Your trip will start in the capital of South Korea, Seoul. Ride their modern and efficient underground transit, visit Changdeokgung Palace and continue to Gangnam district and visit Lotte World Tower. Next stop is Jeonju, where we will see its fascinating old town (Hanok Village), with its tiny houses, traditional shops and art galleries. Visit Daegu, where we see the market of traditional medicines with its different herbs, and especially ginseng. This tour will also include a visit in HAEDONG YONGGUNG with its 14th century Buddhist temple located by the sea. To finish off this trip, we will take a modern high-speed train back to Seoul.
Inclusions:
- 5 night guided vacation
- 5 night accommodation
- Breakfast daily
- 5 lunches or dinners
- Admission tickets for all trips and visits mentioned in the itinerary
- High-speed train ticket from Busan to Seoul
- Airport arrival transfers
| Jun 3 – Oct 28, 2024 | from $2149 |
| Solo traveler: add from $850 | |
*Weekly – Monday departures
Not included: Gratuities, airport departure transfer, meals & beverages not mentioned in the itinerary, travel insurance.
Note: Hotels will be assigned by the supplier closer to departure. Travel Best Bets has no control over the hotels and their location that are arranged for this package.
Day 1: Seoul (D)
Welcome to Korea! Transfer to hotel in group transport. Meeting with your guide.
At the end of the afternoon, we are going to enter this fascinating country and with our guide we will go on the modern and efficient underground (we will be taught to use this public transport) to City Hall to see this building shaped like a tsunami. In front of the City Hall, we will also see the Deoksugung Palace, which is lit up at night and which allows us to appreciate the tradition and modernity of this country together. On foot, we will then go from here to the district of Myeongdong, the largest and busiest shopping area in Korea. Its name means “brilliant tunnel”. Dinner included in a local restaurant. Accommodation.
Hotel Courtyard Times Square 4* or similar
Day 2: Seoul (B, L)
Today we include a tour of the city of Seoul lasting five hours. We will see Changdeokgung Palace. This is a World Heritage Site formed by a group of palaces inside a large park. After the visit, we will go to Bukchon Hanok Village, a traditional historical neighbourhood with tiny houses. Afterwards we will visit the War Memorial, an impressive war museum that tells of the different conflicts suffered by Korea during its history, particular the Korean War with the United Nations in which soldiers from many different countries took part. We continue to the Gangnam District, one of the busiest areas of the city, where there are numerous shopping and leisure centres. To finish, we stop at LOTTE WORLD TOWER, an impressive 550 m building where there will be time to climb the tower (entrance not included) or stroll in the park or around the luxury shopping centres. Lunch included in a local restaurant. Return to the center and free time.
Hotel Courtyard Times Square 4* or similar
Day 3: Seoul – Suwon – Jeonju (B, L)
Today we include in Seoul the Gyeongbokgung Palace, an impressive palace that is 600 years old, where we will see the Changing of the Guard ceremony (if scheduled). Our next stop is the city of SUWON, former capital of Korea, a World Heritage Site famous for its walls Heritage of Mankind. We will stop at the Samsung Innovation Museum to learn about the history of this famous technological company.
Note: The visit to the Samsung Innovation Museum is not always guaranteed. In case it is not possible, Samsung D´Light will be visited instead.
We will see the impressive wall with its fortifications and will visit Hwaseong Haenggung, the summer palace. Lunch included in a local restaurant. We continue to JEONJU, where we will see its fascinating old town (Hanok Village), with its tiny houses, traditional shops and art galleries.
Pungnam Hotel 3* or similar
Day 4: Jeonju – Haeinsa – Daegu – Busan (B,L)
Amidst impressive mountain forest scenery, we come to HAEINSA, a Buddhist temple built in the year 802 where we discover the Tripitaka, the most complete collection of Buddhist texts engraved on 80,000 blocks of wood. We will visit the temple and the museum on the Tripitaka. We go on to DAEGU where we see the market of traditional medicines with its different herbs, and especially ginseng, and the Museum of Oriental medicine. Lunch included. We come to BUSAN. We are in the second largest city in Korea, full of life. Time in the fantastic Doosan Haeundae complex with its more than 300 m skyscraper and its sports marina. Accommodation.
Hotel Ibis Ambassador Haeundae 4* or similar
Day 5: Busan – Seoul (B, L)
Day in BUSAN. We are going out to the city of Busan to visit HAEDONG YONGGUNG, 14th century Buddhist temple located by the sea. Return to Busan. We see the memorial to the United Nations with its cemetery were people from numerous countries are buried. We approach the largest fish market in the country, which is alongside Nampo port. Lunch included. Then we walk from there to Yongdusan park with its immense 120 m pagoda.
At around five thirty we take a modern high-speed train and in three hours we are back in SEOUL. Transfer to the hotel and accommodation.
Hotel Courtyard Times Square 4* or similar
Day 6: Seoul Departure (B)
After breakfast, end of our services.
