suggested itinerary for 1 week S Korea visit
Sep 26, 2016, 2:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
suggested itinerary for 1 week S Korea visit
After spending 4 days in Seoul in 2014 as a stopover visit I want to do a vacation in South Korea and see more of the country. This would be sometime in Sept. to Oct. 2017 depending on dates I can get award tickets for.
Keeping in mind I have seen the highlights of Seoul, what would make a good itinerary for a week to 10 days traveling around the country? I have looked at suggested plans from a tour company called Hana Tours as an example.
http://www.hanatour.us/product/prdIn...T_MONTH=201610
Would this be a good plan? Or is it too busy? Should I limit myself to just 2or 3 other cities besides Seoul? I may have the option of flying into or out of Busan if I use JL award flights. I could probably do a Korea tour by myself but having a private tour with a guide along who speaks English may not be a bad idea. There will be two of us traveling together.
Thanks for everyone's advice.
Keeping in mind I have seen the highlights of Seoul, what would make a good itinerary for a week to 10 days traveling around the country? I have looked at suggested plans from a tour company called Hana Tours as an example.
http://www.hanatour.us/product/prdIn...T_MONTH=201610
Would this be a good plan? Or is it too busy? Should I limit myself to just 2or 3 other cities besides Seoul? I may have the option of flying into or out of Busan if I use JL award flights. I could probably do a Korea tour by myself but having a private tour with a guide along who speaks English may not be a bad idea. There will be two of us traveling together.
Thanks for everyone's advice.
Sep 27, 2016, 11:19 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Left Coast
Posts: 862
How long can you stay? Just a week?
I've never done one of those tours, but they are popular with many visitors to Korea, including people of Korean ethnicity born overseas. I think the itinerary is a bit like a whirlwind, and you will spend a good amount of time on a bus, so whether it is good or bad depends in part on what you like and dislike. Personally, having toured Korea independently some years ago (gradually, by train and bus, on odd weekends, etc.), I'd prefer to spend at least a day or two in each of the locations mentioned in the itinerary.
As an aside, last year I went with my oldest to the DMZ with the Koridoor/USO tour and that was just a short bus ride, but I couldn't wait to get off the bus after it was over. To be direct, some of the people on the bus were annoying to be around, even though we did enjoy the tour on the whole.
If your window of time is long enough, maybe you could spend part of your time on a group tour like this, and part doing something else? For example, you should be able to see some fall foliage in late October, if that is of interest.
Another alternative would be to base yourself in Seoul and do short trips to the surrounding area, like the DMZ, Chuncheon, that kind of thing. Are you willing to drive in Korea? Or will you limit yourself to public transportation?
I've never done one of those tours, but they are popular with many visitors to Korea, including people of Korean ethnicity born overseas. I think the itinerary is a bit like a whirlwind, and you will spend a good amount of time on a bus, so whether it is good or bad depends in part on what you like and dislike. Personally, having toured Korea independently some years ago (gradually, by train and bus, on odd weekends, etc.), I'd prefer to spend at least a day or two in each of the locations mentioned in the itinerary.
As an aside, last year I went with my oldest to the DMZ with the Koridoor/USO tour and that was just a short bus ride, but I couldn't wait to get off the bus after it was over. To be direct, some of the people on the bus were annoying to be around, even though we did enjoy the tour on the whole.
If your window of time is long enough, maybe you could spend part of your time on a group tour like this, and part doing something else? For example, you should be able to see some fall foliage in late October, if that is of interest.
Another alternative would be to base yourself in Seoul and do short trips to the surrounding area, like the DMZ, Chuncheon, that kind of thing. Are you willing to drive in Korea? Or will you limit yourself to public transportation?
Sep 27, 2016, 11:53 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
I can stay up to 2 weeks as that is how much vacation time we both have. I have to knock off 2 days for travel time to and from US. I wouldn't join a group tour, I'd recreate the itinerary and travel independently. I'd do a private tour if those are available in Korea, wit ha driver/guide going with us. My husband does not want to drive. We like taking trains in countries where the rail is good.
If we want to include Japan in this trip then I'd be heading south from Seoul ending in Busan where I'd take the overnight ferry or fly to Fukuoka. A plan like this maybe:
day 1 arrive late afternoon Seoul
day 2 Seoul
day 3 travel to Gyeongju
day 4 Gyeongju
Day 5 travel to Busan
Day 6 Busan
Day 7 travel to Japan
If I have to limit myself to 2-3 cities besides Seoul, which are the must sees?
If we want to include Japan in this trip then I'd be heading south from Seoul ending in Busan where I'd take the overnight ferry or fly to Fukuoka. A plan like this maybe:
day 1 arrive late afternoon Seoul
day 2 Seoul
day 3 travel to Gyeongju
day 4 Gyeongju
Day 5 travel to Busan
Day 6 Busan
Day 7 travel to Japan
If I have to limit myself to 2-3 cities besides Seoul, which are the must sees?
Sep 27, 2016, 6:55 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Left Coast
Posts: 862
I suppose one could find a private tour guide, but whether they would be willing to recreate the group tour is obviously something you would need to work out.
You could get a rail pass, and engage a local for a tour at each of the stops you listed above. That might be better. However it's been a long time since I trained it around Korea, and there have been many changes, not to mention that you really haven't given any indication of why you would be interested in those destinations.
If it were my holiday-- keep in mind, I'm basing my choices on memories from 20+ years ago-- I'd be sure to visit the east coast (Sokcho, Sorak Park) to get a fall foliage/seafood twofer, and maybe instead of spending a lot of time in Busan, I'd find other areas on the coast which might be a little more off the beaten path: Geojedo Island, Mallipo/Chullipo, that kind of thing. But that might not be your kind of thing.
You could get a rail pass, and engage a local for a tour at each of the stops you listed above. That might be better. However it's been a long time since I trained it around Korea, and there have been many changes, not to mention that you really haven't given any indication of why you would be interested in those destinations.
If it were my holiday-- keep in mind, I'm basing my choices on memories from 20+ years ago-- I'd be sure to visit the east coast (Sokcho, Sorak Park) to get a fall foliage/seafood twofer, and maybe instead of spending a lot of time in Busan, I'd find other areas on the coast which might be a little more off the beaten path: Geojedo Island, Mallipo/Chullipo, that kind of thing. But that might not be your kind of thing.
Sep 27, 2016, 9:52 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea
Programs: KE Skypass Morning Calm Member, OZ Club
Posts: 2,352
That's actually a solid itinerary, but as zippy said, LOTS of bus time. And he's correct, what you want out of your tour definitely dictates where you should go. And as far as trains go, specifically KTX, I'd say it's gotten better as they've opened more lines.
Do you want food? City life? Country air? Nature?
Do you want food? City life? Country air? Nature?