Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Korea: Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island for Food Lovers
8 days from Seoul to Jeju: a market food walk and kimchi class in Seoul, bibimbap in Jeonju, two nights in Busan and three on Jeju with Seongsan, the haenyeo divers and the Olle Trail.
8 days · Seoul to Jeju · up to 12 guests
Painted eaves at a shrine hall in Jeonju Hanok Village Photo: Hankook12, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jeonju_Hanok_Village_South_Korea_02.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Seoul to Jeju
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Most days mean 2 to 4 hours on your feet in markets, palaces and lanes, with stairs at Haedong Yonggungsa and Gamcheon. Seongsan Ilchulbong is a climb of about 180 m on stairs, about 25 minutes up. The Olle Trail section on day 7 is roughly 7 km on coastal paths and steps; a shorter 3 km section or sitting it out is always an option.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 780 (estimated price)
- Season
- March to June and September to November
Highlights
Why this trip
- Gwangjang Market as lunch: mung-bean pancakes off the griddle, mayak gimbap and hand-cut noodles, with your guide doing the ordering
- A hands-on kimchi class in Seoul, where you salt, season and taste your own batch
- Jeonju bibimbap in the city that made it famous, on the way south
- Haedong Yonggungsa on its sea rocks before the tour coaches, then Gamcheon's painted hillside lanes
- Jagalchi fish market in the morning, when the stalls are at their busiest
- Seongsan Ilchulbong at opening, the haenyeo divers and a seafood lunch on Jeju's east coast
- A stage of the Jeju Olle Trail along Seogwipo's cliffs, then a black pork barbecue to finish
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 780 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Seoul
Incheon International Airport to your hotel in central Seoul
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Seoul
- Drive about 1.5 h
Fly into Incheon International Airport (ICN), on an island west of the city, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive of about an hour and a quarter into central Seoul.
Evening
Our hotel is in the old centre, within walking distance of Changdeokgung and the Jongno lanes, so the first evening needs no taxis. If you land early, rest, or take a first walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream, a restored waterway that runs below street level through the middle of downtown. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week: how the food days work, what to bring for the Jeju walk, how the train and flight days run and what you can leave to us. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner of Korean barbecue, grilled at the table with banchan, the small side dishes that come with every Korean meal, and your guide explains how to wrap, dip and order.
Included
- Pick-up at Incheon International Airport (ICN)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner of Korean barbecue
Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing
Activity: Plan to land by about 3 pm to reach the briefing; the exact time is confirmed with your final itinerary.
Changdeokgung, Gwangjang Market and a kimchi class
Changdeokgung to Gwangjang Market on foot, then a kimchi class
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Seoul
We are at Changdeokgung when it opens at 9 am, before the school groups. Built in the early 1400s and listed by UNESCO in 1997, it is the palace that follows the hills rather than flattening them; your guide walks you through the gates to Injeongjeon, the throne hall, and the royal quarters behind it.
Afternoon
From there it is a walk of about 20 minutes east to Gwangjang Market, one of Seoul's oldest covered markets, and this is lunch. We stop at the griddles for bindaetteok, mung-bean pancakes fried crisp in front of you, then mayak gimbap, small rice rolls with a mustard dip, hand-cut kalguksu noodles and, for the curious, yukhoe, Korean beef tartare. Your guide orders, explains and keeps the portions small so you can try more. After a break at the hotel, the afternoon is a hands-on kimchi class: salting napa cabbage, mixing the chilli paste and tasting your own batch with a bowl of rice.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Changdeokgung at opening with your guide, including Injeongjeon throne hall
- Gwangjang Market food walk as lunch: bindaetteok, mayak gimbap, kalguksu and more
- Hands-on kimchi class with tasting
Optional experiences
- The Secret Garden (Huwon) of Changdeokgung on its own timed tour, booked on the day if places remain
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 3 to 4 hours on foot, mostly on flat ground.
KTX to Jeonju for bibimbap, then down to Busan
Seoul to Jeonju by KTX, then by road to Busan
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Busan
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A morning KTX high-speed train takes us south from Yongsan Station to Jeonju in under two hours, while you watch the rice fields of the southwest go by. Our van and driver meet the train, take the luggage and stay with us from here to Busan, so nobody carries a case through a station. Jeonju is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and the home of bibimbap, and its old centre is the Hanok Village, several hundred tile-roofed houses in a grid of lanes. We walk through it to Gyeonggijeon, the shrine built in 1410 for the portrait of the founder of the Joseon dynasty, and look into the stalls of Nambu Market.
Afternoon
Lunch is Jeonju bibimbap, served in a hot stone or brass bowl with the city's bean-sprout soup on the side. Early in the afternoon we drive about three and a quarter hours to Busan, with a rest stop on the way, arriving around 6:30 pm.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- KTX high-speed train from Seoul (Yongsan) to Jeonju
- Jeonju Hanok Village and Gyeonggijeon shrine with your guide
- Nambu Market
- Lunch of Jeonju bibimbap
- Drive from Jeonju to Busan in our own vehicle
Free time: Evening free in Busan
Activity: The longest travel day: under two hours on the train and about three and a quarter hours by road, broken by a rest stop.
Haedong Yonggungsa, Gamcheon and Busan by the station
Busan to Haedong Yonggungsa, then Gamcheon Culture Village and Busan Station
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Busan
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
We leave after an early breakfast to reach Haedong Yonggungsa by about 8:30 am, before the tour coaches. Unlike most Korean temples, which sit in the mountains, this one stands on rocks above the sea on Busan's east coast; the path goes down past stone lanterns and a row of zodiac statues to the halls, with the waves breaking below.
Afternoon
Back towards the city we stop for a sit-down lunch of milmyeon, Busan's cold wheat noodles, created by refugees during the Korean War, or a hot dish in the cooler months. In the afternoon we walk the lanes of Gamcheon Culture Village, a hillside of terraced houses painted in bright colours, with murals and small galleries along the stairways and a view down to the harbour.
Evening
You have a couple of hours free at the hotel, then in the evening your guide walks you across the square in front of Busan Station to the lanes beyond for dwaeji gukbap, the pork and rice soup Busan claims as its own.
Included
- Haedong Yonggungsa in the early morning with your guide
- Sit-down lunch of milmyeon or a hot Busan dish
- Gamcheon Culture Village
- Dinner of dwaeji gukbap near Busan Station
Easier option: Gamcheon is all stairs; stay in the van for the upper lanes and meet the group at the viewpoint by the main road.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: Steps at the temple and steep stairways in Gamcheon; about 3 hours on foot in all.
Jagalchi in the morning, then fly to Jeju
Jagalchi Market, then Gimhae Airport to Jeju by air and on to Seogwipo
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Seogwipo
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
Busan's fish market is best early, so after breakfast we walk from the hotel to Jagalchi by about 8 am, while the stalls along the harbour are busiest. Your guide takes you through the tanks of flatfish, octopus, sea squirts and king crab, explains how locals buy and have their fish cut upstairs, and buys a few things to taste.
Afternoon
We book a flight that leaves late morning or around midday so the 8 am start fits. Mid-morning our van drives about 45 minutes to Gimhae International Airport (PUS) for the flight of about an hour to Jeju, an island of volcanic rock off the south coast, listed by UNESCO in 2007 for its volcano and lava tubes. A second van meets us at Jeju International Airport for the hour's drive over the shoulder of Hallasan to Seogwipo on the south coast, our base for three nights.
Evening
After check-in and a rest, we walk to the Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market for a tasting dinner: tangerines, grilled fish, hotteok pancakes and whatever is in season.
Included
- Jagalchi Market in the morning with your guide, with tastings
- Flight from Busan (Gimhae, PUS) to Jeju (CJU) with a checked bag
- Transfer from Jeju International Airport to Seogwipo
- Tasting dinner at Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market
Free time: Late afternoon free in Seogwipo
Activity: Flight times are set when the group's flight is booked; the market visit is moved earlier if the flight is.
Seongsan Ilchulbong and the haenyeo
Seogwipo to Seongsan Ilchulbong and Hado, then back to Seogwipo
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Seogwipo
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
We leave Seogwipo early and drive about an hour east to be at Seongsan Ilchulbong, Sunrise Peak, at opening time, which changes with the season; we confirm it for your dates. The crater is a tuff cone that rose from the sea about 5,000 years ago; stairs climb about 180 m to the rim, around 25 minutes up, and the bowl of the crater opens below you with the sea on three sides. If it opens before sunrise on your dates, we climb for the sunrise itself. Breakfast is after the climb, near the foot of the peak. A short drive north takes us to the Jeju Haenyeo Museum at Hado, which tells the story of the island's women divers, who gather shellfish and seaweed on a single breath; their culture was listed by UNESCO in 2016.
Afternoon
Lunch is seafood the haenyeo bring in: abalone porridge and a seafood stew. In the early afternoon we watch a haenyeo demonstration on the shore below Seongsan, then drive back to Seogwipo by about 4 pm.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Seongsan Ilchulbong at opening
- Jeju Haenyeo Museum at Hado
- Seafood lunch with abalone porridge
- Haenyeo diving demonstration below Seongsan, weather permitting
Easier option: Skip the climb: walk the flat path around the foot of the peak to the shore, and meet the group for breakfast.
More active option: Walk the stretch of Olle Route 1 from the Gwangchigi beach side back towards the peak while the group has breakfast.
Free time: Evening free in Seogwipo
Activity: Seongsan is about 25 minutes of steady stairs each way. The haenyeo demonstration is cancelled in rough seas; if it is, we visit a haenyeo-run seafood shack instead. Seongsan Ilchulbong closes on the first Monday of each month, so departures avoid it on this day.
The Olle Trail and a black pork farewell
Seogwipo along a section of Olle Route 7, from Oedolgae to Beophwan
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Seogwipo
- Drive about 45 min
The Jeju Olle Trail is a chain of numbered walking routes around the coast of the island, marked with blue and orange ribbons. We walk a section of Route 7, one of the most walked, joining it at Oedolgae, a 20-metre basalt pillar standing in the sea, and heading west along the cliff tops, through pine woods and down to pebble coves, roughly 7 km and three hours at an easy pace.
Afternoon
The van meets us at Beophwan, a small fishing port, for a sit-down lunch of grilled fish or a seafood hot pot. The afternoon is free: rest at the hotel, see Jeongbang Falls, a waterfall that drops straight onto the shore, or try a Jeju tangerine farm in season.
Evening
In the evening we come together for the farewell dinner: Jeju black pork, a local breed, grilled thick-cut at the table and eaten with fermented anchovy sauce, the island's own way.
Included
- Guided walk on a section of Jeju Olle Route 7, Oedolgae to Beophwan
- Sit-down lunch in Beophwan
- Farewell dinner of Jeju black pork barbecue
Easier option: Walk only the first 3 km from Oedolgae and ride the van to lunch.
More active option: Carry on past Beophwan towards Gangjeong and Wolpyeong, the far end of Route 7, and rejoin the group for dinner.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: Roughly 7 km on coastal paths, wooden steps and some rocky stretches (the exact section distance is confirmed with your itinerary); walking shoes with grip.
Leave from Jeju
Seogwipo to Jeju International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A last breakfast in Seogwipo, with time for a walk along the harbour or to the Saeseom footbridge if your flight is later in the day. Our van drives you about an hour back over the island to Jeju International Airport (CJU), where your guide checks you in and says goodbye. Jeju has a few international flights, but most long-haul flights home leave from Incheon, so the usual way is a domestic flight to Seoul's Gimpo Airport, about an hour and ten minutes, and then the train or a taxi across to Incheon. For that connection, book an onward long-haul flight from Incheon after about 5 pm and a Jeju to Gimpo flight leaving before noon. If you would rather stay longer on the island or add nights in Seoul, tell us when you book and we arrange the hotel and transfers. We set the group's departure time from the hotel to suit the earliest flight.
Included
- Drop-off at Jeju International Airport (CJU)
Free time: Morning free if your flight allows
Activity: Book a Jeju flight leaving after about 10:30 am, and an Incheon long-haul flight after about 5 pm.
- Seoul2 nights
- Busan2 nights
- Seogwipo3 nights
- Jejuend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Spring brings cherry blossom in Seoul and Busan in late March and early April and yellow canola fields on Jeju; autumn is clear and dry with foliage from late October. Jeju is windy all year, and summer rain and typhoons can cancel haenyeo shows and flights, which is why the trip avoids July and August.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who plan their days around what to eat
- A first visit to Korea that goes beyond Seoul to the coast and Jeju
- Walkers who want a taste of the Olle Trail without a full hiking trip
- Solo travellers who want company at the table
Not for you if you want
- Strict vegetarians or vegans: most included meals are built on pork, beef or seafood
- Step-free access: temples, Gamcheon and Seongsan mean many stairs
- Travellers who want the DMZ, Gyeongju and a hanok night (see the Korea classic)
- A beach holiday on Jeju
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Seoul2 nights
- Busan2 nights
- Seogwipo3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 2 in central Seoul, 2 in Busan's old downtown near Busan Station and Jagalchi, 3 in Seogwipo on Jeju
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Incheon International Airport (ICN)
- KTX high-speed train from Seoul (Yongsan) to Jeonju
- Our own vehicle and driver from Jeonju to Busan and around Busan
- Flight from Busan (Gimhae, PUS) to Jeju (CJU) with a checked bag
- Our own vehicle and driver on Jeju
- Drop-off at Jeju International Airport (CJU)
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, from the Incheon arrival to the Jeju airport
- Local hosts for the kimchi class and the haenyeo demonstration
Activities
- Seoul: Changdeokgung, the Gwangjang Market food walk and a hands-on kimchi class
- Jeonju: the Hanok Village, Gyeonggijeon shrine and Nambu Market
- Busan: Haedong Yonggungsa, Gamcheon Culture Village and Jagalchi Market with tastings
- Jeju: Seongsan Ilchulbong, the Jeju Haenyeo Museum, a haenyeo demonstration and a guided Olle Trail walk on Route 7
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: the Gwangjang Market food walk, Jeonju bibimbap, a Busan lunch, a haenyeo seafood lunch and lunch after the Olle walk
- 4 dinners: a welcome Korean barbecue, dwaeji gukbap in Busan, a tasting dinner at Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market and a black pork farewell dinner
- What you make at the kimchi class
Not included
- International flights to Seoul and home from Jeju, including any domestic flight from Jeju to Seoul
- K-ETA fee if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide and driver (optional; tipping is not customary in Korea)
- The Secret Garden tour at Changdeokgung and other optional activities
- Extra baggage weight on the Jeju flight
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 780 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 3,905 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 4,225. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 4,595.
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners, the kimchi class, the KTX to Jeonju, our own vehicle from Jeonju to Busan and on Jeju, the Busan to Jeju flight with a checked bag, airport transfers at both ends, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every entry in the day plan, including Seongsan Ilchulbong and the haenyeo.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so everyone fits at one barbecue table, hears the guide in a busy market and walks the Olle Trail together without a queue at every narrow step.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from the Incheon arrival to the Jeju airport, orders and explains the food, and handles the train, the flight and the vans. Local hosts lead the kimchi class and the haenyeo demonstration.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Expect 2 to 4 hours on your feet most days, stairs at Haedong Yonggungsa and Gamcheon, a climb of about 180 m up Seongsan, and about 7 km on the Olle Trail. Each demanding stretch has a shorter option or a seat in the van.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 780 more for the whole trip, shown up front when you request to book. If you would rather share, tell us and we pair you with another solo guest of the same gender where we can.
When is the best time to go?
March to June and September to November. Spring brings cherry blossom and Jeju's canola fields, and autumn is clear and dry with foliage from late October. July and August bring heavy rain and typhoon risk that cancel haenyeo shows, and winter is cold and windy for the Olle walk.
Can I eat on this trip if I am vegetarian or have allergies?
Partly. Korean food leans on pork, beef and seafood, and many side dishes contain fish sauce or shrimp. Tell us when you book and we plan a version of each included meal, but strict vegans will find several meals, including the barbecues and the haenyeo lunch, hard to match.
Is there a ferry from Busan to Jeju?
We fly because it saves most of a day. A car ferry between Busan and Jeju has run on and off over the years, sailing overnight to Jeju City on the north coast. The flight takes about an hour, so you reach Seogwipo in time for a market dinner the same evening.
How do I get home from Jeju?
Most guests take a domestic flight from Jeju to Seoul Gimpo, about an hour and ten minutes, then cross to Incheon for the long-haul flight. Book the Incheon flight after about 5 pm. We can book the Jeju to Seoul leg or extra nights for you.
Do I need a visa for South Korea?
Canadians and Americans do not need a visa for a short tourist stay. Korea's K-ETA travel authorisation has been waived for some countries for set periods, so we tell you whether your passport needs one, and how to file the arrival card, when we confirm your trip.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we quote the same hotels, train, flight and drivers without a group.
How does booking work?
Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 4,595 for the small group. Pick your start date and request to book; we confirm your place within 24 hours. No payment is taken until we have confirmed.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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