Korean beauty and skincare products may have been embraced worldwide, but visit South Korea and you'll notice a holistic wellness culture that provides more than just a surface-level allure. Here, health and wellness are not occasional indulgences but an integral part of daily life, where traditional remedies and natural therapies reflect a deep connection to holistic living, from mineral water soaks and sauna visits to meditative forest walks and restorative ginseng teas.
No longer just for locals, however, more and more travelers are heading to the "Land of the Morning Calm" to immerse themselves in this ethos, rejuvenating both mind and body through heritage-inspired approaches. To encourage more visitors and capitalize on the international K-beauty boom, the country is quickly emerging as a hub for wellness tourism thanks to government-supported initiatives such as the "K-Wellness" global campaigns promoted by the Korean Tourism Organization.
The wellness resort industry is also rapidly expanding, with luxury brands seizing the opportunity to meet growing demand. Aman Resorts is set to launch Janu Seoul by 2027, while Rosewood Seoul will debut a 250-room hotel featuring a sprawling 4,500-square-meter Asaya Spa. Global wellness leader Therme is investing $200 million in a "natural healing urban oasis" wellness resort in Incheon.
Already-opened hotels and resorts across the country offer multifaceted programs — both traditional and innovative — specifically targeted at tourists that combine luxury, nature, and restorative practices. Visit one and you'll leave recharged, refreshed, and ready to see more of the world.
The following four resorts have been go-to destinations for wellness-seeking Koreans for years, making them ideal for your next wellbeing-focused journey through South Korea.
PARK ROCHE Resort & Wellness, Gangwon-do
To find this resort, you must head to the forested mountains of Gangwon-do, much like the ancient kings of the past who sought sanctuary in nature. Recognized as one of South Korea's top wellness destinations, opened in 2018, Park Roche is committed to sustainability and wellness — and at the heart of everything they do is mindfulness. The spaces here exude a grounding vibe thanks to wood accents that harmonize with the surrounding mountain scenery, which can be enjoyed from large windows that bathe each room in natural light. To ensure guests always have new opportunities for relaxation, the resort refreshes its program schedule every two weeks to provide an ever-evolving range of classes and experiences designed to nurture both body and mind.
Enjoy the "Sleep & Reset Massage" featuring essential oils and guided breathing techniques to relieve and release tension and promote better sleep. Then, visit a meditation room, yoga space, or the spa for its signature "Jeongseon Delights" face and body massage, which incorporates Jeongseon's signature ingredients of apple and honey to boost circulation and produce a natural glow. Finally, visit the Sugam Lab, a collaborative space with Ace Bed R&D, where a body composition analysis and stress measurement is taken and used to determine the best bedding for you.
Find the GX room to learn exercise techniques from wellness specialists, and then head to the Aqua Club, a collection of indoor and outdoor spas where you can enjoy a water massage through hydro jets. Then, soak in various hot and cold-water baths promoting metabolic health before heating up in the steam sauna and dry sauna, an experience that is at the center of most Korean wellness stays. The outdoor spa is stunning, with views of Gariwangsan and Dutasan mountains, but the highlight is the pool. Thanks to "Blue Stone," an artwork created by British artist Richard Woods, there is a playful cartoon-like mosaic of bold blue and white stones that appear to come straight out of a comic strip. The whimsical design contrasts with the natural surroundings to create a surreal atmosphere that is both calming and humorous.
The Spa at Paradise City, Incheon
Paradise City Incheon offers a unique rejuvenation experience with a combination of wellness and entertainment. Opened in 2017, the resort features stunning architecture like "The Imprint" by MVRDV, a rippling facade that mimics the folds of a curtain being pulled back, inviting you into the wondrous art-tainment world they've created. There are also artworks by renowned artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Damien Hirst, and Nam June Paik displayed throughout. Visit for traditional beauty therapies and stay for the on-site circus, art museum, and more.
The signature wellness programs offered at The Spa at Paradise are inspired by the four principles of the Korean flag — sky, earth, water, and fire. After a personalized consultation, each program is tailored to provide a rejuvenating and revitalizing experience for each spa-goer. The Rhee (Fire) program, for instance, is designed to promote circulation and balance through connection. It begins with aromatherapy, followed by a grounding ritual that involves walking on uneven stones barefoot, a popular Korean traditional practice. Next, a footbath featuring ginseng, a staple of Korean wellness and a local specialty from Incheon, leads into a body massage with Korean basalt stones and a facial treatment that enhances the elasticity of the face. This holistic experience combines Eastern and Western therapies, catering to the mind, body, and spirit.
After the personalized program experience, visit the Water Plaza, a pool with a gorgeously glowing atmosphere created by its white design and delicate, colorful lighting that bounces from the ceiling to the walls. Then, head into the Cave Spa, Virtual Spa, or Aqua Club, spaces that allow you to relax in a theme of your choosing, whether it's a stone cave or an intimate, dream-like room with LED screens showing the sunset on a loop. The second floor has an indoor infinity pool, while the third floor offers an outdoor spa area that features a cool water foot bath with protruding stones to walk on, which is thought to help with insomnia relief and toxin removal.
When it's time to really relax, head to the Jjimjil Spa Zone for an authentic traditional Korean sauna experience. Here, you can choose from various rooms, like the Salt Room, which features pure salt to help you remove dead skin cells and restore healthy skin, or the Amethyst Room, created with beautiful North Korean amethysts thought to revitalize the skin and reduce stress while you relax in the 65 degree Celsius (about 150 degree Fahrenheit) heat. These spaces are designed to promote stress relief, improve circulation, support detoxification, and enhance rejuvenation all while embracing you with heat.
Resom Forest & Have9 Healing Spa, Jecheon-si
Resom Forest & Have9 Healing Spa sits in a forest of towering trees that have been there for 1,000 years, with buildings designed to coexist with their natural surroundings. Seeking to heal through nature, water is a focal point of the programs here.
Visit the Sasang Constitutional Spa first to learn more about your constitution with a skilled consultant. The Sasang philosophy says that there are four different types of people based on physiological and pathological characteristics: tae-yang, so-yang, tae-eum, and so-eum. Each type is thought to have a typical imbalance in one way or another that leads to how the energy flows and how food is metabolized, and so on. Knowing which type you are will help you truly rest, relax, and take care of your body.
After the consultation and receiving information on which heated pools will be most effective for you, go further inside to find baths decorated in rich shades of crimson and emerald. Soak, rest, and heat up the body, then visit the dry sauna, which helps muscles to relax and provides detoxification through sweating. Continue to the outdoor pools to take a swim or enjoy a seat in a picturesque jacuzzi: Imagine sitting in a warm stone bath that juts out over the forest with lush trees and leaves rustling all around. Next, take advantage of the meditation spaces before forest bathing in the woods, where you can breathe in the invisible but wondrous phytoncides released by the trees, which are thought to help lower blood pressure and heart rate. Visit this resort in the autumn for a truly fantastic display of nature's beauty through the vibrant fall foliage.
WE Premium Health Resort, Jeju Island
Travel from mainland Korea to Jeju Island, a destination that many locals seek for solace and health, to the first premium health resort in the country that combines a five-star hotel with hospital facilities. Covered in rolling green tea fields, citrus orchards, and dense forests, with Hallasan Mountain at its center, Jeju is an escape into nature's wonders. Thanks to natural volcanic bedrock, quality water is abundant here and is used at every turn in WE Premium Health Resort, from the drinking water to the spas, showers, and pools.
Opened in 2014, this resort was the first of its kind and continues to create experiences that you won't soon forget. One of its most intriguing spaces is the Aqua Meditation Pool, a softly lit dome filled with water kept between 34 and 37 degrees Celsius (about 92 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit) that envelops its blissfully floating guests in a cozy embrace. While there, try the Haeam Hydro experience, an aqua acupressure massage applied by therapists while guests lie on a floatie in the water. The combination of gentle water movements, soothing warmth, and the tranquil atmosphere create a somewhat mysterious yet deeply relaxing experience — so much so that you might even drift off to sleep.
Once in tune with your body, head outside to the nearby cedar forests for a walk on ergonomically designed trails. Stroll with a professional forest commentator while learning about the surrounding healing world of nature. Or, experience forest meditation under professional guidance, while taking in Jeju's calming sounds of birds chirping and branches swaying in the wind.