This tour combined the major heritages of KOREA and you will visit SEOUL, SUWON, GYEONGJU and BUSAN. This tour can be called the ESSENCE of KOREA TOUR because we selected the tourist attractions in terms of popularity.
For the first two days, you will travel around SEOUL. We tried to show you the variety of SEOUL; history, modern atmosphere, traditional musical performance. As always, the authentic food is the key component of our tour.
On 3rd day, you will travel to GYEONJU, the capital of SILLA KINGDOM during BC57-AD935. But, you will stop at KOREAN FOLK VILLAGE and HWASEONG FORTRESS at SUWON because this is on the way to GYEONJU.
On 4th day, at GYEONGJU, you will visit 1) the heritages related with Buddhism – SEOKGURAM GROTTO, BULGUKSA TEMPLE and 2) the uniqueness of SILLA DYNASTY such as big tombs and gold crowns at OLD GYEONGJU area.
After sightseeing at GYEONGJU, you will transfer to BUSAN for the last night.
On the last day, 5th day, you will see the new and old scenery of BUSAN. The tour sequence might be changed considering your hotel location. The characteristics of OLD BUSAN are port, bouncy personality people and packed residences at the hill…whereas the characteristics of NEW BUSAN are skyscrapers and sea.
Around 4pm, you will get on the bullet train to SEOUL. We will provide the private car from SEOUL STATION to your hotel or, INCHEON AIRPORT.
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| RETURN | SEOUL | |||||||
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D1
Heritages at SEOUL
09:00 Meet your guide, or driver at hotel
09:00-09:30 Pass by BLUE HOUSE by car and arrive at GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE
09:30-11:00 GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE (First built in AD1395 and the biggest royal palace by JOSEON DYNASTY) and NATIONAL FOL MUSEUM (located next to the palace, you will see the way of living and the inside-the-house structure). You will see the changing guard ceremony at at GYEONGBOKGUNG PALACE.
11:00-12:00 Walk around SAMCHEONG-DONG and BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE, which is the complex of KOREAN style houses built 40-60 years ago
12:00-12:30 JOGYESA TEMPLE; The buddhist temple in the business town, but, this is the headquarter of KOREA buddhism
12:30-13:30 Lunch at INSA-DONG
14:00-15:00 Visit JONGMYO; The royal shrine of JOSEON DYNASTY. This is also the heritage listed on UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE
15:30-16:30 GWANGJANG MARKET; Among several traditional & general markets in SEOUL, this is the best market shows authentic atmosphere
17:00-18:30 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA; Very modern & well organized museum, which contains Korean historical items and art
19:00-20:00 Dinner
20:30 Move back to hotel
▪ Meals: None – Lunch – Dinner
▪ 5* Hotel: WESTIN CHOSUN SEOUL, or similar
▪ 4* Hotel: SHILLA STAY GWANGHWAMUN, or similar
D2
Modern SEOUL and traditional KOREAN performance
09:00 Meet your guide at hotel
10:00-11:00 Go up to observatory at 63 BUILDING. Among several observatories at SEOUL, the view at 63 BUILDING is the best because it is surrounded by HANGANG RIVER and apartment complex.
11:30-12:30 BANPO BRIDGE; This is the world’s longest bridge fountain that set a Guinness World Record with nearly 10,000 LED nozzles that run along both sides that is 1,140m long, shooting out 190 tons of water per minute
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:00 Walk around GANGNAM (subway) STATION STREET and underground shopping mall. GANGNAM STATION is the busiest transportation hub in KOREA. Millions of people are gathering here to exchange the public transportation. SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS’s show room called D’LIGHT is also here.
16:00-17:30 Enjoy traditional KOREAN music & dance performance called The PALACE
18:30-19:30 Dinner
2000 Move back to hotel
▪ Meals: Breakfast at hotel – Lunch – Dinner
▪ 5* Hotel: WESTIN CHOSUN SEOUL, or similar
▪ 4* Hotel: SHILLA STAY GWANGHWAMUN, or similar
D3
Transfer to SUWON and GYEONGJU
09:00 Meet your guide at hotel
09:00-10:00 Transfer to SUWON CITY
10:00-12:00 Visit KOREAN FOLK VILLAGE; This is a kind of theme park. It’s theme is JOSEON DYNASTY. You might be momentarily under the illusion that you are walking on the street 200-300 years ago
12:30-13:30 Lunch; We hope you would taste GALBI at SUWON CITY. GALBI is the grilled beef ribs.
14:00-15:00 Visit HWASEONG FORTRESS. HWASEONG FORTRESS is one of UNESCO WORLD HERITAGES. It was built over two and a half years, from 1794 to 1796. The meaning of HWASEONG FORTRESS is the harmony of the city and the fortress. SUWON city decided to build new city outside fortress to make HWASEONG FORTRESS tourist attraction.
15:00-19:00 Transfer to GYEONGJU CITY. GYEONGJU was the capital of SILLA DYNASTY for one thousand years.
19:00-20:00 Dinner
20:30 Check in at the hotel
▪ Meals: Breakfast at hotel – Lunch – Dinner
▪ 5* Hotel: HILTON GYEONGJU, or similar
Actually, HILTON GYEONGJU is regarded just under 5 start hotel, but, this is the best hotel at GYEONGJU. Therefore, if you choose 5 star hotel option, we will arrange this hotel at the same cost of 4 star hotel choice.
▪ 4* Hotel: HILTON GYEONGJU, or similar
D4
Transfer to BUSAN after sightseeing at GYEONGJU
09:00 Meet your guide, or driver and check out from the hotel
09:30-10:30 SEOKGURAM GROTTO, which is located at 750 meters, or 2,460 feet at TOHAMSAN MOUNTAIN. So, our car will drive along the winding uphill for 20 minutes.
11:00-12:00 Visit BULGUKSA TEMPLE. This was the second biggest temple during SILLA dynasty. But, it became the biggest temple after getting the damage by Mongolian. This temple has two famous National Treasures – DABOTAP PADODA, SEOKGATAP PADODA.
12:30-13:30 Lunch Lunch with authentic Korean meal. But, this can be customized for your preference. If budget is OK, we recommend you have a Special Meal with HANJEONGSIK at 350 years old house.
14:00-15:00 DAEREUNGWON ROYAL TOMBS. Out of few hundreds tombs scattered around GYEONGJU, you will visit the major complex of few royal tombs at the core part of GYEONGJU. Also, you will have the chance of going inside a tomb called CHEONMACHONG.
15:00-16:00 NATIONAL MUSEUM of GYEONGJU. You will visit three exhibition halls. 1) collection excavated from two royal tombs, 2) Ancient Buddhism collection hall and the collection from DONGGUNG and WOLJI POND.
16:00-17:30 Transfer to BUSAN and check in at hotel
▪ Meals: Breakfast at hotel – Lunch – Dinner
▪ 5* Hotel: LOTTE HOTEL BUSAN, or similar
▪ 4* Hotel: BEST LOUIS HAMILTON HOTEL, or similar
D5
Transfer to SEOUL after sightseeing at BUSAN
09:00 Meet your guide, or driver and check out from the hotel
09:00-09:30 Transfer to OLD BUSAN (under our definition) along beautiful GWANGAN BRIDGE
10:00-11:00 BUSAN TOWER at YONGDUSAN PARK. Panoramic view of Busan port and old town. This spot is not famous on the guide book, but, our company would like to select this place for the first time BUSAN visitor.
11:00-12:30 GUKJE MARKET and JAGALCHI FISH MARKET. GUKJE MARKET has witnessed two major historical events: the liberation of KOREA and the subsequent KOREAN WAR. Right after the liberation, Japanese goods entered in bulk and Korean refugees who had fled to BUSAN started businesses at this market, which was once the nation’s largest center for business and logistics. Today, it is a great place to buy traditional Korean ware, traditional bedding, and hand-made crafts.
12:30-13:30 Lunch
14:00-14:30 GAMCHEON-DONG VILLLAGE. The least developed residence complex looks like Favela in Brazil, but it is very safe place.
14:30-15:00 Drive along hill side residential complex. BUSAN people call this as SANBOK-DORO. During KOERAN WAR, many people refugees built small cottages at the hill. This is the origin of current hill side residential area.
15:30-18:15 Transfer to SEOUL by bullet train, called KTX
18:30-19:00 Transfer to your hotel, or INCHEON AIRPORT (Will be surcharged)
▪ Meals: Breakfast at hotel – Lunch – None
▪ Hotel: None
▪ If you are travel agent, or tour operator, why don’t you contact us to discuss about personalized schedule and own requirements. Also, if you arrange the tour for more than 8 people, the per person price will be lowered.
▪ The itinerary can be customized. For example, you can request to exclude YANGGU DMZ, traditional musical performance.
