Adventure Travelers

Recommended: year-round, Best Months: Mar - Jun We’ve done our best to give you some of the best of Korea, but it will be up to you to decide which additional activity you want to add on – because there’s plenty to see and do in this diverse country!

 

Additionally, we’ve created this one-week itinerary to allow you more time for additional tours in the region including perhaps a visit to North Korea (pre-approved visa is a requirement so plan ahead all you adventurers!), or a visit to China (we’ll take care of those arrangements too – maybe a visit to the Great Wall, a cruise down the Yangtze, or a swing through Shanghai – all with plenty of time for shopping, of course!

 

You will be greeted at the airport and transported to your hotel upon arrival. Remainder of day is free. You will be conveniently located to restaurants, shopping, banks and ATMs and will have time in the evening for a Nanta or Jeongdong Theatre show. (No Meals)

 

Nanta is a totally energetic and fun non-verbal performance of reckless rhythms that dramatize customary Korean percussion in a most uncustomary manner. You will laugh and be amazed at the musician performers as they bang their way through preparation of a wedding banquet set in a kitchen stage. Think of it as a combination of Stomp and Blue Man Group with knives and cutting boards. This performance is sure to please people of all ages!

 

Jeongdong Theatre is representative of traditional art performance theatre of Korea. With diverse cultural surrounding facilities Jeongdong Theatre is very popular. This evening performance comes with dinner. (closed on Mondays)

 

This morning you will be picked up at your hotel for a full day tour of the city and a visit to the local landmarks. One minute you will find yourself marveling at the modern skyscrapers soaring toward the heavens, and the next minute you’ll find yourself in a traditional village featuring life in Korea before modern amenities arrived. Antique and art enthusiasts will especially like the visit to Insadong where you will be able to stroll the quaint streets in search of the perfect gift for a loved one (or yourself!). The remainder of the day is free. (B)

 

After breakfast today experience the beautiful countryside during a relaxing escorted drive to Gyeongju on the southeast coast. The capital of the Silla Kingdom for a thousand years, Gyeongju is called the “Museum Without Walls” for the wealth of history that can be found concentrated here in the city and surrounding area. In the afternoon visit the Bulguksa Temple and the Seokguram Grotto, two UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites. As one of Korea’s best-known temples, Bulguksa is a testimony to the skill of Silla architects and the depth of Buddhist faith at the time. You will be amazed at the craftsmanship that went into the carving of the granite dome of Seokguram Grotto where Buddha sits surrounded by Bodhisattvas and guardian deities as he gazes out over the forested hills and across the East Sea to the horizon. Time permitting there is also a great folk craft village nearby. Your evening is free. (B)

 

Take a fascinating stroll through Korean history this morning, starting at the centrally located National Museum where you will find the amazing 19-ton bronze bell of King Seongdeok the Great. Also referred to as the legendary Emille Belle, it is one of Asia’s largest and most resonant bells standing eleven feet high. Afterwards you will visit Cheomseongdae Observatory – Asia’s earliest known existing observatory – and Tumuli Park where you will be fascinated to find 23 of the more than 200 royal tombs in Gyeongju. In the afternoon you will enjoy a drive to the port city of Busan where you will visit Yongdusan Park and the Jagalchi Fish Market. By this time of the day the boats will all have come in and unloaded. If you are a seafood lover, stop and enjoy a fresh catch along the waterfront tonight. Your evening is free. (B)

 

Rise and Shine! After breakfast you will head for the airport for a short flight to the scenic Jeju Island. This popular spot for tourists and honeymooners has much to offer no matter what you enjoy. Upon arrival you will be whisked away to visit Yongduam Rock on the scenic coast where a natural basalt dragon’s head yawns at the sea. From here you’ll briefly visit the Jeju Folklore & History Museum before continuing on to Tamna Mok Sok Won where you will find a special garden featuring artistically shaped natural stones and dried tree roots. Your evening is free to explore this friendly and diverse island. (B)

 

Today you will have a full-day tour of Jeju Island, the southern-most province and home to Mount Hallisan the highest point in South Korea. Begin the day with a drive to the south coast where you will visit Chongjeyon waterfall and then have some time to stroll at the Joongmun resort. Later in the day you will visit the Seongeup Folk Village and Sunrise Peak. Part of Seongsanpo or “Fortress Mountain Port” Sunrise Peak is one of the 360 parasitic volcanos that dot the island. In the early morning hikers make their way up a steep slope for the most spectacular view at sunrise. (B)

 

The morning is free for you to take in one last tour, relax, or finish your shopping on the island. Tours include sea rafting, paragliding, horseback riding, fishing, scuba diving, jet skiing, and parasailing. Shoppers will want to pick up a small dolharubang or “stone grandfather”. These black lava statues of a kindly old man were once considered guardian deities, but now are favorite island symbols. In the afternoon you’ll have a flight back to Seoul and the remainder of the day free for shopping, theatre, dining, or simply strolling the lively city streets. For those wanting a different perspective of the city, watch the night light up in Seoul from a Han River Evening Cruise. (B)

 

Your day is free until time for your transfer to the airport for your flight back to the States. For anyone extending their holiday, appropriate arrangements will be made to accommodate your flights or transfers. (B)