Elegant South Korea Tour with Turkish Airlines
Highlights:
• With Turkish Airlines • 5 Nights Accommodation • Extra Tours Included • No Visa RequiredIstanbul
We meet at Istanbul Airport's international departures terminal three hours before the flight. (1 day before the flight date) We complete our baggage, ticket, and boarding procedures.
Seoul – Gangnam Square – Seoul
Our flight to Seoul begins with a scheduled Turkish Airlines service. We will spend the night on the plane. After our arrival in Seoul, we proceed to our private bus waiting for us at the airport. Then, transfer to Gangnam Square. Gangnam, meaning the south of the Han River, is the third largest district in Seoul. In the area that gained popularity after PSY’s song Gangnam Style, places that can be seen panoramically include Cheongdam fashion street, Gangnam Station, Bonguensa Temple, and the Starfield Library. After the shopping, dining, and photo break we will give, transfer to our hotel in Seoul and free time to rest. Accommodation at our hotel.
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After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for our Nami Island tour, a half-moon-shaped island on the Han River. It takes its name from General Nami, who lived during the Joseon Dynasty. The island is known especially for its natural beauty and cultural events, and offers a different beauty in every season. With cherry blossoms in spring, green trees in summer, colorful leaves in autumn, and snow-covered landscapes in winter, the island offers visitors unique experiences and is especially famous for its tree-lined paths such as the Metasequoia Road and Ginkgo Tree Road. Then we depart for our visit to the “Garden of Morning Calm” Arboretum. It is an arboretum founded in 1996 by Professor Han Sang-kyung. Spanning an area of approximately 330,000 square meters, this garden is home to more than 5,000 plant species. The garden takes its name from India’s famous poet Tagore describing Korea as the “Land of Morning Calm.” Continuing our tour, after our photo break at N-Seoul Tower, the city’s symbol, we transfer to our hotel in Seoul and have free time to rest. Accommodation at our hotel.
Seoul – Busan
After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, by high-speed train. Upon arrival, we visit the United Nations Korean Memorial Cemetery, built in memory of the soldiers from 16 countries who were martyred in the Korean War between 1950 and 1953. The cemetery, which is home to the graves of 2,319 soldiers from 11 countries, is the world’s only United Nations cemetery. In particular, the Turkish Cemetery, with the graves of 462 Turkish soldiers, is one of the greatest symbols of Türkiye-Korea friendship. We continue our tour with a visit to Yonggungsa Temple. With its unique architecture combined with sea views, the temple was rebuilt in 1970 using traditional colors. It also features a three-story pagoda decorated with four lion statues; these lions symbolize joy, anger, sadness, and happiness. Then, transfer to Mipo Station for our Blue Line Park Sky Capsule tour. On a 2-kilometer route extending from Mipo Station to Cheongsapo Station, these capsules move automatically 7 to 10 meters above the ground and offer passengers magnificent views of Haeundae beach, providing a unique sightseeing experience. The Sky Capsule has an average speed of 4 km/h and comes in vibrant colors such as red, yellow, green, and blue. During the journey, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Haeundae coastline and take unforgettable photos. At the end of the tour, transfer to our hotel in Busan and free time to rest. Overnight at our hotel.
Note: We will travel from Seoul to Busan by high-speed train and return the same way. On the day we go to Busan, we recommend that our guests bring clothes for 2 days. Large luggage will be left at the hotel in Seoul.
Busan – Gyeongju – Busan
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Gamcheon Culture Village, a tourist area famous for its narrow streets, colorful houses, and street art, known as “Busan’s Santorini” or “Lego Village.” Gamcheon, whose colorful atmosphere and artistic texture offer an unforgettable experience, was built by refugees during the Korean War in the 1950s. In 2009, with the art project “Dreaming of Machu Picchu in Busan,” artists and students painted the village’s walls and houses in vivid colors and decorated them with various artworks and sculptures. This project turned Gamcheon into a popular tourist destination. Continue our tour and proceed to Gyeongju, known for its rich historical heritage, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and referred to as the “Museum Without Walls.” Our first stop in the city, which served as the capital of the Silla Kingdom for nearly a thousand years from 57 BC to 935 AD, is Bulguksa Temple. The temple was built during the Silla Kingdom in the 8th century and is considered one of Korea’s most valuable cultural heritage sites. In 1995, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the nearby Seokguram Cave. Bulguksa Temple stands out with its structures reflecting the architectural elegance and artistic details of the Silla period, and it has seven important works considered Korean National Treasures. Continue our tour and proceed to our visit to Cheomseongdae Observatory. It is 17 meters high and shaped like a cylindrical tower. Its body, made of 365 cut granite stones, symbolizes the days of the year. The square window in the middle divides the structure into two sections of 12 stones each, representing the 12 months. Then, proceed for our Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond tour. The palace was used during the Silla period as the residence of the crown prince and for important state ceremonies. Wolji Pond, also known as the “Moon Reflecting Lake,” is an artificial pond surrounded by stone walls. Today, Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond offer visitors enchanting views, especially with nighttime illumination. After the photo break we will give here, transfer to our hotel in Busan and free time to rest. Accommodation at our hotel.
Busan – Suwon – Seoul
After breakfast at the hotel, we return to Seoul by high-speed train. Upon our arrival, after a short walk on the walls of Hwaseong Fortress, built in Suwon by King Jeongjo in honor of Crown Prince Sado, we continue with our visit to the Korean Folk Village. This village, an open-air museum where you can experience traditional Korean life and culture from the Joseon Dynasty period, has hosted many Korean TV series and films. After our visit to the village, where we can see the daily life, traditional houses, and handicrafts from the Joseon Dynasty period, we transfer to Namdaemun Market, one of the country's largest traditional markets, opened in 1964. There are more than 10,000 shops and stalls in the market. A wide range of products is offered, such as clothing, cosmetics, accessories, kitchenware, toys, stationery supplies, materials, flowers, ginseng, and imported products. In this market, which is lively at all hours of the day, you can try the delicious street food of Korean cuisine and observe the local culture up close. At the end of the tour, transfer to our hotel in Seoul and free time to rest. Accommodation at our hotel.
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After breakfast at the hotel, we will check out of the rooms. Then, we will depart for our full-day Seoul city tour. During our tour, Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Korean National Folk Museum, Namsangol Hanok Village, Myeongdong Street, and N Seoul Tower are among the places we will see. Our first stop is Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was built in 1395 and is commonly referred to as the Northern Palace because of its northernmost location compared with the neighboring palaces Changdeokgung (the Eastern Palace) and Gyeonghuigung (the Western Palace). Then, we will visit the Korean National Folk Museum. The museum gives visitors insight into the daily life, art, and cultural development of the Korean people during various periods. After that, we will continue our tour at Namsangol Hanok Village. Located in the heart of Seoul, at the foot of Namsan Mountain, Namsangol Hanok Village is a fascinating cultural area where traditional Korean houses from the Joseon Dynasty have been faithfully reconstructed. During your visit, as you stroll among the historic hanoks, you will discover Korea’s past way of life and have the opportunity to witness traditional crafts and cultural performances. We will then transfer to Myeongdong, home to shopping and cosmetics stores and many restaurants. In Korea's most famous shopping and fashion district, you can enjoy shopping as you wish and taste local delicacies. At the end of the tour, we will transfer to Seoul Airport for our flight to Istanbul.
Seoul – Istanbul
After baggage, passport, and ticket procedures, we take our flight to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. With our arrival at Istanbul Airport, the tour and our services come to an end.
What's Included
Not Included
Museum, Ruins Site and Temple Entrance Fees, Blue Line Park Sky Capsule and Local Guides + Tourist City Taxes 125€ per person
***Will be paid to our guide during the tour***
ACCOMMODATION AND FLIGHT NOTES
o Check-in time at hotels is between 15:00 – 17:00 / Check-out time is between 10:00 – 12:00.
o Departure and arrival times are local times.
o Flights marked with * arrive at the destination on the calendar day following the departure date.
o Prices are not valid for groups; please ask for our special rates.
o The participant expressly accepts in advance that they will join the tours to be organized as stated in the tour program, will not disrupt the program, and will separately pay to the tour representative during the trip the amount previously announced in the tour program for payments related to expenses such as local guide, museum & ruins site entrance fees, city taxes, and, if applicable, headphone audio systems. The participant has been fully and completely informed on this matter.
o Due to the limited square meters of hotel rooms, Triple (3 adults) accommodation is not available.
o It will be possible to travel from Seoul to Busan and back by high-speed train. On the day of the trip to Busan, we recommend that our guests bring clothes for 2 days. Large luggage will be left at the hotel in Seoul.
o Guests traveling to Korea must apply and obtain approval through the website (www.k-eta.go.kr) or the mobile application (K-ETA) no later than 1 month before boarding the plane. In addition, the Consulate General cannot assist with your K-ETA application process. For healthy tracking of K-eta procedures, it is recommended that applications be made 40 days before the tour departure.
For persons whose K-ETA applications are rejected, the visa application link and the link to the steps to follow are as follows:
https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/tr-istanbul-tr/brd/m_8764/view.do?seq=761645&page=1
TK90 08 NOVEMBER ISTICN 0215 1820
TK91 14 NOVEMBER ICNIST 0010 0555
IMPORTANT NOTES
Our tour program is arranged with a minimum participation of 30 people. If sufficient participation is not achieved for the trip, the final cancellation notification date is 21 days before the tour departure. The cancellation of the tour due to insufficient participation will be notified to you through your agency.
In cases where there is insufficient participation but the tour is still carried out, English guidance may be provided.
In cases where only category information is given without specifying names in the tour program and/or there are options for the same destination, the hotel(s) will be notified by your agency 48 hours before the trip departure.
Triple rooms may be provided depending on hotel availability, and in such rooms the bed assigned to the 3rd person is smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed + 1 extra bed. Since extra beds are foldable and coach beds, tour participants are considered to have accepted the possible tightness in the rooms and the bed type in 3rd person and/or child reservations. Child discounts apply only for one child in the relevant age group staying with 2 adults. No bed guarantee is given in hotels for children aged 0-2.
Breakfasts included among the services in the tour program are served in accordance with the breakfast culture of the country visited and generally in a limited menu called continental breakfast, consisting of butter, jam, bread, tea, or coffee, and may be served for groups in a separate hall allocated to the group.
Since tour flights are group tickets, flight times may change. You can confirm the current flight details with your agency. Updated times will be conveyed by your agency with the tour information.
Tour flight times must be confirmed before purchasing domestic flights. If the guest purchased the domestic connection flight from a provider independent of the agency, they cannot claim any refund from the agency in the event that the trip is canceled by the agency or there is a schedule change. The guest accepts in advance any material and moral losses that may arise due to the cancellation/change of the tour when purchasing the tour. Lidya Tour cannot be held responsible for this situation. Lidya Tour is not responsible if guests who have purchased their own domestic flights miss the international flight due to possible delays, flight cancellations, etc.
According to airline rules, if the outbound flight of round-trip tickets is not used, the return flight is canceled by the airline.
Our guests who join the tour without flights must be present at the tour starting point on their own means and without any delay. Otherwise, they will have to arrange all transfers on their own.
Lidya Tour is not responsible if guests who do not show up at the specified airport at the times announced in accordance with airline rules for participation in the tour, do not complete check-in and boarding on time, or complete check-in and boarding on time but cannot board the plane, are unable to take the flight. All expenses related to obtaining new round-trip flight tickets needed for guests who miss the plane to join the tour and transfers in the destination area, etc., will be borne by them.
The personal belongings, bags, suitcases, passports/IDs of the participants are under their own responsibility, and Lidya Tour is not responsible for forgotten/lost/stolen items. In cases where forgotten items are found, there is no obligation to deliver them to the country and/or the person, and the expenses incurred during delivery belong to the owner of the item.
In cases such as illness, loss, or theft, the guide cannot accompany guests one by one, as the integrity and continuity of the group are essential for the guide.
When purchasing the tour, it is mandatory to provide the name, date of birth, and passport number exactly as shown in the passport. Air tickets are issued according to this information. Cancellation and change penalty fees for tickets arising from incorrect information will be collected from you.
In some airlines, food and beverage services and online check-in may be subject to a fee.
During the tour, seat numbers on the bus cannot be guaranteed.
During our tours, the times announced to guests by our guide are departure times, the time for the wheel to start turning. Our guide, who is responsible for protecting the rights of all our guests equally, will move the vehicle without waiting at the meeting times. In the event of a possible delay, our late guest will have to make their own way to the next stop.
Extra tours are organized by the local agency we work with, with a minimum participation requirement of 20 people. If the required number is not reached, the tours cannot be operated, or the extra tour prices, content, and vehicles used may vary depending on the number of participants. In addition, the days and times of the tours may be changed by the guide depending on the opening/closing status of the museums and ruins sites at the destinations and weather conditions. A different guide may accompany our guests during extra tours.
In our classic packages, where extra tours are not included, extra tours are optional and not mandatory. Passengers who do not wish to join the extra tours organized during the trip are considered to have accepted waiting at a suitable roadside rest facility. These passengers are dropped off at a roadside rest facility before the extra tour starts and picked up from the point where they were left after the tour is completed.
In programs where extra tours are included, it is mandatory to pay the museum & ruins site entrance fees to your agency during the reservation or to the guide during the tour.
The participant expressly accepts in advance that they will join the tours to be organized as stated in the tour program, will not disrupt the program, and will separately pay to the tour representative during the trip the amount previously announced in the tour program for payments related to expenses such as local guide, museum & ruins site entrance fees, city taxes, and, if applicable, headphone audio systems. The participant has been fully and completely informed on this matter.
Lidya Tour is an intermediary institution between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol of 28.09.1955. On scheduled and charter flights, there may be a risk of delay, or times may change before the current trip and flight. Lidya Tour is obliged to notify these changes as soon as possible. Our passengers have purchased the tour knowing and accepting that flight details may change.
VISA
• For Turkish citizens, to enter Korea, K-ETA approval or a visa is required. To apply for a visa, the passport must be valid for at least 8 months from the end date of travel.
For our guests traveling with a Turkish green passport, if the passport was issued more than 10 years ago, it must be renewed. Otherwise, they may not be accepted into the destination country and/or their flight may not be operated by the airline. In such a case, responsibility lies with the passenger.
The passport police have the authority to deny you entry into the country. Lidya Tour is not responsible for this situation; responsibility lies with the passenger.
To avoid problems with customs police at the border of the country to be visited due to torn, worn, wet, and/or similarly damaged passports; such passports must be renewed, and if it is a country that applies visas to Turkish citizens, the relevant visa must be in the new passport. Otherwise, responsibility lies with the passenger.
Since our guests under 18 traveling alone or with only one parent may be asked by the officer at border entry/exit for a document showing the mutual consent of the parents, we recommend that our guests under 18 and their parents be careful about this matter.