Hotels and resorts roll out Chuseok specials — drone shows, hanbok parades and chef-prepared ritual tables

A 500-drone show and chef-curated Chuseok ritual spread

Moonlit photo zones and a street hanbok parade

Songpyeon treasure hunts and premium buffet vouchers

K-traditional games and healing suite stays

DIY yut board decorating with folk-art stickers

Free breakfast buffet for completing traditional game missions

Prize draws worth 100 million won, including 36 nights of hotel stays

With Chuseok approaching, hotels and resorts across South Korea are rolling out festive promotions targeting both overnight guests and day visitors. Highlights range from large-scale drone shows and hanbok parades to songpyeon treasure hunts and traditional folk games — all designed for the whole family. Visitors can also look forward to chef-prepared ritual spreads and live dining experiences that ease the burden of holiday cooking, as well as major prize draws. Outdoor spa and wellness programs round out the offerings, helping guests shake off the fatigue of holiday preparations. Here is a look at what major hotels and resorts around the country have planned for Chuseok and the autumn season.

A night lit by 500 drones

Drone highlight show [Provided by High1 Resort]

High1 Resort, operated by Kangwon Land, will hold its "High1 Chuseok Festa" from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27. On Friday and Saturday nights, 500 drones will light up the sky in a 10-minute "Drone Highlight Show." Thursday's lineup includes a "Three-Generation Chuseok Retro Chart" concert for parents and children to enjoy together, along with a children's magic show called "Chuseok Kids Wonderland." On Saturday, High1 resident artist group Wonder Crew will perform a fusion saxophone set.

A "High1 It's Me Local Festa" — blending local food from Jeongseon and Yeongwol with hands-on activities and performances — will run at the Hill Lawn Plaza on Friday and Saturday. A wellness program led by yoga instructor Hana, featuring a moonlit meditation session and foot baths, is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. On Chuseok Day, the Grand Ballroom on the fourth floor of the Grand Hotel will host a "Chef's Ritual Table" from 8 to 11 a.m. Throughout the holiday, on-site events will include a WaterWorld bubble foam party, on-green activities and a receipt roulette draw.

Full-moon photo zones and a hanbok parade

'Hanbok Atelier' program [Provided by Inspire]

Inspire Entertainment Resort on Yeongjongdo in Incheon will run a series of guest-participation events centered on the full moon and hanbok. Starting Wednesday, the resort will open a "Twilight to Moonlight" event zone outside Oasis Gourmet Village, with a "Moonlit Trail" photo zone illuminated nightly from 7 p.m. using full-moon and galaxy lighting. A lucky draw called "Moonlit Wish Draw" will be held twice — Sept. 24-27 and Oct. 3-5 — running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. each day, with hotel stay vouchers among the prizes for guests who share posts on social media.

Along Aurora, the resort's 150-meter digital entertainment street, an "Aurora Hanbok Parade" will take place daily at 2:10 p.m. for 20 minutes — Sept. 25-27 and Oct. 2-4. Across from the Michael Jordan Steakhouse, a paid hanbok rental space called "Hanbok Atelier" will operate from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Guests who try on hanbok or spend 50,000 won ($36) or more at a retail store can shoot an interactive video at the "Hanbok Holographic Studio" near Splash Bay. Chinese restaurant Hongban will give each dining table one fortune cookie per visit from Thursday through Saturday.

A songpyeon treasure hunt with the moon rabbit

Jeju Shinhwa World will hold a holiday event called "Find the Moon Rabbit's Lost Songpyeon!" in the outdoor garden in front of M Lounge on Friday and Saturday, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Admission is free and open to all visitors. Inspired by the moon rabbit legend, the full moon and songpyeon rice cakes, the main game has participants hunting for hidden songpyeon scattered around the venue and collecting color-coded stickers, with rankings determined by total score. First place wins a solo dining voucher at Sky on Five Dining; second place receives a lunch special voucher at Seonghwajeong.

On-site activities include "Moon Rabbit Power Hammer," where players strike a hammer to raise a gauge; a hands-on "Chuseok Songpyeon Making" session; and "Moon Rabbit Wish Post Office," where visitors write postcards. Additional games include a family yut competition called "Hit the Yut," a timer challenge called "Guess the Moon Rabbit's Birthday," a random draw called "Find the Songpyeon in the Dark," and a balloon art workshop called "Balloon Pierrot."

K-traditional games and a suite staycation

Paradise Hotels & Resorts will offer room packages and traditional game experiences during the holiday period. Paradise Hotel Busan will host a "Chuseok K-Traditional Games Festival" on Friday and Saturday in the Capri Room on the second floor of the main building, free of charge for all hotel guests. Activities include traditional games such as ddakji (paper-flipping), mask keychain making and hanbok photo time, giving both Korean and foreign tourists a taste of Korean holiday culture.

Paradise City on Yeongjongdo in Incheon has also released a limited-quantity "Sweet Holiday" room package targeting demand through early October. The package includes one night in a Deluxe Suite, dinner for two at On the Plate, 80,000 won in resort money, and access to shared facilities including Cimer, Wonderbox, the sauna and the swimming pool.

A yut game experience in collaboration with an arts education brand

The Gagahoho Sipjangsaengdo sticker yut game kit at The Botanic Sewoon Myeongdong

The Botanic Sewoon Myeongdong, a hotel in the Sewoon district of Euljiro 3-ga in Seoul, has launched a Chuseok season-limited "Stay & Play" package in collaboration with an online arts education platform. The package includes one night's accommodation and a "Gagahoho Sipjangsaengdo Sticker Yut Game Kit" that guests can assemble themselves. The kit is a hands-on art experience built around graphic stickers that reinterpret sipjangsaengdo — a traditional Korean folk painting genre — in a contemporary style, letting guests decorate their own yut board before playing the game.

A popera dinner show with live performance

Menu at Momo Cafe, Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Times Square

Momo Cafe at Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Times Square will run a "Chuseok Dinner Show: Popera in Momo" for three evenings from Thursday through Saturday, pairing a buffet dinner with a live popera performance. The spread features surf and turf with lobster and galbi short ribs alongside seafood, grilled dishes and international cuisine, offering a special holiday dining experience.

Autumn foliage, hot springs and regional attractions

Autumn scenery at Kensington Hotel Pyeongchang

E-Land Park's Kensington Hotels & Resorts is running a "Colorful Autumn" promotion across all 14 of its properties nationwide, each linked to nearby natural attractions. Packages include one night's accommodation, breakfast for two, and either an admission ticket or an activity at a local autumn destination — foliage spots, pink muhly grass fields, silver grass meadows or cosmos gardens, depending on the property. Kensington Hotel Pyeongchang offers a French garden train tour and an animal feeding experience; Kensington Hotel Seorak includes a pass to Cheoksan Hot Springs Resort and a 10,000-won voucher.

Kensington Resort Jirisan Namwon features a "Namwon Chunhyang Travel Pass" giving free access to six local attractions including Gwanghallu Garden and Chunhyang Theme Park. Kensington Resort Seorak Valley focuses on standalone cottage-style stays, while the Gyeongju property is paired with an autumn foliage walking trail at Bomun Lake Resort.

Traditional game missions and a seasonal breakfast buffet

Royal Suite Premier room at Kumho Jeju Resort

Kumho Resort has revamped its breakfast buffet menus for the autumn season at all four of its properties — Seorak, Jeju, Tongyeong and Hwasun — and will run guest participation events throughout the Chuseok holiday. All four locations will set up a traditional games mission zone featuring tuho (arrow toss), jegi-chagi (shuttlecock kicking) and yut, with guests who complete the missions winning free breakfast buffet passes and facility vouchers. Kumho Seorak Resort and Jeju Resort will serve 60 to 70 breakfast items highlighting regional flavors, including dried pollack hangover soup and black pork and seafood dishes. Tongyeong Marina Resort will offer steamed red scallops and basil sea-mustard salad, while Hwasun Spa Resort will serve freshwater snail hangover soup and a Namdo-style vegetable ratatouille, both built around seasonal local ingredients.

Prizes worth 100 million won, including 36 nights of hotel stays

Shilla Stay is launching its signature autumn prize promotion, "On Your Shilla Stay," to coincide with the Chuseok holiday. Now in its ninth year since launching in 2017, the event offers travel prizes worth about 100 million won ($72,400) in total. A draw will distribute benefits to 250 winners; the three first-place winners each receive a combined 36-night stay voucher valid at 18 Shilla Stay and Shilla Monogram hotels in South Korea and abroad. Other prizes include Rimowa luggage and dining vouchers for The Parkview at Hotel Shilla Seoul.

An autumn soak in a private garden bath

Outdoor bathtub in a private garden at JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa

JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa is offering a "Diptyque Autumn Wellness" package, limited to 10 rooms per day, for the autumn travel season around Chuseok. The package centers on an outdoor bath on the room's terrace garden using body care products from the French brand Diptyque. It includes in-room tea and dessert service, a four-course dinner at The Flying Hog restaurant, and a breakfast buffet at Island Kitchen. At the resort's bakery cafe Dancing Crane, a collaboration drink with Melbourne-based Market Lane Coffee from Australia will be available through Oct. 31.

A premium holiday for families with children

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul's For All Seasons package

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is launching a kids package called "Kids for All Seasons" for families during the Chuseok holiday. The package includes one night's accommodation, a dining credit worth 150,000 won ($109) valid at the hotel's restaurants, complimentary participation in kids' classes led by professional instructors for up to two children, access to a dedicated lounge and free valet parking. On weekends and public holidays, guests can choose in advance between a play-based English class or an English cooking class, subject to prior reservation.

terry@heraldcorp.com