South Korea Highlights

Seoul
Discover South Korea’s dynamic blend of ancient tradition and modern innovation on this educational adventure from Seoul to Busan. Begin in Seoul, the nation’s vibrant capital, then travel to Jeonju for a hands-on cultural experience, including traditional cooking and hanbok dress. Explore the ancient city of Gyeongju, known as “the museum without walls" with visits to royal tombs, temples, and observatories before heading to coastal Busan for bustling markets and panoramic views. Return to Seoul for a high-speed train ride, cultural immersion, and a thought-provoking visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This journey offers students an in-depth look at Korea’s history, heritage, and global identity.
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Day 1 Overnight Flight to South Korea (Seoul)
Day 2 Anyong Seoul
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Dinner
Day 3 Seoul--Jeonju
Travel to Jeonju
Details: Paper Museum visit
 The Paper Museum, also called the Jeonju Hanji Museum, was Korea’s first museum specializing in paper and has an extensive collection of 3,000 artifacts and a data-base documenting the long history and superiority of Hanji (Korean paper).
Details: Cooking class and lunch
 Learn to cook traditional Korean dishes with an experienced instructor! You’ll be introduced to the dishes like Kimchi, Bibimbap and Bulgogi and taught how to make them so you can have a taste of Korea anywhere you go.
Details: Hanbok Korean costume experience
 Try on a hanbok, the Korean traditional costume, while learning more about Seoul’s history and culture.
Day 4 Jeonju--Gyeongju
Breakfast
Travel to Gyeongju
Gyeongju guided sightseeing tour
Tumuli Park visitCheomseongdae Observatory visitDonggung Palace and Wolji Pond
Details: Gyeongju guided sightseeing tour
Visitors interested in South Korea’s cultural heritage flock to Gyeongju. It is home to 31 National Treasures—a designation given to an artifact, site, building, etc. by the South Korean government. These include gilded Buddha statues, towering stone pagodas and many artifacts found in the Gyeongju National Museum. On your guided sightseeing tour you’ll visit: Tumuli Park, where three royal tombs and the ornate decorations upon them have been preserved; Cheomseongdae astrological observatory, the oldest surviving observatory in the world; and Anapji Pond, which was constructed by order of King Munmu in 674 CE.
Day 5 Gyeongju
Shilla Art & Science Museum visit
Bomun lake visit
Gyeongju National Museum visit
Details: Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto visit
 On the slopes of Mount Toham, the Seokguram Grotto contains a monumental statue of the Buddha looking at the sea. Surrounded portrayals of gods, Bodhisattvas and disciples, all realistically and delicately sculpted in high and low relief, it is considered a masterpiece of Buddhist art in the Far East.
Day 6 Gyeongju--Busan
Travel to Busan
Busan guided sightseeing tour
Yongdusan Park visitBusan Tower ascentJagalchi fish marketKukje market
Details: Busan guided sightseeing tour
 Busan, a large port city in South Korea, is known for its beaches, mountains and temples. A few highlights you’ll see on this guided sightseeing tour are the Yongdusan Park, Busan Tower, Jagalchi fish market and Kukje market.
Day 7 Busan--Seoul
Travel to Seoul by KTX (Korean express train)
Seoul guided sightseeing tour
Insadong Cultural StreetCheonggyecheon Stream Canal walkNamsan Hanok Village visitN Seoul Tower and Observatory visit
Dinner
Details: Seoul guided sightseeing tour
The capital of South Korea is a huge metropolis where modern skyscrapers, high-tech subways and colorful pop culture meet Buddhist temples, richly adorned palaces and vibrant street markets. On your guided sightseeing tour of the city you’ll spend some time walking along Cheonggyecheon, an 11 km long modern stream that runs through downtown Seoul. The modern canal is a restoration of the stream that was once there during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Insadong Street is one of the most memorable attractions in Seoul and offers a wide variety of goods that can only be purchased or appreciated in Korea: hanbok (traditional clothing), hanji (traditional paper), traditional teas, pottery and folk crafts. And you’ll get one of the most spectacular, 360 degree views of the city from the Seoul Tower and Observatory.
Details: Cheonggyecheon Stream Canal walk
Spend some time walking along Cheonggyecheon, an 11km-long modern stream that runs through downtown Seoul. The modern canal is a restoration of the stream that was once there during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
Details: HiKR Ground visit
HiKR Ground was named by combining “Hi” and “Korea” with the concept of a playground (”Ground”). It is a promotional hall that takes a new approach by integrating Extended Reality (XR). The attraction provides a space for everyone to freely roam and enjoy everything HiKR Ground has to offer. The space is filled with technology aimed for the younger generation with smart technology applied to diverse Korea content, including the areas of hallyu, K-Pop, arts and more.
Day 8 Seoul
DMZ (Korean Demilitarized Zone) excursion
Imjingak ParkDora Observatory3rd Infiltration Tunnel
Peace Nuri Park visit
Dinner
Details: DMZ (Korean Demilitarized Zone) excursion
The DMZ separates North and South Korea and was created by an agreement between North Korea, China and the United Nations in 1953. It is 250 kilometers (160 miles) long, and about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) wide. On this excursion, you’ll see the infamous barrier first-hand as well as visit Imjingak Park, which boasts many statues and monuments memorializing the Korean War; the Dora Observatory, which looks out over the demilitarized zone and is the closest you can get to North Korean from below the 38th parallel; and the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, one of four known tunnels under the border between North Korea and South Korea, extending south of Panmunjom.
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Day 9 Flight home from Seoul

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    Day 9 Start extension to Tokyo
    Fly to Tokyo
    Day 10 Tokyo
    Tokyo guided sightseeing tour
    Senso-ji temple visitMeiji Shrine visitHarajuku District visit
    Shibuya Crossing
    Details: Tokyo guided sightseeing tour
    Jangling neon and tranquil temples, radical fashion choices and quietly practiced traditions. Japan's sprawling, chaotic capital combines cutting-edge technology with an age-old culture, generating a directed energy and graceful drive unique to Tokyo. See what all of the buzz is about with a local licensed guide. Start with a whiff of the miraculous at the Senso Temple, where sacred incense smoke is said to have curative powers. Built to commemorate Emperor Meiji and his empress, the Meiji Shrine is one of the most important Shinto shrines in the country. Yearly festivals bring various groups to its iris garden and Treasure House, including the "Seven-Five-Three Festival," in which young children arrive dressed in mini kimonos.
    Details: Meiji Shrine visit
    Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan, born in 1852 and ascending to the throne in 1868 at the peak of the Meiji Restoration when the power was switched from the feudal Tokugawa government to the emperor. Learn the difference between Shinto and Buddism
    Details: Akihabara Electric Town visit
    Take a trip to the Akihabara district, a mecca for electronic goods and home to Japan's otaku (diehard fan) geek culture. Explore the thousands of shops dedicated to anime, manga and video games.
    Details: Karaoke experience and dinner
    Karaoke is a popular form of entertainment which originated in Japan. Immerse yourself in this environment, grab a mic, your favorite song and sing your heart out in a Tokyo karaoke venue.
    Day 11 Flight home from Tokyo
    Map of Seoul, Gyeongju & Busan.
    Tour Includes:
    • Round-trip airfare
    • 7 overnight stays (9 with extension) in hotels with private bathrooms
    • Breakfast daily
    • Dinner daily
    • Full-time services of a professional tour director
    • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
    • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
    • Tour Diary™
    • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
    • Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
    • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.
    We are better able to assist you with a quote for your selected departure date and city over the phone. Please call 1.888.310.7120 to price this tour with your requested options.
    Please select a postal code
    4659.00 total fee
    Basic Options


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