Foodie & Wellness Tour in South Korea

Welcome to South Korea, also known as the Land of the Morning Calm. Upon your arrival, your driver will be waiting for you at the arrival gate with a signboard with you name. Then, you will be transferred to your hotel and after doing the check-in, the rest of the day will be free at leisure.

Today you will embark on an exciting Foodie Market Tour! Opened in 1964, Namdaemun Market is the largest traditional market in Korea with shops selling various goods. All products are sold at affordable prices and the stores in this area also function as wholesale markets. Most of the goods are made directly by the storeowners. Namdaemun Market sells a variety of clothes, glasses, kitchenware, toys, mountain gear, fishing equipment, stationery, fine arts, accessories, hats, carpets, flowers, ginseng, and imported goods. Gwangjang Market is opened in 1905, with 5,000 independent shops that is for clothing (Korean traditional costume, Hanbok), food etc. Gwangjang Market is truly famous for is its delicious Mung-bean pancake (Bindaetteok). All the prices are very affordable, and you can feel the energy of Korean people day and night here. After this, you will experience a Korean Cooking Class. You can make traditional Korean dishes such as Bulgogi, Japchae, Bibimbap, etc. for 2 to 3 hours including traditional market tour and lunch. Those dishes are Korean's everyday meal and surprisingly easy to make even for foreigners

Our first stop on this walking tour will be Gyeongbokgung Palace, built in 1395 is the Joseon Dynasty royal palace in Seoul that has been restored over the last 200 years. Gyeongbokgung palace is the symbol of Korea and represents its national sovereignty. Gyeongbokgung Place is ranked as the top place in Seoul, South Korea. Gyeongbokgung Palace is also commonly referred to as the “Northern Palace” because it is the furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeongheegung (Western Palace). Our second stop will be Insadong, located in the heart of the city, is an important place where old but precious and traditional goods are on display. There is one main road in Insa-dong with alleys on each side. Within these alleys are galleries, traditional restaurants, traditional teahouses, and cafés. To keep the ambience, even international cafés like Starbucks changed their banners from English spelling to Korean Hangeul. Then, we will visit a Jjimjilbang, where you can relax your body and mind. Enjoy the benefits of the facility's hot tubs, showers, kiln saunas, and massage machines. Finally, we will visit Gyeongdong Market, located in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, is one of the largest herbal medicine and ginseng markets of South Korea. Since its establishment in 1960, the market supplies 70 percent of the nation's herbal medicine ingredients and has more than 1,000 related shops and oriental medicine clinics in the area.

Today, you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Seoraksan, where you will take the cable car to the top of Seoraksan Mountain with its highest point, Daecheongbong Peak, located 1,708 m above ground. Seoraksan Mountain is one of the most beautiful mountains in Korea, boasting a variety of colorful flowers in spring, refreshing clear water streams in summer, vibrant autumn foliages in fall, and a scenic snow-covered landscape in winter. Shinheungsa is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is situated on the slopes of Seoraksan in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, S. Korea. Sinheungsa is located in Seoraksan National Park, and many tourists hiking Seoraksan up to Ulsanbawi (peak) pass by the temple on the way. Other temples with the name Sinheungsa are located in Seoul, Samcheok and Incheon. The Great Unification Buddha, this is part of Sinheungsa temple, as well as temple stay, a 14.6 m, 108 ton gilt-bronze Buddha statue, called "Tongil Daebul", sits atop a 4.3 m high pedestal, of the same material, making the total height 18.9 m, excluding the lightning rod and nimbus. Then walk/trek a short trail: Biseondae, Biryeong Falls or Heundeulbawi and learn about Temple stay Etiquettes by video Enjoy your dinner before your last activity of the day, which will be a Sound meditation & Yebul-Evening Chanting Ceremony.

Start your day with a Sound meditation & Yebul-Early Morning Chanting Ceremony. Then, enjoy your Breakfast Offering before walking/trekking a long trail: Geumganggul(cave), Towangseong Falls(Observatory), Ulsanbawi. Experience making a bracelet-style prayer beads. Finish your stay with a Survey, Teatime and then, check-out to take your transfer back to Seoul.

Good Morning! Your English-speaking Driver will transfer you to Incheon Airport 3 hours before your Flight. Hope to see you again. Transfer to Incheon International Airport by car: 1 hour, 60 km.