Muan airport is closed, so plan flights to Gwangju carefully

Gwangju hosts its contemporary art Biennale in even-numbered years, with the main exhibition in a hall on Biennale-ro in Buk-gu. The 2026 edition is the 16th, and the next falls in 2028, so plan ahead if art is your reason to visit. Leave a full afternoon for the hall. Check the official site for dates, tickets and…

Club Boojik is a basement live-music venue near Chonnam National University that has hosted Gwangju's indie and punk bands since 2010. Nights are often multi-band bills with local and visiting acts, and the bands sell CDs after their sets. Check the club's social media for the schedule, since shows are announced…

Yangdong Market is the largest traditional market in the region, spread over several buildings of produce, seafood, clothing and household goods. Start on the main alleys to get your bearings, then loop back to whatever caught your eye. Shops generally open around nine in the morning, though hours vary by stall, so…

Gwangju Lake Eco Park in Buk-gu is a free lakeside park with flower gardens and long walkways that wind toward the old dam trail. It sits well outside the centre, and city buses run only every 30 to 40 minutes, so a missed bus can mean a long wait. Check the last bus before you set off, or book a taxi through an app…

Daein Art Market in Dong-gu turns into a Saturday evening night market with street food, craft stalls and stages for local bands and dancers. It is a seasonal event, and listings disagree on the months and hours, so a winter or weekday visit can find ordinary shops only. Look up the current schedule on the market's…

The observatory in Sajik Park gives a panoramic view across downtown Gwangju, with Mudeungsan filling the skyline. A cafe on the floor below doubles as a small gallery, so you can sit down while the light changes. Arrive before sunset and stay as the city lights come on. Listings disagree on opening hours, so check…

Gwangju Theater opened in 1935 and is one of Korea's oldest cinemas, a single-screen hall that has outlasted the multiplex era. It sits just off Chungjang-ro in Dong-gu and still runs film programmes and festival weeks. Check the screening list on the day and pick a film that suits the single big room. Locals treat…

Oritang, a duck and vegetable stew, is a Gwangju specialty. The restaurants that serve it cluster on Yudong Alley in Buk-gu, in the lane beside the Hyundai Department Store. Ask for the version made with ground perilla seeds, which gives the broth a nutty body, and order a pot to share across the table. Locals go for…