Outdoor Trip to Yeongju — An Overnight Outdoor Wellness Trip in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Outdoor Trip to Yeongju — An Overnight Outdoor Wellness Trip in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Yeongju, home to Sobaeksan Mountain, draws hikers year-round who come to admire its beauty. Pairplay, an outdoor travel community run by R&One, has designed a travel program called ‘Sobaeksan Snow Flower Hiking Wellness Trip: 1 Night 2 Days,’ combining expert-guided hiking on Sobaeksan with wellness activities like singing bowl meditation and apple cookie-making.

Words by Parc Jinmyoung
Photos by Son Dongju
In collaboration with Impact Square

To See

Sobaeksan Mountain
Stretching across Yeongju in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Danyang in Chungcheongbuk-do, Sobaeksan Mountain boasts a grand yet gentle silhouette centered around its highest peak, Birobong (1,439.5m), alongside Gukmangbong (1,420.8m) and Yeonhwabong (1,383m). The vast, high, flat ridgeline near the summit is considered a rare spectacle in Korea, and thanks to wildflowers in spring and summer, autumn foliage, and rime ice in winter, the mountain attracts hikers throughout all four seasons. The Ueuigok Course offers the shortest route to Birobong (5.1km one way), taking about two hours and 40 minutes from the Ueuigok Trail Center in Danyang to the summit. The path winds through old-growth forest and clear valley streams before opening onto a broad meadow, making it a good choice for first-time visitors or beginner hikers to Sobaeksan. For the descent, try the Cheondong Course, which spans 6.8km one way and takes about three hours. On the way to the Cheondong Trail Support Center, you can take shelter from the biting wind at the yew tree grove watch post below Birobong, where you can enjoy a simple meal and a brief rest.

Ueuigok Trail Support Center: 842 Saebat-ro, Gagok-myeon, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do

To Do

Melafla
Melafla, meaning ‘apple blossom’ in Italian, is a cafe serving drinks and desserts made with the region’s specialty apples. Run by a couple who returned to their hometown in 2023, the cafe is housed in a renovated 50-year-old house that reflects Yeongju’s local character. Signature menu items include the Applicano — apple juice with a shot of espresso added — the Apple Red Tea, made with hibiscus steeped over homemade apple compote, and the Mela Crumble Cookie, topped with apple compote and streusel. The Applicano in particular has a sweet, bittersweet flavor reminiscent of asatchu (short for ‘iced tea with a shot of espresso added’), with the key difference being that it uses 100 percent pressed apple juice with no additives. Melafla also runs cooking classes where guests can make the cafe’s signature items themselves. Enjoy your time here making sweet-and-sour desserts featuring Yeongju’s apples, such as apple jam cookies, apple compote, and apple vin chaud.

Applicano 5,000 won, Apple Red Tea 5,500 won

30 Wondang-ro 19beon-gil, Yeongju-si

cafe_melafla

To Eat

Samttarak Hanjeongsik
In Yeongju, Korea’s first ginseng-growing region, sampling ginseng dishes is a must. Punggi ginseng, grown in Punggi-eup, is known for its firm texture and strong aroma, thanks to Sobaeksan’s fertile soil and wide temperature swings. Samttarak Hanjeongsik serves a table setting featuring Punggi ginseng, beloved by locals and travelers alike. The meal opens with a succession of appetite-whetting dishes — fried ginseng, blanched mushrooms, cold jellyfish salad, and yukhoe (Korean-style beef tartare) — with a vegetable-centered lineup that highlights the natural flavors of the ingredients. This is followed by hearty, wholesome dishes such as doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), grilled dried pollack, and handmade Korean beef patties. The highlight is the ginseng hot pot rice, where fluffy rice pairs beautifully with the pungent bite of ginseng. Finish the healthy meal with a cup of warm ginseng tea.

Samttarak Hanjeongsik set 28,000 won

307-12 Anpung-ro, Punggi-eup, Yeongju-si

[Interview with Kwon Yonggeun, CEO of R&One]

Could you introduce the travel service you operate?
Pairplay is Korea’s largest outdoor travel community, offering innovative travel experiences for the MZ generation. We use travel not simply as a means of movement, but as a stage for new experiences, connections, and growth. We reinterpret outdoor activities like running, hiking, backpacking, camping, and water sports as entertainment.
What inspired you to start a travel startup?
The MZ generation no longer wants traditional travel. While overseas travel has surged, more people are also seeking better experiences domestically due to rising exchange rates and cost-of-living pressures. We noticed that despite this growing interest, many in the MZ generation felt there weren’t enough diverse things to do while traveling in Korea, so we wanted to pioneer the market with a service that delivers intense experiences in a short amount of time.
What kind of travel program did you introduce for the ‘Local Ae-chak’ project run by the Gyeongsangbuk-do Tourism Organization?
Through Pairplay, we introduced a trip that captures Yeongju’s nature, history, and local sensibility. It’s a program where travelers hike Sobaeksan Mountain to take in its stunning scenery while pushing their own limits, and connect with the local culture by experiencing Yeongju’s hidden restaurants and traditional food.
If you had to name one appeal Yeongju has as a sustainable local travel destination, what would it be?
Yeongju is a place where time flows slowly. It’s a destination where you can step away from your busy daily life and slowly, deeply experience nature, history, and local warmth. Walking along Sobaeksan’s beautiful ridgelines lets you fully experience the changing seasons, and you can also enjoy local specialties found only in Yeongju.
What kind of traveler would you recommend a trip to Yeongju to?
I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to refresh body and mind in nature, or to office workers who need healing in a quiet place away from the city.
Do you have a personally memorable travel experience?
My most memorable experience was climbing Sobaeksan last year. Walking through the cold pre-dawn air, I witnessed the moment the red sun rose over the mountain ridge. It made me realize that travel is a process that expands our everyday lives and thinking. We set out to see different scenery, but in the end, isn’t the true essence of travel gaining a new perspective on the world?
Could you tell us about any travel projects or goals you’re preparing for this year?  We’re preparing various projects to turn domestic outdoor tourism into entertainment. First, we plan to introduce an AI-based travel recommendation service that analyzes individual preferences and activity data to suggest optimal travel routes. We also want to create customized travel content for regional tourism promotion in collaboration with companies and local governments, and expand into Japan and Southeast Asia to introduce K-outdoor travel products. Beyond travel, we hope to grow into a brand that creates a whole new lifestyle.

Pairplay:    pairplayapp.co.kr

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