Things to do in Daejeon

16 activities, venues and outings in Daejeon, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Daedong Sky Park
대동하늘공원
It consists of Daedong Mural Village, Daedong Street Art Museum, Baegolsan Love Rock, Daedong Haneul Park Windmill, and Haneul Park Cafe.
Do
Daejeon Art Center
(대전창작센터) Daejeon Changjak Center
Small art gallery in old downtown showcasing modern art works of young artists. The exhibits rotate every 1-2 months exhibiting to an often unusual theme, individual pieces regularly are quite involved, taking up an entire room.
Free
Do
Daejeon Currency Museum
화폐박물관 Hoapyebak Mulgwan
Historical currencies of Korea up to the modern day, including those of the DPRK (North Korea).
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, 10:00-16:00 in winter, closed MondaysFree
Do
Daejeon Museum of Art
대전시립미술관
Daejeon's primary art facility, nestled between the Government Complex Daejeon, Hanbat Arboretum and the small Mannyeong-dong restaurant district. Has a spacious park filled with modern art sculptures out the front. A small stage out the front sometimes hosts free cultural performances on weekends.
10:00-19:00 (closed on Mon)
Do
Daejeon Observatory
Here you can observe the sun during the day or any number of celestial bodies at night. Located west of Expo Park, take the 604 bus to the observatory stop.
Tue-Sun 14:00-22:00, closed Mondays and the day following a national holiday
Do
Donghak-sa Temple
A picturesque temple outside of Daejeon in the adjacent city of Gongju, but linked in on the Daejeon bus routes. In addition to the temple, the valley contains restaurants, hotels and saunas (including a fair few of the funky "hobbit mushroom" styled ones) and a fairly dramatic waterfall, albeit dry much of the year. This all falls within Gyeryongsan National Park. A well stocked tourist information booth exists at the entrance and is an ideal starting point for a hiking trip over the region. Restaurants in the area tend to be well catered towards foreign (primarily Japanese) tourists with picture menus of the most popular items: a rarity in central South Korea. To get in, the 107 bus will take you from Daejeon Korail station direct, although it is much faster to take the subway to the National Cemetery station, and hop on the 107 there as it prepares to zip out of town. The bus stop is right next to the subway exit.
₩2000
Do
Namsun Park Comprehensive Sports Center
남선공원종합체육관
It operates the only ice rink and wave pool in Daejeon, and is a comprehensive leisure sports center where you can enjoy various sports such as golf, squash, and futsal.
06:00-21:30 (swimming pool), 06:00-22:45 (gym/gym), 10:00-17:45 (ice rink)
Do
O-World
A theme park, on the far, far south end of the city. Comprises Zooland (zoo boasting 130 species), Flower Land (flower park boasting 190 species) and Joyland (a regular ol' theme park).
Do
Uam Historical Park
Historic scholarly site nestled in a mountain valley. Has a well kept lake and quite nice to stroll around. Hosts a (poorly gazetted) festival sometime in October. For hikers, the trail hidden at the rear-left of the park continues up the mountain, past a place to fill your water bottles and after a less than 30 min walk, all the way to the top of the ridge overlooking the immense Daecheong lake east of town.
Free
Do
Yuseong Foot Spa
A heated foot spa. The temperature is pretty high but varies along the length so it's appropriate even in winter, and you won't overheat in summer. Unlike most foot spas, the local populace demands pre-washing of feet at the wash-station at the end of the foot spa prior to entering (akin to the etiquette of a full body public bathhouse). Drop your stuff where you intend to sit, then walk down the end, wash up, and walk down the spa to get back to your seat. It can be an embarrassingly fulfilling sight seeing the elderly locals accosting Korean visitors from elsewhere in Korea unaware of this unstated rule. To get there, leave the subway station and head towards the main Yuseong junction to the north. Turn east and follow the wide grassy median strip about 500 m down the road.
Free
Do
Yuseong Hot Springs Resort
Hot Springs & Saunas
These hot springs are known to be effective in countering many kinds of maladies. Containing alkaline minerals such as calcium, and potassium, sulfur, carbonic acid, silicic acid and radium and are considered to be beneficial in treating neuralgia and geriatric diseases. Accommodation is available nearby.
Do Not mapped
Cherry Blossom Festival
In Shintanjin, in April (spring) when the flowers happen to be in full bloom.
Do Not mapped
Daejeon Balloon Festival
Once a year around October, this is not the international balloon festival you are likely thinking of. The 2010 edition of this annual event only had two hot-air balloons, both tethered tightly to the ground. However, as the sun sets, they let off an amazingly large quantity of small disposable lantern balloons that float off in the south-westerly breeze of the neon Smart Towers housing complex and into the mountains. Both Daejeon city and the DICC have a tendency to try to book in other festivals at the same time as this nearby to attract more out-of-town visitors, so keep an eye on local schedules.
Do Not mapped
Daejeon International Bread Festival
The Daejeon International Bread Festival is one of the city's signature annual events, celebrating Daejeon's status as the 'City of Bread' and a culinary hub for bakery arts. Held annually, the festival gathers famous local establishments—like Sung Sim Dang—and leading national bakeries, offering a massive variety of specialty breads and pastries. This vibrant event is a must-visit for food lovers, featuring tastings, baking demonstrations, and contests that highlight Korea's modern baking culture.
Do Not mapped
Daejeon International Wine Festival
The Daejeon International Wine Festival is a major annual event that attracts global attention, positioning Daejeon as a central city for the international wine industry in Korea. The festival offers a vast array of global wines for tasting and purchase, alongside food pairings, educational seminars, and wine-related cultural programs. Held in conjunction with the Asia Wine Trophy competition, it is highly recommended for wine enthusiasts seeking to explore diverse vintages and enjoy a sophisticated cultural event.
Do
National Science Museum
국립중앙과학관 Gungnip Jungang Gwahakgwan
Showcases both permanent and special exhibitions.
Tue-Sun 09:30-17:50, closed Mondays₩1,000 for exhibitions and another ₩1,000 for planetarium; half price for under-20s

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Daejeon (CC BY-SA 4.0).