The Seoul Metropolitan Government is holding Seoul Wellness Travel Week 2026 from 24 October to 4 November in the Gangnam-gu area and at venues included in the 100 Seoul Wellness Tourism Destinations. The event has been held annually since 2022. This year’s theme is ‘Seoul, Redefining the Future of Wellness’. With Bongeunsa Temple, Pilkyungjae and Boston Chamber as its hubs, the programme has been put together around rest and healing, healthy food, and music and art.
One notable feature is that meditation is not confined to a cushion. Walking temple paths at night, drinking tea, listening to the harp and moving the body slowly are all presented as ways into meditation. Even those who find it difficult to sit for a long time can take part in a way that feels comfortable for their body.
Two days at Bongeunsa: only Venerable Geumgang’s Seon meditation is free among 15 classes
The first venue is Bongeunsa Temple. Fifteen wellness programmes focused on meditation and movement will run over 24 and 25 October. On 24 October, Venerable Geumgang, chair of the Jogye Order’s Seon Meditation Committee, will lead ‘Seon Meditation: The Way to Peace of Mind’, sharing meditation techniques for everyday life.
The schedule on the official website offers a wide range of activities. The first day features singing bowl performances, a Korean herbal tea gathering with a practitioner of Korean medicine, a low-intensity recovery exercise class, water-like Odaka yoga and a night-time walking meditation along the temple paths. On 25 October, the programme continues with song meditation; exercises in body awareness through posture and movement; a movement ritual combining barre, Pilates and yoga; a breathing programme that takes participants on a journey through Seoul; a mindful tea-time session practising mindfulness over a cup of tea; and Anata meditation.
Participation costs 5,000 won per person for each programme; Venerable Geumgang’s Seon meditation is free. Advance booking is available for the main programmes through the official website, and some are already fully booked. It is worth checking availability before visiting. Audio walking meditation, in which participants follow audio guidance along the meditation path, will also be available throughout both days from 12.30pm to 5.30pm.
No booking or capacity limit: evening walks at 6pm at Bongeunsa, Jogyesa and Hwagyesa
The most accessible programme during the event is the night-time audio meditation. It will run daily from 6pm to 8.30pm at three temples—Bongeunsa, Jogyesa and Hwagyesa—from 26 October to 4 November. Participants can walk the meditation paths alone, listening to audio guidance in Korean or English through the TripAudio app or a QR code at the venue. It is free, with no booking or capacity limit.
Each temple has a different route. At Bongeunsa, there is a route of about 30 minutes from Jinyeomun Gate, along the meditation path and on to Daeungjeon Hall, and a route of about 15 minutes around the meditation path alone. At Jogyesa, there is a route of about 30 minutes from Iljumun Gate, past the stupa and on to Daeungjeon Hall, as well as a roughly 10-minute circumambulation of the stupa. Hwagyesa has a route of about 40 minutes from Iljumun Gate to Daeungjeon Hall and Samseonggak, and a roughly 10-minute Seon meditation session at Daeungjeon Hall. The meditation path at Bongeunsa is narrow, so visitors will set off in groups of no more than five, following the instructions of staff on site.
For office workers new to meditation, it is an approachable way to begin: stop by on the way home and spend around 30 minutes walking to leave the day’s noise behind. As audio guidance is available in English too, walking with a foreign friend is also a good way to introduce them to Korean temple meditation.
Three-metre hanji lanterns in a 500-year-old hanok courtyard; harp busking on Garosu-gil
Pilkyungjae, which represents Taste, is a traditional hanok passed down through generations by the descendants of Grand Prince Gwangpyeong, son of King Sejong. From 26 October to 4 November, its inner courtyard will host an exhibition of two three-metre-high hanji works by artist Kim Won-cheon, including ‘Jiu (紙宇), House of Paper’. The house- and jar-shaped works will be on display from noon to 10pm, with the lights switched on at 6pm. Admission is free, with no booking required, even for those not dining at the restaurant.
Style is represented by Boston Chamber, a multi-purpose cultural space on Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong. At 12.30pm on the final day, 4 November, a sound-healing busking performance blending harp melodies and vocals will take place. It is free to attend, with no booking required. Visitors can experience how listening closely to sound can itself become a form of meditation, not in a concert hall but out on the street.
Rice-cake tea and green bean paste: eight of the 100 Seoul Wellness Tourism Destinations host the final week
From 29 October to 4 November, special experiences will be held at eight venues from the 100 Seoul Wellness Tourism Destinations, across the city. They include a sensory-restoration experience at Nuite, a Korean rice-cake tea experience featuring teas from different regions at Eocha, and a traditional fermented-food culture programme centred on Jeju green bean paste at Kkotbap E Pida Bukchon. Dates and participation fees for each programme can be checked and booked through the official website. An exhibition booth introducing the 100 destinations will be set up throughout the event in the ground-level car park in front of Bowudang Hall at Bongeunsa.
If sitting meditation is difficult, start with walking, drinking and listening
In an age when information keeps arriving without pause, it is not easy to sit for a long time and turn one’s attention inwards from the outset. This event offers several ways around that difficulty. If your body feels stiff, try recovery exercise or Odaka yoga; if your mind is busy, follow the audio guidance along a night-time path; if you want to awaken your senses, begin with tea and sound. Rather than presenting one approach as the right answer, the event offers a chance to try different experiences and find what suits you.
It is also worth noting that temple meditation, traditional tea, fermented food and hanok are all open to international visitors as part of one event. It is a glimpse of Korean meditation culture meeting the world through tourism.
The event schedule and booking availability are on the official website and Instagram (@seoulwellnesstravelweek). For enquiries, contact the Seoul Wellness Tourism Operations Office on 02-2231-2011.
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