Gourmet South Korea: An 11-Day Small-Group Foodie Tour with Return International Flights

Return international flights from Australia will take you to the gastronomically and culturally fascinating country of South Korea where you’ll enjoy a journey for the senses. Experience the local cuisine with exciting insider experiences including a food tasting at a local marketplace, Korean beer and tapas experience, kimchi pancake-making class, seafood dinner with local produce from the fish markets and a traditional Korean bulgogi BBQ dinner. You’ll embark on true insider experiences and see how war changes a country with an eye-opening trip to the North Korean border to visit the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone).

Click here for our guide to the best restaurants in Seoul.

What You’ll Love…

The Food – Taste your way through South Korea’s emerging food scene

With daily breakfast and an exceptional selection of exciting dining experiences for lunch and dinner, you’ll truly experience the culinary excellence of this world-famous cuisine.

On your very first day in Seoul, you’ll indulge in a welcome dinner and enjoy a dak-galbi at one of the city’s most well-known hotpot cafes. Dak-galbi is a traditional Korean dish where ingredients such as marinated chicken and vegetables are cooked in a pot in the centre of the table. Enjoy this dish at a local eatery accompanied with a delicious fried seaweed rice.

Tap into Korean culture with arguably its most popular dish and try your hand at a Kimchi pancake making class and learn the secrets behind this beloved, staple dish. Visit a local fish market and enjoy a tour of the bustling area as you pick out live fish, shellfish and other seafood and then savour the taste as a restaurant prepares it for you to enjoy as dinner.

Take a day to discover Gangneung, a coastal city famous for its beaches but most importantly for being the “city of coffee”. As the country’s first district to host a coffee festival and with almost all coffee shops roasting their own beans, you’ll dive into the local culture with a visit to the Coffee Cupper Museum where you’ll enjoy a hand-drip coffee roasting class.

Discover several different types of Korean BBQ including bulgogi or marinated “fired meat”. We’ll also try a traditional bibimbap lunch run by a certified Korean Masterhand Chef in Jeonju.

The Accommodation – Deluxe hotels in the heart of the action

This intimate, small-group tour of unique South Korea will have you staying in premium locations throughout the country. Spend four nights in the centre of Seoul’s cultural and urban arts district at Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong where you’ll be surrounded by bustling marketplaces, local produce, street performers and up-and-coming eateries for the foodie in us all. Visit the 27th-floor all-day dining restaurant boasting great food and incredible views.

Enjoy two nights at Ramada by Wyndham Jeonju, just a stone’s throw from the famous Jeonju Hanok Heritage Village filled with over 800 traditional houses, craft shops and an abundance of food stalls. Explore the unique history behind this village and its striking contrast with the contemporary, vibrant city that surrounds it.

Located just steps from Korea’s famous and arguably most beautiful Haeundae Beach, you’ll spend two nights at Busan’s Ramada Encore by Wyndham Haeundae. Located in the heart of this large port city, the hotel is surrounded by majestic mountains, sparkling beaches and natural hot springs.

Your Package Includes:

• Return international flights with Thai International (or similar) from Melbourne or Sydney (Perth and Brisbane departures available at a surcharge)
• Nine nights of deluxe accommodation including five nights at Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong in Seoul, two nights at Ramada by Wyndham Jeonju and two nights at Ramada Encore by Wyndham Haeundae in Busan
• Daily breakfast, seven lunches and seven dinners
• Services of a local Korean food and culture expert
• Begin your journey with a hotpot welcome dinner in one of Seoul’s well-known local cafes
• Embark on food tastings through local marketplaces
• Enjoy a Korean rice beer and tapas dinner
• Try your hand at a kimchi pancake making class
• Visit the local fish markets and enjoy a special seafood dinner
• Partake in a coffee roasting class
• Tap into the culture with a traditional Korean bulgogi BBQ dinner
• Feast on a spectacular dinner at the historic Samcheonggak Restaurant
• Private airport transfers and air-conditioned transportation throughout the tour
• Services of local tour leaders
• Sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary

Flights: Return international full-service flights with Thai Airways or similar (dependent on availability and scheduling) from Sydney or Melbourne are included in your package. A surcharge of AU$250 per person will apply for departures from Brisbane or Perth and needs to be paid before tickets can be arranged. Enquire with our in house flight team for departures from any other cities.

For upgrades to Business Class, a surcharge of AU$3,450 per person will apply for departures from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, subject to availability.

You MUST complete your booking form within 48 hours of booking. Following its completion, our Tours Concierge will be in touch to assist with flight arrangements.

A visa may be required to the destination you are visiting. It is each traveller’s responsibility to ensure they are holding a current visa. Please take the time to visit our preferred vendor website Visa’s Direct to assist you with any visa application requirements and processes. If you require any supporting documentation when applying for your visa please let us know and we would be more than happy to assist. Click here to visit the website.

Day 1: Australia – Seoul, Korea

Today you depart for Korea (your departure city will determine your time of arrival).

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Day 2: Arrive Seoul

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

This evening we will meet your fellow travelers for a walking tour of the surrounding area and get to sample some great street food followed by a welcome dinner at one of the city’s well known hotpot cafes. Learn the secrets of authentic Korean cuisine as you enjoy a dak-galbi, a popular local dish of stir-fried chicken and vegetable hotpot followed by fried rice.

Accommodation: Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong

Meals: Dinner

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Day 3: Seoul

Today you’ll embark on a Seoul History and Architecture Tour. We will start with an early breakfast in one of the popular eateries where you will get a chance to mix with the locals and experience Korea’s true local way of life. From here we continue our exploration and uncover both the historic and modern sides to Seoul. We visit the Ewha Woman’s University and the famed Yonsei University – to see how missionaries and a western education system helped change Korean society. We’ll then go to Gyeongbukgung Palace, the President’s House: Cheongwadae, the Folk Museum and then explore Bukchon’s North Village.

After touring the antique and arts-filled street of Insadong, we’ll enjoy a traditional lunch of bamboo steamed rice with marinated meat wrapped in leaves. We’ll then continue to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza which was designed by British Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. Also called the DDP, this major urban development landmark in Seoul showcases a distinctive neofuturistic design characterized by the “powerful, curving forms of elongated structures”. The landmark is the centerpiece of South Korea’s fashion hub and popular tourist destination, featuring rooftop parks, futuristic retail stores and restored parts of the Seoul fortress. The DDP is responsible for Seoul’s designation as World Design Capital in 2010.

Accommodation: Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong

Meals: Breakfast & lunch

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Day 4: The Demilitarized Zone

Depart early this morning as we travel to the North Korean border and visit the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). As your local guide will not be permitted into the DMZ, you will join a group tour today to see how war changed the country from a colony of Japan to a country torn apart by politics and rescued by various allies of the United Nations. Have lunch near the DMZ and then return to Seoul in the afternoon where you will have time at your leisure to explore the streets and local food scene.

This evening is your opportunity to venture out on your own and explore the local street and food markets.

Accommodation: Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong

Meals: Breakfast & lunch

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Day 5: Gangneung

We will take Korea’s newest fast rail to the coastal city of Gangneung, the site of the 2018 Winter Olympics. It is also famous for its beaches and coffee culture. We will take a private bus to visit the sites and parks where the Olympics were held followed by a walk through Gangneung’s Pine Forests. We’ll then dine on homemade soft tofu stew for lunch.

After lunch we explore Gangneung-si in Gangwon-do. This is the first local district in Korea to host the country’s annual coffee festival. Here you will find Korea’s best coffee artisans located in “coffee street” as well as a coffee museum, coffee factory and a barista academy. With almost all coffee shops in the area roasting their own coffee beans, Gangneung-si is well-recognized as the “city of coffee.” Here we take a stop at the Coffee Cupper Museum and partake in a special hand drip coffee roasting class.

Later, enjoy a seafood dinner along Gangneung’s famous beachfront where you will savour local produce and fresh seafood caught that day before we take the train back to our hotel.

Accommodation: Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

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Day 6: Seoul - Jeonju: Capital of Korean Food

We will check out of our hotel and take a train to Jeonju City where we will be picked up from the train station and taken to a famous bibimbap restaurant that has been around for over 30 years. Bibimbap, literally meaning “mixed rice”, is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste), soy sauce, or doenjang (a fermented soybean paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The hot dish is stirred together thoroughly just before eating.

We’ll then visit a brassware maker’s shop to see how they make the traditional bowls that are used in ceremonial meals followed by a stop at the Korean Masterhand Museum which features master crafts people in art, food, furniture and traditional clothes.

This afternoon you will learn the history of kimchi and try your hand at a Kimchi pancake cooking class. Kimchi, a staple in Korean cuisine, is a traditional side dish made from salted and fermented vegetables, most commonly napa cabbage and Korean radishes. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with different vegetables as the main ingredients. In traditional preparations, kimchi was stored underground in jars to keep cool, and unfrozen during the winter months.

This evening, we’ll indulge in a Korean rice beer and tapas dinner – a specialty of the local area. For those looking for a nightcap, we’ll visit a traditional market whose second floor has been transformed into a young entrepreneurs’ incubation space and have a beer (extra charge).

Accommodation: Ramada by Wyndham Jeonju

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

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Day 7: Jeollabukto Province

This morning venture outside the hotel and experience a traditional Korean breakfast of beansprout rice soup and learn about its medicinal use in modern culture. Following breakfast, we visit Gyeonggijeon Shrine which was built for King Taejo of the Baekje Dynasty.

We’ll then head to the Damyang Bamboo Forest and enjoy a tasting of bamboo ice cream. We’ll lunch at a Korean restaurant famous for their marinated and grilled beef patties (dukgalbi) followed by a walk along the river park in Damyang before taking our bus to go to Geumseongsanseong Fortress which originally dated back to 57 BCE. Here we’ll enjoy a leisurely hike up and through the fortress that separates two villages and served as an important military installation.

This evening, we learn all about Korea’s internationally-famous bulgogi as we enjoy a dinner at a Korean bulgogi BBQ restaurant. Bulgogi, translated to “fire meat”, is a Korean-style grilled or roasted dish made of thin, marinated slices of beef or pork grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle.

Accommodation: Ramada by Wyndham Jeonju

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

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Day 8: Jeonju - Busan

We’ll check out of our hotel and ride like a local by express bus to Busan City. On arrival we meet our private bus and enjoy a special lunch at one of the city’s popular Korean noodle and dumpling houses.

Following lunch, we visit the famous Beomeosa Temple perched on the coast of Busan City. Toward the city, we’ll explore the street food scene and taste some of the many dishes on offer such as red bean chrysanthemum bread and sugar caramel fried donuts (hotteok). A highlight today is a visit to Busan’s Gamcheon Village, a once poor mountainside community that has been transformed into an art hotspot. The area is known for its steep streets, twisting alleys, and brightly painted houses, vibrantly decorated with murals and sculptures created by the residents.

In the evening, we’ll tour the fish market, picking out live fish, shellfish and other seafood before we have a restaurant cook it specially for us for dinner.

Accommodation: Ramada Encore by Wyndham Haeundae

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 9: The Botanical Island of Oedo and Haeundae Beach

This morning we’ll take a ferry to the beautiful botanical island of Oedo. We will spend the morning walking around the beautiful botanical garden which was created in 1970 by Lee Chang-ho and his wife. They initially tried to grow citrus fruit but when that failed, they turned the island into a large botanical garden filled with sculptures and architecture from all over the world.

Following this we take the ferry back to Geoje Port and take our bus to Gadeokdo to enjoy brunch with coffee, tea and strawberry cake at Café Myungga, overlooking the beautiful coast. The rest of the day is at your leisure where you can shop at the huge mall or check out the Busan Film Festival Theatre. You’ll have the evening to explore Haeundae Beach on your own or return to the hotel.

Accommodation: Ramada Encore by Wyndham Haeundae

Meals: Breakfast & lunch

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Day 10: Busan – Seoul

Spend the morning exploring Busan some more before boarding our KTX Train and returning to Seoul. On arrival, we’ll check into the hotel and you’ll spend the afternoon on your own to seek out some more culinary delights or enjoying some last-minute shopping.

In the evening, we’ll visit the historic Samcheonggak Restaurant. Built to host royalty, diplomats and hold important events, this is the perfect venue for our final dinner together. Afterwards, work off dinner with a stroll around this historic area before heading back to the hotel.

Accommodation: Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong

Meals: Breakfast & dinner

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Day 11: Depart Seoul

Today you’ll transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home – depending on your flight time the day will be at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast