Rankings of South Korean National Travel Destinations for May 2026 | Top 30 Popular Travel Destinations

Damyang — Ranked 31st nationwide · Interest 4,700

The lush greenery of the Metasequoia tree-lined street reaches its peak in May. april It is a time when the landscape shifts from light green to deep green, and the tunnel scenery is particularly beautiful as the morning fog lifts. May is also the peak season for Juknokwon. The sound of the wind and the cool air amidst the bamboo groves offer a sense of leisure to enjoy for the last time before the early summer heat sets in. Traditional gardens like Soswaewon also find their true beauty amidst the fresh greenery of May. This is why Damyang Tteokgalbi is a dish enjoyed regardless of the season.

Namhae — Ranked 4th nationwide · Interest 17,190

With the Children's Day holiday and Parents' Day overlapping in May, Namhae consistently ranks high in domestic travel searches. The scenery of European-style houses in the German Village harmonizing with May roses serves as the representative image for this month. Darangyi Village is in a transitional period as the spring canola flowers fade and the land is filled with green rice paddies; this actually makes it an even better time for strolling along the ridges. Boriam Temple is a scenic viewpoint overlooking the sea off Namhae, and on clear days in May, the sunrise and views are at their peak of the year. Namhae anchovy sashimi and anchovies from Mijo Port are in season during May.

Hadong — Ranked 15th nationwide · Interest 7,780

May is the key season for harvesting wild tea in Hadong. Following the Ujeon (first flush tea before the Grain Rain) in April, Sejak and Jungjak teas are released in May. It is also the time when the tea fields of Hwagae Valley are filled with lush greenery. Hwagae Market sees a concentration of seasonal delicacies, such as Seomjin River clam soup, grilled sweetfish, and freshwater crab stew, to coincide with the peak spring season in May. May is actually the best time to ride the Seomjin River bicycle path, as the spring flowers have faded and the riverside scenery becomes much quieter. Choi Champan's House, the setting of Park Kyung-ni's novel *Toji*, is a must-visit destination for a trip to Hadong. The Ssanggyesa Temple Ten-Mile Cherry Blossom Road has transformed into a tunnel of fresh greenery after the blossoms have fallen.

Boseong — +1,040 (+47%, Rank 72→51)

May is the month of Boseong. It is the time when the Sejak harvest begins in earnest, and the flood of photos of green tea fields on social media has boosted search volume. The terraced tea fields, viewed from the Boseong Tea Field Observatory, are at their greenest during this period as spring transitions into early summer.

Namwon — +1,410 (+23%, Rank 29→22)

The Chunhyang Festival is held in late May. This festival, held annually around the Dano Festival in the area of Gwanghanru Garden, is a large-scale event combining traditional folk performances and Pansori, marking Namwon's biggest annual tourism peak.

Haman — +550 (+61%, 1st in growth rate)

Although the absolute increase is not significant, it ranks first in the nation in terms of growth rate. This is the result of content announcing the blooming of lotus flowers at Haman Akyang Ecological Park starting to spread on social media in mid-May. While the actual blooming takes place in June and July, searches asking when is the best time to visit begin to concentrate starting in May.

Gyeongju — -7,930 (-24%, 1st in absolute drop)

This is the result of demand, which had been concentrated during the cherry blossom season in March and April, dropping all at once. Although the ranking dropped one spot from 3rd to 4th, absolute interest remains high. Search volume is expected to recover after June with the start of night openings and the summer festival season.

Gangjin — -1,620 (-46%, 1st in decline rate)

Interest, which briefly surged as the April Celadon Festival coincided with the spring flowers, has returned to square one. Gangjin has strong characteristics as a seasonal travel destination where interest is concentrated in spring and autumn.

Gochang — -2,050 (-38%)

Search volume dropped sharply as the Green Barley Field Festival (April to early May) ended. Since the raspberry harvest is in June and July, May is the off-season in Gochang.