Want to travel abroad but worried about time and cost? Then listen up! In Incheon, you can find destinations that feel like a trip abroad—without ever leaving the city. There’s a park that resembles Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France, a café straight out of Bali, a coastal cave that brings to mind the Grand Canyon in the American West, and a street that feels like a quaint town in Japan. A world tour without a passport—here are some of the most exotic spots you can find right in Incheon.

A Picturesque Landscape Straight Out of a Monet Painting, Yeonhui Nature Garden

Yeonhui Nature Garden is an ecological park located near the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, recently gaining popularity as a scenic picnic spot where visitors can enjoy nature in the heart of the city. This area wasn’t always a park. It was once a piece of land left damaged and neglected due to reckless development. However, through ongoing ecological restoration efforts by the Ministry of Environment and the Incheon city government, it has been beautifully restored to its current state.

Another name for Yeonhui Nature Garden is “Korea’s Giverny.” The large pond and willow trees here evoke the atmosphere of Monet’s garden in Giverny, France. Giverny is the site of Monet’s house and the garden he devoted his life to cultivating, and it also serves as the backdrop for his famous Water Lilies series. Much like Monet's gardens, Yeonhui Nature Garden offers watercolor-like landscapes along its green trails. It’s a perfect spot to watch birds flocking from the observation deck, or simply to sit on a bench and relax.

The pond shaded by weeping willows is an ideal picnic spot. Let your mind wander as you gaze at the still lake through the draping willow branches. Whether it’s the mallards gliding by or the tiny blossoms along the water’s edge, every view offers a quiet sense of peace. Just press the shutter and you’ll capture a scene worthy of Monet’s garden.

• Address414-2 Yeonhui-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon
• Inquiries+82-32-458-7196
• Opening HoursOpen 365 days a year
• Websiteincheon.go.kr/park/

Bali Vibes on a Tranquil Seonjaedo Island

Incheon, a coastal city along Korea’s west coast, is home to 185 islands. Among them is Seonjaedo Island, which claimed the top spot on CNN’s list of “33 Gorgeous Islands Await You in South Korea.” The name Seonjaedo means “the place where a heavenly maiden descended to dance,” a reflection of its stunning natural beauty. What makes it even more appealing is that it's easily accessible by car via a bridge.

Seonjaedo Island is also famous for Ppeol Dabang (with ppeol meaning “mudflat” and dabang meaning “coffee shop”), a café that oozes Bali beach vibes. With palm tree parasols, surfboards, rattan chairs and decorative lighting, the place is full of tropical resort charm. Photo spots such as wooden swings set in the mudflats are popular with visitors of all ages. On the terrace that opens right onto the beach, you can unwind with a cup of coffee while gazing out at Mokseom Island. The café’s signature items include freshly baked bread served every morning and Ppeolc-Up (a combination of ppeol (mudflat) and bulk up)—a beverage inspired by the tidal flats, made with rich milk and topped with cocoa cream.

At Seonjaedo Island, you can enjoy a rare experience—walking to Mokseom twice a day at low tide. Normally hidden under the sea, the path appears as the water recedes, revealing a mysterious scene often called the “Miracle of Moses.” Walking across what was ocean just moments before is a memorable experience in itself. Unlike the surrounding mudflats, the exposed path is made of firm sand, so you can walk safely without worrying about sinking.

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- Before heading to Mokseom Island, be sure to check the tide times when the beach opens twice a day

• AddressSeonjae-ri, Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin-gun, Incheon
• Inquiries+82-32-832-3031
• Opening HoursOpen 365 days a year
• Websiteseonjaedo.com/

The Grand Canyon of Korea, Sea Caves at Nogari Beach

Nogari Beach, located just a 10-minute drive from Seonjaedo Island, is considered one of the most attractive places on Yeongheungdo Island these days. At the far end of the beach, near a fish farm, if you walk for about 5 minutes, you’ll come across a massive rock mountain. The layered sedimentary rocks that form a cliff resemble the Grand Canyon in the U.S., which makes the scene quite stunning.

The most spectacular sight here is the sea cave revealed at low tide. It's a work of art that the wind and waves have created over the years. Though it appears small from the outside, the inside reveals a surprisingly deep and cozy space, stretching about three meters in length.

If you want to capture something special, go inside the cave and take a photo facing outward. Try to get the angle of view as wide as possible so that you can see the pine branches above the cave. To get a good shot, be sure to check the tide. You can easily spend an hour or two exploring before and after the *low tide. The path is uneven and gravelly, so sneakers are recommended.

*Low tide: The state when the sea level is at its lowest as the tide recedes from the shore

• Address23-1 Oe-ri, Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin-gun, Incheon
• Inquiries+82-32-899-3814
• Opening HoursOpen 365 days a year

A Street That Feels Like a Small Town in Japan, Historical and Cultural Street of the Open Trade Port

As you walk uphill toward Incheon Jung-gu Office, you'll feel like you're in a small town in Japan. Historical and Cultural Street of the Open Trade Port is a street where Japanese people used to live during the Japanese occupation, and Japanese-style wooden buildings line the alleyways, creating a unique atmosphere.

Among the dense Japanese-style buildings are banks and companies, hotels and villas, many of which were built when the port opened more than 120 years ago. Jung-gu Office was the first Japanese consulate building after the port opened. After the liberation, it was used as Incheon City Hall and has been used as Jung-gu Office since 1985. The former Incheon branch of the Japanese First Bank has been transformed into the Incheon Open Port Museum. Inside the exotic stone building, the original bank vault and second-floor arched decorations still remain.

Other buildings have been transformed into a variety of cultural spaces, including cafés, workshops, galleries, and independent bookstores. One notable example is Café Pot-R, formerly an office and residence of a Japanese trading company, which has been officially registered as a piece of modern cultural heritage. Inside the three-story wooden building, visitors can view postcards of Incheon from the early 1900s and vintage items such as antique telephones. They can also enjoy traditional Japanese sweets like red bean mochi and Nagasaki-style castella.

In addition, the area is dotted with a dense collection of modern architectural landmarks that line the alleys—such as Jemulpo Club, once a social gathering place for foreigners living in Incheon during the port-opening era and now famous as a filming location for the TV drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God; Daebul Hotel, the first Western-style hotel in Korea; the former mayor’s residence; Border Stairs between Chinese and Japanese Settlements; and Incheon Art Platform, a former Japanese trading company's warehouse transformed into a cultural complex. The neighborhood is also close to other attractions like Freedom Park, Chinatown, and Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village, making it perfect for a half-day walking tour. As dusk falls, the streetlights gradually flicker on, casting a warm glow that adds a unique charm to the alleys.

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- Free guided walking tours with cultural tour guides are available by reservation (Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 17:00. Reservations must be made at least 7 days in advance. Japanese and German language tours can be booked by phone.)
- Café Pot-R offers a limited number of daily specials: 100 servings of shaved ice with red bean topping and 30 pieces of Nagasaki-style castella.

• Address3 Jemullyang-ro 218beon-gil, Jung-gu, Incheon
• Inquiries+82-32-760-6456
• Opening HoursOpen 365 days a year