Discover South Korea’s past and present on this two-week loop from Seoul. Bookending your trip, you’ll have five nights in the capital, exploring palaces like Gyeongbokgung, savoring street food, and discovering the North and South Korean conflict at the DMZ. You’ll travel south to reach coastal Busan and nearby islands, then north to Seoraksan to see Sinheungsa Temple. Step back in time in Suwon, admire the natural wonders at Suncheon Bay, and walk across the waves at Songdo Beach.
- Highlights
- Detailed Itinerary
- Book the Package
- Explore Seoul's sprawling Gyeongbokgung palace complex
- See North Korea through binoculars on a tour of the DMZ
- Taste local street food at Nambu Market in Jeonju
- Walk among the hills of Silla Dynasty tombs in Gyeongju
Day 1: Arrive in Seoul, Optional Insadong & Alive Museum Experience
Welcome to Seoul, the dynamic South Korean capital with more than nine million residents. Meet your driver at Incheon International Airport for an approximately one-hour transfer to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, relax and rest after your trip or get out and explore the city.
Insadong Street, with its souvenir shops, art galleries, and restaurants, is the perfect place to kick-start your Seoul discovery. At the neighborhood's Alive Museum, you can interact with over 100 artworks across two floors. Savor delicious street food and discover unique finds, from traditional Korean attire to hand-painted ceramics and vintage art pieces. End the afternoon or evening with a selfie with Seoul's skyline as a backdrop at Seoul Sky, one of the highest glass-floored observation decks in the world. Then settle in your hotel for the evening for your first night in Seoul.
Day 2: Guided Gyeongbokgung Palace & Gwangjang Market Tour
Start your journey through traditional Seoul with your guide and driver in the morning, beginning at Gyeongbokgung palace, the former Joseon Dynasty's royal family residence. The complex was built in 1395 and restored in the 19th century and is considered among the most beautiful of Seoul's five grand palaces. Follow your guide to see some of the palace's more than 50 buildings and 7,700 rooms spanning 90 acres (40 ha). Then watch a guard changing ceremony at Gwanghwamun, the palace's largest gate, and explore its intricate pavilions.
From the palace, learn more about Korean history at the National Folk Museum and Bukchon Hanok Village, where you can see rebuilt hanoks (traditional wooden homes). Join local crowds at Gwangjang Market for lunch to taste some of the city's best street food. Take your pick among dishes such as dak gangjeong (fried chicken), mandu (dumplings), and kkochi (skewers). Spend the evening exploring more of Seoul on your own with a recommendation from your guide.
Day 3: Day Trip to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Hongdae Shopping
The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a 160-mile (250-km) long and 2.5-mile (4 km) wide buffer zone between North and South Korea. On a DMZ tour in Paju, about one hour north of Seoul, explore this area, including the Third Infiltration Tunnel, built by the North Korean Army, and the Dora Observatory, for a chance to view North Korea using binoculars. At the Unification Village, a settlement in the DMZ, learn about life in this unique part of the country and eat local dishes for lunch.
After lunch, get your camera ready for views from Gamaksan Suspension Bridge, one of Korea's longest bridges, on your way back to Seoul. At vibrant Hongdae Shopping Street, take your pick among trendy shops, cafés, and restaurants and soak up the atmosphere of musicians and dancers. Head back to your hotel or stay out to enjoy more of Seoul's nightlife for your last night in the city.
Today, travel with your guide to Jeonju, about 2.5 hours south of Seoul, with stops to see some of the area's historical monuments. About 30 minutes into the drive, stop in Suwon at Hwaseong Fortress, which stretches for 3.5 miles (5.7 km). Explore its gates, command posts, pavilions, observation towers, and fire-beacon platforms. Learn the history of why the fortress was built for King Jeongjo, the functions it served during the Joseon period, and the significance of its directional gates.
From Suwon, continue the drive about two hours south to Jeonju, the birthplace of the Joseon Dynasty's founder, King Taejo. At Jeonju Hanok Village, tour more than 700 hanok houses and see Gyeonggijeon, a shrine built in 1410 with its portrait of King Taejo. Then, at the Royal Portrait Museum, see more paintings of the Joseon monarchs and learn about their history. At the end of your tour, settle into your Jeonju hotel, where you'll spend one night.
Day 5: Nambu Market, Transfer to Gwangju via Bamboo Forest, National Park & Temple
Your trip continues south for about 1.5 hours today to Gwangju. But before leaving Jeonju, fuel up at its Nambu Market, filled with 800 shops for produce, handmade products, and plenty of street food. Let your guide lead the way to try local dishes, such as sae-al patjuk (red bean porridge) and son sujebi (noodle soup). Then continue on the road for about an hour to Damyang.
Feel the cool air of Juknokwon (Bamboo Forest) in Damyang, exploring its winding trails and 76-acre (31-ha) bamboo forest; have your camera ready for Metasequoia Tree Lane and its foliage that changes with the seasons. When it's time, get in the car for another 20 minutes to arrive at Gwangju and Mudeungsan National Park. See the reconstructed Silla Dynasty-era Jeungsimsa Temple, and follow it to hiking trails to reach the Uijae Museum of Korean Art. See artist Heo Baek-Ryeon's interpretations of landscapes, flowers, and birds, and then head to your Gwangju hotel for the night.
From Gwangju, travel toward the port city of Yeosu, making a couple of stops en route during the two-hour trip. Boseong is a green tea plantation about one hour from Gwangju, where you'll learn about harvesting, brewing, and drinking tea, ending your tour with a tasting and tea ceremony. See some of South Korea's natural wonders at the Suncheon Bay Nature Reserve, and then farther south, you'll make your way to Odongdo. Explore the island's lighthouse, amble the oceanside walking paths, and admire the red camellias if you're visiting from November to April.
Continue your island tour from Yeosu, riding the mile-long (1.5 km) Maritime Cable Car between Dolsan and Jasan islands. Then take a ride on a glass-bottom ship for panoramic Yeosu views and rest at your Yeosu hotel, where you'll stay for the night.
Day 7: Transfer to Busan, Gamcheon Culture Village
Busan is your next destination, where you'll spend the next two nights. On the way there, stop in Geoje, about two hours from Yeosu, where a ferry will be waiting at Dojangpo Wharf to take you to Hallyeo Marine National Park to see its dramatic rock formations and islands. Make a stop at Haegeumgang to see a rocky island known as the "Sea Diamond," and on Oedo, explore Oedo Botania's gardens and lush fields.
After your boat ride, get back in the car for about an hour to arrive at Busan and Gamcheon Culture Village. Get lost in the area's alleys and take photos of its brightly-colored houses and street art as you hike up a hill for optimal views. For an afternoon snack, try ssiat hotteok, a sweet pancake with a brown sugar filling, and save room for the Jagalchi Fish Market, one of the country's largest markets where you can take your pick among many food stalls. After a full day, rest at your Busan hotel, where you'll spend the next two nights.
Day 8: Haedong Yonggungsa, Songdo Beach & Skywalk
Busan's beaches, temples, and mountain views are on your itinerary today. Starting with your guide, head out about 20 minutes east of the city to arrive at Haedong Yonggungsa and walk around its 14th-century Buddhist temple with views of the rugged East Sea coastline. Then travel a bit farther south to Busan's Sky Capsule to admire more scenery along the shore and spend the afternoon at Haeundae Beach, a popular summer surfing spot.
Back in the city, head for Songdo Beach and the glass-floored Songdo Skywalk for a unique view of the waves. Then ride Songdo Marine Cable Car to Amnam Park for more coastal views at Yonggung Suspension Bridge. For dinner, try local specialties such as jangeo-gui (grilled eel) or bibim dangmyeon (boiled glass noodles with pickled radishes, fish cakes, and vegetables). Consider spending the evening out for your last night in Busan.
Day 9: Transfer to Gyeongju, Tumuli Park & Bulguksa Temple
An hour north of Busan, Gyeongju is known for its well-preserved Silla Dynasty architecture and artifacts. At the Gyeongju National Museum, see a fourth-century gold crown and elaborately decorated bell treated for King Seongdeok. Then at Tumuli Park, walk among 23 royal tombs concealed in grassy hills, some of which were built in the fifth century. Visit Cheonmachong tomb, created for an unknown Silla king, to see some of the ruler's ornamental jewelry. After taking a break for lunch, you'll have a chance to step into one of the oldest astronomical observatories in Asia, Cheomseongdae.
When it's time, you'll carry on your tour to visit Bulguksa, a temple founded in the eighth century on Mount Toham, and, along with the Seokguram Grotto, one of South Korea's most significant religious art complexes. Follow your guide as you pass through wood and stone prayer halls and pagodas and learn about the sculptures decorating the expansive grounds. As you approach a Buddha looking out at sea in Seokguram Grotto, take your time to appreciate the details of the artist's craftsmanship. At the end of the tour, you'll check in at your Gyeongju hotel and have the rest of the evening free.
Day 10: Transfer to Gangneung, Hwaseonggul Cave & Jungang Market
Hwaseongul cave in Samcheok is one of Asia's largest caves and South Korea's mysterious natural wonders known for its impressive cascades. Get an early start for the approximately three-hour drive there, and then follow your guide into a cave stairwell to learn how it was formed centuries ago.
For another type of adventure, travel 45 minutes to Gangneung to see what's considered the third-largest collection of gramophones in the world at the Charmsori Gramophone Museum and Edison Science Museum. Then at Jungang Market, try local specialties such as dakgangjeong (sweet-and-spicy fried chicken) and odeng (fish cake). End the day in your Gangneung hotel and get ready to travel to Sokcho tomorrow.
Day 11: Transfer to Sokcho, Explore Seoraksan National Park & Visit Sinheungsa Temple
With your private guide, you'll transfer another hour up the coast to Seoraksan National Park in Sokcho, a UNESCO Biosphere Preservation District.
Start your exploration by taking a cable car up to Gwongeumseong Fortress Peak for Dolsan mountain views. Then travel to another part of the park to discover the seventh-century Seoraksan Sinheungsa Temple, with its bronze Great Unification Buddha a 48-foot (14.6 m) gilt-bronze statue symbolizing a wish for reunification. You'll check in to your Sokcho hotel at the end of your park tour.
Day 12: Return to Seoul via Cheongpyeongsa Temple & Nami Island
Heading inland toward Seoul, you'll continue to spend some time in nature. First, travel 1.5 hours west to Chuncheon, where a 1.2-mile (2 km) walk takes you to Cheongpyeongsa temple, a restored 10th-century complex on Obongsan mountain. Soak up the scenery in landscaped gardens, walk through 16th-century Hoejeonmun Gate, and see other examples of Buddhist architecture at the temple. Continue your stroll along the country's largest lake, Soyangho, and after a full morning of walking, eat lunch on Chuncheon's Dakgalbi Street, known for its street food such as dak-galbi (stir-fried chicken) and makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles).
Continue about 30 minutes west from Chuncheon to Gapyeong, the gateway to Nami Island. This nature reserve emerged due to the rising of the North Han River after the construction of the Cheongpyeong Dam in 1944. Take your pick among the island's numerous tree-lined lanes of pine, ginkgo, and redwood groves. Follow a wooden riverside path along the island, and then get back in the car for the one-hour ride to Seoul, where you'll spend the last two nights of your trip.
Day 13: Full Day at Lotte World Theme Park
Today is dedicated to having fun at Lotte World, a recreation complex and amusement park. Explore its shopping malls, indoor and outdoor amusement parks, observation tower, theater, and museums. With something for everyone, a day in the park is a chance to see another side of Seoul and South Korea's culture.
Get a thrill at indoor Lotte World Adventure or outdoor Magic Island, depending on the weather and what type of experience you're looking for. Go for a ride on the Atlantis roller coaster or Bungee Drop (considered one of the park's scariest rides), and hop on a Balloon Ride to get a bird's-eye view of Lotte World. Wait in line with other thrill-seekers for the Gyro Swing and Comet Express, or get a seat on the Moonboat for a relaxing break sailing on the water. After working up an appetite and exploring the park, try one of the theme park's many restaurants with South Korean food options as well as options from all over the world.
Return to your Seoul hotel at the end of the day for your last evening in South Korea.
Depending on your flight time, spend your last morning or afternoon in Seoul buying last-minute gifts or enjoying another taste of street food. Then meet your driver for a transfer to the airport.
