South Korea · Seoul · Gyeongju · Busan · Jeju
Palaces and markets in Seoul, Silla temples in Gyeongju, the sea in Busan and the volcanic coast of Jeju, with a private English-speaking guide, a private vehicle with driver and 4★ hotels. Vietnam can follow in the same trip.
In short
A private 10-day tour of South Korea with Metta Voyage starts at US$2,500 per person for 10 days on Classic Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju Island in 10 Days: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju Island, with 4★ hotels, a private English-speaking guide on sightseeing days and a private vehicle with driver. A shorter heritage route of 8 days starts at US$2,000. Prices are per person, 2 travellers sharing, excluding international flights, and confirmed in your written tailor-made quote.
Metta Voyage is an Asia destination management company (DMC) based in Hanoi. In Korea your trip is run by a local partner team we have selected (vehicle, driver, guide, hotel and KTX bookings), while our Hanoi office designs the programme, holds the contract and remains your one point of contact 24/7. Your guide speaks English (confirmed at quote stage, subject to availability in peak weeks).
Korea combines naturally with Vietnam: Korea and Vietnam: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay in 12 Days runs 12 days from US$2,340, with a direct flight from Busan to Da Nang.
Updated 28 October 2026 · Metta Voyage, Asia DMC based in Hanoi
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Each programme below is a private tour for your group only, with an English-speaking guide and a private vehicle, adapted to your dates and hotel preferences. Prices are per person, 2 travellers sharing in 4★ hotels, excluding international flights, and confirmed in your written quote.
| Trip | Days | Route | From (per person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju Island in 10 Days | 10 | Seoul – Gyeongju – Busan – Jeju Island | US$2,500 |
| Korean Heritage: Seoul, Suwon, Andong, Gyeongju and Busan in 8 Days | 8 | Seoul – Suwon – Andong – Hahoe – Gyeongju – Busan | US$2,000 |
| Korea in Autumn: Seoul, Nami Island, Seoraksan, Andong, Gyeongju and Busan in 10 Days | 10 | Seoul – Nami Island – Seoraksan – Gangneung – Andong – Gyeongju – Busan | US$2,500 |
| Korea and Vietnam: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay in 12 Days | 12 | Seoul – Gyeongju – Busan – Da Nang – Hoi An – Hanoi – Halong Bay | US$2,340 |
| Japan and South Korea in 13 Days: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Seoul and Busan | 13 | Tokyo – Hakone – Kyoto – Nara – Osaka – Seoul – Gyeongju – Busan | US$3,250 |
"From" prices are per person, based on 2 travellers sharing a twin or double room in 4★ hotels, excluding international flights. Every price is confirmed in your written tailor-made quote before you pay anything.
| Days | Typical route | From (per person) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 days | Seoul, Suwon, Andong, Gyeongju and Busan | US$2,000 |
| 10 days | Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju, or the autumn route via Seoraksan | US$2,500 |
| 12 days | South Korea and Vietnam: Seoul, Busan, Hoi An, Hanoi, Halong Bay | US$2,340 |
| 13 days | Japan and South Korea | US$3,250 |
Three nights in Seoul for the palaces and markets, the KTX to Gyeongju for the Silla tombs, Bulguksa and Seokguram, two nights by the sea in Busan, then a short flight to Jeju for its volcanic coast.
| Day | Programme | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Seoul | Seoul |
| 2 | Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon and Insadong | Seoul |
| 3 | Changdeokgung, Gwangjang Market and Namsan | Seoul |
| 4 | KTX to Gyeongju and the Silla tombs | Gyeongju |
| 5 | Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto | Gyeongju |
| 6 | Drive to Busan and Haedong Yonggungsa | Busan |
| 7 | Busan: Gamcheon Village and Jagalchi Market | Busan |
| 8 | Fly to Jeju: Seongsan Ilchulbong and Seongeup | Jeju |
| 9 | Jeju's south and west coast | Jeju |
| 10 | Depart Jeju | — |
Our Korea programmes are priced at around US$250 per person per day at 4★ level, which covers more than many travellers expect. On Classic Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju Island in 10 Days the price includes nine nights in hotels (three in central Seoul, two in Gyeongju, two near Haeundae Beach in Busan and two in a resort hotel on Jeju), the private guide and vehicle, and the entrance fees named in the itinerary, including the Changdeokgung Secret Garden walk and the Namsan cable car. Train tickets and the short flight to Jeju are booked by us and itemised in your quote.
What moves the price up or down:
In Korea we use a private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for transfers and touring, plus a private English-speaking guide on sightseeing days. In central Seoul part of the touring is on foot and by subway, simply because the palace district, Bukchon and Insadong are best seen walking, and traffic can be slow. Outside Seoul the vehicle takes you door to door.
Guides explain what you would otherwise walk past: why Gyeongbokgung was rebuilt, what the royal tombs of Gyeongju tell us about the Silla kingdom, how to order at Gwangjang Market or Jagalchi fish market. They also help with practical matters such as restaurant bookings and pharmacies.
We confirm the guide for each part of the trip when we send the quote. Good English-speaking guides are in demand in April and in the second half of October, so booking early matters for those dates. On Jeju, where distances are short and the coast is the main attraction, the guide and driver usually work as one team.
If you are travelling from the US, the UK or Australia, it often makes sense to see two countries on one long-haul ticket. Korea and Vietnam are a good pair: autumn palaces and mountain temples, then warm beaches and Halong Bay, linked by direct flights of around four to five hours.
Korea and Vietnam: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay in 12 Days starts at US$2,340 per person for 12 days: three nights in Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan, then a flight to Da Nang, three nights in Hoi An, the Old Quarter of Hanoi and a night on a 4★ cruise boat in Halong Bay. In Vietnam you are on our home ground, with our own English-speaking guides.
One company organises the whole journey, so you have one contract, one quote, one 30% deposit and one consultant to call at any hour. Other combinations we run:
Korea has four distinct seasons, and the two shoulder seasons are the most comfortable for a touring holiday.
We recommend avoiding the Chuseok and Lunar New Year holidays, when trains sell out and many restaurants close. The exact dates change each year and we check them for you.
Many nationalities can visit South Korea for a short stay, but some must apply for an electronic travel authorisation (K-ETA) or a visa before departure, and the rules have changed several times in recent years. Please check the official sites before you book flights: K-ETA official website and Korea Visa Portal. UK travellers can also read the UK government’s travel advice, and US citizens the US Department of State.
If you add Vietnam, its entry rules are separate. We send a checklist with your quote, but visas remain each traveller’s responsibility, and travel insurance is required on all our trips.
Metta Voyage is an Asia destination management company (DMC) based in Hanoi, licensed for international travel in Vietnam under licence 01-1167/2023/CDLQGVN-GP LHQT. Since late 2019 we have handled more than 2,000 bookings for over 10,100 international travellers, with a Tripadvisor rating of 4.9/5. We work with 869 partners across Asia: hotels, local guide teams, cruise operators and transport companies. Outside Vietnam, your trip is run on the ground by local partner teams we have selected and coordinated by our Hanoi office, so you have one point of contact, one contract and one written quote for the whole journey, with 24/7 support while you travel. You pay a 30% deposit and the balance 45 days before departure, and nothing before you have confirmed your quote. Hotline and WhatsApp: +84 812 247 572 · US +1 929 491 2828 · UK +44 7520 660929.
Our 10-day route through Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju, Classic Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju Island in 10 Days, starts at US$2,500 per person, based on 2 travellers sharing in 4★ hotels, with a private English-speaking guide and vehicle. International flights are extra. An 8-day heritage route without Jeju starts at US$2,000.
Yes. Korea and Vietnam: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay in 12 Days covers Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan, then Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay in 12 days, from US$2,340 per person. One contract, one quote and one consultant cover both countries, and we book the flight from Busan to Da Nang.
Yes, a private English-speaking guide on every sightseeing day, plus a private vehicle with driver. We confirm the guide when we send your quote; for early April and late October, book 6 months or more ahead to secure the guide and hotels you prefer.
Eight days covers Seoul, Andong, Gyeongju and Busan at a comfortable pace. Ten days lets you add Jeju Island or the Seoraksan mountains in autumn. With 12 to 13 days, most of our guests add Vietnam or Japan rather than more days in Korea.
For a short trip to Korea alone, a Korean agency is a fine choice. We are most useful when Korea is part of a longer journey with Vietnam, Japan or Thailand: one contract, one contact, private guides throughout and one team that plans the whole route. In Korea we work with a selected local partner team, coordinated from Hanoi, and we say so in the quote.
Nothing until you approve the written quote, which you receive within 24 hours of your request. Then a 30% deposit secures hotels, guide and trains, and the balance is due 45 days before departure. Our terms, including change and cancellation conditions, come with the first quote.
Page updated on 28 October 2026. Prices and itineraries are taken from the tour pages linked above; entry rules change, so always check the official sites below before you travel.
Your private South Korea trip, tailor-made
Tell us when you would like to travel, how many of you there are and what interests you most. A consultant sends you a programme and a written quote within 24 hours, with no obligation.
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WhatsApp / Tel: +84 812 247 572 · US +1 929 491 2828 · UK +44 7520 660929