Seoul, Jeonju, Gyeongju & Busan Discovery

On arrival at Seoul Incheon Airport, we’ll be met by private vehicle and transferred to our hotel. Your tour leader will help you get settled before we spend the evening getting to know the group over dinner and drinks.

We begin with a walking tour of Seoul led by a local Korean guide, combining the city’s headline sights with some of their favourite local spots - a great introduction to the capital on foot.

We’ll visit Gyeongbok Palace, built in 1395 and the largest of Seoul’s five grand palaces. We then continue to Bukchon Hanok Village, an area known for its beautifully preserved traditional houses, where we’ll try our hand at Korean knot making. Along the way, your guide will point out views of Namsan Tower set against the surrounding mountains.

Later, you’ll have time to explore Ikseon-dong, where historic hanok buildings have been reimagined as characterful cafés, bakeries and boutiques. We’ll also stop at lively Gwangjang Market, one of Seoul’s best-known traditional markets, for a taste of its bustling food scene.

After time to freshen up at the hotel, we’ll head out for our welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant. This is your introduction to Korea’s food obsessions - bottomless banchan, plenty of flavour, and a crash course in local dining etiquette, from pouring drinks to cheering with soju.

This morning we visit Cheonggyecheon Stream, a peaceful ribbon of water running through central Seoul. It offers a different perspective on the city, and its bridges and walkways reveal layers of Seoul’s history and development.

For the rest of the day, we’ll experience what is shaping Seoul right now. In a country that changes as quickly as South Korea, there is always something new to discover. Your tour leader will take us to whatever best captures the city’s current energy - perhaps a striking new exhibition space, a seasonal festival, or an up-and-coming neighbourhood filled with pop-up bars and creative concepts. These are the places locals are talking about now, often before they make it into any guidebook.

In the evening, we’ll come together for Korean BBQ. Gathered around the grill at our table, we’ll enjoy marinated meats and vegetables flavoured with soy, sesame oil and garlic - one of Korea’s classic shared dining experiences.

Seoul - Chuncheon - Seoul. Today we leave the capital behind for a day trip to Chuncheon. While the region is well known for Nami Island and its K-drama connections, we head beyond the main tourist crowds to explore the lakes, forests and temples of the surrounding countryside.

Before overseas travel became common in South Korea, Chuncheon was a favourite destination for university trips - a place associated with friendship, nostalgia and young romance. The old railway line here became known as the Love Train, and we can relive some of that spirit on the Gangchon Rail Bike, pedalling through themed tunnels with mountain views beyond.

We’ll cross Soyang Lake by boat - so large it is often called an inland sea - and stop for lunch at a lakeside restaurant. Expect local favourites such as jeon, fried mountain ginseng and makgeolli rice wine.

After lunch, we follow a mountain path to Cheonpyeongsa Temple, passing Guseong Waterfall and a statue linked to the local legend of the Princess and the Snake. The temple, built more than a thousand years ago and rebuilt after the Korean War, is often decorated with colourful paper lanterns. We return to Seoul later this afternoon.

Seoul - Busan. Today we travel by train to Busan, one of South Korea’s great coastal cities. Thanks to luggage forwarding, we can make the journey with just our day bags.

With a local Busan guide, we begin at Jagalchi Fish Market, the city’s famous seafood market, where tanks of live seafood and busy kitchens give a real sense of Busan’s maritime character. We’ll enjoy a seafood lunch nearby before continuing to Gamcheon Cultural Village. Once a hillside refuge during the Korean War, it is now known for its colourful houses, murals and creative community spaces.

We’ll also visit Gukje Market - ask your tour leader about its history of smuggling - and the area around the Busan International Film Festival, where you can spot celebrity handprints, before heading to Haeundae Beach.

This evening, we’ll explore the Haeundae area with your tour leader guide, hopping between bars and restaurants close to our hotel. It is a great chance to try Korean craft beer, unusual soft drinks and plenty of anju, the small dishes served alongside drinks.

This morning we visit Haedong Yonggungsa, Busan’s famous seaside temple. First built in 1376, it is widely considered one of the most beautifully set temples in South Korea.

We’ll walk through forested paths, pass beneath its colourful entrance gate and descend steep steps to reach the temple complex, dramatically positioned above the rocky coastline. We’ll have time to explore, take photos and spot the many statues of Buddhas and turtles before returning to the Haeundae area by private vehicle.

The rest of the day is free. You may want to relax on the beach, sit in a café and watch the city go by, or visit Spa LAND - a high-end jjimjilbang with 13 saunas and the option of a traditional Korean scrub.

Busan - Gyeongju. Today we travel by private vehicle to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom. With more surviving historic sites than anywhere else in the country, it is often called the museum without walls.

We’ll stay in a hanok on the edge of the well-preserved historic centre, where strict planning rules help protect the city’s traditional character. Our guided touring begins just outside the city at Bulguksa Temple, a richly decorated UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then continue to Seokguram Grotto to see its celebrated stone Buddha, set high on the hillside with views towards the East Sea.

Back in the city, we’ll explore the Daereungwon Tomb Complex and visit the exhibition inside the Tomb of the Heavenly Horse to learn more about the excavations and Silla burial traditions. In the evening, we head out again to see Gyeongju illuminated after dark, walking around Wolji Pond and Cheomseongdae - the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia.

This morning we visit the most rural stop of the trip, travelling by private vehicle to Yangdong Folk Village. Set in the foothills among trees and traditional tiled roofs, the village dates back to the Joseon dynasty and offers a striking contrast to Korea’s modern cities.

Yangdong is still a living community rather than a heritage site created purely for visitors, and we’ll have lunch in a local restaurant where our visit helps support the village directly.

In the afternoon, back in central Gyeongju, you’ll have time to explore Hwangnidan-gil. Here, traditional hanok buildings have been transformed into stylish cafés, shops and rooftop bars, creating a contemporary pocket within this ancient city.

Gyeongju - Seoul. We take the train back to Seoul for the final afternoon of the tour. This time we stay in Hongdae, one of the city’s most energetic neighbourhoods, known for its youthful atmosphere, independent style and street performances by aspiring K-pop dancers.

Our hotel is full of character, with a vinyl magazine library, a menu by a Michelin-starred chef and even a skate park in the basement.

The rest of the day is yours to pick up any final K-beauty products, Korean snacks or last-minute souvenirs before we come together for a final meal and raise a glass of geonbae - cheers - before departure.

It’s time to head home, or continue to the next part of your journey. We’ll be picked up by private vehicle and transferred to Seoul airport.