Luxury hanok reshapes high-end tourism deep in mountains of Gangwon Province

International luxury travel advisors and tourism professionals pose for a photograph at The Hanok Heritage resort in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province. Courtesy of The Hanok Heritage

For global jet setters, Korea’s cultural footprint is typically defined by Seoul’s neon-lit corridors and K-pop spectacle. But a quiet enclave tucked deep into the rugged mountains of Gangwon Province is making a bid to redefine the country’s luxury travel market, offering a slower, deeply traditional alternative to the urban rush.

The Hanok Heritage, a sprawling 337,000-square-meter cultural complex in Yeongwol, about 100 miles east of Seoul, recently served as a primary host for "Explore Seoul with Connections 2026." The high-concept tourism initiative, organized jointly by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the international luxury travel network Connections, aimed to introduce a side of Korea rarely featured in slick promotional campaigns.

Over a three-day familiarization tour, travel advisors and agency executives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Lithuania and Hong Kong bypassed standard five-star hotels to stay in hanok — traditional Korean homes. The itinerary focused heavily on regional culture, preservation, gastronomy, architecture and wellness.

Guests dined at MONTO, the resort's Korean fine-dining establishment helmed by Executive Chef Shin Dong-min, and gathered for a barbecue in the courtyard of Yeongwol Jongtaek, the flagship residence. Leisure activities leaned into craft and mindfulness: visitors attended a morning sound bath meditation session, participated in a workshop to make traditional hats called "gat" and gathered at a hillside pavilion overlooking the Seondol rock formation for a signature Korean liquor tasting.

The initiative comes as global travelers increasingly trade predictable resort amenities for hyper-local authenticity. The property, which features a 25-room boutique hotel, galleries and dining venues, gained international architectural cachet in 2024 when it won the prestigious Prix Versailles, a global design award backed by UNESCO.

The resort's operators are betting that this combination of historic design and natural isolation will position rural Korea as a premier wellness destination. In August, the complex will open Raonjae, a new wellness facility intended to cement its status as a sanctuary for the elite. For a region looking to expand its premium tourism sector, the project suggests that the future of Korean luxury may lie firmly rooted in its past.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.