12 days 11 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A 12-day private Korea and Vietnam tour: three nights in Seoul, a night in Gyeongju and two in Busan, then a direct flight to Da Nang for three nights in Hoi An, a night in Hanoi and an overnight cruise on Halong Bay.
From US$1,680 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 | Gyeongbokgung, Bukchon and Insadong | Seoul |
| 3 | Changdeokgung, Gwangjang Market and Namsan | Seoul |
| 4 | KTX to Gyeongju | Gyeongju |
| 5 | Bulguksa, Seokguram and on to Busan | Busan |
| 6 | Busan: seaside temple, Gamcheon and Jagalchi | Busan |
| 7 | Fly from Busan to Da Nang and Hoi An | Hoi An |
| 8 | Hoi An Ancient Town | Hoi An |
| 9 | Hoi An countryside and the beach | Hoi An |
| 10 | Fly to Hanoi and the Old Quarter | Hanoi |
| 11 | Cruise on Halong Bay | Halong Bay |
| 12 | Halong Bay and depart Hanoi | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 12 days / 11 nights · Seoul – Gyeongju – Busan – Da Nang – Hoi An – Hanoi – Halong Bay
This Korea and Vietnam tour links two neighbors of very different character with a single direct flight of about four and a half hours from Busan to Da Nang. The Korean half begins with three nights in Seoul, exploring the Joseon palaces of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, the hanok lanes of Bukchon and the food stalls of Gwangjang Market with your private guide.
The KTX high-speed train then takes you to Gyeongju, the old Silla capital, for its royal tombs, Bulguksa Temple and the Seokguram Grotto, and on to Busan for two nights by the sea, with a temple on the rocks, a hillside village of painted houses and Korea's biggest fish market.
In Vietnam, the pace softens. Three nights in Hoi An leave time for the lantern-lit old town, a bike ride through vegetable gardens and an afternoon on the beach. You then fly north to Hanoi for its Old Quarter and street food, and finish with a night on a cruise boat among the limestone islands of Halong Bay.
Easy to moderate. Expect two to four hours of walking on most days, with some steps at temples and in Gamcheon Village. Travel includes the KTX train from Seoul to Gyeongju (about two hours), one international flight from Busan to Da Nang and one domestic flight from Da Nang to Hanoi. Suits families with children over 10 and older travelers.
Eleven nights at 4-star level: a 4-star hotel in Seoul (three nights), a 4-star hotel in Gyeongju (one night), a 4-star hotel in Busan (two nights), a 4-star riverside or beach resort in Hoi An (three nights), a 4-star boutique hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter (one night) and a cabin on a 4-star cruise boat on Halong Bay (one night).
Spring (April to May) and autumn (October to early November) are the best times in Korea. In Vietnam, Hoi An is driest and sunniest from February to August, with heavy rain possible from October to December, while Hanoi and Halong Bay are most pleasant from October to April. March to May is a good compromise for both countries.
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 multi-country private tours · Japan and Vietnam: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hoi An in 13 Days · Yunnan to Northern Vietnam Overland: Kunming, Lijiang, Sapa and Halong Bay in 14 Days
Photos: Frank Schulenburg, 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; 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; Steffen Schmitz (more photos), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Korea and Vietnam: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay in 12 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 a gentle evening walk along Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs below street level through the city center and is lit up after dark. Your guide will go over the plan for both countries and help you set up a transport card for the subway.
Overnight: Seoul
Visit Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, and watch the changing of the guard at Gwanghwamun gate. Explore the throne hall and the National Folk Museum. Many visitors rent a hanbok, the traditional dress, for the day. Walk up into Bukchon Hanok Village, a hillside of tiled houses and narrow lanes, then wander the tea houses, galleries and craft shops of Insadong.
Overnight: Seoul · Meals: B, L
Visit Changdeokgung Palace and join the guided walk through its Secret Garden, a UNESCO-listed royal retreat of ponds, pavilions and old trees. Next, see Jongmyo, the shrine of the Joseon kings. Have lunch at Gwangjang Market, famous for mung bean pancakes and hand-cut noodles. In the late afternoon, ride the cable car up Namsan to N Seoul Tower and watch the city lights come on below.
Overnight: Seoul · Meals: B, L
Take the KTX high-speed train south to Gyeongju, about two hours, where your guide meets you at the station. Walk through Daereungwon, a park of grassy royal burial mounds, and step inside Cheonmachong tomb. Visit Cheomseongdae, one of the oldest surviving astronomical observatories in Asia, and the Gyeongju National Museum. In the evening, see Donggung Palace and its pavilions reflected in Wolji Pond under soft lights.
Overnight: Gyeongju · Meals: B
Visit Bulguksa, an 8th-century temple of stone terraces, wooden halls and two famous pagodas, listed by UNESCO. Continue up the mountain to Seokguram Grotto, where a granite Buddha has gazed toward the sea for more than 1,200 years. After lunch, drive about an hour to Busan and check in to your hotel near Haeundae Beach. In the evening, walk the beachfront and try fresh grilled seafood.
Overnight: Busan · Meals: B, L
Visit Haedong Yonggungsa, a Buddhist temple perched on rocks right above the waves. Then head across the city to Gamcheon Culture Village, a hillside neighborhood of pastel houses, murals and small cafes. Have lunch at Jagalchi Fish Market, choosing seafood downstairs to be cooked upstairs. In the afternoon, walk the coastal trail of Dongbaek Island with views of the Gwangan Bridge. The evening is free.
Overnight: Busan · Meals: B, L
Transfer to Gimhae International Airport for your direct flight to Da Nang, about four and a half hours. Your Vietnamese guide and driver meet you on arrival and take you 45 minutes south to Hoi An, along the coast past the Marble Mountains. Check in to your hotel by the river or near the beach. Spend the evening at leisure, perhaps with a first dish of cao lau, Hoi An's local noodles.
Overnight: Hoi An · Meals: B
Explore Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on foot with your guide. Cross the Japanese Covered Bridge, built in the early 17th century, and visit Chinese assembly halls, old merchant houses and the riverside market. Spend the afternoon at your hotel or with one of the town's skilled tailors. In the evening, as silk lanterns light the streets, take a small boat on the Thu Bon River and release a candle lantern.
Overnight: Hoi An · Meals: B, L
Cycle along quiet paths through rice fields to Tra Que, a village where families grow herbs and vegetables in neat raised beds, and learn how they farm with seaweed from the river. Continue to the Cam Thanh water coconut forest for a ride in a round basket boat with a local boatman. Return to your hotel for a free afternoon at the pool or on An Bang beach, and dinner in town.
Overnight: Hoi An · Meals: B, L
Transfer to Da Nang airport for the flight to Hanoi, about 80 minutes. Your Hanoi guide meets you and takes you to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070, and to Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple. Then explore the Old Quarter on foot or by cyclo, its narrow streets once each devoted to a single trade. In the evening, join your guide for a street food walk.
Overnight: Hanoi · Meals: B
Drive about two and a half hours to Halong Bay and board your cruise boat around midday. Lunch is served as you sail out among the thousands of limestone islands rising from the water. In the afternoon, explore a cave or paddle a kayak through a quiet lagoon, and swim from a small beach when it is warm. Watch the sunset from the deck, then enjoy dinner on board as the boat anchors for the night.
Overnight: Halong Bay · Meals: B, L, D
Rise early for tai chi on deck and the quiet morning light over the islands. After breakfast, visit one more cave or bay area before returning to the harbor, with brunch served on board. Your driver then takes you directly to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, about two and a half hours, for an evening flight home. We recommend booking a flight departing after 6 pm.
Meals: B, L
There are direct flights from Busan to Da Nang of about four and a half hours, and from Seoul to Da Nang and Hanoi. We help you pick a flight that fits the itinerary; the ticket is quoted separately.
Yes. Reversing the route works well, for example to catch the autumn colors in Korea at the end of an October trip.
Yes. Walking is moderate, a private car meets you everywhere outside central Seoul, and the Vietnam half is especially relaxed, with a beach afternoon in Hoi An.
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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