Mental health care is becoming an increasingly important part of our daily routines, alongside exercise and efforts to boost physical and mental immunity.
There are more various ways than ever to nurture your mental health, from wellness activities, like meditation and yoga that help relieve stress and tension in today’s busy and hectic world,
to calming practices like gazing at water, fire, or sand to relax your brain and clear your mind while disconnecting from digital devices. With the growing interest in wellness travel,
where travelers seek true health and personal happiness beyond sightseeing or recreation,
here are some of Incheon’s newest wellness destinations in 2024, offering immersive opportunities for seeking true wellness.
The Taste, Scent, Relaxation, and Comfort of Tea, by Chadeokbun
Located on the 8th floor of a seaside building on Yeongjongdo Island, café Chadeokbun offers a setting to enjoy tea with a cool, panoramic ocean view.
The neatly designed interior blends a traditional ambiance with a touch of modern style, set against the refreshing backdrop of the West Sea.
True to its reputation as a high-quality tea house, it offers unique varieties of traditional tea that are different from what we have known.
The tea menu is divided into flower, leaf, and cold teas. For those unsure of what to choose, the menu includes detailed descriptions of each tea, along with miniature samples for reference.
Even after the tea is served, the staff explains the tea and how to enjoy it, helping you to truly appreciate its value.
The accompanying sweets are also carefully prepared, with options such as handmade walnut stuffed dried persimmon rolls, red bean paste panna cotta, sweet red bean jelly, and oranda (a Korean traditional snack).
You can order them one by one, but if you’d like to sample a variety, the tea and sweet set is a good choice.
For a more special experience, try the refreshment tray—a circular wooden tray adorned with a line of sweets that are eye-catching. The surprise does not stop there.
The dry ice performance makes you feel as if you’re floating on a cloud above the sea.
- Address12 Eunhasu-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon 9 (#802, Baetteo Plaza)
- Inquiries+82-507-1385-2486
- Opening HoursMonday-Friday 09:30-20:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:30-21:00
- Web Pagehttps://instagram.com/@thanksto_tea
Extraordinary Moments of Wellness, Inspire Entertainment Resort
The Inspire Entertainment Resort, which officially opened in March 2024, is a large-scale resort complex featuring an arena, shopping mall, water park, casino, and accommodations.
One of the resort’s main attractions is the immersive digital entertainment street, Aurora, which is installed inside the resort.
This 150-meter-long passageway is adorned with ultra-high-definition LED images on the ceiling and walls, creating a captivating, magical atmosphere for visitors.
The park’s pink whale video show, “Under the Blue Land,” became a social media sensation when it first premiered.
This summer, the park has expanded its offerings with the addition of “Cosmic Odyssey.”
This captivating video show takes viewers on a journey through the vastness and beauty of the cosmos, with the following show of a beautiful savannah landscape bathed in a red sunset.
The vivid depictions of natural landscapes and wildlife movements create an immersive experience that makes you feel as if you’ve been transported to the prairie.
The resort offers several wellness experiences for visitors.
These include Splash Bay, a glass-domed indoor water park open to both hotel guests and non-guests, and the Wellness Club, exclusive to hotel guests.
The Wellness Club features an indoor pool with natural light and a state-of-the-art fitness center.
On the western side of the resort is the sprawling Discovery Park, a nature-friendly space.
It’s a hands-on family park with activities for all ages, and pet dogs are welcome.
- Address127 Gonghangmunhwa-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon
- Inquiries+82-32-580-9000
- Opening HoursVary by facilities
- Web Pagewww.inspirekorea.com/ko
A Time to Pause and Stroke Yourself, Sthira Yogas
Sthira Yoga aims to bring positive energy into everyday life through yoga and meditation.
Sit at the foot of Baegunsan Mountain, the studio gives you the feeling of wellness the moment you step in.
The wide-open glass doors reveal a lush green landscape, creating a serene environment that cleanses both body and mind.
A variety of yoga and meditation classes are held in the space bathed in nature to help restore the body and mind after a hard day’s work.
Classes range from therapeutic yoga to relieve the stress and fatigue of those living in this hectic world, Hatha yoga to focus on the mind and breath, Yin yoga to stretch the deep muscles and tissues of the body, and Vinyasa yoga led in English.
Sthira Yoga also offers special programs every Saturday of the month.
Depending on the week, courses include meditative yoga, where you can use a singing bowl to connect with your inner self, or Asana Labs, which offers a safe and in-depth approach to yoga.
The meditation & humanities classes, covering a variety of topics, are especially popular, with some people visiting solely for these sessions.
Additionally, all of Sthira Yoga’s classes are available as one-day options, making it an excellent choice for travelers coming in and going out through Incheon International Airport.
- Address5 Unseo-ro 7beon-gil, Jung-gu, Incheon
- Inquiries+82-032-746-8844
- Opening HoursPlease check the class timetable on the website and make an inquiry in advance
- Web Pagehttps://sthirayoga.modoo.at
An Emotional Space by the Sea, the Week & Resort
The Week & Resort is located at the foot of a low mountain near Eurwang-ri Beach, offering both sea and mountain views.
The resort features ocean-view rooms, an indoor and outdoor water park, and a variety of food and beverage options.
It also provides pet-friendly accommodations with dog-friendly rooms and a dedicated pet playground.
The resort lobby has been transformed into a multicultural space called the Sand Lounge.
This trendy area combines a bakery, a lifestyle shop, and a restaurant-café.
It has gained added appeal through collaborations with the popular Seoul bakery Le Pain and the trendy props shop Cécil & Cédric from the up-and-coming neighborhood of Sindang-dong.
If you want to make the most of your wellness experience here, there are two things to remember.
You can buy bread and coffee to enjoy in the lounge or café, but the VIP lounge on the top floor of the resort is the best spot for this.
Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic ocean view, the sunset views are especially beautiful and truly relaxing.
Another wellness highlight is the walking trail behind the resort.
Nestled in a lush pine forest, the well-maintained paths are accessible to all, leaving you feeling refreshed with the benefits of phytoncides.
- Address379 Yongyuseo-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon
- Inquiries+82-32-745-0000
- Opening HoursVary by facilities
- Web Pagewww.theweekandresort.com
Hee Wa Rae Coffee Roasters, with Its Soothing Rice Field Views and Comforting Vegan Sweets
This is the only vegan café on Ganghwado Island among the newly discovered wellness destinations in Incheon in 2024.
Hee Wa Rae is already widely known for its heartwarming rice field views and vegan desserts made with local ingredients from Ganghwa.
The café also prides itself on its flavorful coffee, which is roasted in-house with carefully selected beans.
Hee Wa Rae offers a wide variety of vegan desserts made with whole wheat.
The menu includes cookies, biscotti, cakes, tarts, and pies, all handmade by the vegan-oriented owner, who avoids refined sugar, butter, dairy, and eggs.
Instead, they use unrefined raw sugar, maple syrup, soy milk, and homemade vegan butter.
The ice cream served alongside the desserts is also vegan-based, allowing you to enjoy a healthier treat.
While it requires a lot of effort, the owner finds great satisfaction and joy in creating these healthy vegan desserts.
They incorporate ingredients from Ganghwa.
Using organic Ganghwa rice flour, Ganghwa lion’s feet mugwort, and Ganghwa yellow sweet potato, they present the Ganghwa Mugwort Levain Cookie, Ganghwa Mugwort Cappuccino, and Ganghwa Yellow Sweet Potato Crumble.
The Ganghwa Dolmen Sand Cookie, designed with a symbol of Ganghwado Island, makes for a good souvenir.
As a vegan café, milk-based drinks have plant-based alternatives such as soy, oat, and almond milk, and you can choose your favorite.
The owner says that the Ganghwa Mugwort Cappuccino is particularly good with oat milk.
- Address25-29 Deokjin-ro 178beon-gil, Bureun-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
- Inquiries+82-507-1341-2534
- Opening HoursMonday, Thursday, and Friday 11:00-19:00, Saturday and Sunday 11:00-20:00 / closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, unscheduled closures will be noticed in advance.
- Web Pagehttps://instagram.com/@heewarae_official