, this is a cute and calming place for a cup of Starbucks in Korea (well, if you can get a seat as it can be busy…)
Located in the heart of Daegu in the bustling Jingolmok Alley, this is one Korean Starbucks in a hanok you must visit (especially if you collect Starbucks mugs).
From directions to what to expect inside and in the garden outside, here is our guide to Korea’s Starbucks Daegu Jongro Old House >
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10. Sparkland / Daegu Ferris Wheel
Although not on the scale of E-World, Sparkland is a downtown Daegu theme-park and mall in the Dongseongno shopping district.
The Sparkland Mall itself is nothing special (lots of pop-up shops selling character goods) but the upper levels are home to an outdoor rooftop theme park including a huge ferris wheel looking out over Daegu.
Even if you don’t fancy the rides, you can visit the roof terrace of Sparkland for free to get some cool city views (especially at sunset).
Other levels and fun activities here include Sparkland (lots of immersive indoor games like VR shooting and drone battles), the Spare Club bowling alley plus various sports bars and restaurants.
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11. Suseongmot Lake
If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Daegu, we highly recommend a few hours at Suseongmot Lake.
We’d kind of describe it as more of a lakeside resort as there are boardwalks and lots of chain restaurants and cafes (Tom Tom coffee, Starbucks etc) overlooking the lake itself.
We visited on a Saturday afternoon and the Suseongmot Lake was absolutely buzzing, with singers and street-performers, families walking around the lake plus the odd political rally.
Many Suseongmot Lake hotels have balconies overlooking the water so this could be a good place to stay in Daegu if you want to escape the city.
An eco-friendly park with a huge lakeside walking trail, Suseongmot Lake is also as equally popular at night as it is by day. As well as marvellous moonlight reflections on the lake, from May to October, visitors to Daegu can enjoy a video music fountain show.
Suseongmot Lake is also one of the of the most popular places for Daegu events and festivals in the summer months, like the annual Suseongmot Lake busking festival.
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12. Eunjeoksa Temple of the Jogye Order
Also located in the foothills of Bisulsan Mountain a few minutes walk away from the Apsan Cable Car entrance, Eunjeoksa Temple 은적사 is one of the most beautiful and serene Buddhist temples we’ve visited in Korea.
Whilst the likes of say Jogyesa Temple in Insadong or Haedong Yonggungsa Temple in Busan attract huge crowds, Eunjeoksa Temple 은적사 was just so calm in comparison – it was just us, a couple of cleaners and just a huge sense of tranquility and peace.
Originally built over 1000 years ago in 926AD (and later rebuilt), the location is stunning although the walk to the temple is a little steep. The temple name comes from Wang Geon, the founder of Goryeo who hid in a cave here to escape soldiers of Gyeon Hwon.
Try this – Daegu K-Beauty treatment at Beau Lounge with Klook or Trazy
13. Cartier Shinsegae Department Store
One of the biggest and best shopping malls in Daegu is Cartier Shinsegae Department Store, located right next to Dongdaegu Station – handily, it is also home to Daegu’s main Intercity bus station so we departed from here to Gwangju by bus.
It has 9 floors of shopping, food and fun – if you are a Kakao Friends fan, this was one of the best places for Kakao Friends merchandise we found in the whole of South Korea. They had lots of Choonsiks to choose from.
We also stumbled upon a kitchen themed floor on level 9 of Cartier Shinsegae Department Store. It has a themed coffee cup cafe where you drink sitting in a cup.
Next door there is a washing up bowl play-pit plus kitchen-dance floor (both part of ‘Zooraji, a kid’s theme park which is an ideal Daegu wet weather activity with children).
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14. Daegu Yangnyeongsi Museum of Oriental Medicine
A free thing to do in Daegu, we stumbled upon the Daegu Yangnyeongsi Museum of Oriental Medicine 대구약령시 한의약박물관 quite by chance as we saw their grounds with lots of weird and wonderful medical character statues outside – like a Disneyland of disease if you will!
Inside the museum, you’ll find a permanent collection and gallery including recreations of traditional Korean clinics as well as ‘immersive’ quizzes (which feels a bit dated).
The first floor is also a huge traditional / oriental medicine herb market (you can smell it as you approach the museum).
Nearby the museum, Daegu’s Herbal Medicine Market is South Korea’s oldest medicine market which is fascinating to explore.
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15. Le POULDU
There are many great Daegu coffee shops and cafes to choose from but one we particularly liked was the French inspired Le POULDU 르폴뒤 (map).
It is known for its incredible croissants and custard cream bread. This bake shop has a small serving area downstairs packed with colourful creations and fruity fineness, with a large seating area upstairs.
We grabbed a table overlooking Main Street and watched shoppers go by as we chowed down on choice croissants.
Some of the bakery items we spotted at Le POULDU 르폴뒤 included potato and cheese cream buns, mixed berry tarts and muscat cream buns – we had a flaky strawberry cream bun and it was oh la la!
16. Other Things to do in Daegu
Gosangol Dinosaur Park – Metasequoia
Sadly we ran out of time to do this but we caught a glimpse of it whilst getting the bus to Apsan Cable Car. This Daegu dinosaur park (Goosangol) was created after the discovery of fossilized footprints, thought to date back more than 100 million years ago.
This is a great Daegu thing to do with kids as there are lots of play activities, easy trails and huge 3D dinosaurs to get up close too.
Kim Kwang Seok Gil Street
A place to remember the late great Korean singer songwriter Kim Kwang-seok, here you will find a silver statue of the singer plus a mural of his lyrics – it is located close to Bangcheon Market.
Kim was born in Daegu in 1964 and died in 1991 aged just 36 years old – he was remembered as a singer who spoke out about social and political issues and was well respected.
Palgongsan mountain
We opted to do the nearer to Daegu Apsan Cable Car and Observation deck but a little further afield, get high with the Palgongsan Cable Car 팔공산 케이블카.
It has an elevation of 1,500 meters and it is an 18 minute ride to the summit of Palgongsan Mountain – there are a number of day hikes from the summit so you could walk down instead if you’re feeling fit enough.
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