Classic Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju Island 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 check-in, take a gentle evening walk along Cheonggyecheon, a restored stream that runs through the heart of the city below street level, lit up after dark. Your guide will go over the plan for the trip and help you set up a transport card for the subway.Overnight: Seoul

Start at Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, built in 1395. Watch the changing of the guard ceremony at the main gate and visit the National Folk Museum in the palace grounds. Many visitors rent a hanbok, the traditional dress, which gives free entry to the palaces. Then walk up into Bukchon Hanok Village, where traditional tiled houses line the narrow lanes, and finish in Insadong, known for its tea houses, galleries and craft shops.Overnight: Seoul · Meals: B, L

Visit Changdeokgung Palace and join the guided walk through its Secret Garden, a wooded royal retreat of ponds and pavilions, listed by UNESCO. Next, visit Jongmyo, the solemn shrine of the Joseon kings. Have lunch at Gwangjang Market, one of Seoul's oldest, known for mung bean pancakes and bibimbap. In the late afternoon, ride the cable car up Namsan to N Seoul Tower for views over the city as the lights come on.Overnight: Seoul · Meals: B, L

Take the KTX high-speed train from Seoul to Gyeongju, about two hours. Your guide meets you at the station. Visit Daereungwon, a park of grassy royal burial mounds in the town center, and step inside Cheonmachong tomb to see how Silla kings were buried. Walk to Cheomseongdae, one of the oldest surviving astronomical observatories in Asia. In the evening, see the reconstructed pavilions of Donggung Palace reflected in Wolji Pond under their lights.Overnight: Gyeongju · Meals: B

Drive into the hills to Bulguksa, an 8th-century temple of stone stairways, wooden halls and two famous stone pagodas, listed by UNESCO. Continue up the mountain to Seokguram Grotto, where a serene granite Buddha has looked out toward the East Sea for more than 1,200 years. In the afternoon, visit the Gyeongju National Museum and Gyochon Traditional Village, home to the Choi family, whose wealth and generosity are part of local legend.Overnight: Gyeongju · Meals: B, L

Drive about an hour to Busan, stopping first at Haedong Yonggungsa, a Buddhist temple built on the rocks right above the waves, especially lovely in the morning light. Continue to Haeundae, Busan's best-known beach, and walk the coastal trail around Dongbaek Island for views of the bay and the Gwangan Bridge. Check in to your hotel near the beach. In the evening, try fresh grilled seafood or a Busan-style pork soup.Overnight: Busan · Meals: B, L

Visit Gamcheon Culture Village, a hillside neighborhood of pastel houses and narrow stairways, now full of murals, small galleries and cafes. Then head down to Jagalchi, Korea's largest fish market, where you can choose seafood downstairs and have it cooked upstairs for lunch. In the afternoon, walk the cliffside paths of Huinnyeoul Culture Village on Yeongdo, above the sea. The evening is free.Overnight: Busan · Meals: B, L

Take the short flight from Busan to Jeju, about one hour. Your Jeju guide meets you and drives east to Seongsan Ilchulbong, a volcanic tuff cone rising from the sea; the climb to the crater rim takes about 30 minutes. Visit Seongeup Folk Village, with its stone walls and thatched houses, and walk through Manjanggul, one of the longest lava tubes in the world. Then drive to your hotel on the south coast.Overnight: Jeju · Meals: B, L

Visit Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, which drops into a wooded gorge near Seogwipo, and the hexagonal lava columns of the Jusangjeolli cliffs. Learn about the haenyeo, Jeju's women divers, whose traditions are recognized by UNESCO. In the afternoon, walk among green tea fields near the O'sulloc Tea Museum and take an easy stretch of one of the Olle coastal trails. Enjoy a farewell dinner of Jeju black pork, the island's specialty.Overnight: Jeju · Meals: B, L

Enjoy a slow breakfast and some free time by the sea. Your driver takes you to Jeju airport for a domestic flight to Seoul and your international connection at Incheon, or for a direct international flight. If you have more time, it is easy to continue from Korea to Vietnam, with direct flights from Busan and Seoul to Da Nang and Hanoi.Meals: B