Easy, low-effort ideas (own expense):

• Cheonggyecheon Stream sunset stroll
• Myeongdong night snacks (tteokbokki, hotteok) & skincare browsing
• Bukchon Hanok golden-hour photos + café stop
• Hongdae buskers, indie shops, dessert cafés

Dinner (own expense): Try cozy kimchi jjigae, classic bibimbap, or DIY K-BBQ near your hotel. Pair with makgeolli or local beer.

Practical tips: Pick up a T-money transit card and a local eSIM/Pocket Wi-Fi; Seoul’s metro is fast and English-signed. Card payments are widely accepted. Keep plans light to beat jet lag—hydrate and aim for an early night.

Set off at first light for Gongju, former heartland of the ancient Baekje Kingdom. Pines thicken, mist clings to slopes, and the road curls toward Magoksa Temple, a riverside sanctuary folded into a quiet valley. Slip off your shoes and settle on warm floor mats for a serene tea time with a monk—a gentle exchange about mindfulness, temple life and seasonal teas. As steam ribbons from your cup, wood blocks and distant bells turn the forest into a living meditation.

Continue to Gongsanseong Fortress (part of the UNESCO-listed Baekje Historic Areas), a stone-and-earth citadel first raised in the 3rd century. Walk the crenellated ramparts above the Geum River, where viewpoints stitch together jade hills, tiled pavilions and city roofs. Wayfinding plaques illuminate frontier strategy, royal processions and the fortress’s role as a resilient mountain castle.

Next, step into the stillness of King Muryeong’s Tomb at the Songsan-ri burial cluster. The reconstructed brick chamber and on-site exhibits reveal refined Baekje craftsmanship—intricate gold ornaments, geometric brickwork, and funerary objects that whisper of a cosmopolitan court connected to maritime trade routes.

Round out the story at the Gongju National Museum, where curated galleries showcase royal cultural treasures—gilded diadems, inscribed plaques, lacquer ware and patterned tiles. Clear bilingual captions and dioramas bring courtly life into focus, while conservation displays explain how these artifacts were recovered and preserved.

By late afternoon, transfer to Daejeon, the country’s “science city,” for check-in and a relaxed evening. If energy allows, take a gentle walk around a café-lined street or sample local specialties before turning in.

Depart after breakfast for Jeonju, home to the celebrated Jeonju Hanok Village—a photogenic patchwork of 800+ traditional hanok homes with curved tile roofs and warm wood beams. Wander slow through narrow lanes lined with tea houses, artisan boutiques and hanji (traditional paper) workshops. Try on a colorful hanbok (own expense) for storybook photos beneath gingko trees, or pause for a tasting of Jeonju’s signature bibimbap and sweet moju (local rice-and-spice drink).

Continue to other corners of the village as time allows—calm courtyards, small museums, and viewpoints where tiled eaves ripple like waves. Street snacks tempt at every turn: hot-off-the-griddle hotteok, flaky croissant “taiyaki,” and artisanal ice creams—perfect fuel for gentle exploring.

After lunch, drive into the otherworldly scenery of Maisan Provincial Park to visit Tapsa Temple. Here, dozens of slender stone pagodas—hand-stacked by a hermit monk over a century ago—rise improbably toward the sky. Local lore tells how these dry-laid towers have withstood winds and seasons without mortar. Stroll the short approach among maple and pine, then step into the temple’s quiet to admire the pagoda forest against Maisan’s twin peaks.

By late afternoon, transfer to Gwangju. Check in, unwind, and enjoy an easy evening—perhaps a stroll for coffee on a tree-lined boulevard or a taste of the city’s renowned dining scene.

Leave Gwangju after breakfast for the emerald folds of Boseong Green Tea Plantation. Hills sweep away in velvety ribbons of camellia sinensis; paths climb between perfectly combed rows that perfume the air with a clean, grassy sweetness. Stroll a terrace trail for panoramic photos, then drop into a farm café (own expense) for a creamy green tea latte, soft-serve, or delicate tea cookies. Displays explain harvest seasons, steaming vs. pan-firing, and the terroir that gives Boseong leaves their signature umami.

Continue to Suncheonman Bay, where vast reed beds ripple like bronze silk and a sinuous boardwalk threads out over brackish water. Keep binoculars ready—this rich wetland hosts herons, egrets and, seasonally, hooded cranes. Follow the gentle Yongsan Observatory climb for a grand sweep of S-curving channel, tidal flats and distant hills; at low tide, the patterns look hand-drawn.

Next, wander the Suncheonman International Garden Expo grounds, a living gallery of themed gardens that leap from Korean stone-and-pine minimalism to playful international designs. Lakeside promenades, flower tunnels and landscaped pavilions offer easy loops; interpretive signs highlight sustainable planting and wetland conservation. Pause for a tea or juice by the water as dragonflies stitch the air.

By late afternoon, transfer along the coast to Yeosu, a port city draped in island views and night-lit bridges. Check in and enjoy a relaxed evening—consider a harborfront stroll or a taste of the region’s famed seafood before turning in.

Greet the morning in Yeosu with a glide on the Marine Cable Car. Cabins float between headlands and islands while the harbor unfurls below—fishing boats tracing white threads, bridges arcing in steel and color, and little coves cupping jade water. Snap wide panoramas and spot the lighthouse points that stud the coastline before touching back down on the promenade.

Continue inland to Jinju for the storied Jinjuseong Fortress, where stout stone walls clasp the banks of the Nam River. Stroll shaded paths beneath pines and zelkova as pavilions frame water views and exhibits recount valiant defenses during the Imjin War. Within the grounds, interpretive signs and small halls present artifacts, uniforms and maps that stitch the centuries together. Pause on the ramparts: the river runs silver, and the town hums softly beyond.

By afternoon, transfer to Busan, South Korea’s breezy port city. Check in and exhale—ocean air, mountain backdrops and neon boulevards set the scene for tomorrow’s explorations. If energy allows, take an easy evening stroll to a nearby café or street-food lane for first tastes of the city.

Ease into the day with a seaside stroll on Dongbaek Island (Dongbaekseom). A wave-lapped boardwalk threads beneath camellias and pines as views open to Haeundae Beach, Nurimaru APEC House and the sweeping arc of the Gwangan Bridge. Sea air, gull calls and soft morning light set a calm rhythm before you journey back in time to Korea’s ancient capital.

Depart for Gyeongju, cradle of the Silla Kingdom and home to multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites. Your first stop is Bulguksa Temple, a masterpiece of stone terraces, wooden halls and elegant pagodas tucked into forested slopes. Trace your way over the iconic bridges—Cheongun-gyo and Baegun-gyo—to grand courtyards where incense drifts and temple bells breathe through the trees.

Continue to Royal Tumuli Park (Daereungwon), where grassy, keyhole-shaped burial mounds rise like green waves in a quiet grove. Step inside a reconstructed tomb to see how gold crowns, jade pendants and lacquered treasures once traveled with Silla royalty into eternity.

At the Gyeongju National Museum, curated galleries bring the Silla golden age into focus—celadon and gilt-bronze, intricate jewelry, weaponry and Buddhist art. Clear displays connect court life, craftsmanship and trade routes that once radiated across the peninsula and beyond.

Round out the day at the grassy plain of Cheomseongdae Observatory, one of Asia’s oldest surviving astronomical towers. Its stacked stone geometry glows beautifully near sunset—perfect for photos and a moment of quiet reflection on centuries of sky-watching.

After sightseeing, transfer to your Gyeongju hotel for check-in and a relaxed evening at leisure.

Depart after breakfast for Andong to explore the UNESCO-listed Hahoe Folk Village, a riverside settlement wrapped by the Nakdong River like a protective ribbon. Thatched roofs and wooden hanok homes line earthen lanes, talisman masks grin from eaves, and ancestral shrines doze beneath old pines. Wander past drying chilies and jangdok (fermentation jars), peek into courtyards, and learn how Confucian traditions still shape daily rhythms, festivals and foodways.

Time permitting, enjoy a bluff-top viewpoint where the village unfurls below in a perfect oxbow, then browse local specialties—andong jjimdak (braised chicken) or honeyed hangwa sweets—before continuing to the Hanji Theme Park.

At the Hanji (traditional paper) Theme Park, roll up your sleeves for a tactile look at Korea’s centuries-old paper craft. Watch mulberry bark soften and separate, then try your hand at sheet forming: dipping a frame, swishing the pulp to weave fibers, pressing and drying. The result—warm, resilient paper with a subtle deckled edge—has long been used for books, calligraphy, sliding doors and lanterns. Take home your handiwork as a light, beautiful souvenir.

By late afternoon, transfer to Pyeongchang in the Taebaek Mountains—fresh alpine air, rolling meadows and sleek resorts made famous by the Winter Games. Check in and unwind amid cool, quiet highland scenery.

Begin at the Ski Jump Tower Observatory, an icon of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Elevators whisk you up the sleek structure for sweeping panoramas of Nordic venues, crisp alpine slopes and the Taebaek ridgelines rolling to the horizon. Interpretive panels outline record jumps and the precision engineering behind the inrun and landing hill—great context for photos before you head into the mountains proper.

Continue to Jujeongol Valley for a short, refreshing hike. The trail meanders beneath maples and pines alongside a clear stream that stitches together polished boulders and shallow pools. Wooden footbridges and well-marked paths make for easy-going nature time; breathe in resin-scented air, listen for birdsong, and pause where sunlight dapples the water for a few quiet moments.

After lunch, travel back to Seoul. Check in to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure—perhaps a gentle stroll to a neighborhood café or convenience store run for late-night snacks.

Check out and meet your driver for a comfortable transfer to Incheon International Airport (ICN). As the skyline slips behind Han River bridges, recap the highlights—palace courtyards, tea-scented temples, hanok lanes, green tea terraces, tidal wetlands and mountain air—stitched together by fast trains, flavorful markets and gracious hosts.

At the terminal, your bags are tagged and you glide through efficient departures. Pick up last treats—jeju tangerine chocolates, honey butter almonds, sheet masks—or find a quiet corner for one final iced latte before boarding. As wheels lift, Seoul’s patchwork of neon and temple eaves narrows to a memory—bright, layered and deliciously modern.