Seoul Exploration with DMZ & Temple Stay Experience

Welcome to Seoul, South Korea's vibrant capital.

Once arrive at the Inchon airport, you are greeted by the driver for your transfer to the hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day to recover from jet lag or explore the city on your own.

Meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel and start the Seoul exploration from the well-known Gyeongbokgung Palace - a principal royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty in the heart of downtown Seoul. Marvel at the magnificent architecture, and do not miss the guard changing ceremony. You can also rent traditional Korean clothes, Hanbok, for photo-taking, especially during the spring and autumn seasons.

Discover the ancient Korean people's daily lives at the National Folk Museum. And then change your pace to Bukchon Hanok Village, the home to hundreds of traditional Korean houses, Hanoks. Finally, look for some favored souvenirs and traditional Korean foods in Insadong, a vibrant district with many alleys that are lined with art galleries and shops selling handmade crafts, traditional goods, local snacks and other objects.

Your Seoul exploration today is a day trip to the Korean DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and Joint Security Area (Panmunjom).

You will be picked up at an appointed place in the morning and taken to visit one of the world's most sensitive borders. Explore a part of world history through Imjingak Park, Freedom Bridge, The 3rd Tunnel, Dora Observatory, Dorasan Station, Camp Bonifas (Slide show and Briefing), Freedom House, Conference Room, and Bridge of No Return. Be dropped off in downtown Seoul after the tour today.

For those wanting to find inner peace, we recommend the special temple-stay program for an immersive monastic life in Korea.

Located not far away from the cosmopolitan downtown area of Seoul, Geumsunsa Temple is popular for the temple-stay program because of its easily accessible location, beautiful natural surroundings and peaceful ambiance. This morning is yours to relax. Meet your driver in the afternoon and get to Geumsunsa Temple for a unique Korean Buddhist experience. After checking in, you will participate in various programs including Orientation & Temple Tour, Bell Tolling, and Buddhist Ceremony (Evening Chanting). A humble and plant-based temple dinner is also included.

Your short temple-stay experience is going to conclude today with a 06:40 am wake-up. Following breakfast, clean the room and return your uniform to the temple. After checking out in the late morning, enjoy a leisurely walking down the hill where Geumsunsa is located on. Then you will be taken back to your hotel in downtown Seoul.

The rest of the day is left for you to explore on your own. You may visit Changdeokgung Palace if you're an architecture/history buff, OR hang around the Myeongdong Shopping Street, the paradise for street food and shopping.

Conclude your Seoul exploration by enjoying some free time until you are transferred to Incheon airport for your onward flight.