Welcome to South Korea! Upon arrival at the Incheon International Airport in Seoul, clear Immigration, and continue through Customs to the arrivals area, where you will be greeted by your private driver. For a smooth and comfortable start to your adventure, you will be driven directly to your hotel. (This service is on a private basis.)

Seoul

Founded by the Korean Kingdom of Baekje in 18 BC, Seoul has been at the heart of the peninsula’s culture and politics since the 11th century. Like most cities in Korea, however, it was almost entirely flattened during the Korean War, and despite some magnificent reconstructed palaces, the city you see today is a far cry from its former glory.

Unfairly overshadowed by the headline-grabbing antics of its bad-boy neighbor, South Korea is a dream destination for the traveler, an engaging place where the benefits of a fully industrialized, high-tech nation are balanced alongside a reverence for older ways. Look past the city’s concrete façade and you’ll find deep undercurrents of tradition, not just at incense-wreathed temples but in the teahouses of the old, low-rise hanok neighborhoods, and the deeply relaxing kiln saunas of the city’s jimjilbang bathhouses. Meanwhile, modern culture races along at breakneck speed, and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to shop, dine, and party the night away to a K-Pop beat in one of Asia’s coolest capitals.

Full Day Tour & Hanbok Experience

After breakfast at your hotel, your driver and guide will meet you at the lobby prior to embarking on a day full of fun experiences. You will start your day in the historical district of Seoul to get dressed in a hanbok (Korean traditional clothes). After choosing among a variety of beautiful and colorful hanbok and hairpins you will head to the main attraction of Seoul, the Gyeongbokgung palace. Gyeongbokgung Palace is also commonly referred to as the ‘Northern Palace’ because it is the furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeongheegung (Western Palace). It is arguably the most beautiful and remains the largest of all five palaces. Once in the palace do not forget to take memorable pictures with your hanbok on.

You will then walk to the Samcheong-dong Area, located right next to the palace. It is home to distinctive cafés, shops, and galleries. Art appreciators have their choice of roughly forty different galleries displaying pieces from professional artists with exceptional skill. The area is filled with European-style cafés and trendy shops that have blended into the traditional landscape. Just minutes away, you will find the Insadong Street, an important place where old but precious and traditional goods are on display. There is one main road in Insadong with alleys on each side. Within these alleys are galleries, traditional restaurants, traditional teahouses, and cafes. There are about 100 galleries in the area and you can see every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures.

You may also wish to visit Gwangjang market today, perhaps for lunch (at your own cost). The Gwangjang Market is the nation's first market and continues to thrive as a popular tourist destination today. It’s comprised of 5,000 independent shops that are for clothing (Korean traditional costume, Hanbok), food and more. Gwangjang Market is truly famous for its delicious Mung-bean pancake (Bindaetteok). All the prices are very affordable and take cash only.(This service is on a private basis.)

OME Cooking Lab & Gangnam District

This morning, your English speaking guide will wait for you at the hotel to start a day of activities and tours. You will first head to the OME Cooking Lab, to have an authentic experience of the famous Korean cuisine. OME, literally “5 tastes”, is a Korean cooking studio where local and tourists learn how to cook homemade Korean food through various cooking programs. The experience starts at a local market where participants can not only buy the ingredients needed but also experience the local culture and interact with the vendors. After cooking in a fun and lively ambiance guests get to eat their own hand-made meals.

You will now be transferred to the Gangnam district, more specifically to Samsung d’light, a global exhibition space that showcases the latest product lineup by Samsung Electronics. It allows visitors to experience new life patterns through state-of-the-art digital technology categorized by theme. Wandering in the busy streets of Gangnam where you will see the “New Seoul” and mingle with the young generation of South Koreans who are there to shop, eat or just hang out. One of the must-sees of the area is the Gangnam Underground Shopping Center, very different from typical shopping centers, where you may get all the latest trendy items at reasonable prices. (This service is on a private basis.)

Enjoy this free time at your leisure.

Lotte World & SM Town Coex Artium

Your guide will pick you up this morning in the lobby of your hotel for a fun day at Lotte World Amusement Park.

Located in the heart of the city, Lotte World is the perfect spot for entertainment and sightseeing. It is a theme park filled with thrilling rides, an ice rink, different kinds of parades, as well as a folk museum, a lake, and much more. Approximately 6,000,000 visitors visit the park every year. The glass-dome structure makes use of natural sunlight, and it is open for visitors all year round, regardless of the weather. Lotte World is divided into an indoor Adventure theme, and Magic Island theme outdoors. To fully enjoy the adventure at Lotte World, you will separate with your guide at the park so that you may have a real family day. Your guide will await you at the entrance of the amusement park later in the afternoon where you will head together to the Coex Artium.

SM Town Coex Artium is a grand complex where you can experience the heart of the K-POP culture. SM entertainment introduced the Coex Artium for people to learn about and gain first-hand experience of celebrity lives. You can buy products that celebrities offer at the Celebrity Shop. You can experience the lives of celebrities at the Studio by participating in audio recordings, dance practice, hair and makeup styling, and even shooting music videos. And then in your free time, you can enjoy the Liverary Café, which is filled with the most recent albums of SM artists. After your break at the cafe, stop in at the theatre, featuring a large-scale Panavision screen where you can enjoy a mix of holographic and live performances. In addition, there are hologram performance's available upon request and according to the performance schedule. (This service is on a private basis.)

MBC World, Hongdae District & Cookin Nanta

This morning, you will be picked up by your guide for one last memorable day in Seoul.

The major Korean broadcaster MBC, opened "MBC World" which was the first "Hallyu" theme park in South Korea. The complex is home to hologram K-pop concerts, virtual reality drama sets, and more. Visitors can be on stage with K-pop stars in holographic form and learn dance moves from them or become a main character in their favorite K-drama.

Next, you'll head for the Hongdae District, a neighborhood known for its youthful and romantic ambiance, underground culture, and freedom of self-expression. Unique cafes, accessory stores, fashion shops, live cafés, and clubs, art markets, and gourmet eateries make this a popular hang-out for local youth and a fascinating place to walk around. You will find the Trickeye Museum in this area, which offers visitors the chance to be see 3D illustrations produced with the trompe l'oeil technique.

You'll end your night in Seoul with a truly unique and unforgettable performance. Nanta is a non-verbal performance that integrates Korea's traditional rhythm, Samulnori, which in this case is performed with improvised instruments, such as cutting boards, water canisters, and kitchen knives. While telling the story of three cooks attempting to finish preparing a wedding banquet within a strict time limit, the show involves acrobatics, magic tricks, comedy, and pantomime, as well as audience participation (5:00 PM performance at Hongdae Theater). (This service is on a private basis.)

Korean DMZ Full Day Tour

After breakfast at your hotel, meet your private guide in the lobby. You will be transferred one hour to the DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone) to see the reality of North & South Korea. Once you reach the DMZ entrance, you and your guide will need to join a coach bus tour. This is the only allowed way to visit the DMZ, but your guide will accompany you on the bus and provide his/her own insights.

After the Korean war, South Korea and North Korea established a border that cuts the Korean peninsula roughly in half. Stretching for 2 kilometers on either side of this border is the DeMilitarized Zone. The tour covers Imjingak Park, Freedom Bridge, ID check Point, passes by Unification village, the 3rd Tunnel, DMZ Theater & Exhibition Hall, Dora Observatory, and Dorasan Station. Here are some highlights of the trip. The 3rd Tunnel was discovered on October 17, 1978. It is estimated that it took approximately an hour for 10,000 soldiers to move through the tunnel. When this tunnel was first discovered, North Koreans insisted it was made by South Koreans in a plot to invade North Korea. However, this theory proved eventually to be false. Dorasan Observatory is located nearby the 3rd Tunnel. From this observation platform, North Korean military personnel are visible, and so are the highlights of Gaeseong and the Geumgangsan Diamond Mountains. Dorasan Station is one of the northernmost railway stations, and is located in the zone that strictly restricts general civilian access. From the station, visitors can view Dorasan Mountain and the barbed wire fences of the Southern Limit Line. Despite restricting access to civilians, Dorasan Station connects to the Trans Eurasian Railway Network, which connects the world together. (This service is on a group basis.)

*Please note, you should bring your passport for the DMZ tour and there are no tours on Mondays or National Holidays,

This morning, an English speaking driver will pick you up at your hotel to transfer to Seoul station where you will take the KTX (bullet train) to Gyeongju. This train service takes about 2 hours. (This service is on a private basis.)

Half Day City Tour of Gyeongju

Upon arrival at Gyeongju station, your local English speaking driving guide will pick you up and you will have a half day tour of Gyeongju, before being dropped off at the hotel.

Seokguram Grotto, located on Tohamsan Mountain, is one of Korea’s representative artificial stone grottos made of granite. In 1995 it has been designated as World Cultural Heritage Site by the UNESCO as well as National Treasure No. 24.

Located in the same area you are going to visit the Bulguksa Temple, one of Gyeongju’s representative relics and designated as a World Cultural Asset by the UNESCO in 1995. The beauty of the temple itself and its great architecture are known throughout the world. Bulguksa Temple was built in 528 during the Silla Kingdom, in the 15th year of King Beop-Heung's reign (514-540). (This service is on a private basis.)

Gyeongju

Gyeongju is a city on South Korea's southeast coast. It was the capital of the 1,000-year-long Silla dynasty and is known for its extensive historical remains. The 8th-century Bulguksa Temple features twin stone pagodas, a series of wooden staircases and a large bronze Buddha. Nearby, Seokguram Grotto houses a towering seated Buddha and offers panoramic views of the sun rising over the Sea of Japan.

Gyeongju Exploration

Today, your local guide will pick you up at your hotel for a day of exploration. Your first stop will be at the National Museum of Gyeongju, which has a history of 90 years. Among other things, pottery, handicrafts, and jewelry from the Shilla Dynasty are exhibited. Nearby the museum you will stop by the Daereungwon Park (Tumuli Park) that shows 23 tomb sites of kings and nobles from the region. The most famous tombs are the Cheonmachong and the Hwangnamdaechong. The special feature of the Hwangnamdaechong tomb is that the accessories for the wife are more luxurious than those of the husband.

The tour continues to famous observatory Cheomseongdae. It is the oldest observatory in whole East Asia. It was built in 632-647 during the Silla reign and was used to predict the weather. Lastly, you are seeing Anapji Pond. The artificial pond was built under King Munmu in 674 to commemorate the union of the Korean peninsula under Silla. The buildings that originally stood around the pond burnt down in 935. Many relics were discovered in the pond in 1975 when they were pumped down for restoration work. Some of the objects are now exhibited in the Gyeongju National Museum. (This service is on a private basis.)

This morning you will be picked up at your hotel and transferred by private vehicle for 1.5 hours to Busan. En route to the hotel, you will be visiting the legendary temple Haedong Yonggungsa built in 1376 during the Goryeo dynasty. A legend says that the Great Buddha of Mercy lives in solitude in the vastness of the ocean and appears on the back of a dragon. Thus, the temple was built on a cliff slope overlooking the East Sea and not without reason it is called the aquatic sanctuary of Buddhism. (This service is on a private basis.)

Busan

Busan, a large port city in South Korea, is known for its beaches, mountains and temples. Busy Haeundae Beach features the Sea Life Aquarium, plus a Folk Square with traditional games such as tug-of-war, while Gwangalli Beach has many bars and views of modern Diamond Bridge. Beomeosa Temple, a Buddhist shrine founded in 678 A.D., is at the base of Geumjeong Mountain, which has hiking trails.

Busan Exploration

This morning, a local guide will pick you up from your hotel for a full day tour of Busan.

Your first stop will be at Taejongdae Cliff is a natural park of Busan, South Korea with magnificent cliffs facing the open sea on the southernmost tip of the island of Yeongdo-gu. It is a representative visitor attraction of Busan where has dense evergreen trees and several facilities for tourists such as an observatory, an amusement park, a lighthouse, a cruise ship terminal. You can take Danubi train to get around Taejongdae Resort Park.

Next, you will head to the Jagalchi Fish Market is Korea's largest seafood market. After the Korean War, the market solidified itself as a fish market. This market represents Busan and is famous throughout the country. If you visit, you can eat fresh raw fish right at the market. Even these days you can see women selling mackerel and sea squirts (ascidians) on wooden boxes along the road. Following the Korean War, refugees who had fled to Busan set up stalls in order to make a living, and this was the beginning of the Gukje Market (Gukje meaning ‘international’). The Gukje Market is one of Korea’s largest markets; each alleyway is crowded with stalls, and it connects to the Bupyeong Market, Kkangtong Market, and other smaller markets. The market stocks such a wide variety of goods, that you can find almost everything you need right here.

Following the market, you will stop by Gamcheon Cultural Village. Gamcheon Culture Village was formed by houses built in staircase-fashion on the foothills of a coastal mountain, earning this village the nickname of "Machu Picchu of Busan." The many alleys cutting through this community are vibrantly decorated with murals and sculptures created by the residents.

Your final stop will be at Busan Air Cruise (Songdo Beach Cable Car) which runs 1.62 kilometers east-to-west across the sea, from Songnim Park to Amnam Park in about eight minutes. Getting as high as 86 meters up, the cable cars offer a sweeping view from Songdo Beach to Yeongdo. “Crystal Cruise” features transparent bottoms with views of the sea underneath. Songdo Sky Park operates at the cable car station on the Amnam Parkside, offering a virtual reality experience, among other activities. (This service is on a private basis.)

Enjoy this free time at your leisure.

This morning, your local driver will pick you up at your hotel and transfer you to Busan station where you will take the KTX (bullet train) to Seoul. This train takes about 2.5 hours. Upon arrival at Gyeongju station, your private driver will pick you up and take you to your hotel. You will have the rest of the day free at leisure. (This service is on a private basis.)

Although your adventure must come to an end today, you will be leaving with new friends, amazing experiences and memories to cherish for the rest of your life. Once you have checked out of your hotel, you will be met by your driver and transferred to the airport in good time to board your international departure flight. (This service is on a private basis.)

We wish you safe and happy travels home!