Experience authentic Korea with a tour that begins and ends at Incheon Airport, with convenient transfers to and from Seoul. Immerse yourself in South Korea's rich traditions by participating in activities such as making Korean red pepper paste, participating in a traditional tea ceremony, making Korean paper and building a Korean totem pole. Along the way, enjoy a variety of authentic Korean foods while exploring the country's major cultural sites and experiences.
Day 1: Seoul
Arrival and transfer to Seoul with a Korean-speaking driver. Rest of the day is free.
Day 2: Seoul (B, L)
After breakfast, the tour guide will take you on a Seoul city tour for the day. The tour starts at the Changdeokgung Palace Complex [UNESCO], where you can try on traditional Korean clothing known as hanbok. It was the main palace for many kings of the Joseon Dynasty and is the best preserved of the five remaining Joseon royal palaces. Then visit Bukchon Hanok Village, home to hundreds of traditional Joseon-style houses called hanok. Then head to the Seoul Kimchi Academy to learn how to make the iconic Korean dish, kimchi. Afterwards, you might be hungry... Enter Gwangjang Market. Here you can sample a variety of foods and buy traditional clothes and accessories. The name Gwangjang means 'to gather from afar and stay together'. And to round off this city tour, take a cruise on the Han River to see Seoul from a different perspective.
Day 3: Seoul - Gongju - Daejeon (B, L)
After breakfast, meet your guide in the lobby and drive to Gongju to visit the Gongju National Museum, 125km from the capital. It has 10,000 items, including 19 national treasures. There is a garden in front of the main building, which visitors can enjoy after visiting the museum. Transfer to Gongju Gongsanseong Fortress [UNESCO] to step back in time to the Baekje period. Then proceed to the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong [UNESCO], a brick chamber decorated with lotus patterns, established in 1971. Then enjoy the natural hot spring footbath in the city of Daejeon.
Day 4: Daejeon - Maisan Mountain - Jeonju (B, L)
After breakfast, our tour guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby and transfer you to Maisan Mountain, a mountain in Jeollabuk-do consisting of two peaks of 667m and 673m. Maisan literally means "Horse Ears Mountain" due to its appearance. After having a look at Omokdae in Jeonju, where you can see the 800 houses of Jeonju Hanok Village, let's visit the village, which consists of 735 traditional houses (hanok). In the village, you can participate in a traditional Korean paper making workshop (hanji) at Jeonju's traditional hanji centre. Afterwards, transfer to Gyeonggijeon Shrine, always in Jeonju, built in 1410. You can see the portrait of King Tae-Jo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty.
Day 5: Jeonju - Sunchang - Gangjin - Suncheaon (B, L)
After breakfast, you will meet your guide and transfer to Sunchang, where you will have the opportunity to make and taste gochujang, the Korean red pepper paste. The main ingredient is gochugaru, a chilli pepper powder. Then transfer to Gangjin to visit Wolnamsaji Temple near Baekundong Garden and experience the tea ceremony after visiting Baekunok Traditional Korean Tea Museum. The Traditional Korean Tea Museum was built to preserve Korea's tea culture and celebrate the history of Boseong tea, which dates back to the Baekje era. Each of the museum's three floors is unique and focuses on a different aspect of tea.
Day 6: Suncheon - Tongyeong (B, L)
After breakfast, meet the tour guide in Suncheon. Visit Suncheonman Bay Wetland Reserve, a natural habitat for over 140 species of birds. Then explore the inside of the fortress walls of Naganeupseong Folk Village. The village is highly regarded as a historical and cultural resource for the study of traditional folk customs. Transfer to Tongyeong for a city tour. Take the cable car to Mt. Mireuksan. Transfer to the public beach for some free time. Then visit Jungang Market, a 400-year-old market. Then explore Dongpirang Mural Village. In October 2007, the Tongyeong Agenda 21 Association invited people from all over the country to paint murals on the walls of Dongpirang-gil Street. Thanks to the participants' paintings, this hillside village has been revitalised through art. At the end of the day, visit Nammangsan Sculpture Park, where you will find a digital night theme park consisting of 15 walking paths decorated with lights.
Day 7: Tongyeong - Busan (B, L)
Join the tour guide for a city tour of Busan. Visit Gamcheon Cultural Village, which consists of houses built in a staircase fashion on the foothills of a coastal mountain, earning it the nickname "Busan's Machu Picchu". Then explore Huinnyeoul Culture Village, a cultural village community with the villagers. Huinnyeoul-gil, one of Busan's most representative original downtown areas, was named because the meandering stream at the foot of Mt. Bongraesan resembles the appearance of white snow. Head to Jagalchi market to sample the fresh fish sellers. Cross the Gwangandaegyo Bridge to Haeundae Dongbaekseom Island, which is connected to Busan's famous Haeundae Beach. Finally, visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, a 14th century Buddhist temple on the city's seafront.
Day 8: Busan - Gyeongju (B, L)
After breakfast, meet the tour guide in Busan, drive to Gyeongju and visit the Daereungwon Tomb Complex (Cheonmachong Tomb), which consists of a wooden coffin placed in an underground chamber filled with stones and dirt, and is characterised as a typical upper-class tomb of the Silla period. Walk down Hwangridangil Street, a cultural street with many shops and cafes. Then visit Cheomseongda Observatory and Gyeongju Donggung Palace (the secondary palace of the Silla royal family) and Wolji Pond, both of which are must-sees. The guide will then take you to Gyeongju Bulguksa Temple [UNESCO], which represents the Buddhist culture of the period.
Day 9: Gyeongju - Andong - Danyang (B, L)
After breakfast you will meet the tour guide and drive to Andong. On the way, you will stop at the Andong Soju & Traditional Food Museum. Then you'll visit Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy [UNESCO] and Andong Folk Village [UNESCO], which represents the heart of the Joseon Dynasty. It has been listed by the South Korean government and UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and attracts around 1 million visitors every year. At Andong Hahoe Village you'll be able to make your own wooden totem poles. Transfer to Danyang.
Day 10: Danyang - Seorak Mountain - Sokcho (B, L)
After breakfast, our tour guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby and transfer to Danyanggang Jando Trail, a 1.2-kilometer-long trekking path along Namhangang River. There are various attractions nearby, including Mancheonha Skywalk, offering a tour experience that covers geology and history. Then, after a stop to Seorak Mountain for Gwongeumseong Fortress, let’s visit Sinheungsa Temple in Sokcho which is home to many cultural heritages.
Day 11: Sokcho - Goseong - Seoul (B, L)
After breakfast, proceed to Goseong Unification Observation Tower and Goseong DMZ Museum, where you can see the Haegeumgang River and nearby islands, as well as various peaks of Mt. Geumgangsan (North Korea). Transfer to Seoul.
Day 12: Seoul (B)
Transfer to airport with Korean speaking driver
B = Breakfast / L = Lunch
