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5-day Trip to Southern Korea including Busan and Gyeongju
Explore the serene beauty of Jeollanam-do province, Busan, and Gyeongju on this 5-day tour from Seoul. Visit historical and religious sites, beautiful gardens, and national parks. Travel by KTX high-speed train for a comfortable journey. Jeollanam-do in the southwest of Korea is one of Korea's least developed and greenest provinces and is home to diverse tourist destinations. Discover Busan's dynamic attractions and its unique history during the Korean War. Explore Tongdosa Temple for a glimpse into Korean Buddhist tradition. Immerse yourself in Gyeongju's rich history as the capital of the ancient Silla kingdom. Our guides ensure an insightful experience in traditional arts and culture. Conclude your adventure with a convenient return to Seoul by KTX.
Tour description
Day 1 Seoul - Jeonju ktx station - Jeonju Hanok Village -Maisan Tapsa Temple / Overnight in Jeonju
Jeonju Hanok Village
Jeonju Hanok Village is a unique traditional village located in Jeonju, South Korea. It is home to over 700 hanok, which are traditional Korean houses that preserve the architectural beauty of the past. Unlike modern buildings, hanok are built with natural materials such as wood, clay, and stone, and are designed to harmonize with the surrounding environment.
The village is famous for its well-preserved atmosphere of the Joseon Dynasty. Visitors can experience traditional Korean culture through activities like wearing hanbok (Korean traditional clothing), making traditional crafts, trying local food, and staying overnight in a hanok guesthouse.
Jeonju is also known as the birthplace of bibimbap, one of Korea’s most iconic dishes. Food lovers can enjoy a wide range of local delicacies, including street snacks and traditional Korean cuisine.
The village is not just about old houses – it's a vibrant cultural hub where tradition meets creativity. You’ll find art galleries, tea houses, museums, and modern shops that blend beautifully with the historic atmosphere.
Maisan Tapsa Temple
Maisan, or “Horse Ear Mountain,” is a famous mountain in Jinan, Korea, named for its two peaks that look like horse ears. It offers beautiful views year-round, especially in spring and autumn.
At the base of the mountain is Tapsa Temple, known for its amazing stone pagodas. These were built by one man, Yi Gap Yong, without using any cement—just carefully stacked stones. The pagodas have stood for over 100 years and give the temple a mysterious and peaceful feeling.
It’s a great place to enjoy nature, take photos, and feel calm and inspired.
Day 2 Jeonju - Suncheon - Gurye - Busan / Overnight in Busan
Nakaneupseong Walled Town
Naganeupseong Folk Village is a well-preserved Joseon-era fortress town in Suncheon. The stone walls were built to protect the village from invasions, and many traditional thatched-roof houses still remain inside. What makes it special is that people still live here, keeping the old Korean lifestyle alive. The village has been designated as a National Historic Site No. 302, and it is often used as a filming location for Korean historical dramas due to its authentic atmosphere.
Suncheon Bay National Garden / Suncheon Bay Bird Sanctuary
Suncheon Bay National Garden
It was created when the Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo was held in 2013. It is an internationally accredited garden expo that opened for six months from April 20 to October 20, 2013.
After the fair was closed, it was permanently opened under the name Suncheon Bay Garden on April 20, 2014, and designated as the first national garden on September 5, 2015. In March 2020, it succeeded in attracting 「2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo」, and in July, the fair will be held again in 10 years. The 2023 Garden Expo utilizes not only the national garden but also the entire Suncheon city area as the site.
Suncheon Bay bird Sanctuary
Suncheonman Bay's reed field covers a total area of approximately 495,867 ㎡. The reed fields in Suncheonman Bay are thickly covered with reeds taller than a full-grown man. It is the biggest colony of reeds in Korea. The scene of the entire field swaying in the wind is like watching waves on the sea. Suncheonman Bay Wetland Reserve is a natural habitat for birds of over 140 species, including migratory and endangered bird species such as the hooded crane, white-naped crane, Oriental White Stork, black-faced spoonbill, Eurasian Oystercatcher as well as birds designated as natural treasures
Saseongam Hermitage
Saseongam Hermitage, located on Osan Mountain in Gurye, is a fine vantage point from which to admire the panoramic view of the Seomjingang River, Gurye, and the peaks of Jirisan Mountain. It forms part of a harmonious, beautiful landscape along with the rocks and peaks of Osan Mountain.It has also been called Sogeumgang (literally meaning Little Geumgang Mountain) since ancient times.’ Furthermore, Saseongam Hermitage, which is set against the steep wall of rocks around the top of Osan Mountain, is said to have been built in 544 (the 22nd year of the reign of King Seong of Baekje) by Buddhist Monk Yeongi. It was originally called Osanam but was renamed Saseongam, or the “Hermitage of Four Saints,” in honor of the four Buddhist monks, Uisang, Wonhyo, State preceptors Doseon and Jingak, who lived and practiced asceticism here.
Day 3 Busan / Overnight in Busan
Choi Min-Shik Gallery
Choi Min-Shik is the first-generation documentary photographer who photographed ordinary people with tough lives emanating from war and poverty. He aroused sympathy from the world by photographing ordinary people's tough lives and underprivileged people during the modernization of Busan with a theme 'Human'.
His black/white photos capture the moments of people in a very vivid way. Every single one of his photographs is portraits that are Koreans in Busan streets.
Amidong Tombstone Culture Village
The stairs and the walls in this village are different from what you normally see. They are all tombstones. That's why the village is called Tombstone culture village. People began living here in tents since 1951 during the Korean War. When it became more settled, the tents became too small, so people began building on top of Japanese graves. This Village is right next to Gamchon culture village. From this village, the entire city of Busan can be seen.
Gamcheon Mural village
Gamcheon was a refuge to many people fleeing to Busan during the Korean War. The creative urban regeneration project started in 2010 and the success of the project attracts 1,400,000 Korean and foreign tourists to the village annually. It's earning this village the nickname of "Machu Picchu of Busan."
Jagalchi fish market
Jagalchi fish market mainly deals with live and freshly caught seafood. Fish and shellfish are caught daily and sold fresh to consumers, almost right off the boat. The area is lined with tanks containing all sorts of fish, eels, squid, shellfish, and mollusks. Some areas have workers preparing the seafood for long term storage. You can watch as the fish get scaled, beheaded, chopped up, and dumped in a box of ice, all in record time.
Gukje market
Among one of the traditional markets in Korea, Gukje market was first formed when refugees who fled to Busan sat up stalls in order to make a living after the Korean War. There is a wide variety of goods, so you can walk around and also check some food stalls.
UN Memorial Park
The UN Memorial Cemetery is a well-administered, beautifully maintained final resting place for many Allied soldiers who died during the Korean War. If you have time during your visit to Busan, drop in for a couple of hours and walk around this solemn but magnificent place.
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is situated on the coast of the north-eastern portion of Busan. This superb attraction offers visitors the rare find of a temple along the shore line; most temples in Korea are located in the mountains.
Day 4 Busan - yangsan - Gyengju / Overnight in Busan
Haeundae Beach
Haeundae Beach is the most popular beach in South Korea, with 1 million visitors a day during the summer season. Offering various water sports activities, festivals, concerts, and parties, Haeundae Beach is a destination worth visiting for an exciting getaway!
Dongbaek Island
There is Dongbaek Island at the western end of Haeundae beach. Dongbaek is translated into Camellia which is growing in islands of southern provinces and southern coastal area of Korea blossoming around March., of which the leaves are thick and glossy maintaining dark green color through 4 seasons. There is Nurimaru APEC house, around three-story building exclusively built for the final summit meeting for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in the island.
Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan
Tongdosa temple is one of Korea's five "Palace of the Jewel of Nirvana" temples, where the relics of the Buddha substitute for a statue.
Noted for the enshrined sari from Buddha (Buddha’s relics), Tongdosa Temple is one of the most recognized temples in South Korea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage temple and is located within a distance of a day trip from Busan.
Hwangridan-gil in Gyeongju
Hwangnidan Street is the new hangout in Gyeongju that has been rising in popularity. Originally one of the many alleyways in the Hwangnam-dong area known as “Hwangnam Keungil” (Big Street in Hwangnam), the alley became a hipster hangout with restaurants, cafes, and photo studios housed in renovated hanok (traditional Korean house) buildings. It is also near UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Cheomseongdae Observatory and Cheonmachong Tomb, as well as Gyeongju Jungang Market, which offers plenty of things to eat.
Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond
Gyeongju Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond was a secondary palace used by the crown prince of the Silla Kingdom. It also served as a banquet site for important national events and important visitors. The pond was created in 674, during the reign of King Munmu. The pond features three small islands and a landscape of 12 small hills to the northeast. After the fall of Silla, the site was abandoned and forgotten. The pond was referred to as "Anapji" from the Goryeo and Joseon periods and onwards. In the 1980s, a pottery fragment with the letters “Wolji” (a pond that reflects the moon) carved onto it was found, revealing the true name of the pond. After the discovery, the site was renamed to the current Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond.
Day 5 Gyeongju - Seoul by KTX Express train
Tumuli park
Visit the Tumuli park. It has more than 20 large and small tombs from the Shilla period. The tombs are presumed to be those of kings and court officials. Most of them are earthen and mound-shaped. Some double gourd-shaped ones are for the joint burial of a husband and wife. As those excavated were all found to be stone-pilled wood-lined chamber type, most of the tombs here are presumed to be of the same type. During the excavations of chenmachong and Hwangnamchong , numerous artifacts (including a gold crown, gold girdles, gold and silver personal ornaments, horse fittings, and weapons) were uncovered.
Wolseong Place Site
This was the location of the palace-fortress during the Silla dynasty (57 BC ~ AD 935). The fortress takes after its name, which, literally translates to mean a crescent moon shape on top of a hill.
Although the magnificent grandeur of the palace is now just an empty lot, it has been told that this area was filled with imperial buildings during the Silla dynasty. Currently, the region of Wolseong has a freezer made out of rocks called Seokbinggo, an archery range, a horse-riding field, and a traditional playground, which resembles the grounds of the Joseon Period (the dynasty that ruled the Korean peninsula from 1392-1910).
Bulguksa Temple
Declared a World Cultural Asset by UNESCO, the temple holds many national treasures that it accumulated throughout its long history. Bulguksa Temple, or the Temple of Buddha’s Kingdom, has so many meanings in every structure and every arrangement. According to the Buddhist point of view, each section of the temple represents the world of enlightenment; Daewoongjeon represents the World of Enlightenment where the Sakyamuni Buddha dwells, the Geukrakjeon area represents the Land of Happiness, and the Birojeon area the World of Lotus Sanctuary where the Vairocana Buddha dwells.
Seokguram Grotto
Established in the 8th century on the slopes of Mount Toham, the Seokguram Grotto contains a monumental statue of the Buddha looking at the sea in the bhumisparsha mudra position. Inside the round-shaped main hall are the Bonjon Statue, Bodhi-sattva, and his disciples. The Bonjon figure wearing a generous smile is seated on the stage engraved with a lotus flower design. As the sunrise from this spot is quite beautiful, many people climb the mountain at daybreak. With the surrounding portrayals of gods, Bodhisattvas and disciples, all realistically and delicately sculpted in high and low relief, it is considered a masterpiece of Buddhist art in the Far East. The Temple of Bulguksa (built in 774) and the Seokguram Grotto form a religious architectural complex of exceptional significance.
Tour itinerary
Day 1 Seoul - Jeonju
* Jeonju Hanok Village
* Mausan Tapsa Temple
Day 2 Gurye - Sucheon
* Saseongam Hermitage
* Nakaneupseong walled Town
* Suncheon National Garden / Suncheon Bay Bird Sanctuary
Day 3 Suncheon - Busan
* Choi Minsik Gellary / Tombstons Village
* Gamcheon Cultural Village
* Jagalchi Market / Gukje Market
* Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Day 4 Busan - Yangsan - Gyeongju
* Haeundae Beach / Dongbaekseom Island
* Tongdosa Temple
* Hwangridan gil
* Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond
Day 5 Gyeongju - Seoul
* Tumuli Park
* Wolseong Palace Site
* Bulguksa Temple
* Seokgulam Grotto
Jeonju
Suncheon
Gyeongju
Gurye
Pricing information
Tour rate
Number of Guests / Price per Person
- 2Persons / USD1,770
- 3Persons / USD1,400
- 4Persons / USD1,153
- 5Persons / USD1,038
- 6Persons / USD924
- 7Persons / Inquiry
Inclusions
- 5 days Private tour
- All admission fees to tourist sites
- Local English or Chinese-speaking tour guide with a Private Vehicle
- Door-to-door private transportation with a private minivan
- Accommodations (3 or 4-star hotel) -4 Nights
- KTX Express Train Round-trip fare - (Seoul -> Gwangju / Gyeongju -> Seoul)
Exclusions
- Personal expenses
- Lunch / Dinner
Note
- Accommodation : 3 or 4-star hotel, Twin, Triple sharing room base
- Extra bedroom: US$70 per day
- KTX Express Train Tickets are Economy Class