Recommended itinerary for two days and one night trip alone in Daegu.

Recommended itinerary for two days

and one night trip alone in Daegu.

C’est La Vie!

Traveling alone can be a daunting task, especially when it’s in a place far and foreign from what you know. Even if you’re familiar with other parts of the country, each new city has its own special nuances. However, that doesn’t mean it has to be a scary or overwhelming situation because like others before me, I’ve created a simple guide to help those traveling alone. I don’t get a lot of time off, so when I do, I always try to get the most out of my limited vacations. I like to live by three simple rules whenever I travel:

Eat a Lot. See a Lot. But Don’t Spend a Lot.

Setting Off

Because I live in Seoul, it is very easy and convenient to travel to Daegu. You can go by car, bus or KTX express train. For this trip I decided to take the bus; although it takes longer, it’s still only about ₩50,000 round trip and only takes about 4 hours each way. You can find cheaper buses, but the deluxe bus is really comfortable for a long drive. To book tickets, you can either use the kiosks for self serve ticket purchase, or go to the window and have someone print them for you.

 

You can go directly from the 고속터미널역 Express Bus Terminal to 동대구동양고속버스터미널 Dong Daegu Station | What I paid: ₩50,000

Arrival

This bus offers a direct route that drops you off right near the heart of Daegu. Dong Daegu Station is connected to the brand new Shinsegae Mall, so if you’re tired or hungry you can always grab a drink or something to eat before heading to your hotel. I took the 8 am bus and arrived right around noon, so I decided to go to my room before finding food.

You can also access the subway directly from this connection, so it’s easy to get to wherever you need to go. (Hpwever I would note that while you can use your T-money card in Daegu, you cannot reload it at the stations. You can buy one way fares which will come in the form of a coin instead of a ticket.) For this trip, I booked with AirBnB since I use them whenever I travel and have a good rapport with them.

Housing

Although there are many options such as hotels, hostels, and guest houses, I personally prefer AirBnB because of the safety, price, and my own prior positive experiences. Fortunately, when booking this appartment in Daegu, I found a unit close to the center of the city. The owner even knew someone who works for the Daegu Tourism Organization, so she was extremely helpful and made my stay quite

enjoyable.

My airbnb was located by 신천역 (Sinchon Station), which is just one stop from

동대구동양고속버스터미널 (Dong Daegu Station) | What I paid: ₩45,000

DAY 1

태산만두 Taesang Mandu: 2109-32, Daegu-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu 124-10, Duksan- dong, Jung-gu, Daegu | What I paid: ₩10,000

Lunch at 태산만두 Taesan Mandu

Whenever I travel, I love to try local flavor or regional specialties.

For this trip, I did a little research and found that Jung-gu, (the “downtown” of Daegu), is where many popular food places are located

 

I found a small mandu shop that is best known for 비빔군만두 (bibimgun mandu).

It is a crispy mandu topped with spicy banchan, so I had to try it! I wasn’t sure how much I would be getting since it was so affordable, so I also ordered a bowl of 물냉면 cold buckwheat noodles.

Both of these had so much flavor, and the mandu came out with 10 pieces.
Which was more than I could eat, but so worth it! I’ve never had mandu like this, and it was amazing, to say the least. The restaurant was fast paced, but the manager was really friendly, and the meal was only ₩10,000 What a deal!

동성로축제 Dongseongno Festival

I just happened to be in town for the Dongseongno Festival held in Jung-gu every May.

This festival featured special performances, shopping experiences, and food from all around the area. Even though the weather was warm, there were delicious drinks being sold and shaded areas to watch all the local festivities. This type of event is especially convenient for someone travelling alone, as you can buy snacks and drinks and shop at your leisure. I was able to test some 막걸리 (makkeolli) and try some food samples.

The festival went on all weekend, so after I walked around a bit, I decided to move on to something else, knowing I could come back later to see more events.

디아크 The ARC

Before coming to visit Daegu. I had seen photos on Instagram of this place, and let me tell you it is really insta-worthy! However, photos don’t even do it justice! Getting to the ARC isn’t difficult, even though it’s on the outskirts of the city. From Daesil Station, you can take a bus or taxi to the park where it’s located. Unfortunately, when I got to the station, the bus wasn’t coming through, so 
I took a taxi which only cost ₩ 4,000.

디아크 The ARC: Jukgok-ri, Dasa-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu | What I paid: ₩'5C0

On the road up to the park there are many different scooter/segway rental places, which people use to ride around the park’s long bridge and pathways. I decided to go on foot so that I could take pictures along the way. I got dropped off at the far end of the park, which was incredible to see as the sun was just starting to set.

There are rose gardens, an information booth, and small trails to walk along from the bridge to the ARC itself.

Once you get to the ARC you will want to walk all the way around it, as it has a gorgeous 360 view.The colors of the ARC are ever changing, and complemented by the LED’s of the bikes riding by. It's quite a phenomenon. In front, by the parking lot there’s a large area where people play, camp, and enjoy the outdoors. There’s also a water fountain on the main ground as well as on top of the ARC itself, which you can reach from an elevator inside.

Inside the ARC is another information desk, various galleries, and a cafe. Someone was kind enough to take my photo with the trick eye painting as I forgot my selfie stick at home: I then took the elevator to the roof to enjoy the cool night breeze and to take in the beautiful view.

오사카야 Osakaya

After a long night of walking around, I was hungry.
It was saturday night so I wanted to see some of the nightlife while also enjoying a good meal and something to drink. I ended up going back to the Jung-gu area and found a Japanese restaurant called Osakaya.

오사카야 Osakaya: Daegu Jung-gu, Dongseongno 5-gil 63, 2nd floor | What I paid: ₩25,000

I decided to go big for this dinner, and ordered a bottle of peach makkeolli along with two of their most popular dishes. I got the Chicken Karage and the Cheese Fried Rice, both of which were absolutely amazing. I would definitely eat here again the next time I come back.

DAY 2
카페 베이글렛 Cafe Baglet: Juice, Coffee, Bagels

카페 베이글렛 Located near the west entrance to 국채보상공원 Kukjaebosang Park:

Daegu Park Station Chung-gu, Gongpyeon-ro 45 | What I paid: ₩5,500

After a full first day, I had a lot more that I wanted to try and do before my scheduled bus home at5. I woke up early to head out and explore the area. Once I had more time to review my map, I noticed that the Jung-gu area where I had been the day before, was walking distance from my place. There was another restaurant I wanted to try for breakfast, but since it didn’t open until 11am, I decided to grab a fresh squeezed juice on my way.

  

I passed by this cute cafe, and had to stop in. They offered a variety of specialty bagels, fresh squeezed juices, and of course, coffee. If I didn’t already have breakfast plans, I would have tried one of their delicious bagels and toppings but...there’s always next time!

레이지 다이너 Lazy Diner: Breakfast American Style!

Although, I LOVE Korean food, sometimes I miss a taste of home, so when I found out there was an American style breakfast place in Daegu I knew I had to try it! Lazy Diner is located in the main Jung-gu area in a nice upstairs location.

레이지 다이너 Lazy Diner : 23-3 Bongsan-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu | What I paid: ₩13,000

They have an extensive menu including both breakfast and lunch items.
Although the burgers looked good, I was there for breakfast, so I stuck to my guns and ordered their Brunch Platter. It included eggs, french toast, sausage, bacon, and a salad.

 

The interior is filled with iconic Americana items including toys, canned foods, and paintings. Although it had a very general kitschy appeal, the playful, colorful environment was enjoyable and the food offered that American taste I was missing at a reasonable price.

대구예술발전소 Daegu Art Factory

Next up was a local art museum I’d been wanting to visit which was built inside an old tobacco factory. Located just a short walking distance from Dalseong Park Station, it was extremely easy to find. Museums are a great place to visit when travelling alone, you can get free admission to the museum and view the installations at your own pace.

대구예술발전소 Daegu Art Factory 58-2 Suchang-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu | What I paid: ₩0

Sadly, because I was there on a Sunday, the main exhibition was closed, but I was free to view the rest of the museum. It was nice because it wasn’t crowded and I could take my time exploring. This museum has a number of installations built in among the 4 floors, but also includes a coffee shop on the ground floor and a large library of books and magazines, free to read in the comfort of their facilities.

The entire building has small “easter eggs” hidden around.
The stairways are lined with storytelling panelled glass that feature fun characters and superheros. Beneath the stair cases are neon figures, and in the hallways are various interactive paintings. The third floor is quite fun as it has a playroom for younger kids and an interactive area where you can take photos or play with different video installations for people of all ages.

 

I readily enjoyed all the bright colors and small surprises along the way, but of course the main attraction is the gigantic moon installation on the fourth floor. This enormous painting is larger than life, and perfect for taking photos with friends and family, or selfies for the lone traveler. Everyone was clamoring to get their photo taken next to the moon.

무지개다방과근대상회 Munjigae Coffee House

After finishing at the museum I had more time than I thought, so I decided to walk over to one of Daegu’s famous markets. On the way I found a small take out coffee place that had a totally retro vibe and tons of cute things inside. Although I just grabbed a drink from the cooler, I left a note on the wall, along with all the others who have passed by this little coffee spot.

서문시장 Seomun Market

I first visited this market in 2013, long before it had been partially burned by a large fire in 2016. Most of the market is still intact and just as full of life as ever. So many people were gathered there to shop and eat the delicious foods sold all throughout the market. This market is a landmark for local natives as well as a well known tourist destination.

서문시장 Seomun Market Daegu, Jung-gu, Daesin-dong, Keunjang-ro 26-gil, 45

One of the novel things about the market is the fun of being able to freely eat and drink as you look around. When traveling alone it’s not as much fun to drink alone, but 혼슬 places like 맥주시장 upstairs from one of the market stalls, makes this much easier! Here you can take your drink to go... in a wearable bag no less and for just ₩4,000.

 

Final Thoughts

My visit to Daegu was so different from what I expected.

It was so similar to Seoul in many ways, but had its own attractive, unique qualities.

I honestly can’t wait for another chance to come back and see more of this city. Trying to do so much in one weekend was truly exhausting, but it’s completely doable; whether you’re with your friends or on your own, this town has a lot to offer!