South Korea Highlights

Arrive in Seoul. You get a welcome meeting at 4 pm with your trip leader in the afternoon, and you will head to the famous Gwangjang Market to enjoy a nice progressive dinner tour.

Relish some of the best street food in Korea, including rice rolls, mung bean pancake, dumplings, and the famous kimchi. Later, continue with your trip to the top of Naksan to enjoy a stunning view of the Seoul skyline at night.

Note: it is mandatory to attend the 4 pm welcome meeting to collect insurance details and information about your next of kin.

Get 1 night stay at 4*Travelodge Myeongdong City Hall, Seoul where you get a fantastic Superior Room with dinner included in the plan.

Travelodge Myeongdong City Hall Seoul

Have a truly fantastic holiday during your time in Seoul staying at this beautiful accommodation with stylish decor and equipped with all the modern amenities. For dining, an onsite cafe cum restaurant is available where you not only munch on a nice meal but also socialise with your buddies. Being situated in a prime location, the hotel is conveniently close to the vibrant Namdaemun Market, where you can explore. International airports are also not far, allowing easy transfers.

Have your breakfast in the morning and get on with your tour to the fantastic Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

Since the devastating Korean War, you will learn how this peninsula was divided starting from the Korean War.

You will be visiting notable points of attraction such as Imjingak Park, the Dora Observatory, the Unification Bridge, and the Third Tunnel of Aggression.

By the afternoon, visit the famous Gyeongbukgung Palace – the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, Bukchon Hanok Village, and further, continue your journey to the world-famous Olympic Park. Evening hours, you can enjoy as per your leisure.

Special info:

This tour of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) can be run by UN-designated operators in South Korea. So, you will be accompanied by other travellers, and the tour is going to last for 5 hours. You can add extras to your tour as well, like making an upgrade to a Joint Security Area (JSA) (for the cost of USD 50).

For 1 night, you will stay at 3*Hanok Guesthouse Suni, Seoul, where you get a superb ‘Korean-style bedroom’ room with a Bed & Breakfast meal plan included in the deal.

Hanok Guesthouse Suni

Enter a different world of art and tradition at this beautiful Hanok Guesthouse Suni hotel with wonderful South Korean hospitality. It is also a couple of kilometres away from Gwanghwamun Gate, the main entrance to the world-renowned Gyeongbokgung Palace. The rooms are very aesthetic and appealing, and you get WiFi in the rooms.

On this day, you will continue with your trip to Gyeongpo Lake, where you can walk along the beautiful lakeside paths, which are filled with cherry blossoms during the spring season.

Later, you will have time for yourself to explore at your leisure. You can head to the superb Coffee Cupper Museum if you like coffee so much. At the museum, an education program for youth and handicapped people is conducted as well.

Here you get 1 night stay at 3*Avvio Hotel, Gangneung, in a superb Standard Twin room with Bed & Breakfast included in the deal.

This morning, you first head out to Sokcho for your day trip. You get a morning hike up Seoraksan, the most well-known mountain in Korea, and it takes around 2.5 hours.

Later, return to Sokcho and go to Daepo Fish Market. Try mulhwae - a delicious spicy raw fish soup served with various accompaniments.

Further, head to Abai, which is like a small island village that has been used as a haven for North Korean refugees. Reaching there is fun as well, as you have to work together to pull a rope on a small barge to arrive at the other side.

In the afternoon hours, you are going to return to Gangneung to enjoy a nice free evening.

Note: Drive time to Sokcho takes around 2 hours each way by bus.

Get 1 night stay at 3*Avvio Hotel, Gangneung, where you get a fantastic Standard Twin room (with no meal inclusion).

This morning, you are going to drive towards Andong and further your trip to Andong Hahoe Folk Village. Here you will find traditional settlements where you can easily walk around. Your trip leader is going to facilitate your exploration of these traditional houses.

Later, you have the option to take a ferry across the river to have a fun-filled hike up Buyongdae, where you will witness a bird's eye view of the entire community. Also, you may be able to find masked dancers performing across the town; you can learn the ritual, and you can visit the nearby Mask Museum. You will be staying at a beautiful traditional Hanok House, which will be a truly memorable experience for the evening.

Get 1 night stay at the fantastic 2* Nongam Jongtaek, Andong, where you receive a Korean traditional beddings room (no meal).

Nongam Jongtaek

This heritage building is not just an accommodation, but a gateway to the world, a whole new world where you imbibe the profound local traditions, relish authentic Korean meals, and witness captivating surrounding landmarks. The hotel's tranquil setting allows you to spend your holidays comfortably in complete leisure. Rooms feel very private, and there's good WiFi, and you can enjoy scrumptious Korean meals.

In the morning, you will visit the local Confucius temple and school, accompanied by your trip leader, to learn about how this influences the culture and traditions of South Korea.

You are going to leave from Andong Village to Suncheon, which is the ecological capital of South Korea and has numerous ecological reserves. In the late afternoon hours, you will join your trip leader to enjoy a nice orientation walk to get your bearings and proceed with a nice night.

Note: total driving time is around 4 hours.

Enjoy your stay for 2 nights at 2* Nongam Jongtaek, Andong, in a nice ‘Korean traditional beddings’ room with Bed & Breakfast included in the meal plan.

In Suncheon, discover and explore its more prominent sights. A local guide is going to take you to Suncheon Bay National Gardens and Suncheonman Bay Wetlands. Feel the bliss as you wander through fields of reeds filled with birdlife.

Do check out the famous Dream Bridge, a beautiful artistic installation with 140,000 drawings by children from around the world.

Your tour further takes you to an open film set, which comprises 3 villages that uniquely showcase 3 different eras from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Later, head to the famous Nagan Fortress village, originally built as a fortress to defend against attack from Japanese pirates.

Important Note:

Do carry a light daypack and some water with you as you will be travelling on public buses between various locations.

Start your morning with a nice breakfast, and then you get on a train to head back to Seoul. Once you check in, you have the entire afternoon hours to yourself at leisure.

You may venture out and explore the famous Hannam and Itaewon districts, or you can explore the various shopping outlets in Seoul. In the evening hours, you will gather around with your travel buddies for one final group dinner at this cool "all-you-can-eat barbecue feast", which would be a truly memorable experience.

You get 1 night stay at the fantastic 4* Travelodge Myeongdong City Hall, Seoul where you get a fantastic Superior Room with a Half-Board meal plan included in the deal.

Your tour ends today. Start with having your breakfast. There are no planned activities for the day, so you are free to leave at any time you want. Check out time for your accommodation is 12 pm.