Tradition & Tech: Seoul to Tokyo

Description

From the DMZ to samurai towns: Seoul, Suwon & Jeonju, bamboo groves and Haeinsa Temple, Busan; then Japan with Osaka, a monastery night on Mt. Koya, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go, Takayama, Matsumoto and an in-depth Tokyo tour.

16-day culture dive. Seoul city and the Cheorwon DMZ (Second Tunnel, Peace Observatory, Woljeong-ri station, memorials). Historic Seoul: Changdeokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok, War Memorial, Gangnam and Lotte World Tower by night; Gyeongbokgung and Suwon fortress next day. Through Jeonju, the bamboo forest in Damyang and the UNESCO Haeinsa Temple to Busan (UN Memorial, fish market). Fly to Osaka; overnight in a monastery on Mount Koya with meditation. Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari, Imperial Palace and Kinkaku-ji; then Kanazawa and the Kenrokuen garden, Shirakawa-go & Gokayama villages, Takayama and Hida. Visit Matsumoto Castle and end with a full Tokyo tour (Meiji Shrine, Shibuya Crossing, Asakusa and more) plus a Shinjuku night experience.

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Program 16 Days

Flights JFK–HKG–Seoul / Tokyo–HKG–JFK. 9 meals included.

• Day
  0

  Day 1 • Flight JFK ? Seoul

  Overnight flight bound for Seoul, South Korea.

• Day
  1

  Day 2 • Seoul — Arrival

  Welcome to Korea! Airport meet-and-greet and private transfer to the hotel. Free time.

• Day
  2

  Day 3 • Cheorwon DMZ Area

  Second Infiltration Tunnel, Cheorwon Peace Observatory, Woljeong-ri Station, Baekma Battle Memorial. Lunch included. Visit a makgeolli (rice wine) spot. Return to Seoul.

• Day
  3

  Day 4 • Seoul Highlights + Evening Walk

  Changdeokgung Palace (UNESCO), Bukchon Hanok Village, War Memorial of Korea, Gangnam, Lotte World Tower area. Lunch included. Evening: City Hall & Deoksugung exterior, stroll Myeongdong; dinner included; metro back.

• Day
  4

  Day 5 • Seoul City Tour (Alt. Program)

  Changdeokgung, Bukchon, War Memorial, Gangnam, Lotte World Tower (time to visit or shop; admission not included). Lunch included. Free evening.

• Day
  5

  Day 6 • Seoul • Suwon • Jeonju

  Morning Seoul sights incl. Gyeongbokgung* (if schedule allows) and guard ceremony; continue to Suwon (Hwaseong Fortress area) and on to Jeonju Hanok Village. *Order may vary.

• Day
  6

  day 7

  Friday, May 2026 — JEONJU • DAMYANG • HAEINSA • BUSAN Depart to the Sunchang Gochujang Village at the foot of Mt. Amisan, with hanok houses and courtyards full of clay jars (hang-a-ri) used by master artisans who make gochujang (Korean chili paste) by traditional methods—we’ll enjoy a hands-on experience learning how it’s prepared. Then on to Damyang to visit the Juknokwon Bamboo Forest, whose paths are famed as the country’s most beautiful—perfect for quiet contemplation. You’ll find many bamboo products and can learn more at the Bamboo Museum. Lunch included—we’ll try the local specialty: rice cooked and served in a bamboo stalk. Through spectacular forested mountains we reach Haeinsa to visit one of Korea’s most important Buddhist temples (UNESCO). Built in 802, it houses the Tripitaka, the most complete collection of Buddhist texts, carved on 80,000 wooden blocks. Continue to Busan, Korea’s second city, vibrant and bustling. Overnight.

• Day
  7

  day 8

  Saturday, May 2026 — BUSAN ? OSAKA In the morning, we visit Haedong Yonggungsa, a 14th-century seaside Buddhist temple. Return to Busan. We’ll see the United Nations Memorial Cemetery, where people from many countries are buried. We’ll visit the country’s largest fish market near Nampo port. Lunch included at a local restaurant. Then transfer to the airport for the flight (included) to OSAKA. Welcome to Japan! Arrival, transfer to the hotel, and overnight.

• Day
  8

  day 9

  Sunday, May 2026 — MOUNT KOYA At 11:30 AM we depart for the sacred Mount Koya, the most important center of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. This magical pilgrimage site has 120 temples and monasteries. We’ll visit the Okunoin Mausoleum, a spiritual site with an immense forest cemetery of over 200,000 graves, and Kongobu-ji Temple (built in 1593). Tonight we’ll stay in a Buddhist monastery. The monks will offer a Zen meditation (Ajikan) practice. Dinner included (vegetarian). If you wish, you may attend the temple’s morning ceremony before breakfast. Note: Overnighting at the monastery is a valuable experiential stay. Rooms are simple, Japanese style (tatami), without private bathrooms; bathrooms are shared. Meditation may not be available on very busy dates. Capacity on Mount Koya is limited; occasionally groups may be lodged in nearby hotels (half board provided).

• Day
  9

  day 10

  Monday, May 2026 — MOUNT KOYA ? KYOTO Japanese breakfast at the temple. Early departure to Kyoto, capital of Japan from 794 to 1868 and seat of the imperial court. The city was not bombed in WWII, so it preserves a rich artistic heritage; the Kyoto Protocol (1997) was signed here. We’ll include a tour of key sites: the Fushimi Inari Shinto shrine; the Imperial Palace; and Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) with its magnificent gardens.

• Day
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  day 11

  Tuesday, May 2026 — KYOTO ? EIHEI-JI ? KATSUYAMA (DINOSAUR MUSEUM) ? KATSUYAMA ? KANAZAWA After breakfast we follow one of Japan’s largest lakes, with a short stop at Shirahige Ginra, a small lakeside shrine. Arrive at Eihei-ji (admission included), a temple-monastery founded in 1244 and a major center of Zen Buddhism; its setting, architecture, gardens, and spiritual atmosphere make it a training center for monks practicing zazen under a strict daily regimen. Then in Katsuyama we visit three sites: the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum (Japan’s largest dinosaur fossil site; free time for lunch and to explore—40+ skeletons on display); the Great Buddha of Echizen with its vast temple and five-story pagoda (you can go up for the view). Arrive in Kanazawa in the late afternoon.

• Day
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  day 12

  Wednesday, May 2026 — KANAZAWA Full day in Kanazawa. Morning city tour of a metropolis that historically rivaled Kyoto and Tokyo and escaped WWII air raids. We’ll visit the castle area and stroll Nagamachi, the former samurai district with preserved residences, earthen walls, private gates, narrow lanes, and water canals. Admission to Kenroku-en, one of Japan’s three most beautiful gardens, is included. We’ll finish at Omicho, a lively traditional market with many lunch spots. Free afternoon. (The original text repeats a Mount Koya note about Kongobu-ji and monastery lodging; that content applies to the Mount Koya day above.)

• Day
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  day 13

  Thursday, May 2026 — KANAZAWA ? AINOKURA ? SHIRAKAWA-GO ? HIDA FOLK VILLAGE ? TAKAYAMA Amid mountain scenery, forests, and traditional villages we explore Gokayama and Shirakawa-go (UNESCO). Their gassho-zukuri farmhouses—“hands in prayer”—have steep thatched roofs designed to shed heavy winter snows. Stops in Ainokura (a charming small village) and Shirakawa-go (Ogimachi) (a larger, well-known village). Time to stroll and have lunch. Continue to Takayama for the Hida Folk Village museum: over 30 traditional houses from the Edo period (1603–1868) relocated here in 1971, displaying tools and everyday utensils. Free time in Takayama’s old town with wooden houses and traditional shops.

• Day
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  day 14

  Friday, May 2026 — TAKAYAMA ? HIDA FURUKAWA ? MATSUMOTO ? TOKYO After breakfast we head to Hida Furukawa to walk its old quarter. Its festival is listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, featuring huge drums and beautifully decorated floats—admission to the festival museum is included. We then cross the Japanese Alps, snowy much of the year. Arrive in Matsumoto to visit its impressive castle (the “Crow Castle” for its black color), dating from the 16th century. Free time for lunch and a stroll. Mid-afternoon departure back to Tokyo; arrival in the evening.

• Day
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  day 15

  Saturday, May 2026 — TOKYO In the morning, a roughly five-hour guided tour of this simply astonishing city—frenetic energy and cutting-edge districts alongside peaceful areas. Brief stop at Zojo-ji Temple for the best view/photo of Tokyo Tower; note the hundreds of Jizo statues (guardians of children) adorned with knit caps, bibs, and pinwheels. Continue to the famous Shibuya Crossing, said to be the world’s busiest. Visit Meiji Shrine, dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his consort; drive along elegant Omotesando Avenue; see the prettiest part of the Imperial Palace and gardens with a stop at the Nijubashi Bridge. Cross Akihabara (Electric Town, heart of manga/anime) and pass the Kokugikan sumo arena. We’ll finish in Asakusa, visiting Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise Street. Lunch included at a local restaurant. 6:30 PM: meet your guide in the hotel lobby; take the metro (tickets included) to Shinjuku for a short walk to the restaurant and to experience its vibrant nightlife. Dinner included at a local restaurant. Return to the hotel by metro with the guide.

• Day
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  day 16

  Sunday, May 2026 — TOKYO After breakfast, free day.

• Day
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  day 17

  Monday, May 2026 — FLIGHT TOKYO ? NEW YORK Transfer to the airport for your flight back to New York. The order of activities may vary without affecting the itinerary’s content.

Tour Includes