10 Day South Korea And Jeju Island
This tour is fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader who will accompany you throughout the tour. If your tour includes multiple countries, you will be met by a new tour leader in each country and any internal flights included will be unescorted.
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
✓ Incredible sightseeing including numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, visiting the DMZ on the border of North Korea, and exploring the beautiful Jeju Island
✓ 9 nights in deluxe 4 and 5-star accommodation
✓ Airport transfers included on the first and last day of your tour
✓ Breakfast daily
✓ All internal flights
✓ Arrival and departure airport transfers
✓ Fully escorted by a professional English-speaking tour guide
✓ Comfortable, dedicated transportation throughout
✓ In-depth sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary
✈ Needing international airfares to accompany your Inspiring Vacation? You will be able to access our flight portal after securing your package to add international airfares to your booking.
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Welcome to Seoul. On arrival into Incheon International Airport, you will be met by your local representative and transferred to your Seoul accommodation.
Spend the remainder of the day at your leisure.
Arrival airport transfers are included as part of your package. You will be met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.
Please note: if you are arriving early and have made your own arrangements prior to your tour commencing, airport transfers will not be included. However, if you are purchasing pre-nights accommodation as part of your Inspiring Vacations package, airport transfers will still be provided to the starting hotel.
After breakfast, you will be met and taken on a sightseeing tour of Seoul.
You will have time to explore Gyeongbokgung Palace where you will be able to view the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony. From here we will head to the National Folk Museum, which holds an immense collection of valuable relics from as far back as the Paleolithic Age to early in the 20th century. The museum has approximately 310,000 viewable items.
Afterwards, continue onto Korean Folk Village. Here you will see elements of Korea’s traditional life and culture on display. Within the park, there are sections devoted to replicas of traditional houses, workshops, traditional cuisine and clothing displays.
Return to Seoul this afternoon and have the evening at your leisure.
At approximately 8am, you will travel north towards the Demilitarized zone on the border of North and South Korea (please bring your passport). Whilst here, you will be under strict guiding as you explore Imjingak Park, Bridge of Freedom prior to heading into the DMZ theatre and exhibition hall.
After your time at the DMZ, return back to Seoul in time for your included flight to Jeju Island.
On arrival into Jeju, you will be transferred to your accommodation when the rest of the day is as you please.
Today will include a full day of touring around Jeju. Visited sites will include Hyeopjae Beach, Hallim Park where you can enjoy Palm Tree Roda, Juke Stone and Bonsai Garden, Water Garden, Subtropical Garden and others.
You will also visit O’sulloc Tea Museum, opened to create and spread awareness of Korean teas to the world.
After lunch, embark on the Sanbang Mountain Cruise before viewing Cheonjeyeon Falls, named ‘The Pond of God’ which consists of three sections.
From here, return to your hotel for some personal time.
Today, experience what it was like to be part of Korean royalty as you enjoy a horse-riding activity at Seongeup Folk Village, where the culture of Jeju Island is on display.
After lunch, visit Haenyeo Museum where there is an exhibition detailing the history and expertise of Haenyeo female divers. Their livelihood consists of harvesting a variety of sea life from the ocean floor, including seaweed, mollusks and crustaceans.
From here, continue onto Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak which rises 180 metres above sea level due to an underwater magma flow, over 5,000 years ago, creating a separate island. Over the years, build up of sand and soil has created a land-bridge to the main island.
Next, visit Manjanggul, a stunning cave system that holds great value for science and conservation studies. Despite being formed over one hundred thousand years ago, the cave still maintains well-preserved formations.
In the evening, transfer to Jeju Airport in time for your flight to Busan.
Upon arrival at Busan Airport, transfer to your hotel and enjoy free time.
After breakfast, embark on a sightseeing tour of Busan.
Your first stop is the famous Haeundae Beach, known for its beautiful white sand and picturesque coastline. Spend some time soaking up the sun and taking in the scenery.
Next, you'll head to Yonggungsa Temple, a stunning temple located on the coast of northeastern Busan. Access the temple via Dalmaji-gil Road, a scenic route offering views of the blue ocean, white sandy beach, and beautiful Camellia and pine forests. This route is renowned as one of Busan's eight scenic sites.
Continue your tour at Gamcheon Culture Village, an area known for its distinctive houses built in a stair-like fashion on the foothills of a coastal mountain. The village is nicknamed the "Machu Picchu of Busan" due to its unique architecture and stunning views.
Then, visit Jagalchi Fishery Market, Korea's largest seafood market, and experience the vibrant energy of the traditional market. After your Busan tour, transfer to Gyeongju (1.5hrs by car).
In Gyeongju, your first stop will be the Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, a secondary palace used by the crown prince of the Silla Kingdom. Enjoy a night tour of the palace, and witness the beauty of the reflection of Imhaejeon in Wolji during the night.
Meet your guide for a full day tour in Gyeongju, known as the "museum without walls". Gyeongju was the capital of the Shilla Dynasty from 57 BC and remained so for about 1000 years, resulting in a vast amount of significant historical heritage.
Your first stop is the Gyeongju National Museum, which houses an impressive collection of artifacts and relics from the Shilla Dynasty. Next, visit the Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory, one of the world's oldest astronomical observatories, built during the 7th century.
Then, visit the Seokguram Grotto, a UNESCO World Heritage site and an artificial stone temple made of granite. It is located on the eastern peak of Mt. Toham and houses the Bonjon Statue, Bodhi-Sattava, and his disciples.
Finally, visit Bulguksa Temple, another UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most famous temples in Korea. The temple's beauty and artistic touch of the stone relics are highly praised by visitors from all over the world.
After your tour, transfer to Daegu city for overnight, the largest and central city of the province.
Departing the hotel, you will be transferred to Haeinsa Temple, located in Gayasan National Park. The temple was founded by King Ae-Jang of the Shilla Dynasty in 802 and is well known for its famous treasure, the "Tripitaka Koreana" (UNESCO world heritage). The Tripitaka Koreana is composed of 81,341 printing woodblocks made to repulse the Mongolian Army Invasion with support of Buddha.
After visiting the temple, you will transfer to Andong Hahoe Village, which has preserved the housing architecture and the village structure of the Joseon Dynasty. Unlike other traditional villages, the Hahoe Village is still inhabited by residents, making it an authentic and unique experience. The village has become world-famous for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain several years ago.
Finally, you will transfer to Pyeongchang in Gangwon Province, which hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics and is a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts. Every winter, millions of tourists come to enjoy the snow-covered hills and slopes.
After breakfast, meet your guide and drive to Seoraksan National Park. This park is known for its breathtaking views, where the peaks break through the clouds and jade-like water flows through the valleys. UNESCO designated this park as a Biosphere Preservation District due to the presence of rare species found here. Visit Sinheungsa Temple, an ancient temple built by the great monk Jajangyulsa (590~658) and located in Mt.Seorak with deep historical significance. You can also opt for a Gwongeumseong Cable Car ride for USD20 per person to visit the castle ruins on the steep Dol Mountain of Seoraksan National Park area.
After your touring, continue onto Seoul for your last night on tour.
Today you will be transferred to Incheon International Airport in time for your departure flight.
Departure transfers are included as part of your package. You will be collected from your hotel at the appropriate time and transferred to the airport to meet your flight.
If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.
Secure your trip with a $99.00 deposit per person.
Once we receive your deposit, we will send you an invoice with your remaining balance and payment options.
Instalment Schedule:
This is a land only package.
This package does not include international airfares. If you would like to add airfares to your booking our flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub. The flight portal will allow you to search for all available airfares to your destination. The function works like most general flight search engines allowing you to select your preferred airline, book different cabin classes (eg. Business class) and view flight durations and transit times to your destination.
The flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub once the following criteria has been met:
Visit our Flight Hub for more information on terms and conditions, amending your flights and information on luggage allowances.
Some of our packages will include airport transfers in either one or both directions when arriving or departing from your destination. To know if transfers are included please view the ‘inclusions’ section of your selected package. If airport transfers are stated, transfers will be included as advised.
If transfers are not included, we also offer the option to book your airport transfers using our online portal. Access to this portal is available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed. Transfers are readily available and do not need to be booked until your final hotel list has been confirmed. Once you have made a transfer booking, please refer to your confirmation email for all transfer details including a local contact number for the transfer company.
If you book pre and/or post-tour accommodation on your own arrangement, and the tour includes transfers, note that these will be forfeited. The transfers are only provided in line with the tour dates and pre and/or post-tour accommodation purchased through Inspiring Vacations when available.
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return. Visas may be required for your destination. For further visa information, click here.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a”3”
3 – Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Tipping
A friendly reminder that tipping is not included in your package. While tipping is not customary, it's of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many destinations.
You may also consider tipping your tour leader and driver for outstanding service throughout your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, but we can’t guarantee your request will be available at all properties.
Single travellers
When booking this tour, solo travellers will be presented with two options:
1 - Single Supplement
By paying an additional $2,390.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price, you guarantee the privacy of your own room throughout the entire trip.
2- Shared Room with a known friend
If travelling together with a friend, you can opt to share your room with him/her and avoid paying a single supplement.
You and your friend can create a unique booking each. Creating a unique booking, gives each of you the flexibility of making different travel arrangements (such adding extra accommodation, flights, etc), make separate payments and have individual access to our Traveller’s Hub
During the purchase path, you will need to provide your friend’s booking ID (if known) or at a minimum, your friend’s full name.
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
We have partnered with nib to offer our customers competitive rates for their travel insurance. You can book Comprehensive or Essentials cover for your domestic, international or multi-trip journeys simply by clicking HERE.
Note that Inspiring Vacations cannot provide advice with regards to any insurance product.
Group Size
2-50 people
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Style
To meet the needs of various types of travelers, we choose to operate various types of tours, and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return. Visas may be required for your destination. For further visa information, click here.
Click HERE for more information on weather in South Korea
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