Korean cuisine is often associated with meat and seafood, but vegetables have long been fundamental to Korea’s food culture. Plant-based dining in South Korea offers vegan and vegetarian travelers a unique window into both the country’s culinary heritage and its contemporary culture. 

For vegetarian and vegan travelers, and travelers with special diets, Artisans of Leisure can arrange meals and culinary experiences that showcase the country’s wealth of seasonal vegetables, fermented foods and plant-based specialties, including Buddhist temple cuisine, private cooking classes and reservations at innovative fine-dining restaurants.

Today, a growing number of plant-based restaurants and cafes, including Asia’s first Michelin-starred vegan restaurant, are thriving in cities such as Seoul and Busan. The evolving dining scene reflects Korea’s longstanding traditions of seasonal vegetables and fermentation as well as contemporary interests in wellness and sustainability.

Experiencing Korean Buddhist temple cuisine is one of our favorite cultural and culinary experiences in South Korea. Refined in monasteries throughout the Korean Peninsula for over a thousand years, this plant-based tradition is rooted in Buddhist principles of simplicity, restraint, compassion and harmony with nature.

Cooking is considered a natural extension of meditation, grounded in profound respect for ingredients, nature and all forms of life. Temple cuisine celebrates seasonal, local vegetables, grains, tofu, mushrooms, seaweed and herbs, with an emphasis on seasonal harvesting, minimal waste and mindful preparation.

Traditionally, it also excludes five pungent vegetables, including garlic and green onions. Instead, complex flavors and textures are developed through techniques such as fermentation, drying and pickling.

Korean temple cuisine remains relevant to contemporary Korean food culture and has gained international attention in recent years, thanks in part to the acclaimed Buddhist nun and cook Jeong Kwan. Based at Chunjinam Hermitage at Baekyangsa Temple in southwestern Korea, she became widely known after appearing on Netflix’s Chef’s Table (2017) and is the subject of the Netflix documentary series The Philosopher’s Kitchen Jeong Kwan (2026).

Her philosophy has influenced chefs in Korea and around the world. Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in New York and Rene Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen have traveled to Baekyangsa Temple to experience her cooking and learn from her, while Korean chefs influenced by her approach include Mingoo Kang of Mingles in Seoul, one of Korea’s most acclaimed fine-dining restaurants.

For vegan and vegetarian travelers on our private South Korea tours, we can arrange meals at Buddhist temples and reservations at acclaimed restaurants specializing in Korean temple food. For travelers wanting a more immersive experience, we can arrange a templestay in Seoul or the countryside, including at Baekyangsa Temple, where Jeong Kwan is based.

Templestays offer an introduction to life in a Korean Buddhist monastery through meditation, prayer, tea ceremonies and temple meals. Whether spending the day or staying overnight, sharing temple meals provides a deeper understanding of the Buddhist philosophies and rituals that inform the cuisine.

Rooted in Buddhist and Confucian principles, tea culture and tea touring in South Korea is also a wonderful complement to plant-based culinary touring.

We can arrange private tea ceremonies and tastings, visits to tea plantations and atmospheric teahouses, shopping for high-quality Korean teaware and more.

We also take our travelers to local markets to see seasonal produce, seaweed and fermented foods, and arrange private cooking classes focused on plant-based Korean cuisine. Many classic Korean specialties can be prepared for vegetarian and vegan travelers, including bibimbap, vegetable gimbap, tofu dishes, mung-bean pancakes, noodles and an extensive variety of vegetable banchan.

In addition to incorporating special dietary interests into in-depth private cultural touring, we can arrange for travelers interested in wellness to complement plant-based culinary experiences with jjimjilbang (traditional Korean bathhouses), spa treatments and the country’s renowned K-beauty culture.

Contact Artisans of Leisure to begin planning a private South Korea tour customized to your interests, including culinary touring and special experiences for vegan and vegetarian travelers and those with other dietary requirements.