Korea in Autumn: Seoul, Nami Island, Seoraksan, Andong, Gyeongju and Busan in 10 Days

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