Ulsan is blessed with a number of worthy day trips away from the city. Usually one day can only scratch the surface of the place as more often than not a whole weekend is needed to fully explore.

Those looking for a big city trip with a combination of sights, shopping, food and nightlife need look no further than seventy kilometres south to Busan. Korea’s second city is an hour ride away from Samsandong by express bus. Arriving at the first subway stop on the orange line the whole of the city is at your disposal for day and night.

Alternatively take the bus from Samsandong directly to Haeundae in Busan, the location Korea’s most famous beach resort. Join in a game of volleyball with the regular foreigner games that take place there.

In the opposite direction, to the north, is a completely different day trip. Known as “the museum without walls”, Gyeongju offers ancient cultural experiences and history. There are temples, burial mounds, and of course stone ruins along with a number of traditional shows to enjoy.

Gyeongju is also home of the famous Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto that are the grandest tourist and Buddhist pilgrimages in the whole of Korea. These sights are breath taking, especially with favourable weather conditions.

Hiking is also an option on this trip with numerous mountains available to climb. Mount Namsam and Tomasan are two of note.

The amusement park Gyeongju World is located this way, towards the exclusive Bomun lake resort. It makes for a fun filled excursion.

Further north still, but no more than two hours away, is the city of Pohang. Its credentials bear many similarities with Ulsan (it is the home of the enormous industrial steel manufacturer POSCO) yet it presents a downtown area that is easily walk-able, with fresh, fine beaches and a nightlife dotted with US military personnel. From here it is possible to take ferries to Ulleungdo and then onto Dokdo.

Heading west doesn’t bring you to much except a number of smaller sights to see that if put together into one trip can make for quite an enjoyable day - pottery villages, isolated temples and shrines, amethyst caves and rock art to name just a few.

One of the new jewels in the crown to the west of the city is Aqua Fantasia. The brand new water park (complete with wave pool) offers great family fun in a clean, safe environment. Next door is Tongdosa Fantasia, a rather agreeable amusement park.

Thus having Ulsan as a base to explore the surrounding area can be quite an advantageous situation to be in. If you’re not near the transportation hubs in the city to get you to and from these places then it will take time – but it is still very much worth the effort.