HISTORICAL-
  CULTURAL TOURS
COMBINED KOREA-JAPAN
  TOUR, Korean Portion
SPECIAL INTEREST TOURS
COMBINED HISTORICAL-
  CULTURAL / MOUNTAIN
  TREKKING TOURS
MOUNTAIN TREKKING TOURS
JEJUDO ISLAND, MT.
  HALLASAN TREKKING(1,950m)
  - 10 hours Trekking
COMBINED HISTORICAL-
  CULTURAL /FESTIVAL TOURS
ROOTS DISCOVERY TOURS
JAPAN EXTENSION
CHINA EXTENSION
HONGKONG EXTENSION
 
   
  
 
  Seoul / Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon / Korean Folk Village / Busan / Goseong / Tongyeong Harbor / Geojedo Island / Haegeumgang-Oedo Paradise Island / Changwon / Hwaeomsa Temple-Temple Stay Program / Mt. Jirisan National Park / Boseong / Suncheon / Gyeongju / Seoul / DMZ & 3rd Tunnel
 
 
   12 Days / 11 Nights
 
  Day 1 ¡ª Arrive in Seoul
Arrive in Seoul at Incheon International Airport, where you will be met and transferred to your downtown hotel. After check-in the balance of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Seoul.

Day 2 ¡ª Seoul
A full day tour of Metropolitan city of Seoul, where old meets new in modern Korea. Established by the founder of Joseon Dynasty in 1392, the capital of the Republic of Korea has a population of more than 12,000,000 people.Seoul is a city of incredible contrasts which, despite its immense size, make it one of the most fascinating cities in the world. It is the heart of Korea¡¯s culture and education as well as politics and economics. The tour includes Gyeongbokgung
Palace (Palace of Shining Happiness) - the main palace during the Joseon Dynasty - passing by Blue House (Presidential Residence)£»National Folk Museum of Korea - the collections display complete items from every region of Korea which illustrate all aspects of traditional life£»Namdaemun (South Gate) Market-one of the oldest and largest markets in Korea, with colorful and bustling spots for bargain shoppers£»Changdeokgung Palace (Palace of illustrious Virtue) - constructed in 1405, and is now the best preserved of Seoul's five palaces of the Joseon Dynasty£»Biwon (Secret Garden) - behind Changdeokgung Palace are tranquil gardens of unequalled beauty and woodland originally constructed for the recreational area for the royal family and palace women£»Insadong Antique District - called "Mary's Alley" by foreigners, Korea's art and antique district reminds many visitors of a street museum. One hundred-odd antique shops, old bookstores, and art galleries are concentrated in this area£»Jogyesa Temple - it is the headquarters of the Jogye sect of Korean Buddhism, and the regional office of the World Fellowship of Buddhism£»and Namsangol Traditional Korean Village - these houses were rebuilt after the traditional houses of Joseon Dynasty. The houses belong to various social ranks of the society from peasant to king. Overnight in Seoul.

  Day 3 ¡ª Seoul / Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon / Korean Folk Village / Seoul
 
Drive to Suwon walled city, where was planned as capital city of Joseon Dynasty in the 18th century with the intention of moving the national capital from Seoul to Suwon and Hwaseong fortress wall was constructed.A tour of Hwaseong Fortress Wall which is over 5 km in length, the fortress wall averages 9 m high and its bulwark of stone and brick is considered the masterpiece of Korean fortress construction. The fortress wall is designated as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1997. Continue to Korean Folk Village outside of Seoul to see a superb and truly authentic display of Korean history including folk traditions,
legends, and the lifestyles of the nobility, the 14th-20th centuries, Korea. Return to Seoul. Overnight in Seoul.
 
Day 4 ¡ª Seoul / Busan
 
 

Travel to Busan where is the country's principal international port city, second largest city with a population of 4 million, and is the San Francisco of Korea built along the sea at the site of an excellent harbor. A tour of Busan includes Kukje Market - one of the oldest and largest markets in Korea, with colorful and bustling spots for bargain shoppers£»Yongdusan Park, where provides a pleasant touch of greenery on a hill in the heart of the city and a very popular public park with Busan Tower£»Busan Tower-Yongdusan Park crowned with the tower, 120-m-high tower observatory dominates the most of the area of the city, and the sea and harbor views spreading below the tower are spectacular£»Jagalchi Fish Market-Busan's most active fish-dealers' cooperative, the colorful spectacle is also a great attraction for tourists and camera buffs£»Taejongdae Seaside Cliff Park-the scenery of rugged cliffs dropping straight down to the sea is breathtaking, along with a panoramic sea view from the Park, overlooking the Korean Strait-on a very clear day you can even see the Japanese island of Tsushima on the horizon to the southeast£»and UN Memorial Cemetery where the Korean War (1950-53) dead from the sixteen UN allies rest in honored serenity and is the unique one in its kind in the world. Overnight in Busan.

 
Day 5 ¡ª Busan / Goseong / Tongyeong Harbor / Geojedo Island
 
   
This morning travel to Goseong recognized as one of the world¡¯s three-largest sites of Fossilized Dinosaur Footprints. After taking a tour of fossilized dinosaur footprints and Dinosaur Museum in Goseong, drive to Tongyeong Harbor which is centered near the islands of Hallyeo Marine National Park. It is bordered on three sides by the sea and the coast is dotted with as many as 150 islands. Tongyeong Harbor is called ¡°Napoli of Korea¡± with beautiful landscape and its exotic atmosphere. After viewing of the harbor city, visit Mt.
Nammangsan, there is a citizens¡¯ park where you can overlook Tongyeong. Right under this center is Nammangsan Outdoor Sculptural Park. Nammangsan Sculpture Park was established to display the persistent works of 15 famous sculptors from 10 countries (Japan, China, France, Israel, Venezuela, etc.) who participated in the Tongyeong International Sculpture Symposium. It is also a popular spot for dates because this 30 square kilometer land has beautiful sculptures from which you can feel the individual taste of the artists. Continue to Geojedo Island. Overnight in Geojedo Island.
 
Day 6 ¡ª Geojedo Island / Haegeumgang-Oedo Paradise Island / Changwon
 
   
Transfer to the Pier to take a boat for Haegeumgang / Oedo Paradise Island. Cruise tour of Haegeumgang - as a rock island, Haegeumgang is belongs to Hallyeo Marine National Park, which is assigned as an official green area in South Korea£»and Oedo Paradise Island - nestled in Hallyeo Marine National Park is the European-like island of Oedo. The gardens on Oedo
are the fruits of labor of one couple with a dream. With a land area stretching over 132 square kilometers, there are approximately 3,000 kinds of plants and numerous quaint houses which look as if they have been taken right out of a fairytale. No other gardens in Korea can match the splendor of the ones found here. Drive to Changwon.A tour of Changwon includes Mageumsan Spa and Water Fountain Show at Yongji Lake at 7:30 p.m in the evening. Overnight in Changwon.
 
Day 7 ¡ª Changwon / Hwaeomsa Temple-Temple Stay Program
     
Travel to Hwaeomsa Temple situated at the foot of Mt. Jirisna. A tour of Hwaeomsa Temple - Hwaeomsa Temple is one of the 10 most famous temples in Korea. It was constructed in the fifth year of King Jinheung¡¯s reign (544) during the Silla Dynasty, but was burnt down during Japanese Invasion in 1592. The temple was rebuilt during the Joseon Dynasty in 17th century. Today, the temple is Headquarters for the Hwaeom sect of Korean Buddhism
and one of the largest temple compounds in the country. Preserved here are 3 National Treasures, 4 Treasures, one Natural Mounument, and over a dozen other cultural properties. You will have Special Program for Temple Stay at Hwaeomsa Temple to experience Temple life and Buddhism as follows :Take procedures for the Temple Stay Program and orientation of the Temple Stay Program and allotment of the room. Take temple stay uniform. Arrange your baggage and personal effects to equip your rooms. You are beating ¡°BeomJong¡± the Temple Bell with a Buddhist Priest. The graceful sound of the Temple bell is spreading in all directions with long echoes. It gets rid of the desires in life and it is the sound that wakes up the mind in a dream. It is the sound of Buddha asking for spiritual awakening. You are vowing 108 times as ¡°YeBul¡± the Evening Worship. It will be your own choice, not to be obligated. The evening worship pronounces the vow that we thank Buddha for giving us the peaceful day and repenting our sins of that day.You are having ¡°ChamSeon¡± the Meditation. Meditation is a work for enlightening yourself. You sit cross-legged on the floor. You embrace spirits and take away earthly thoughts and worldly desires. Take a rest at each room of lodging quarters. Dinner at a restaurant in the Temple to experience Temple food.Overnight at lodging quarters in the Temple.
 
  Day 8 ¡ª Hwaeomsa Temple / Mt. Jirisan National Park / Boseong / Suncheon
 
Wake up and participate in morning ceremony and clean yard and room.You are taking ¡°GongYang¡± the morning meal. You come to eat in the ¡°HuWon¡± where food is prepared at the same time. The planting food grown in the Temple on the menu.The food doesn¡¯t have spices and is neither hot nor salty. It is another mysterious experience for the general people.You are taking ¡°DaDo¡± Tea. The tea makes our mind, eyes and ears clearer. It helps our stomach accelerate digestion and can cure a hangover. It also reduces the need for sleep and gets rid of thirst and fatigue. You can increase the ability to resist hit and cold. These disturbances are a big issue for self-discipline. This is the reason why monks take teas in the Temple. Drivie to Snake Valley of Mt. Jirisan National Park - Mt. Jirisan National Park is boasting breathtaking views and was the first Korean park to be designated as a national park in 1967. Its glorious mountain range extends across three provinces and five cities.The magnificent mountains and exceptional scenery make this one of the most famous mountains in Korea. Snake Valley is the most visually stimulating and
exciting valley in the park. A tour of Snake Valley and look around Mt. Jirisan. Drive to Boseong where the largest tea-growing area in Korea is. Known as the birthplace of Korea¡¯s tea industry, it accounts for around 40% of domestic tea production. After tour of the Boseong Tea Farm Land of Terrace. Continue to Suncheon. En route, visit Naganeupseong Fortress / Folk Village - Naganeupseong Folk Village is surrounded by Fortress which was constructed in 15 century during Joseon Dynasty. The Folk Village was formed in 1980s. Within the east, south and west of the fortress, about 100 families still reside, and the fortress area has been very well preserved. You can observe the daily dwellings indigenous to the south provincial area such as the kitchen area, the clay rooms, and Korean style verandas. Overnight in Suncheon.

  Day 9 ¡ª Suncheon / Gyeongju
 
This morning journey to Gyeongju where was the capital of the Silla Dynasty from 57 B.C. to 935 A.D. and designated by UNESCO as one of the world's ten most historically significant sites with numerous relics of that era, and is called the "Museum Without Walls". A tour of Gyeongju includes Bunhwangsa Pagoda - erected in 634, is considered, with Cheomsongdae, one of the country's two oldest stone structures, and the pagoda was originally 9 stories high, only 3 remain today£»Gyeongju National Museum, which has the best
collection of Silla Dynasty artifacts with more than 100,000 pieces£»Anapji Pond-constructed in 674 A.D. as a pleasure garden to commemorate the unification of the peninsula by the Silla forces, used the recreational area for the Silla royal family and banquet garden to entertain royal important guests£»Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory - built in 634 A.D., is considered the world's earliest known existing observatory and admired by archaeologists worldwide£»Royal Tumuli Park - a collection of royal Silla tombs located in the middle of Gyeongju with 20 tombs, of which Cheonmachong (Flying Horse Tomb) is the most famous with its excavation which yielded more than 10,000 treasure-artifacts£»and the 15th century built Family Choi's House. Overnight in Gyeongju.

  Day 10 ¡ª Gyeongju / Seoul
 

A morning tour of Gyeongju visits Bulguksa Temple-originally constructed in 535 A.D., the most frequented and best-known temple in Korea, was added to UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List in 1995, and Seokguram Grotto-dating back to the same era as Bulguksa Temple, one of Asia's finest Buddhist shrines, an attempt to represent physically the highest spiritual aspirations, the crowning achievement of hilla religio-artistic work, was added to UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List in 1995. Drive back to Seoul. Overnight in Seoul.

 
Day 11 ¡ª Seoul / DMZ & 3rd Tunnel / Seoul
 

Today tour includes DMZ & North Korea¡¯s 3rd Infiltration Tunnel-this is located within DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) area and is 44 km away from Seoul and found in October, 1978, and 30,000 armed military forces with field artillery may permeate through this tunnel per one hour£»Dora Observation Platform-located at a western front line and from here you can get a view of the North Korean territory including Propaganda Village, People's School and Gaeseong

city which was a capital of Goryeo Dynasty through telescope£»and Dorasan Railroad Station - recently opened in DMZ by South Korea according to the agreement between South and North Korea to connect the broken railroad. Afterwards, proceed to Imjingak-this spot located at 40 km northwest of Seoul was dedicated for 5 million people who lost home in North Korea and its major facilities include North Hall where you can get a view of lifestyle of North Korea and Exhibition Hall having old tanks and planes used for Korean War. Drive back to Seoul.Visit Namdaemun Market / Ginseng Souvenir Shop. Overnight in Seoul.

Day 12 ¡ª Seoul / Depart Korea
Transfer to Incheon International Airport for departure.