South Korea is known as one of the world’s self-care capitals—from skincare to head spas to facial treatments. And if you go all that way but skip out on the grooming action, well, then you might be known as self-careless by your friends, family, and colleagues. Let’s not risk it.

Below, you’ll find a roadmap to the country’s best spas, be they known for massages, facials, traditional remedies, and even one big, verdant forest bath. And no matter which corner of the country you’re in, there’s likely a little slice of relaxation to be found—often face down in a massage chair, or face-up with a facialist.

Conrad Seoul’s spa has won top prizes from the World Spa Awards, World Luxury Hotel Awards, Forbes, and Travel + Leisure alike. That’s a credit to its thoughtfully curated program, tethering eastern spa ritual with western familiarities for Conrad’s global crowd. Choose from Vichy showers and hydrotherapy, or (like us) some deep-tissue, heated Bangjja relief that hurts so good it actually puts you to sleep. (Sorry for the snoring…and thank you for realigning my neck and shoulders so brilliantly.)

The rest of Conrad’s wellness facilities feel like an adult playland, too: From virtual golf practice (7 “ranges” in total) to its gendered saunas and members-level PULSE8 fitness facility, you’ll stay in top form during this visit. It’s worth noting that the Conrad is located above two top-tier shopping centres (IFC and Hyundai), meaning you’re well positioned for both retail and dining (independent of the onsite luxury options Conrad houses, too). In Seoul, that proximity goes a long way—since most reservations require a stressful traffic-logged taxi ride.

Sulwhasoo is one of South Korea’s best beauty exports, and its Flagship Spa should be at the top of your itinerary for any visit to Seoul. For starters, it’s the best facial in town—nay, in country—as if that should shock anyone. I think we were geniuses to make this our first treatment of a long trip, as we opted for “The Ultimate S Journey”, which utilises their top-shelf Ultimate S assortment paired with jet-lag wringing massage treatments.

The spa itself is as picturesque as the brand’s stores, too; it’s a holistic and immersive brand experience—it should be studied by anyone in the retail experience biz. The layered Dosan Flagship is host to your spa visit, while the segmented Bukchon location blends beautifully into its historic hanok neighbourhood. Many spa experiences feel easily replicated or drag-and-drop across facilities, but not this one.

My partner and I keep a list of the best massages we’ve had (across different categories), and currently, Park Hyatt Busan’s Lumi Spa is top of the entire list—like, the best one, ever. They pulled out the bamboo rollers and hot stones and went hard on us (per our request), and every week we find an excuse to recall that wringing-out.

But it’s the entirety of the Park Hyatt Busan experience that further punctuates that memory for us; from the iconic view of Busan’s Gwangan Bridge in every window, to the golden-hour calm inside the hotel’s glass-walled pool and the sunset sprawl over the fitness facilities… while everyone in Busan is rushing to the crowded and boisterous Spa Land facility, you’ll be glad you opted for Park Hyatt’s mind-centering reprieve.

We had a friend (and wellness enthusiast) visit Jeju a few weeks ahead of us, and he cited JW Marriott Jeju as his favourite spa experience on the entire island. That review held up, too— though, to be honest, the entire resort experience felt like a spa to us. This is a capital-R Resort, from the world-class SPA by JW treatments to the sprawling pools with China Sea views, to the indoor plunge and infinity soaks, to the adjacent O’REVE natural hot springs and the sunken baths inside our suite.

There is eye-popping artwork at every single turn, and we had one of our favourite meals in all of Korea here—at the woodfire grill Flying Hog restaurant, with its black pork offerings. We roasted sweet potatoes by campfire underneath Ugo Rondinone’s tricolour pillars, soaked under the stars in a wooden tub outside our suite… and that’s all saying nothing of the chemistry-altering massages at SPA by JW. As Jeju’s own star rises with foreign visitors, much credit should be given to this stellar retreat.

If you want some history with your slice of luxury, then stay with Rakkojae. Inside the bustling Bukchon Hanok Village, this pair of boutique hotels preserves and elevates the traditional hanok experience. It was our very first stop upon landing, and the warmest welcome into South Korea thanks to the personalised hospitality—you’ll be best friends with the staff by day 2, not to mention, you’ll be able to experience Korean’s dry-heat jjimjilbang in private. (In most public spaces, you’ll otherwise be alongside dozens of others.)

I won’t soon forget the evening spent in Rakkojae’s dry sauna, followed by a private makgeolli (rice wine) bath—yes, we bathed in rice wine and sipped on it simultaneously. It was a brilliant way to soothe, nourish, and calm both skin and mind after such a long journey—and the entire hanok experience inside this rejuvenated 130-year-old facility gave us some welcome historical and traditional context going into our weeks of tourism.

It’s worth noting that Signiel is a member of Leading Hotels of the World, because you feel that phrase when you’re a hundred-plus stories above all of Seoul—it truly towers over everything else and feels like you’re in some dream state. So imagine Signiel’s 5-star world-class amenities paired with that sprawling view, and then isolated inside their spa, Retreat Signiel Seoul.

Retreat Signiel Seoul manages to feel simultaneously expansive and stripped bare. The spa menu spans everything from deep tissue remedies to chocolate facials and body treatments, but regardless of the pick, your mind is quite literally on cloud 9 (and floor 86) of Seoul’s iconic tower. This retreat is a reprieve, and I left the treatment feeling like I was floating. At that mind-clearing elevation, I recommend making time for the hotel’s entire fitness facilities offering, too, from the gym and pool to the sauna and ice fountain.

In my humble opinion, the best bath of all is a forest bath, and the experience is not to be missed on Jeju Island. We booked ours with Inside Asia (pro tip: they’re connected country-wide, should you need just about any insider access with a dynamic guide, including a driver). We split our day between two verdant woodlands: the mossy Evergreen Forest of Andeokgyegok Valley, and the high-altitude, towering-treed Seogwipo Forest of Healing.

The experience changes with each season, and our January version yielded sun, crisp temps, and very few other visitors—which made for a perfect mind-clearing meander. Our guide does these trails every day of her life, and her “stress less” perspective left quite the impression on us, especially with such a lush backdrop. Talk about “Forest of Healing”…

These places aren’t spas, per se, but each of the facilities below is designed to help you look and feel your best.

The Best Barbershop: You might be surprised to learn this, but “cool” barbershops aren’t all that common in Seoul, which is known for its well-groomed men. That’s because Korean culture often celebrates fitting in as opposed to standing out, and many of the men have one of two commons styles: Long boy-band type cuts (in which they go to a salon), or classically short (and safe) businessmen cuts (in which case they go to a traditional barbershop). If you want something edgy for your own short/medium length, though, then the destination is obvious: The Noble Hands, run by a trio of barbers who keep ahead of the latest trends.

The Best Head Spa: Hair and scalp spas can have as many as 15 steps in their “hair treatments”, from scrubbing to steaming to nourishing, and it’s a leisurely experience worth the detour. Book a spot at Junohair Myeongdong for a scalp analysis with complimentary shoulder and body massages, stem cell serums, and a bonus trim if you need one, too.

The Best Longevity Clinic: Medical tourism is booming in South Korea, and it’s not uncommon for foreigners to book treatments there to save money compared to prices back home. Not to mention, some popular K-beauty treatments aren’t even available in the States but are helping fuel the buzz—like the famous “salmon sperm facial” or Rejuran, which helps boost collagen production, radiance, and skin resilience (just be ready for over 700 injections in your face, albeit with a quick recovery). Yeah, I tried it, and like every other beauty editor, I did it at Labelle Clinic in Cheongdam… and I’d go back to Dr. Hwang there on every subsequent visit, too. Their menu of quick facials, peels, and boosters has me mulling over my next visit, though I may opt for something with less than 700 injections next time around. Maybe a nice laser peel…

The Best Hospital: Look, you can go to a lot of places around the globe for different treatments and assessments, so what’s top form in Seoul? Right in line with their skincare-obsessed public, there is a focus on anti-ageing and holistic wellness. You can book any number of exams and assessments at Chaum Life Center, from full-body audits to food therapies—and one main attraction is their “gray-zone” anti-ageing exam, which helps pinpoint where you are on the spectrum between “fully healthy” and “unwell”—that big nebulous gray zone, for which an audit can uncloud certain mysteries about your ageing process, and how you can do so more gracefully. This type of visit requires much more planning ahead and should take centre stage for your visit, so don’t plan it like you would a Botox session or head spa appointment.

Cover image courtesy of Adam Bruzzone/Conrad Seoul

This story was previously published on Robb Report USA.