Seoul and South Korea

On arrival and Seoul Incheon International Airport, you will be greeted by our airport representative who will provide a private vehicle transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

After enjoying breakfast at your hotel, meet your guide in the hotel lobby at approximately 8:00 a.m. and depart on a full-day tour of Seoul. The first visit of the day is to Jogyesa Buddhist Temple, founded in 1395 it became one of the strongest fortresses of Korean Buddhism. Proceed to Gyeongbok Palace (Deoksu Palace on Tuesday only) to Cheongwadae Sarangchae (National Palace Museum of Korea on Tuesday only), and then enjoy a local lunch.  Continue to Insadong Arts and Crafts Market, home to over 70 different stores and proceed to N Seoul Tower, a telecommunications and observation tower standing 236 meters tall, it is the 2^nd tallest structure in Seoul. Your visit here will also include a round-trip cable car ride. In the late afternoon visit Namdaemun Market and if you wish, be dropped at Myeongdong, City Hall or Dongdaemun area around 6.00 p.m.

Today you will depart for Gongju and on arrival experience meditation and conversation over tea with a monk at Magoksa Temple, a representative temple surrounded by a mountain and rivers in Chungnam Province. The temple has many treasures and cultural properties and an interesting fact about the temple is that it was never damaged by any major wars, including the Imjin War and the Korean War. After enjoying lunch, continue to Gongsanseong Fortress. It is a mountain castle that was established during the Baekje Period (234- 678). It is worth the visit for its historical and cultural significance, and for the beautiful view of the Geumgang riverside and the walking trail. We continue with visits to the Tomb of Muryeong King, here only seven graves have been discovered so far and even though many artifacts were stolen from the tombs, the tombs serve as important evidence of Baekje culture and the foreign exchanges during that period. The next visit is to Gongju National Museum which preserves and displays cultural treasures. The most important of these artifacts are displayed permanently, while the remaining items rotate with special exhibitions. After the Gongju tour, proceed to Daejeon (30km/40mins driving) for dinner and your overnight stay.

After enjoying breakfast at your hotel, depart for Jeonju Hanok Village, home to over 800 traditional Korean houses. The village is famous among tourists because of its atmosphere which strongly contrasts with the modern city around it. Choose your preferred Hanbok, a Korean National Costume and make a special memory-wearing Hanbok with your companions. You will explore Gyeonggijeon Shrine which was erected in 1410 and holds the portrait of King Tae-jo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty. Afterwards enjoy a JeonjuBibim bab lunch and enjoy some Makkolli (Korean traditional Wine) at a local restaurant. Following lunch, continue to visit Tapsa Temple which is famous for the over 80 stone pagodas built by Lee Gapyong, a retired scholar. Those stone pagodas have different sizes and shapes from cone-shaped to straight-shaped. How this tall tower was built is still unclear, drawing much attention from people, and it is said that those stone pagodas were made in the late 1800s entirely by Lee Gapyong alone. Even though the pagodas have been around for more than 100 years, they have never collapsed nor even moved through strong winds, making them truly amazing. Our next visit will be to Gwangju and on arrival, enjoy dinner and check into the hotel. Today’s tour will end approximately at 7.30 pm.

This morning commence the morning with a visit to Daehan Dawon Tea Plantation, which produces high-quality green tea and is a popular tourist attraction year-round thanks to the vast rows of tea trees that line the hillside like a deep green carpet. Despite being located on a small peak at just 350 meters above sea level, the observation deck at the summit offers views of the sea on clear days, and today you will have a chance to taste Boseong Green Tea! Our next visit will be to Naganeupseong Walled Town which consists of three neighbourhoods along the east, south and west of the fortress walls. The village is overall well preserved, allowing visitors to observe houses and lifestyles that have all been passed down from the past. The town is highly valued as a historical and cultural resource for studying traditional folk customs. After enjoying a lunch break, continue with visits to the reed fields in Suncheonman Bay which are thickly covered with reeds taller than a full-grown man, and it is the biggest colony of reeds in Korea. The Suncheonman Bay Wetland Reserve is a natural habitat for birds of over 140 species, and after the Suncheon tour, depart to Yeosu, your destination for dinner and afterwards, enjoy the evening at leisure.

This morning wake up in Yeosu and get ready for a Marine Cable Car offering a safe yet thrilling experience with the gondola to operate over seawater. Enjoy the scenery of downtown Yeosu and the archipelago around the old seaport. Yeosu Maritime Cable Car is the first of its kind in Korea, connecting Dolsan Island and the mainland over the ocean. On arrival to Jinju around noon enjoy a lunch break. Later visit Jinjuseong Fortress, which is historically linked to the Imjin War (1592-1598). It was originally named Geoyeolseong Fortress during the Three Kingdom Period, and later again renamed as Chokseokseong Fortress in the Goryeo Dynasty and finally settled as Jinjuseong Fortress in the Joseon dynasty. Outside the castle, the Cheongcheon River flows in the west, the Namgang River in the south and a pond lies between the castle and the trench dug during the war times. After the Jinju tour, transfer to the seaside destination of Busan for dinner, and the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and kick off the morning with a visit to Dongbaekseom Island, located off one end of Busan’s famous Haeundae Beach. Although the years of sedimentation have connected the island to the mainland, Dongbaekseom was originally an island and is still referred to as one. Next, depart to Gyeongju (90km/1 hour distance) and enjoy lunch upon arrival. Continue with a visit to Bulguksa Temple which is a representative relic of Buddhist culture from the Silla kingdom. The temple was built during the 15th year of King Beopheung’s reign (514-540). Unfortunately, the temple caught fire during the Imjin War (1592-1598), and after the war, the temple suffered serious damage and was often the target of theft. Starting in 1920, the temple has undergone continual restoration work, and now holds seven national treasures and several additional important heritages that were designated a World Cultural Heritage Site along with the nearby Seokguram Grotto by UNESCO in December 1995. Continue to visit Daereungwon Tomb Complex, this park has more than 20 large and small tombs from the Shilla period and has been designated a Historic site. The tombs are presumed to be those of kings and court officials, then proceed Gyeongju National Museum. Its holdings are largely devoted to relics of the Silla kingdom, of which Gyeongju was the capital. The last visit of the day is to Cheomseongdae Observatory, which is the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia. Constructed during the reign of Queen Seon-deok (r. 632-647), it was used to observe stars to forecast the weather. After enjoying dinner, check into your hotel in Gyeongju for a night stay and enjoy the evening at leisure.

After breakfast this morning, embark on a drive to Andong (160km/2 hours distance) and reach the Andong Hahoe Village by 11:00 a.m. The Andong Hahoe Village is one of the most famous folk villages in Korea, surrounded by the Nakdonggang River, and the village is home to descendants of the Ryu clan of Pungsan, which still makes up 70 per cent of the villagers. The village became even more famous after Queen Elizabeth of England visited on April 21, 1999, and President George H. Bush of the U.S.A. in 2005. After a lunch break, continue with visits to Wonju Hanji Theme Park (130km/1hour30mins distance) where you get a chance to experience the Hanji-making process. At Wonju Hanji Theme Park, you can learn everything about hanji (traditional Korean paper), including its origin and history, through exhibitions, education, and activity programs. After this visit proceed to Pyeongchang (100km/1hour distance) for dinner and check in hotel in PyeongChang, then the remainder of the day is at leisure.

After breakfast, enjoy a visit to the Ski Jump Tower Observatory by monorail of the Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018. Enjoy the view of the Sky Lounge and savour some free time enjoying coffee or tea on your own expense. Finally, travel to Yangyang (90km/1 hour distance) and enjoy a short hike at Jujeongol of Mt. Seorak and admire the breathtaking views. It is the most famous place for autumn colours in Seoraksan Mountain, and its handsome valley and rock formations are well-known as well. After the hike, have lunch at a local restaurant and then depart for Seoul arriving around 6.00pm.

Enjoy your last hours at leisure in Seoul today before you meet your driver who will provide the private vehicle transfer to Incheon International Airport for your onward flight.