Essential Korea
Duration
6 Days
Physical rate
Moderate
Start city
Seoul
Available
April 2026 / March 2027
Cities to visit: Seoul; Busan; Seokguram; Bulguksa; Gyeongju; Daegu; Andong; Hahoe
Detailed day by day description
Introduction
Dear Traveler: thank you for choosing us to perform this Tour! We hope you enjoy your trip.
Here we give you a guidance on their tour with the information that we believe may be of your interest. The information is indicative, may exist variations on designated hours.
TRANSFER from the airport, if you have it included or purchasing. Our transfer will be waiting for you with a poster on behalf of Europamundo or its name to the output of the custom (after collecting your luggage)..
Remember to inform us by phone if you lost your connection flight or expected delay of their arrival, in your VOUCHER figure the phone of the transfer.
IMPORTANT: If you had additional nights upon arrival the hotel will have your reservation, but his travel guide normally will not be until the night before the start of the tour.
Day
Welcome to Korea! You’ll be transferred to your hotel and have some free time. In the afternoon, you’ll receive information about the start of your tour.
Total distance covered: 395 km (by high-speed train)
08:30 a.m. – Today we include an extensive sightseeing tour of Seoul lasting approximately five hours. We will visit Changdeokgung Palace (admission included), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a complex of palaces set within a large park. Afterwards, we will stroll through Bukchon Hanok Village, a traditional historic neighborhood of small houses. We then visit the War Memorial of Korea (admission included), an impressive war museum that illustrates the conflicts experienced in Korea throughout history, especially the Korean War, in which soldiers from many countries participated under the United Nations.
Note on Bukchon Hanok Village: Due to regulations established to protect the residential environment, we are only allowed to park in designated areas and must complete an approximate 900-meter walk to reach this historic neighborhood. For operational reasons, this visit may be replaced by Namsangol Hanok Village, also featuring traditional Korean architecture, while still guaranteeing the cultural content planned in the itinerary.
01:00 p.m. – Lunch included at a local restaurant.
02:00 p.m. – We continue to the Gangnam District, one of the city’s busiest areas, home to numerous shopping and entertainment centers. To conclude the day, we stop at Lotte World Tower, an impressive 550-meter-tall building, where you will have free time to go up the tower (admission not included) or to stroll through its park or luxury shopping areas.
04:30 p.m. – Departure to the train station to board the high-speed train (included). After approximately three hours of travel, we arrive in Busan. Arrival, transfer to the hotel, and overnight stay.
08:30 a.m. – Today we include an extensive sightseeing tour of Seoul lasting approximately five hours. We will visit Changdeokgung Palace (admission included), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a complex of palaces set within a large park. Afterwards, we will stroll through Bukchon Hanok Village, a traditional historic neighborhood of small houses. We then visit the War Memorial of Korea (admission included), an impressive war museum that illustrates the conflicts experienced in Korea throughout history, especially the Korean War, in which soldiers from many countries participated under the United Nations.
Note on Bukchon Hanok Village: Due to regulations established to protect the residential environment, we are only allowed to park in designated areas and must complete an approximate 900-meter walk to reach this historic neighborhood. For operational reasons, this visit may be replaced by Namsangol Hanok Village, also featuring traditional Korean architecture, while still guaranteeing the cultural content planned in the itinerary.
01:00 p.m. – Lunch included at a local restaurant.
02:00 p.m. – We continue to the Gangnam District, one of the city’s busiest areas, home to numerous shopping and entertainment centers. To conclude the day, we stop at Lotte World Tower, an impressive 550-meter-tall building, where you will have free time to go up the tower (admission not included) or to stroll through its park or luxury shopping areas.
04:30 p.m. – Departure to the train station to board the high-speed train (included). After approximately three hours of travel, we arrive in Busan. Arrival, transfer to the hotel, and overnight stay.
Total distance covered: 85 km
Note: We recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes for the walk to the entrance of Haedong Yonggungsa Temple and for strolling through Gamcheon Cultural Village.
08:30 a.m. – Departure from Busan.
09:15 a.m. – Arrival at Haedong Yonggungsa. Visit of this 14th-century Buddhist temple located on the coastal cliffs of Busan. Along the main access path to the temple, there is a row of stone statues representing the twelve figures of the Chinese zodiac, which, according to Eastern philosophy, are considered guardian deities.
10:15 a.m. – Departure from Haedong Yonggungsa.
11:15 a.m. – Arrival in Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea, and city tour. We will visit the United Nations Memorial Cemetery (entrance included), where people from many different countries are buried. We will then head to the largest fish market in the country, located next to Nampo Port. Lunch included at a local restaurant. Afterwards, we walk to Yongdusan Park, home to its impressive 120-meter pagoda.
02:30 p.m. – Departure to Songdo Beach, which features the country’s first maritime cable car (included, subject to weather conditions), offering spectacular views of the bay. We then continue to one of Busan’s most picturesque neighborhoods, Gamcheon Cultural Village, filled with brightly colored buildings, labyrinth-like alleyways, art galleries, pottery workshops, and charming cafés.
06:45 p.m. – Departure from Gamcheon Cultural Village. Return to Busan.
07:15 p.m. – Arrival at the hotel in Busan. Overnight stay.
Note: We recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes for the walk to the entrance of Haedong Yonggungsa Temple and for strolling through Gamcheon Cultural Village.
08:30 a.m. – Departure from Busan.
09:15 a.m. – Arrival at Haedong Yonggungsa. Visit of this 14th-century Buddhist temple located on the coastal cliffs of Busan. Along the main access path to the temple, there is a row of stone statues representing the twelve figures of the Chinese zodiac, which, according to Eastern philosophy, are considered guardian deities.
10:15 a.m. – Departure from Haedong Yonggungsa.
11:15 a.m. – Arrival in Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea, and city tour. We will visit the United Nations Memorial Cemetery (entrance included), where people from many different countries are buried. We will then head to the largest fish market in the country, located next to Nampo Port. Lunch included at a local restaurant. Afterwards, we walk to Yongdusan Park, home to its impressive 120-meter pagoda.
02:30 p.m. – Departure to Songdo Beach, which features the country’s first maritime cable car (included, subject to weather conditions), offering spectacular views of the bay. We then continue to one of Busan’s most picturesque neighborhoods, Gamcheon Cultural Village, filled with brightly colored buildings, labyrinth-like alleyways, art galleries, pottery workshops, and charming cafés.
06:45 p.m. – Departure from Gamcheon Cultural Village. Return to Busan.
07:15 p.m. – Arrival at the hotel in Busan. Overnight stay.
Total distance covered: 225 km
Scenery: We travel through beautiful forest landscapes.
08:00 a.m. – Departure from Busan.
10:00 a.m. – Arrival at Seokguram. Visit to this Buddhist Grotto (entrance included), an artificial cave carved into the rock in the 8th century and located on the slopes of Mount Tohamsan. It houses a monumental stone statue of Buddha facing the sea.
11:00 a.m. – Departure from Seokguram.
11:30 a.m. – Arrival at Bulguksa Temple (entrance included). Visit to this temple, considered one of the most beautiful in the country and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The temple houses seven National Treasures of Korea and is a masterpiece from the height of Buddhism during the ancient Silla Kingdom.
12:15 p.m. – Departure from Bulguksa Temple.
01:00 p.m. – Arrival in Gyeongju. Visit to this coastal city, the former capital of the Silla Kingdom, which lasted longer than any other dynasty in Korean history, for a total of 992 years under the rule of 56 kings. We will have the opportunity to photograph the beautiful wooden Woljeonggyo Bridge along the Namcheon River. Lunch included. We then continue to the Tumuli Park, where the tombs of the kings of the ancient Silla Kingdom, more than 1,500 years old, are located. We will visit one of these tombs (entrance included). Walking, we will reach Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory, the oldest in East Asia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
04:00 p.m. – Departure from Gyeongju.
05:30 p.m. – Arrival in Daegu, the fourth-largest city in Korea. Before heading to the hotel, we will visit Dongsan Cheongna Hill, a historic site where Christian missionaries once lived, and Dongseong-ro Shopping Street, the city’s liveliest area, with fashion shops, cafés, and restaurants, as well as the Yangnyeongsi Museum of Traditional Medicine (entrance included), famous for its history of medicinal herbs in Eastern medicine.
08:00 p.m. – Approximate arrival at the hotel and overnight stay.
Scenery: We travel through beautiful forest landscapes.
08:00 a.m. – Departure from Busan.
10:00 a.m. – Arrival at Seokguram. Visit to this Buddhist Grotto (entrance included), an artificial cave carved into the rock in the 8th century and located on the slopes of Mount Tohamsan. It houses a monumental stone statue of Buddha facing the sea.
11:00 a.m. – Departure from Seokguram.
11:30 a.m. – Arrival at Bulguksa Temple (entrance included). Visit to this temple, considered one of the most beautiful in the country and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The temple houses seven National Treasures of Korea and is a masterpiece from the height of Buddhism during the ancient Silla Kingdom.
12:15 p.m. – Departure from Bulguksa Temple.
01:00 p.m. – Arrival in Gyeongju. Visit to this coastal city, the former capital of the Silla Kingdom, which lasted longer than any other dynasty in Korean history, for a total of 992 years under the rule of 56 kings. We will have the opportunity to photograph the beautiful wooden Woljeonggyo Bridge along the Namcheon River. Lunch included. We then continue to the Tumuli Park, where the tombs of the kings of the ancient Silla Kingdom, more than 1,500 years old, are located. We will visit one of these tombs (entrance included). Walking, we will reach Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory, the oldest in East Asia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
04:00 p.m. – Departure from Gyeongju.
05:30 p.m. – Arrival in Daegu, the fourth-largest city in Korea. Before heading to the hotel, we will visit Dongsan Cheongna Hill, a historic site where Christian missionaries once lived, and Dongseong-ro Shopping Street, the city’s liveliest area, with fashion shops, cafés, and restaurants, as well as the Yangnyeongsi Museum of Traditional Medicine (entrance included), famous for its history of medicinal herbs in Eastern medicine.
08:00 p.m. – Approximate arrival at the hotel and overnight stay.
Total distance covered: 287 km
Scenery: We travel through beautiful forests, valleys, and fields of rice and ginseng.
08:00 a.m. – Departure from Daegu.
09:30 a.m. – Arrival in Andong. We will visit the traditional village of Hahoe Village (admission included), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located on the outskirts of the city. Free time to stroll through the streets of this rural village that seems frozen in time. We will also visit the excellent World Mask Museum, featuring masks used for dances, medical practices, religious ceremonies, and theatrical performances. Lunch included at a local restaurant.
01:30 p.m. – Departure from Hahoe Village (Andong).
01:45 p.m. – Arrival at Byeongsan Seowon, a Confucian academy founded in the 16th century. We visit this site, located beside a river in an idyllic setting full of peace and tranquility.
02:30 p.m. – Departure from Byeongsan Seowon.
06:30 p.m. – Arrival in Seoul in the late afternoon. Overnight stay.
Note: The order of visits may be modified without affecting the planned content of the itinerary.
Scenery: We travel through beautiful forests, valleys, and fields of rice and ginseng.
08:00 a.m. – Departure from Daegu.
09:30 a.m. – Arrival in Andong. We will visit the traditional village of Hahoe Village (admission included), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located on the outskirts of the city. Free time to stroll through the streets of this rural village that seems frozen in time. We will also visit the excellent World Mask Museum, featuring masks used for dances, medical practices, religious ceremonies, and theatrical performances. Lunch included at a local restaurant.
01:30 p.m. – Departure from Hahoe Village (Andong).
01:45 p.m. – Arrival at Byeongsan Seowon, a Confucian academy founded in the 16th century. We visit this site, located beside a river in an idyllic setting full of peace and tranquility.
02:30 p.m. – Departure from Byeongsan Seowon.
06:30 p.m. – Arrival in Seoul in the late afternoon. Overnight stay.
Note: The order of visits may be modified without affecting the planned content of the itinerary.
After breakfast, our journey will come to an end, leaving you with wonderful lasting memories.