10 Best Things to Do This Winter in Incheon

On a cold winter's day, a jjimjilbang (Korean dry sauna) can be a place where you can warm up both your body and mind. Jjimjilbang is a popular outing destination especially in winter as the days get shorter and the air feels colder, and people spend less time outdoors. These days, you can see many jjimjilbang experimenting with changes to break away from their existing image.

In particular, a jjimjilbang designed as a complex cultural space has been well-received among customers. There are also jjimjilbang equipped with hotel-class premium spa facilities, fitness centres, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools, in addition to restaurants and movie screening rooms. Why not spend a day with your lover or friends in one of these jjimjilbang this winter, where you can enjoy a variety of activities in one place?

Whether you like jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) or not, the Jajangmyeon Museum is a unique destination you should visit in Incheon’s Chinatown. The previous building of Gonghwachun, a Chinese restaurant that developed the recipe of jajangmyeon and served the dish for the first time in Incheon, has been turned into the present museum. This building, which shows the architectural style of the old Chinese settlement area (Cheonggwan area) characterized by colourful decorations, was designated as a registered cultural property in 2006.

The Jajangmyeon Museum consists of 6 exhibition rooms that deal with every detail of this dish. If you visit Chinatown this winter, don't just taste jajangmyeon, but stop by this museum to learn about how it became a representative Korean popular food and spread throughout the country and discover the culture and various other stories related to the dish.

The Seon Hak International Ice Rink, which can accommodate up to 150 people, is Incheon's iconic ice sports facility where you can enjoy ice skating in all seasons. The stadium was designed in accordance with international standards and consists of main and auxiliary rinks that can accommodate up to 350 people, and a curling practice area that is vertically long for curling matches.

On the ice rink, you can learn how to figure skate and speed skate from experts. Free skating hours vary depending on peak and off-peak seasons, so it is better to check the schedule before visiting. The ice rink offers a variety of programs in addition to free skating and skating classes, so come visit with your lover, family, or friends for exciting activities that will keep you healthy during the cold winter.

The Traditional Culture Experience Centre, situated inside Incheon International Airport, is operated by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation to promote traditional Korean culture to travellers visiting the airport. A total of five centres located in the airport provide different exhibitions and experiential programs.

At the Passenger Terminal 1 Centre, you can press stamps in the shape of traditional Korean patterns and Hangeul letters onto paper and participate in various cultural experience programs using electronic devices. The Passenger Terminal 2 Centre runs a hanbok experience program. On the left side of the centres, there is a stage where you can enjoy traditional Korean music performances. The stage normally displays Korean traditional instruments, but also accommodates various performances from time to time. At the Korean Culture Exhibition Hall operating in two locations in the airport, you can view permanent exhibitions on Hangeul and hanok all year round. At the tax-free zone and Korean Culture Street in the departure area, you can see the re-enactment of the procession of the Joseon king and queen wearing hanbok. Even if you don't have a planned air trip this winter, visit Incheon International Airport to experience Korean traditional culture.

NC Cube Canal Walk is a premium outlet mall in Songdo that opened in 2013. With the shops lined up on both sides of the central waterway, it is reminiscent of a European shopping street. As the main shopping mall building and shops are connected indoors, visitors can enjoy shopping comfortably or just look around even in the cold winter regardless of the weather.

NC Cube Canal Walk is divided into sections that represent each of the four seasons. In addition to around 90 clothing stores, there are more than 50 restaurants and dessert shops, making the mall a popular spot not only with shoppers but also with foodies. When the weather is nice, you can have a relaxed time on the terrace that has a European mood while shopping.

The Incheon Culture and Arts Centre is a municipal concert hall and exhibition centre where various performances and exhibitions are held. The centre is largely divided into a main concert hall equipped with a movable stage, revolving stage, and orchestra pit, to accommodate concerts, ballets, operas, and musicals, and any other types of performances, and a small concert hall used for chamber music concerts, musical and dance recitals, and traditional art performances.

The exhibition hall has 4 different spaces that display works of paintings, sculptures, calligraphy, and photography. The oval-shaped outdoor theatre located between the main building and the central plaza has the capacity for some 440 seats and a stage and can accommodate performances of traditional arts and popular arts such as pop, rock, and jazz. Winter is the best season to enjoy indoor cultural performances. This winter, enrich your artistic experience at the Incheon Culture and Arts Centre.

Incheon City Museum opened in 1946 as Korea's first municipal museum. The museum was established to research the history and cultural heritage of the Incheon area and share the achievements with citizens as well as to provide them with a cultural and learning space. The museum is a three-storey building with a basement floor, which is not very large in size. The permanent exhibition rooms are located on the first and second floors. Exhibition Room 1 displays major relics of Incheon from the prehistoric period to the end of Goryeo, and Exhibition Room 2 features historical items and relics related to the area from the Joseon Dynasty to modern times.

There is also a calligraphy hall where paintings and calligraphy works from the late Joseon Dynasty to modern times are exhibited, and a craft hall where visitors can learn about the development history of Korean ceramics from the Three Kingdoms period to the Joseon era. In the cold winter where staying indoors is preferred to going outside, how about taking some leisurely time viewing exhibitions in a warm museum?

G-Tower, with its modern and unique exterior, is a landmark representing Songdo. The tower is famous for its observatory on the 33rd floor. However, in addition to the observatory, you will find other various and interesting facilities.

On the first floor, you can participate in a high-tech experiential program using digital signage. Wearing VR gear, you can explore the city in virtual reality and watch a hologram show starting at 8 pm. The second floor houses the spacious G-Gallery featuring free exhibitions that you can view at a leisurely pace. In the Songdo Library of International Organizations, located in the cultural space inside the tower, you can browse materials and books related to international organizations under the UN such as the GCF and UN POG. Don't miss visiting the roof garden on the 27th floor and the observatory on the 33rd floor that command a magnificent view of the city, and have a unique and special time inside the G-tower in the cold winter.

If you are looking for a place to go with your children during winter vacation, visit Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village. The village, close to Chinatown, is a place decorated with the theme of fairy tales, as its name suggests. It was once an underdeveloped area with many old empty houses, but through a residential environment improvement project, the community was reborn as the present fairy tale village with colourful murals depicting scenes from world-famous fairy tales.

The village consists of 11 alleys representing the themes of popular fairy tales including the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Little Red Riding Hood, and Korean traditional fairy tales. The colourful murals and sculptures that decorate the alleys add to the fun of walking and sightseeing. A tour of the village will create heart-warming memories for both you and your children. Find your favourite characters from the fairy tales you read as a child, take pictures with them, and return to your childhood in this village.

A hanok (traditional Korean house) feels more picturesque in the cold winter. During your stay in a hanok equipped with an ondol system, the sunlight shining in through the windows made of cream-coloured Korean paper and the freshly cold air felt on tip of your nose will pleasantly wake you every morning. With snow piled up outside the windows, the hanok presents perfectly romantic winter scenery.

An old-style hanok may typically not be a comfortable place to stay. However, in recent years, boutique hanok and hanok-style hotels with the look of a traditional hanok outside and modern facilities inside have been gaining popularity with tourists. In Songdo Hanok Village, you can experience a stay in a hanok hotel that combines traditional hanok style with the convenience of modern facilities. Experience a hanok stay that features an elegant atmosphere.