10 days 9 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A 10-day private South Korea tour: three nights in Seoul for the palaces and markets, two in Gyeongju for Silla tombs and Bulguksa, two in Busan by the sea and two on Jeju Island. The KTX train and a short flight link the stops.
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 | 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 | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 10 days / 9 nights · Seoul – Gyeongju – Busan – Jeju Island
This South Korea private tour gives you the country's four great faces in ten days. You begin with three nights in Seoul, where Joseon-era palaces stand among glass towers and the hanok houses of Bukchon line the hills between them. Your guide brings the city's history to life at Gyeongbokgung and the Secret Garden of Changdeokgung, and shows you its everyday side in Gwangjang Market and the alleys of Insadong.
The KTX high-speed train then takes you to Gyeongju, capital of the Silla kingdom for nearly a thousand years and often called a museum without walls. Royal burial mounds rise in the town center, and the temple of Bulguksa and the stone Buddha of Seokguram sit in the hills above. From there it is a short drive to Busan, Korea's lively second city, with its seaside temple, fish market and hillside village of painted houses.
A short flight takes you to Jeju Island for the last two days. Formed by volcanoes, Jeju has black lava coasts, waterfalls that drop into the sea, tea fields and the famous haenyeo, women who dive for shellfish without breathing equipment. It is a relaxed, scenic end to an easy and varied trip.
Easy to moderate. Expect two to four hours of walking most days, with steps at temples, at Gamcheon Village and on the 30-minute climb up Seongsan Ilchulbong. Transfers are short: the KTX train to Gyeongju takes about two hours, the drive to Busan about one hour and the flight to Jeju about one hour. Suits families with children over 10 and older travelers.
Nine nights at 4-star level: a 4-star hotel in central Seoul (three nights), a 4-star hotel or hanok-style stay in Gyeongju (two nights), a 4-star hotel near Haeundae Beach in Busan (two nights) and a 4-star resort hotel on Jeju (two nights). 5-star upgrades are available in all four places.
Spring (April to May) and autumn (late September to early November) are the best seasons, with cherry blossoms in early April and red and gold leaves from mid-October. Summer is hot and humid, with a rainy season from late June to July. Winter is cold and dry in Seoul, milder in Busan and Jeju, and quiet at the main sights. Avoid the Chuseok and Lunar New Year holidays if you prefer smaller crowds.
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 · Korea in Autumn: Seoul, Nami Island, Seoraksan, Andong, Gyeongju and Busan in 10 Days · Korean Heritage: Seoul, Suwon, Andong, Gyeongju and Busan in 8 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; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Classic Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju Island 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 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
Yes. Teens usually enjoy the palaces in hanbok, the markets, Busan's beaches and the volcanic landscapes of Jeju. Seoul also has K-pop and modern shopping areas that we can add to a free afternoon.
Many nationalities can visit visa-free, though some need to apply online for a K-ETA travel authorization before departure. We will check the current rules for your passport when you book.
They are quoted separately so we can match the times to your plans. We book the tickets for you, and your guide meets you at each station and airport.
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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