10 days 9 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A 10-day private autumn road trip through South Korea: Seoul, Nami Island, two nights at Seoraksan National Park, the east coast at Gangneung, Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, Gyeongju's temples and a final night in Busan, best from mid to late October.
From US$1,400 per person for the whole tour, as an indicative price for a small private group in 4★ hotels. It changes with group size, hotel level and season, and is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
| Day | Route and highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Seoul | Seoul |
| 2 | Seoul palaces in autumn | Seoul |
| 3 | Nami Island and on to Seoraksan | Sokcho |
| 4 | Seoraksan National Park | Sokcho |
| 5 | Down the east coast to Gangneung | Gangneung |
| 6 | Inland to Andong and Hahoe Folk Village | Andong |
| 7 | Byeongsan Seowon and on to Gyeongju | Gyeongju |
| 8 | Bulguksa and Seokguram | Gyeongju |
| 9 | Busan by the sea | Busan |
| 10 | Depart Busan | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 10 days / 9 nights · Seoul – Nami Island – Seoraksan – Gangneung – Andong – Gyeongju – Busan
This Korea autumn tour follows the fall colors from the mountains of the northeast to the old capital of Gyeongju in the south. Korea's maples, ginkgo and zelkova trees turn red and gold in October, and the season is celebrated much as cherry blossoms are in spring. After two days in Seoul, with the palace gardens at their most colorful, you drive east to Nami Island, famous for its avenues of ginkgo and metasequoia trees.
Two nights near Seoraksan National Park give you time to ride the cable car toward Gwongeumseong fortress ruins, visit Sinheungsa Temple and walk the valley trail to Biryong Falls. You then follow the coast south to Gangneung, with its seaside temple of Naksansa, the scholar's house of Ojukheon and its coffee cafes on the beach.
The last part of the trip turns inland to the countryside of Andong and Hahoe Folk Village, then to Gyeongju, where Bulguksa Temple is framed by maples, and finishes in the port city of Busan. A private guide and driver look after you throughout, so the long scenic days feel easy.
Moderate. Most days include two to four hours of walking; the Biryong Falls trail in Seoraksan is about 2.5 kilometers each way with some steps, and can be shortened. Driving days range from one to three hours, with stops. Suits active older travelers and families with children over 10.
Nine nights at 4-star level: a 4-star hotel in Seoul (two nights), a 4-star resort hotel near Seoraksan or in Sokcho (two nights), a 4-star hotel in Gangneung (one night), a 4-star hotel or upscale hanok stay in Andong (one night), a 4-star hotel in Gyeongju (two nights) and a 4-star hotel in Busan (one night).
Autumn colors usually peak in Seoraksan from mid to late October, on Nami Island and in Seoul from late October to early November, and in Gyeongju and Busan in early to mid-November. Departures in the second half of October catch the best of the mountains and the start of the color further south. Days are clear and crisp, with cold mornings in the mountains. Hotels near Seoraksan fill early at peak weekends.
Your guide and driver are yours alone for the whole trip, so the pace, the stops and the start time each morning follow you. The standard version has an English-speaking guide; guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese can be arranged on request.
More ideas: All private tours in South Korea · Classic Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju Island in 10 Days · Korean Heritage: Seoul, Suwon, Andong, Gyeongju and Busan in 8 Days
Photos: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; kallerna This photo was taken with Fujifilm X-T30, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Joycekim77, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Christian Bolz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Korea in Autumn: Seoul, Nami Island, Seoraksan, Andong, Gyeongju and Busan in 10 Days is a starting point. Our Hanoi travel designers adjust every day to your pace, interests and hotel style, then run the trip with your own guide and driver.
Your guide meets you at Incheon International Airport and takes you by private car to your hotel in central Seoul, about an hour away. After a rest, take an evening walk along Cheonggyecheon, a restored stream that flows through the city center, lit up after dark. Your guide will talk you through the route ahead and the latest reports on where the autumn leaves are at their best.
Overnight: Seoul
Visit Gyeongbokgung, the main Joseon palace, and watch the changing of the guard at the gate. Walk up through Bukchon Hanok Village, then visit Changdeokgung, where the guided walk through the Secret Garden reveals ponds and pavilions framed by maples at this time of year. After lunch in Insadong, take the cable car up Namsan to N Seoul Tower for views over the city and the autumn hills that surround it.
Overnight: Seoul · Meals: B, L
Drive about 90 minutes east to Nami Island, reached by a short ferry ride across the river. Stroll the island's famous avenues of ginkgo, maple and metasequoia trees, which turn gold and red in autumn. After lunch, continue through the mountains of Gangwon province to the east coast and the foothills of Seoraksan National Park, about two hours. Check in to your hotel and enjoy a quiet evening.
Overnight: Sokcho · Meals: B, L
Spend the day in Seoraksan, one of Korea's most beautiful national parks. Ride the cable car up toward the rocky summit of Gwongeumseong for views over jagged granite peaks and valleys of red and gold. Visit Sinheungsa, a Buddhist temple with a large bronze Buddha at the park entrance. In the afternoon, walk the valley trail to Biryong Falls, crossing bridges over a clear mountain stream. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Sokcho · Meals: B, L
Visit Naksansa, a temple on a headland above the East Sea, with a large white statue of the Bodhisattva of Mercy facing the water. Then follow the coast road south to Gangneung, about an hour. Visit Ojukheon, the birthplace of the scholar Yulgok and his mother Shin Saimdang, both shown on Korean banknotes, and walk around Gyeongpo Lake. End the afternoon at Anmok Beach, famous for its row of seaside coffee shops.
Overnight: Gangneung · Meals: B, L
Drive inland across the mountains to Andong, about two and a half to three hours with a stop. Visit Hahoe Folk Village, a UNESCO-listed village where the Ryu clan has lived for centuries in tiled and thatched houses inside a loop of the Nakdong River. When the small ferry is running, cross to the cliff of Buyongdae for the view over the village and its autumn trees. Spend the night in Andong.
Overnight: Andong · Meals: B, L
Start at Byeongsan Seowon, a Confucian academy whose open pavilion looks out over the river and hills, at its most peaceful in the morning. Then drive about 90 minutes south to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla kingdom. Walk through Daereungwon, a park of grassy royal tombs, and visit Cheomseongdae observatory, surrounded by fields that are often planted with colorful autumn grasses. In the evening, see Donggung Palace reflected in Wolji Pond.
Overnight: Gyeongju · Meals: B, L
Visit Bulguksa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site whose stone stairways and wooden halls are framed by maple trees in autumn. Continue up the mountain to Seokguram Grotto, where a granite Buddha looks toward the sea. In the afternoon, visit the Gyeongju National Museum, with its gold crowns and great bronze bell, and stroll around Bomun Lake, lined with cherry and maple trees. The evening is free in town.
Overnight: Gyeongju · Meals: B, L
Drive about an hour to Busan, starting at Haedong Yonggungsa, a temple built on the rocks just above the waves. Continue to Gamcheon Culture Village, a hillside of pastel houses, murals and stairways. Have lunch at Jagalchi Fish Market, where you can choose fresh seafood to be cooked for you. In the late afternoon, walk along Haeundae Beach and the coastal trail of Dongbaek Island before a farewell dinner.
Overnight: Busan · Meals: B, L
Enjoy a final breakfast and some free time. Your driver takes you to Gimhae International Airport for your flight home, or to Busan station for the KTX train back to Seoul for a connection at Incheon. Direct flights from Busan reach Da Nang and Hanoi, so you can easily continue to Vietnam, where autumn is a lovely time in the north.
Meals: B
Departures from mid to late October usually work best. The leaves turn first in Seoraksan and move south over about three weeks, so the itinerary follows them. Book early, as mountain hotels fill quickly at peak weekends.
This trip uses the cable car and easy valley trails. The walk to Biryong Falls is about 2.5 kilometers each way with some steps; it can be shortened, or swapped for a longer hike if you are keen.
Yes. Busan has frequent one-hour flights to Jeju, and two extra nights there make a relaxing end to the trip.
Yes. This is a private tour with your own English-speaking guide. We also arrange private guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese: tell us when you enquire and we confirm your guide in the quote. Book early for the busiest seasons, such as spring and autumn.
Nothing is payable until you approve your written quote. We then ask for a 30% deposit to confirm, and the balance 45 days before arrival, by bank transfer or card. Bank details come with your booking confirmation; always confirm them with us by phone or WhatsApp (+84 812 247 572) before any transfer.
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