Most travelers agree that Seoul is a magnet for Korean commerce, culture, art and politics; home to a quarter of the population. Centered around the wooded South Mountain , Seoul swirls and sprawls until reaching North Peak Mountain ; between these peaks lies the old walled city with many remnants still visible. Our city tours generally commence with a visit to the Secret Garden on the grounds of the Changdok Palace , perhaps the best preserved of the ancient Korean palaces. Escape the noise and movement of the city with a morning tea in the formal back gardens known as Nakson-jae still used by the royal family.

Explore the magnificently landscaped grounds of the Kyongbok Palace . Located on the palace grounds is the National Folklore Museum housing an excellent costume collection and re-created traditional folk houses. Wander through the National Museum of Korea , the largest museum in the country displaying over 100,000 items from ancient times. Strongly recommend is a morning excursion to the Korean Folk Village which authentically replicates a Yi Dynasty village complete with craft workshops, a brewery, Buddhist temple and live market. Drink rice wine at a local tavern, enjoy traditional dance and music before joining a traditional wedding with all its pomp and fanfare.

Vegetarians and vegetable lovers will find paradise in Korean cuisine. We will introduce you to Buddhist restaurants which serve fresh mountain vegetables, herbs, and roots delicately prepared. Every visitor must try pi pim pap , a state-of-the-art food form combining many side dishes.

Antique hunters can easily spend an entire day in and around Antique Alley. Our knowledgeable guides will lead you to the most reputable dealers and the most interesting shops.

Just south of Seoul, we can arrange for special tours of Chonju City , famous for its papermaking introduced by the Chinese over 1,000 years ago. Observe the entire handmade paper process derived from mulberry, bamboo and other fibrous flora. And do not forget to try the onion soup. Chonju City is also an excellent place for handicraft shopping including traditional Korean masks , Silla ceramics , and fine antique jewelry.

To the north of Seoul, a unique attraction not to be missed is a day trip to P'anmunjom , the site of a small farming village on the 38th Parallel which was destroyed during the Korean War. Visit Ch'unch' , a convenient resort city situated among the finest lake country in Korea. One of our favorite activities here is a tour of the Koryo Silk Factory , the only place in Korea where silk is still spun and woven by hand.

Sorak-san National Park is a mountain wonderland with Inje as the gateway to the inner sanctum of this wondrous land. We recommend an autumn visit to this region for a spectacular array of colors. The adventurous will enjoy a couple of days of leisurely walks including the Hundulbawi Rock, the Sinhung-sa Temple and the Flying Dragon Waterfall accessible only by a narrow suspension bridge.

Kyongju is an open-air museum teeming with royal tombs and temples, and the point of departure for adventure and mountain travel. Home to the opulent Shaman kings, the valley of Kyongju is littered with burial tombs, tiered pagodas, and stone relief sculpture dating back to the 1st through 8th centuries. Our guides will take you to the perfectly manicured tomb-mounds of Tumuli Park . Kyongju National Museum is the museum within the museum where you cannot touch-on display is the finest collection of Paekje artifacts including Bronze Age daggers and Iron Age bells . Marvel at the impressive stone temple complex at Pulguk-sa . Let us arrange for an excursion to Mt. Kyeryong National Park for its pristine mountain environment and some of the oldest Buddhist temples in Korea. Many paths to these shrines are paved with stone making them quite accessible.

The busy port of Pusan , Korea's second largest city, is home to Korea's largest temple, T'ongdo-sa . Its extensive art and sculpture collections include a unique form of woodblock prints still being crafted today . We can arrange for a visit to the nearby fishing village of Ch'ungmu , a popular place for seafood and observing traditional Korean life.

Just south of Pusan in the channel between Korea and Japan, Cheju Island is home to the world's longest lava tubes, the Snake and Manjang Caverns , which were formed as a result of once active volcanoes. Visit this semi-tropical isle during the summer months for a couple days on any number of secluded beaches and small seafood restaurants with visits to the Hallim Weavers village for an unusual look at wool production and weaving.

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