Luxury travel to Jeonju

"Eat once in Jeonju, and you'll be spoiled for life"

Surrounded by South Korea’s fields in the heart of North Jeolla Province, Jeonju is a relatively small city renowned across the country for its food, historic centre and festivals.

While much of the city is a modern sprawl, albeit one where green hills and rice paddies are never too far away, almost all of Jeonju’s attractions can be found in its Hanok Village. This a neighbourhood of some 800 traditional wood-framed houses which line a maze of cobbled streets. One of the largest such areas in Korea, and feels like a step back in time after the neon and glass of Seoul. Some are still private homes, but many are now guesthouses, artisan workshops, tea houses, small museums and restaurants.

And food is the primary reason Jeonju is so loved by Koreans. Just a day wandering between food stalls will tell you why it has been designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. It is most famous as being the home of bibimbap (a much-loved bowl of a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed vegetables, chili pepper paste, fermented soybean paste and a raw egg). Almost everything you’ll get to sample while exploring the region, from dumplings and pancakes to makgeolli rice spirit and tea once reserved for kings, is to be savoured.