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Seoul / Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon / Korean Folk Village / DMZ & 3rd Tunnel / Mt. Seoraksan / Unification Observatory / Daejin Harbor / Andong / Hahoe Village / Haeinsa Temple / Gyeongju / Busan / Jejudo Island / Mt. Hallasan / Jejudo Island |
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16 Days / 15 Nights |
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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. Accommodations at Hotel.
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.
Accommodations at Hotel.
Day 3 ¡ª Seoul / Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon / Korean Folk Village / Seoul
This morning travel 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. Enjoy tour of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon-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 was designated as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1997. Afterwards visit the 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. Accommodations at Hotel.
Day 4 ¡ª Seoul / DMZ & 3rd Tunnel / Seoul
Today tour includes 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. Return to Seoul. Overnight in Seoul. Accommodations at Hotel. Day 5 ¡ª Seoul / Mt. Seoraksan
This morning we journey to Mt. Seoraksan National Park, this northern stretch of Korea's eastern coast, which is rugged and mountainous with breathtaking scenery making it the "Alps of Asia". This afternoon we visit Sinheungsa Temple-set at the foot of the mountain, established in 653 A.D., claims to be the country's oldest Zen Buddhist temple, and it would be the oldest existing Zen temple in the world. Proceed to HeundeulBawi (Tottering Rock) by hiking. The rock is famous as it can be rocked to and fro by just one person. In fact, it is surprising it has not been completely rocked off its base by now since half the population of Korea must have had a go. Overnight in the mountain village. Accommodations at Yeogwan.
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Day 6 ¡ª Mt. Seoraksan (1,708m) - 10 hours Trekking |
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A full-day hiking of Mt. Seoraksan. You will admiringly explore breathtaking scenery of valleys, awesome sawtooth cliffs spiraling into the blue skies, and dense forests bordering crystal clear streams which tumble over cataracts and drop from precipices to form fleecy waterfalls. Encompassing 355 sq km, Mt. Seoraksan National Park is the second largest park, and contains Daecheongbong (1,708 m), the highest peak. In 1982, UNESCO designated this zone to be strictly preserved for its unique botanical features. |
These thickly forested hillsides sustain over 800 varieties of plants and about 500 kinds of animals. The animals are mostly small mammals and birds, although there have been recent unconfirmed reports of tigers and bears deep in the park's trail-less valleys. There may be bears, but the existence of tigers seems highly unlikely, as most experts agree they were driven from this area 5 or 6 decades age. Lunch is on your own (You can prepare a carrying lunch such as sandwich, etc. at bakery in advance). Overnight in the mountain village. Accommodations at Yeogwan. |
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Day 7 ¡ª Mt. Seoraksan / Andong
This morning travel to Andong, one of the last living vestiges of old Korea, where still is very conservative and traditional, a stronghold of Confucianism, which has deeply influenced all aspects of the lives of its people, along the crystal east coast£»Buseoksa Temple-established in 676, it is one of Korea's most venerated temples, and five national treasures and three treasures including the second oldest wooden structure and some of the oldest mural paintings in the country, are preserved at this temple, and the panoramic mountains' spreading views from the temple are spectacular. Overnight in Andong. Accommodations at Yeogwan.
Day 8 ¡ª Andong / Hahoe Village / Haeinsa Temple
A morning tour visits Dosanseowon Confucian Academy-founded by Korea's foremost Confucian scholar, Yi Toe-gye during the Joseon Dynasty and was the hub of Korea Confucianism which ruled all Koreans in their ethical-moral way and still conduct the ethical behavior in Korean society£»Andong Folk Museum which displays rich folk artifacts collected in variety in Andong and its surrounding county£»and Hahoe Village-the best preserved traditional village of the Joseon Dynasty, where residents still live in traditional thatched and tile-roofed houses and one of the few remaining examples of a classical Joseon Dynasty Confucian village layout. Continue to Haeinsa Temple which is one of three greatest temples of Korea, established in 803 A.D., chiefly known today as the repository of the Tripitaka Koreana, set of over 80,000 wooden printing blocks engraved with one of the most comprehensive compilations of the Buddhist scriptures in all of Asia, and the Depositories and the Tripitaka Koreana Wooden Printing Blocks were added to UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List in 1995. Overnight in the temple village. Accommodations at Yeogwan.
Day 9 ¡ª Haeinsa Temple / Gyeongju
This morning visit Haeinsa Temple, then travel 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". An afternoon tour includes Bunhwangsa Pagoda-erected in 634, is the oldest datable pagoda in the country, and along with Cheomseongdae, one of the country's oldest stone structures, and 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. Accommodations at Yeogwan.
Day 10 ¡ª Gyeongju / Busan
A morning tour 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 Silla religio-artistic work, was added to UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List in 1995. Continue to Busan, 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. The balance of the day is at leisure or for independent activities for shopping, etc. Overnight in Busan. Accommodations at Yeogwan.
Day 11 ¡ª Busan
A full-day tour visits 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 Busan Municipal Museum-has a decent collection of artifacts, most from the Busan area. Overnight in Busan.
Accommodations at Yeogwan.
Day 12 ¡ª Busan / Jejudo Island
This morning fly to Jejudo Island, Korea's largest Island which is often described as "Emerald Isle", "Island of Gods" or "Korea's Hawaii" and most "exotic" region, and is one of Korea's premier tourist regions as undiscovered and unspoiled tourist destinations, and has been a Korean honeymooners' retreat, a paradise where love can bloom in planned seclusion amidst the serenity of its easygoing ambiance. An afternoon tour of Jeju city, capital and hub of Jejudo Province, includes Mokseokwon-a public park which contains naturally sculpted rocks and dried tree roots imaginatively representing various animal and human forms and figures£»the Jeju Folklore & Natural History Museum-has a huge exhibition room decorated with black volcanic rocks and a large collection of folkcrafts, as well as exhibits of geology, flora and fauna of the island£»Samseonghyeol Holes (Ancestral Spirit Holes)-the shrine to the island's 3 legendary clan progenitors, emerged from the three small holes in this meadow, and annually grand worship ceremony is given by the islanders£»and Yongduam (Dragon Head Rock)-an unusual lava formation set at the edge of the ocean, gets its name from the fact that it looks like a dragon head which is opening its mouth to roar. The balance of the day and evening is at leisure. Overnight in Jeju city. Accommodations at Yeogwan. Day 13 ¡ª Jejudo Island
A full-day tour includes Mt. Hallasan-which is the highest peak in the Republic rising to 1,950 m above sea level and this mountain is the island of Jejudo-crossing over 1,100 m pass£»Cheonjiyeon Waterfall-cascades down a cliff 22 meters high and 12 meters wide into a natural tropical pond inhabited by eels and surrounded by lush vegetation, and many fossils can be found around the falls£»Cheonjeyeon Waterfall-got its name from a legend that seven fairies descended every night to bathe in the falls by the moonlight and is a gorge that contains a series of 3 falls and pools£»Yeomiji Botanical Gardens-located at the heart of Jungmun Resorts and it is the largest botanical garden in Asia with an area of 13,373§³, and the indoor garden contains over 2,000 different sub-tropical and tropical plants and there is a 38-meter-high observation tower overlooking the whole Jungmun Tourist Complex and its surrounding seashore, and an outdoor garden where are areas devoted to the styles of other countries such as traditional Japanese, Italian, and French gardens as well as traditional Korean garden£»Jeongbang Waterfall-this 23-meter-high waterfall is the only one in Asia to plunge straight into the sea, and on the beautiful beaches around the falls, visitors can watch the women divers collecting shellfish and abalone£»Jusangjeolli - stone pillars piled up along the coast and is a designated cultural monument of Jejudo Island. The Jusangjeolli was formed when the lava from Mt.Hallasan flew to the sea of Jungmun. They are rock pillars shaped like cubes or hexagons of various sizes. The administration of the district named them 'Jisatgae Rocks' from their old name 'Jisatgae'.It is also famous for its 20m cliff with the high tides and sea angling£»Seongeup Folk Village-the only non-coastal town of significance, is the island's best preserved old community and has been designated as a "folklore preservation zone", where the villagers still live behind the stone courtyard walls in thatched-roof, and mud and rock homes£»Sangumburi Crater-it is 438 meters above sea level and is located in an elegant wilderness, the circumference measures 2 km and the center area is about 298,000§³ in which grows at least 420 species of sub-tropical, temperate and alpine zone plants providing ample opportunity for botanical study£»Seongsan Ilchulbong (Seongsan's Sunrise Peak)-rising from the double-headed peninsula at the eastern end of the island, this volcanic crater rises 182 m straight up from the water, and the whole crater is surrounded by 99 sharp, basalt pinnacles which looks like an ancient western-style castle or crown from a distance and reflects marvelous scenery£»Manjanggul Cave-at 13.4 km in length, this cave is reputed to be the world's longest lava tube, and has many interesting and grotesque-shaped lava stones and lava pillars along its length. Drive back to Jeju city. Overnight in Jeju city. Accommodations at Yeogwan.
Day 14 ¡ª Mt. Hallasan (1,950m) - 10 hours Trekking
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A full-day hiking of Mt. Hallasan. Mt. Hallasan National Park stands tall in the middle of Jejudo Island. This mountain is the island of Jejudo. Mt. Hallasan is one of the 3 main mountains of Korean peninsular. Mt. Hallasan, standing 1,950m above sea level as the highest mountain in South Korea, is a dormant volcano with a lake crater at its summit. Every season at Mt. Hallasan presents a different and spectacular view, but it is most renowned for its springtime beauty, when the azaleas are in full bloom.Mt. Hallasan is located in the southernmost part of Korea, on Jejudo Island. Clouds ring the summit, and snow covers its peaks during winter, bringing to mind a snowy kingdom. The first glimpse of a beautiful scarlet sun rising in the east can be caught from here, and the blazing sunsets are likewise spectacular. A crater tops the mountain.The crater is ¡°lake¡±, Bangnokdam (White Deer Lake), expands when the rains fall, and disappears during the drier autumn and winter. Folklore had it that benevolent wizards existed on the mountain, and that they entertained themselves at the lake crater while riding on white deer. That is why the lake is called ¡°Baengnokdam¡± (White Deer Lake). Running along the south central coast of the island is a semi-tropical |
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climatic zone. From its warm climate to the cold climate areas, Mt. Hallasan is famous for its vertical ecosystem of plants. 1,800 kinds of plants and 4,000 species of animals (3,300 species of insects) inhabit here, and due to the well-developed climbing course, you can carefully observe the surroundings. Mt. Hallasan is a short climbing course. Less than 10km in length, it is possible to reach the peak a nd come back down in one day. But the weather conditions often change and there is a lot of wind, so you must be well prepared before going up the mountain. Lunch is on your own (You can prepare a carrying lunch such as sandwich, etc. at bakery in advance). Overnight in Jeju city. Accommodations at Yeogwan.
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Day 15 ¡ª Jejudo Island
Relaxation all day long. You may have relaxation at natural beaches. Overnight in Jeju city. Accommodations at Yeogwan.
Day 16 ¡ª Jejudo Island / Depart Korea
Transfer to Jeju Domestic Airport and fly to Seoul (Gimpo), then connect with international flight at Incheon International Airport for departure.
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