Keen to see South Korea? We round up the tours for every budget…
Call it the K-pop effect, the surge in popularity of films and TV shows such as Squid Games and Pachinko, or the global spread of a food culture that includes kimchi, Korean fried chicken and rice-based bibimbap. Whatever the reason, South Korea is sparking more interest from travellers while remaining off the mass tourism trail.
The country is still waiving the need for a K-ETA travel authorisation for visitors from the UK and 21 other countries until the end of 2024, with no news yet on whether it will be extended. So ride the Korean Wave with the best tours for every budget and discover the buzzy cities, national parks, ornate temples and fascinating islands of South Korea.
South Korea on a budget
G Adventures: Best of South Korea
Tell me more: For a taste of what South Korea has to offer, G Adventures’ eight-day tour takes in its capital city, folk villages, temples, busy markets and coastline.
Clients start and end in Seoul, enjoy an overnight temple stay and peaceful morning meditation, a visit to the Unescolisted Yangdong Folk Village in Gyeongju National Park, and a wander around the 15th-century Namdaemun Market in between.
Book it: Best of South Korea costs from £1,679, including seven nights’ B&B accommodation, one dinner, transport and tours. Departing January 10, 2025.
Excludes flights.
gadventures.com
Intrepid Travel: South Korea Real Food Adventure
Tell me more: Often informal but packed with flavour, food is an important part of life in South Korea.
On this eight-day food-focused tour, clients will be able to eat their way around the country, sampling seafood, Korean fried chicken, bibimbap and noodle soup. There’s also a kimchi cooking class, market tours and craft brewery visit on the itinerary.
Accommodation includes a night in a hanok (a traditional guesthouse) with typical Korean-style bedding – a futonlike mattress placed on the floor.
Book it: South Korea Real Food Adventure costs from £2,091 including seven nights’ accommodation, most meals, transport (excluding flights) and activities. Departing on December 5.
intrepidtravel.com
Responsible Travel: South Korea Group Tour
Tell me more: A visit to the Royal Tumuli Park to peek into excavated tombs of kings, a boat trip on the vast Chungjuho Lake and a tour of the sprawling city of Seoul are among the highlights of this 11-day tour, which offers activities that go beyond the typical itinerary.
Highlights include panoramic views from the N Seoul Tower, a cable car ride in Seoraksan National Park, city adventures in Seoul and Busan, and a technology-free night in a temple.
Book it: South Korea Group Tour costs from £2,045 including 10 nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation, transfers and activities with an English-speaking guide; flights excluded, based on a December 9 departure.
responsibletravel.com
Mid-range South Korea tours
InsideAsia Tours: Korean Wave
Tell me more: South Korea’s films, pop music and TV dramas have become famous worldwide in a cultural phenomenon known as Hallyu, or the Korean Wave.
InsideAsia’s 13-day tour visits some of the locations fans will recognise, from hip areas in the capital Seoul and a bus stop made famous by boy band BTS, to beaches and a bamboo forest.
Highlights include a K-pop dance class, the chance to dress up in a traditional hanbok outfit, a visit to Korea’s Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy Jeonju and a stop at Hapcheon Movie Theme Park.
Book it: InsideAsia’s Korean Wave trip costs from £3,348, including 12 nights’ three-star B&B accommodation, one lunch, guided tours and activities, transport by high-speed train and a Wi-Fi device. Flights are excluded.
insideasiatours.com
Mercury Holidays: Essence of South Korea and Japan
Tell me more: For clients who’d like to combine a trip to South Korea with a visit to Japan, Mercury Holidays offers a two-week tour taking in highlights of both countries. Starting in the capital, there are visits to the N Seoul Tower, Gyeongbokgung Palace and Insadong Antique Street, followed by time in heritage-filled Andong.
There’s also a tour of South Korea’s ancient former capital, Gyeongju, and a meander through the Jagalchi fish market in southcoast Busan. Week two is spent exploring Japan’s futuristic cities, bullet trains and taking in spectacular views of Mount Fuji.
Book it: The Essence of South Korea and Japan tour costs from £4,299 including 11 nights’ B&B accommodation, planned excursions and entry fees, some meals and flights departing September 10, 2025.
mercuryholidays.co.uk
Exoticca: From Seoul to Jeju – Korea’s Adventure
Tell me more: This introduction to South Korea begins with three days in Seoul, followed by Busan and Gyeongju, and concludes with two nights on Jeju Island.
It’s a mix of self-guided and group touring, with highlights including the Unesco World Heritage Site of Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju and Cheonjeyeon Falls on Jeju, and optional extras such as an excursion to the historic demilitarized zone.
Book it: The 12-night tour starts from £3,299 in February 2025, including all flights, accommodation, activities and some meals and transfers.
exoticca.com
Premium tours of Korea
Exodus Adventure Travels: Discover South Korea
Tell me more: From spending a night in a temple and taking part in a tea ceremony to learning how rice dish bibimbap is made, this Exodus tour will allow clients to immerse themselves in South Korean culture. Starting in Seoul, there’s a walking tour to learn more about the city’s history followed by an excursion to Panmunjom the next day, which is the only place on the peninsula where North and South Koreans can meet face-to-face. The tour also visits the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia and Korea’s largest seafood market, Jagalchi.
Book it: Discover South Korea is an 11-night tour, costing from £4,249, including B&B accommodation, some meals, transport and activities, for an April 1, 2025, departure. Flights not included.
exodus.co.uk
Audley Travel: A Family Adventure in South Korea
Tell me more: For a family holiday with a difference, South Korea makes for a memorable choice.
There’s a visit to one of the world’s largest indoor theme parks, Lotte World Adventure, in Seoul; a trip to Gangnam to learn about K-pop; and a chance to explore natural wonders such as the Manjanggul Lava Tube while staying on the island of Jeju. Even travelling on the high-speed KTX train down the peninsula to the southern coastal city of Busan offers excitement for kids and adults alike.
Book it: Audley Travel’s 11-day trip starts at £5,080 per person (based on four travelling). The price includes flights, accommodation, transfers and excursions.
audleytravel.com
Wendy Wu Tours: Scenic South Korea
Tell me more: This tour combines city stays in buzzy Seoul and Gyeongju, known as ‘the museum without walls’, with a scenic trip to Mount Seorak National Park – a Unesco Biosphere Reserve.
As they travel, clients can dive into Korean culture and history by visiting the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the border between North and South Korea, trying out the cultural art of handkerchief dyeing, and watching a Nanta performance, a non-verbal show using music and movement.
Book it: Wendy Wu Tours’ Scenic South Korea trip costs from £6,190 including 11 nights’ B&B accommodation, flights, most meals and activities, for an April 7, 2025, departure.
wendywutours.co.uk
5 tips for travel agents selling South Korea
Rebecca Barry, South Korea product manager, InsideAsia
1. Highlight the food: Dining in South Korea is delicious and surprisingly cheap. Recommend a market visit or Korean barbecue tour.
2. Take a hike: Most people think of the bright lights of Seoul, but this is a country of mountains and people who love walking. There are 22 national parks and even the capital has sizeable peaks.
3. Alternative accommodation: Recommend a stay in a traditional hanok guesthouse, characterised by a wooden structure, sloping traditional roof and ondol (underfloor) heating system.
4. Tap into trends: South Korea is great for K-pop and drama fans with filming locations all over the country, while beachside city Gangneung appeared on the latest album cover of boy band BTS.
5. Talk transport: The KTX train is speedy and is the best way to get between the main destinations.
Ask the expert
Charlotte Smith, Japan and South Korea specialist, Audley Travel
“There are two main groups of people interested in visiting and exploring South Korea. The first are those who know a bit about a specific aspect of South Korea – for example, 20th-century history, K-pop music or Korean food. The second know very little about the destination but want to explore somewhere new and completely different.
Both have often visited Japan before – and may add on a few nights to see more of what they’d enjoyed on previous trips to Tokyo – but come with far less prior knowledge than a Japan client usually does.”
PICTURES: Ben Mac; Intrepid Travel; Korea Tourism Organisation; Shutterstock/chai photographer, CJ Nattanai
