South Korea At A Glance

Touch down at Incheon International Airport and transfer to your hotel in Seoul. The rest of the day is yours to settle in and get your bearings in one of Asia's most dynamic cities.

• Hotel Description

Today you'll explore central Seoul on foot and by public transport, getting under the skin of the city in a way a private transfer never could. Start at Gwanghwamun Square, where statues of King Sejong, creator of the Korean alphabet, and Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, the naval hero who repelled Japanese invasions, set the tone for the day. Move on to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the grand 14th-century seat of the Joseon Dynasty, where the Changing of the Guard ceremony is still performed at the main gate. The afternoon takes you to Insadong's craft shops and tea houses, then to the quiet lanes of Bukchon Hanok Village, a neighbourhood of traditional wooden houses that people still call home. (B,L)

• Hotel Description

A guided day trip to the Demilitarised Zone, the 160-mile buffer that has divided the Korean peninsula since 1953. You'll visit the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, dug secretly by North Korea, stand at the Dora Observatory for views across the border, and walk through Imjingak Park, a place of deep significance for the millions of Korean families still separated by the divide. It's sobering and unlike anywhere else on earth. The evening is free to explore Seoul independently. (B)

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Board the KTX high-speed train south to Gyeongju, once the capital of the Silla Kingdom for nearly a thousand years and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arrive to find a city that wears its history openly: grass-covered royal tombs rise from the ground like hills, and Buddhist temples cling to mountain slopes. This afternoon visits the Seokguram Grotto, an 8th-century stone Buddha carved into a granite cave, and Bulguksa Temple, a masterpiece of Silla-era architecture. End the day at the vast Daereungwon Tomb Complex, where 23 royal burial mounds from the Silla period cluster together in a single park. (B)

• Hotel Description

This morning, lace up your boots for a hike through Namsan Mountain, a sacred site scattered with over 100 temple sites, 80 stone Buddha statues and 60 stone pagodas along its trails. It's one of the most rewarding ways to experience Gyeongju beyond the main sights. After lunch, head to Yangdong Folk Village, a UNESCO-listed Joseon-era settlement of tiled and thatched houses set against terraced hillsides, still inhabited by descendants of the original aristocratic families. The day ends at a 500-year-old hanok house for a traditional rice wine brewing workshop, learning the ancient art of Cheongju-making before tasting the results. (B,L)

• Hotel Description

Drive south to Busan, South Korea's second city and a place with a very different energy to what's come before. Set between mountains and the sea, it's a city of beaches, markets and big views. Today takes in the Modern History Museum for context on Busan's turbulent wartime past, then Gukje Market, which began as a refugee market during the Korean War and has been trading ever since. After lunch, explore BIFF Street, the lively heart of the city's film culture, and Jagalchi Market, the country's largest seafood market. The afternoon ends at Gamcheon Culture Village, a steep hillside of brightly painted houses and art installations that began as a refugee settlement and has since become one of the city's most photographed neighbourhoods. (B,L)

• Hotel Description

Start the morning with a hands-on Korean cooking class, learning to make bibimbap, one of Korea's most beloved dishes, a colourful bowl of rice, vegetables, egg and gochujang chilli paste. After eating what you've made, the afternoon visits Beomeosa Temple, a serene Buddhist complex on the forested slopes of Geumjeongsan Mountain, followed by a walk through Ahopsan Bamboo Forest, a 400-year-old grove of towering bamboo that feels a world away from the city below. (B,L)

• Hotel Description

After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to the KTX station for your return journey to Seoul. Upon arrival in Seoul, you'll have free time to explore before transferring to the airport for your onward departure flight. (B)