Tongyeong sits on a harbour scattered with small islands, and most of what makes it worth a special trip — the cable car, the market, the village — sits within a 15-minute walk of the port.
Highlights
- The Tongyeong Cable Car (Hallyeosudo Observation Cable Car), Korea's longest at just under 2 km, climbing Mireuksan for a view over the entire island-studded harbour.
- Dongpirang Village, a small hillside neighbourhood covered in murals, painted by local and visiting artists.
- Jungang (Central) Market, right on the harbour, well known for oysters in season.
- The turtle ship replica and naval history tied to Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who was based here.
Getting there
Direct express buses run from Seoul's Express Bus Terminal, taking about 4.5 hours. A more broken-up route is KTX to Jinju (about 2 hours 40 minutes), then a local bus onward to Tongyeong (about an hour) — similar total time, easier on the legs.
How long
The central sights are close enough together to see in a day, but Tongyeong is also a reasonable base for a night if combining it with nearby Geoje or Namhae.