South Korea

Upon arrival at Seoul Incheon airport, you’ll be met with a transfer to our centrally located hotel, in a quaint part of town. You’ll be able to store  your bags at the hotel if it’s not yet check-in time, and take a nice walk  along tree-lined Insa-dong Street with its interesting shops, art galleries, and cafes. Our welcome dinner will be at one of Seoul’s incredible  vegan restaurants, the nature-inspired Forest Kitchen. 

On our first full day, we’ll visit Gyeongbok Palace, built in 1935. Its immensity will amaze you, and you’ll be charmed by the students who don Korea’s traditional dress while visiting. In the same complex, the National Folk Museum showcases Korean traditional daily life, a year in Korea, and Korean life passages, as well as special exhibits. After lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant serving temple food, we’ll visit a lovely Buddhist bookstore and shop, and the colorfully chrysanthemum-decked Jogyesa Temple. In the late afternoon you’ll have some more time to wander around Insa-dong before dinner.

Meals Included
Day 1: Dinner
Day 2: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 affords us some time spent outside in Seoul. We’ll walk along Cheonggyecheon Stream, a nearly 7 mile long urban renewal project turned modern public recreation space enjoyed by both locals and visitors. We’ll walk to Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a state-of-the-art urban development landmark and cultural space featuring a rooftop park and futuristic exhibits and shops. Next we’ll see the by-appointment-only Korea Furniture Museum, spread across 10 traditional houses and displaying 2500 pieces of historic wooden furniture in a bucolic setting.

Day 4 will be a half day visit to Jingwansa temple, lying on a hillside in a beautiful national park outside of Seoul. Possible activities include a guided tour, walking meditation, and a tea ceremony. We’ll enjoy a gorgeously laid simple buffet of multi-course temple food, make with the freshest produce imaginable. After listening and learning from a Buddhist nun, you will depart with a feeling of absolute peace. We’ll then walk downhill to Eunpyeong Hanok Village, a planned community of traditional Korean homes, and providing wonderful photo opportunities among its quiet walking paths.

Meals Included
Day 3: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 4: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

On Day 5, we’ll start with a walk on Seoullo 7017, an old highway overpass that’s now been turned into a beautiful sky garden above busy city streets. The garden is home to 24,000 seasonal flowers and plants, plus cool lighting at night. We will walk to Namdaemum Market, the largest traditional market in the city selling everything you can imagine since 1414! We’ll also check out what’s happening at Culture Station Seoul 284, an historic train station now turned into a cultural center with changing exhibits. After lunch we will walk on a portion of Seoul’s fortress wall, whose history dates back to 1396. Before dinner we will have a moonlit boat cruise on Seoul’s Han River, while viewing the spectacular display of Banpo Bridge River Fountain, the longest bridge fountain in the world.

On Day 6 we will experience the DMZ (Korean Demilitarized Zone), the border barrier and buffer zone that has been dividing the Korean peninsula since 1953. This is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world and offers many interesting exhibits in this somber area. No other country in the world has such a remarkable historical division and simultaneous desire for peace. If you’re game and not claustrophobic, you’ll have the chance to walk in the footsteps of soldiers through the Third Infiltration Tunnel. We will visit spiritual places of mourning, the Bridge of Freedom, exhibits about life during the Korean War, and, if the weather is clear, a chance to glimpse across the border inside North Korea.

Meals Included
Day 5: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 6: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 7 will be an arts and culture day.  We’ll begin by visiting the National Museum of Korea, which has not only stunning exhibits on Korean history and culture, but it house in a sleek modern building. We’ll then tour the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, showcasing both traditional and contemporary art. Next up we’ll be mostly outdoors at the Mapo Oil Tank Culture Park, a former oil storage zone now turned into a park and art center.

On Day 8 we’ll take the high speed train (a very cool experience in itself) to Busan, Kore’s second largest city and lying on the coast. After lunch we’ll visit the gorgeous seaside Haedongyonggungsa Temple. At night we’ll have a private sunset cruise on a catamaran. Watching the sun go down with skyscrapers and bridges lit up in the background is a special experience.

Meals Included
Day 7: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 8: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

On Day 9, we’ll enjoy some fun outdoor activities in Busan. First up will be the Busan Air Cruise, a mile-long cable car ride over the sea where you can see spectacular views over Songo Beach, Namhang Bridge, and the craggy cliffs along the coastline. Next we’ll visit Gamcheon Culture Village, one of the most colorful places you will ever see. 

Day 10 takes us via high speed train roundtrip to Gyeongju and its national historical park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was the capital of the Silla dynasty, which rules the Korean peninsula for almost 1000 years. Its temples and palaces were built between the 7th and 10th centuries. We will visit Bulguksa Temple, the gorgeous Anapji Pond and Woljeonggyo Bridge, as well as see ancient burial mounds.

On Day 11 our tour will end after breakfast.

Meals Included
Day 9: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 10: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 11: Breakfast