South Korea & Taiwan (12 days)

Seoul – Busan – Gyeongju – Seoul – Tainan – Sun Moon Lake – Taipei

Crafted by our South Korea and Taiwan travel experts, this 12-day South Korea & Taiwan tour brings you the best these destinations have to offer, from bustling cities to serene temples and breathtaking landscapes. It immerses you in the rich cultures and beauty of these truly captivating destinations. In addition to the rich and diverse cultures, spectacular natural beauty, you’ll get to savour fantastic food that South Korea and Taiwan are famous for.

Important Features

• Small group size
• Expert local guides
• Luxury (5 stars) hotel accommodations
• Quality local and Western meals at non-tourist restaurants
• No annoying forced shopping of any kind.
• Excursion to the Demilitarized Zone near Seoul

TOUR ITINERARY

Meal Code: B = breakfast / L = lunch / D = dinner

Day 1: Departing for Seoul
Your South Korea & Taiwan vacation begins with international flight departing from a city of your choice. The tour price doesn’t include international airfare.

Day 2: Arrival in Seoul
Upon arrival, transfer to the centrally located hotel on your own, which can be easily done by taxi, airport limousine bus or airport express train. The 50 km cab ride from Incheon International Airport costs between 70,000 and 100,000 Korean Won ($50-$75 US) including expressway toll charge. The Airport Railroad Express train between the airport and Seoul Station costs 9,000 Won ($7 US); from Seoul Station, taking a cab to the hotel costs just a few dollars. The deluxe limousine bus from the airport to the hotel costing 18,000 won ($14 US) may be an ideal choice depending on your flight schedule.

Day 3: Seoul – Busan (B/L)
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a huge metropolis where modern skyscrapers, high-tech subways and pop culture meet Buddhist temples, palaces and street markets.

Our sightseeing today includes Gyeongbok Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village (traditional residential area on a hill inside the city).

The late afternoon train to Busan (KTX047, 16:28/18:59) takes 2 hours 31 minutes.

Day 4: Busan (B/L)
Busan, sometimes spelled as Pusan, is the largest port and second largest city in South Korea with a current population around 3.5 million. The city is known for its beaches, mountains, temples, and long history of trade and cultural exchange with Japan.

Today’s sightseeing begins with a visit to United Nations Memorial Cemetery. Established in January 1951, the 35-acre burial ground contains 2,300 graves of fallen soldiers who fought on the side of the United Nations during the Korean War (Jun 25, 1950 – Jul 27, 1953). The majority of the interred soldiers were from the Commonwealth of Nations including the United Kingdom (886), Canada (378), Australia (281), New Zealand (34) and South Africa (11). A South Korean guard of honour carries out flag ceremonies daily.

We then proceed to Jagalchi fish market, the largest seafood market in South Korea. Today’s schedule ends with a leisurely walk at Haeundae Beach.

Day 5: Busan – Gyeongju – Seoul (B/L)
Following breakfast we drive 100 kilometres northeast to Gyeongju. The city was the capital of the 1,000-year-long Silla dynasty and possesses extensive remains to prove its cultural and historical significance.

Our sightseeing in Gyeongju begins at the 8th-century Bulguksa, a magnificent Buddhist temple complex featuring stone pagodas, a series of wooden buildings on raised stone terraces, and a large bronze Buddha. A masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art in the Silla kingdom, the temple is classified as Historic and Scenic Site No. 1 by the South Korean government and is also listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The Gyeongju National Museum is next on our schedule. The museum houses a large collection of relics from the Silla era giving the visitor a deep insight into the ancient kingdom.

The afternoon train journey to Seoul takes just over 2 hours (KTX #40, 15:07/17:14, 300 km).

Day 6: Seoul – DMZ – Seoul (B/L/D)
We spend the morning visiting the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The DMZ divides North Korea and South Korea and is one of the last remnants of the Cold War. The DMZ runs across the Korean Peninsula and roughly follows the 38th parallel north (popular name given to latitude 38° N) on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and the east end lying north of it. With over a million soldiers on watch each day, this stretch of land measuring 250 kilometres (160 miles) long and about 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) wide is the most fortified border in the world.

Free afternoon to explore on your own. Our recommendations include the National Museum of Korea, War Memorial of Korea, and Changdeokgung (Changdeok Palace).

Enjoy a Korean BBQ feast in a high-end restaurant.

Day 7: Seoul – Tainan (B)
Transfer to the airport on your own for the late morning or mid-day flight (3 hours) to Kaohsiung. Upon arrival, meet your driver for immediate transfer ( 50 to 60 minutes) to Tainan and have the balance of the day at leisure.

Day 8: Tainan (B/L)
Tainan is a historical city that once served as Taiwan’s capital between 1683 and 1887.

Morning sightseeing takes in An Ping Old Street, Fort Zeelandia, and Grand Matsu temple.

Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built by the Dutch East India Company between 1624 and 1634 in the town of Anping, present-day Anping District in the City of Tainan. The fort is gone and part of the wall surrounding the fort is still standing. The small museum onsite is fairly informative, giving the visitor a clear idea of what happened during the Dutch colonization days. The terrace inside the compound was rebuilt by the Japanese during their occupation of Taiwan between 1895 and 1945.

We spend the afternoon exploring Chihkan Tower and Confucius Temple. The architectural style of Chihkan Tower looks unmistakably Chinese, but it was built on the site of the original Dutch outpost known as Fort Provintia or Providentia; part of the foundation of Fort Provintia remains and is protected by the government.

Day 9: Tainan – Sun Moon Lake (B/L)
After breakfast, we ride the high-speed train northbound for 2 hours to reach Taichung, where we transfer to a local bus to continue on our journey to Sun Moon Lake. The bus ride takes between 60 and 70 minutes.

Surrounded by forested peaks and crisscrossed by foot trails, the 7.93-square kilometre Sun Moon Lake is a popular resort destination all year round due to its mild climate (elevation 748 metres). The area around the lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of the aboriginal tribes of Taiwan.

After checking into our lakeside resort, we spend the afternoon hiking around the lake and exploring the town centre of nearby Yuchi County.

Day 10: Sun Moon Lake – Taipei (B/L)
Free morning to relax or explore on your own.

After lunch, we go on a 30-minute cruise on the lake, which is followed by a visit to an aboriginal cultural village. East of the lake, the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village is a theme park with a section devoted to recreated Indigenous villages. Displays here include centuries-old carved lintel pieces, handicrafts and weapons.

We then return to Taichung by public bus for the early evening train (50 minutes) to Taipei.

Taipei is the capital of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. ROC should not be confused with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party. With a population around 2.7 million, Taipei is also the economic, educational, and cultural centre of Taiwan and one of the major hubs of air transportation in East Asia.

Day 11: Taipei (B/L/D)
Our full-day sightseeing begins at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, which is followed by the Presidential Palace and  Taipei Botanical Garden.

We spend the afternoon exploring the National Palace Museum which houses a huge collection of national treasures removed from the Forbidden City in Beijing when the national government under the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT) fled to Taiwan in 1949.

The visit to the 508-metre-tall Taipei 101, a new symbol of the city, takes place after dinner.

Day 12: Returning Home (B)
Your South Korea and Taiwan tour comes to an end this morning. Transfer to the airport on your own by airport express train or limousine shuttle bus. Further details on airport transfer can be found in the final update sent to you two weeks prior to commencement of your trip.

Hotel List

Dates & Prices

* Land Only price does not include international airfare. Contact us for a fare quote.
** This departure has a modified itinerary. Please contact us for details.