Classic South Korea Group Tour 2027

Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, you will be greeted by our driver and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure or to rest.

• Hotel Description

Seoul is a city that takes a little time to read, and today gives you the space to start doing that. The view from N Seoul Tower on Mt. Namsan stretches across the entire city, giving you a useful sense of its scale before you dive in. The National Museum of Korea, one of the largest in the world, provides essential context for everything you'll see on this trip, covering Korean history from its earliest civilisations through to the modern era.

The afternoon moves through COEX Mall's extraordinary Byeolmadang Library, a vast open space lined floor to ceiling with over 70,000 books, then on to Gwangjang Market, Seoul's oldest traditional market, and Myeongdong, the city's most energetic district for street food and local culture. (B)

• Hotel Description

This day starts with a visit to Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates back to 1405 and remains one of the most graceful examples of Joseon Dynasty architecture in the country. Its surrounding secret garden, largely untouched for centuries, is one of Seoul's genuine hidden rewards.

From the city, the route heads to the Korean Folk Village, where traditional Korean life from the 18th and 19th centuries is preserved and actively demonstrated. Craftspeople, farmers and performers bring the history to life in ways a museum cannot. The day ends in Gyeongju, a city that served as the royal capital of the Silla Kingdom for nearly a thousand years and holds more historical landmarks per square kilometre than almost anywhere else in Korea. (B)

• Hotel Description

Few places in Korea carry as much historical weight as Gyeongju, and a full day here is well spent. Bulguksa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in 528 AD, is widely regarded as one of the greatest surviving examples of Buddhist architecture in Asia. Nearby, Seokguram Grotto, also UNESCO-listed, shelters a serene stone Buddha carved in the 8th century, positioned to face the rising sun over the East Sea. The craftsmanship involved is extraordinary, and its setting on the slopes of Mt. Toham makes the visit all the more striking.

The afternoon visits Cheomseongdae Observatory, built in the 7th century and one of the oldest surviving astronomical structures in Asia, followed by Royal Tumuli Park, where you can walk inside an excavated royal tomb and see first-hand how the Silla kings were buried. (B)

• Hotel Description

The morning is spent at Gyochon Traditional Village, where you can dress in hanbok, the elegant traditional Korean attire that dates back over a thousand years, and walk through the surrounding historic neighbourhood to the restored Woljeonggyo Bridge. It is a gentle and memorable way to spend a morning before the pace shifts.

Busan, Korea's second largest city and a working port with real character, is a stark and welcome contrast to the ancient sites of Gyeongju. The afternoon introduces you to Haedong Yonggungsa, a Buddhist temple built directly on the rocky coastline with open sea views, unlike the vast majority of Korean temples, which sit deep in mountain forests. The day closes at Haeundae Beach and the Oryukdo Skywalk, a glass-floored platform suspended over the cliffs above the water. (B)

• Hotel Description

Busan has a distinct identity that sets it apart from anywhere else on this itinerary. Gamcheon Culture Village tumbles down a steep hillside in a dense patchwork of colourful houses, murals and narrow alleyways, with independent cafes and art installations tucked around every corner. The Songdo Marine Cable Car carries you out over the sea, offering views of the coastline and cliffs that are difficult to match from the ground. Jagalchi Market, Korea's most famous seafood market, is a vivid and bustling place where the daily catch is laid out in extraordinary variety.

The afternoon moves through BIFF Square and Nampodong Shopping Street before finishing at Arte Museum Busan, where large-scale digital art installations fill entire rooms with light, sound and colour in a way that stays with you long after you leave. (B)

• Hotel Description

Today covers significant ground and rewards every kilometre. The first stop is Haeinsa Temple, set within Mt. Gayasan National Park, one of Korea's most revered natural landscapes. The temple is home to the Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of over 80,000 wooden printing blocks hand-carved with Buddhist scriptures during the 13th century Goryeo Dynasty. Created as a spiritual act of protection against Mongol invasion, the collection is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and one of the most remarkable human achievements you are likely to encounter on any trip.

From there, the route continues to Andong, a city that has preserved traditional Korean noble culture more carefully than almost anywhere else in the country. Hahoe Folk Village, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its centuries-old mask dance tradition, still performed today. The day ends in Chungju. (B)

• Hotel Description

After a morning boat ride across Chungju Lake, where the surrounding mountains reflect across still water in one of Korea's most quietly beautiful landscapes, the group transfers to one of three carefully selected Buddhist temples for an overnight temple stay. This is one of the most distinctive experiences on the entire itinerary. You will change into temple uniform, receive an orientation into daily monastic life, share a simple vegetarian dinner, join the evening Buddhist ceremony and sleep in a traditional Korean-style room on the floor. It is an immersive and grounding experience that offers a perspective on Korean culture that no museum or guidebook can provide. Guests who prefer hotel accommodation can arrange this at the time of booking. (B,D)

• Hotel Description

Leaving the temple, the route heads north to Goseong and the DMZ Unification Observatory, the closest publicly accessible point from which you can see into North Korea. The Korean peninsula has been divided since 1953 and the weight of that history is tangible here. The on-site DMZ Museum provides clear and considered context for one of the most consequential geopolitical situations of the modern world.

From there, the group continues to Sokcho Tourist and Fishery Market, a lively coastal market known for its fresh seafood straight from the East Sea, including squid, crab and fish caught the same morning. The day ends at the foot of Mt. Seorak, one of Korea's most celebrated mountain ranges, where the overnight stay is based. (B)

• Hotel Description

Mt. Seorak is the kind of landscape that reminds you why travelling slowly through a country matters. Rugged granite peaks rise sharply above dense forest, and the park changes character dramatically with the seasons, from deep greens in summer to vivid reds and golds in autumn. A cable car ride up to Gwongeumseong Fortress delivers views across the range that are genuinely hard to forget, while a visit to Shinheungsa Temple, nestled among the rocks at the base of the mountains, adds another layer of contemplative calm. The park holds UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, recognising both its ecological importance and its exceptional natural beauty.

The afternoon brings the group back to Seoul for a final night, with the rest of the evening free to spend as you choose. (B)

• Hotel Description

A final breakfast in Seoul before checking out. Guests make their own way to Incheon International Airport. Airport transfers are not included in the package but can be arranged on request. (B)