REAL KOREA TRIP

Experience Real Korea with Jay and Chris

9 day/8 nights tour
INTRODUCTION

I’m sure you are already excited about our Real Korea Tour. To be honest, we are excited too. During
the trip, you will see the best attractions Korea has to offer, walk dressed in hanbok in the royal
palaces, eat local food, visit temples and breathtaking sights and meet new people, both locals and
other people joining our tour. Plus, we’ve purposely placed the tour during the peak of the fall
foliage, so expect to see lots of vibrant colors and get in love with Korea.

To make our trip pleasant, we want to share some additional information and guidelines so you may
plan and enjoy your trip care-free. There no much rules, but in order to make it a safe place for
everybody, we have to consider some things. Read on and let us know if you have additional
questions.
TRIP SCHEDULE / DAY BY DAY

October 24 / Day 1 - Seoul

15:00 - 19:00 Check in L7 Hotel Myeongdong (address: 62-12 Chungmuro 2(i)-ga Jung-gu, Seoul)

19:00 - 21:00 Welcome Party / Orientation

October 25 / Day 2 - Seoul

09:00 - 12:30 Hanbok Experience, History Tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace (hanbok and
experienced tour guide provided)

12:30 - 17:00 Lunch Time/Free Time (Suggested self-exploration activities: Changdeokgung

Palace & Secret Garden, Insadong, Cheonggicheon Stream, City Hall)

17:00 - 20:00 Night Market Food Tour (experience Jay’s top-rated AirBnB Food Tour)

20:00 - late Free time (explore central Seoul by night, drinking culture, etc.)

October 26 / Day 3 - Busan

08:00 - 12:00 Bus ride to Busan (pick up at L7 Hotel Myeongdong)

12:30 - 14:00 Lunch on the way to Busan (Set meal)

14:00 - 16:00 Gwangalli Hotel Check In

16:00 - 18:00 Free time (explore Gwangalli beach, coffee time)

18:00 - 19:00 Yacht Tour at Haeundae Beach

19:00 - late Free time (get dinner at a local restaurants, explore Busan night life)

October 27 / Day 4 - Busan

09:00 - 13:00 Lazy Morning (free time to explore Busan)

13:00 - 18:00 Yongdo History Tour (Exploring Kangkangee Art Village with professional guide

18:00 - 20:00 Cooking Class

20:00 - late Free time

October 28 / Day 5 - Gyeongju

08:00 - 10:00 Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

10:00 - 12:00 Transfer to Gyeongju

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch

13:00 - 17:00 Gyeongju Historical Tour (Royal Tombs, Cheomsongdae, Woljeong Bridge)

17:00 - 18:00 Gyeongju Hotel Check-In

18:00 - 19:00 Donggung Palace & Anapji Pond at Sunset

19:00 - 21:00 Dinner

October 29 / Day 6 - Gyeongju to Seoul

09:00 - 12:00 Bomun Lake and Gyeongju Expo Park

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch

14:00 - 18:00 Transfer to Seoul

18:00 - 20:00 Free Time

October 30 / Day 7 - Seoul/ Hiking

09:00 - 13:00 Hiking Experience (food provided)

13:00 - 20:00 Free Time

20:00 - 22:00 Explore Hongdae or Euljiro

October 31 / Day 8 - Seoul

09:00 - 13:00 Garden of Morning Calm

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch at Nami Island

14:00 - 18:00 Nami Island

18:00 - 20:00 Transfer to Seoul

20:00 - 21:00 Korean BBQ Party

21:00 - 22:00 Farewell

November 01 / Day 9 - Check Out

09:00 - 13:00 Departure

TOUR DETAILS

What's Included
• Orientation with Jae and Chris • Gyeongju Historic Tour

• History Tour of Gyeongbokgung palace • Nami Island visit

• Hanbok Experience • Garden of Morning calm visit

• Night Market Food Tour • Hiking Experience in Seoul

• Yacht Tour in Busan • BBQ Night Party

• History Tour of Busan • Noraebang Party

• Cooking Class in Busan • All transport between destinations and to/

from included activities
• Haedong Yonggungsa Temple visit

Dossier and Itinerary Disclaimer

All information for this trip has been carefully prepared and shared in good faith. However, it might be
subject to change and thus does not form part of the contract between the client and the Operator.
Itinerary features and timing may differ slightly due to some last-minute adjustments related to
visiting places’ policies and work time. We will provide you with the nalized itinerary couple of days
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before the trip or/and during the orientation meeting. We will distribute a PDF le but might print it if
it’s easier for you to access the information.

Group Tourguids
The whole trip will be hosted by Jay and Chris. We will be traveling with you and sharing our passion
and knowledge about Korea. We will rst meet at the orientation, so do not hesitate to share with us
any questions or ideas you might have. While we will be happy to join our group activities, individual
requests for 1 to 1 meetings might be dif cult to manage as we are the main organizers of the tour
and have to make sure all planned activities are up to schedule.

Meals Included
• 5 lunch meals

• 5 dinner meals

Transport
We will travel like the locals for the activities in Seoul - public transport and taxi. We will provide a
limousine bus with comfortable seats for activities outside of Seoul.

Accommodation
• Standard hotels - 8 nights

• Seoul - L7 Myeongdong

• Busan - SSOTA Ganganli

• Gyeongju - Gyeongju-Silla Hanok or similar

My Own Room
Please note that if you have booked the "Single Room" option for this tour, you will receive your own
single room for all night during the tour.
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BEFORE YOUR TRIP TO KOREA

Apps to Download

Naver Maps

Google Maps is good but does not provide walking Instruction and often misses places of interest.
Naver Maps is the best option for international travelers. Just make sure to switch the app to English
as, by default, the language setting is Korean. How: Open the application. Click on the three lines on
the upper left button. Select the last option on the bottom ( - Settings), then nd in the middle of
the screen the following: (Language) - (Korean). Click on it and switch to English.

Naver Maps for iOS - NAVER Map, Navigation on the App Store - Apple - https://apps.apple.com ›
app › naver-map-navigation

Naver Maps for Android - NAVER Map, Navigation - Apps on Google Playhttps://play.google.com ›
store › apps › details › id=com...

Papago by Naver

Papago is a handy translator similar to Google Translate, but I nd it more accurate most of the time
when it comes to day-to-day activities and simple speech.
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Papago for iOS - Naver Papago - AI Translator on the App Store - Apple https://apps.apple.com ›
app › naver-papago-ai-translator

Papago for Android - Naver Papago - AI Translator - Apps on Google Play https://play.google.com ›
store › apps › details

Money Exchange
Exchange some Korean Won to be able to use for T-money card - public transport, others. You can
do that at Incheon Airport if you arrive when the banks on the Arrival level are open.

What to Take
We suggest that you pack complacent and light. We will move around, and you will need to be able
to carry your own luggage. You will need to only manage luggage on arrival from the airport to Seoul
and back to the airport on the departure date. Trips done with the limousine bus will try to make it
comfortable for you and require minimum movement with all your luggage.

Packing List
Clothes for September - in general the weather in September is still warm and favorable, but some
days during the trip might be a bit cold, so make sure you have comfortable clothes:

• Long-sleeved shirts or sweaters (we will visit a temple, and you have to be modestly
dressed during that day)

• top jacket in case it rains or the weather gets cold

• Shoes that can protect you from the rain

Documents:

• Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)

• Insurance info (required) (Printout and photocopies)

• Passport (required) (With photocopies)
 ARRIVAL AND JOINING THE TRIP

At the Airport
Make sure you have all visa documents printed and ready to show.

After you get out of baggage claim:

T-Money Transportation Card

Find a convenient shop (7/11 or GS25) and buy your T-money card - that’s the transportation card
for all metro and buses, but it can be used in taxis and to pay at convenient shops. Top up the card
with some money (I suggest ₩20,000 is a good start)

Mobile Data / Prepaid Data SIM

Just opposite where the convenient shops are, close to the exits of the arrival hall, you will nd KT or
SKT WiFi booths. We highly recommend getting your data sim at the airport, as in Seoul, it might be
a bit dif cult to nd a place where they offer plans for foreigners.

1 day ₩6,600 5 days ₩27,500

3 days ₩18,000 10 days ₩38,500
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 20 days ₩60,500 30 days ₩71,500

If you travel as a group and plan to stay together most of the time, consider renting a WiFi egg to
split the cost of the Internet.

Getting to Seoul
Airport Train to Seoul - follow the signs for the metro and get to the AREX All-Stop Train. A faster
(and a bit more expensive) train called AREX Express is also a good option.

AREX All Stop Train (59-66 min)

Incheon Int'l Airport Terminal 2 Seoul Station adult: ₩4,750 / child: ₩2,200
Incheon Int'l Airport Terminal 1 Seoul Station adult: ₩4,150 / child: ₩1,900
Gimpo Int'l Airport Seoul Station adult: ₩1,450 / child: ₩550

AREX Express Train (43-52 min)

Incheon Int'l Airport Terminal 2 Seoul Station adult: ₩9,500 / child: ₩7,500
Incheon Int'l Airport Terminal 1 Seoul Station adult: ₩9,500 / child: ₩7,500

Airport Shuttle Bus to Myeongdong

There are two shuttle buses that from Incheon Airport to L7 Hotel - No 6015 and 6001, they cost
₩17,000 and run on a schedule. Please, check at the airport if they run during your arrival time. Ask
for Airport Shuttle bus that goes to Myeongdong or ask for the above bus numbers. The buses go
out of the arrival area on designated stops.

How to get to the Hotel in Seoul

From Incheon International Airport to the hotel

1. By taxi: About 70 mins ~

Please catch a taxi from the taxi stand outside of Arrivals/ All taxis use a meter machine for fare

- Regular taxi (Usually orange color : USD 65 ~ USD 75 (Krw 75,000 ~ Krw 85,000) / suitable for up
to 2 passengers

- If a group has more than 3 passengers, a jumbo taxi would be better (a bit more expensive than a
Regular taxi)
2. By Airport Train / Move To Seoul Station by a non-stop train, then transfer to a taxi for Hotel L7
Myongdong / About 60 mins ~- A train comes in about 15 mins from 05:15 until 22:50 / USD 9

- It will take about 43 mins from Terminal 1 and 53 mins from Terminal 2 by a non-stop airport train

- Get off at the Seoul station

- Go out to the taxi stand at the main gate

- Take a taxi for Hotel L7 Myongdong (10 min) : Normal taxi - USD 5 / Premium taxi - USD 10

3. Shuttle Bus No 6015 and 6001 - you can get them on both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Note you
need to have cash or by thicket from the dedicated shuttle bus counter at Arrivals.

Arrival Complications
If there are any complications regarding your timely arrival, please, let us know as early as possible.
You can text Chris to +821044412528 or email to [email protected].

In case of late arrival due to weather conditions, missed ights or connection issues, contact us
ASAP and you will let you know what’s the best way to join the group.

Emergency Contact
Should you need to contact us during a situation of dire need, it is best to rst call Chris or Jay. If for
any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact
information via mail, so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible.

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS

Chris Georgiev Jay

+82 10 4441 2528 +82 10 4128 5439

[email protected] [email protected]

Laundry
Some hotels offer laundry facilities at affordable prices, but in case it’s too expensive, we can show
you some self-service coin laundries in close proximity to the accommodation. Let us know if you
have such a request, and we will be happy to assist you.
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 Visas and Entry Requirements
In order to travel internationally, you are required to have a valid passport with minimum 6 months
until expiration date.

Korea might require visitors from certain countries to enter with visa. Please, contact the Korean
embassy in your country or check on their website what might be the requirements for tourist visit to
South Korea. Make sure you have enough time to apply and obtain the needed visa or travel
documents.

Spending Money
One of the most frequent questions we get is regarding spending money during your travel. We all
have different styles of traveling and tend to spend differently - some love to shop for souvenirs,
others for experiences. Make sure to plan properly and have enough money to cover the basic travel
needs, but also have some funds for unexpected spending.

Money Exchange
Most ATMs in Korea accept Visa, Master Card and American Express. Some ATMs in major bank
of ces are marked as Foreign friendly, meaning they have easy to use English menu and support a
variety of international debit and credit cards.

We always advise visitors to Korea to bring with them some cash in Korean won. The rst thing you
want to do at the airport is to buy a T-money transportation card and top it up (unfortunately, topping
up is only Cash in Korea).

Some banks in the city have Foreign Exchange of ces where you can get decent service in English.
Hana Bank is one of the most foreigner-friendly in Korea. Usually is safer to exchange money in a
bank.

Emergency Fund
For emergency purposes, keep some additional money (USD $200-300 or equivalent) separately in
case of a wallet loss or emergency situations.

Safety and Security

Korea is known to be a relatively safe country, but your safety has to be a priority in all
circumstances. We will do our best as an organized tour to deliver safe and secure experience at all
time. If you have any concerns about your or the safety of somebody in the group, do not hesitate to
address it.
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Travel Insurance
All participants in Real Korea Tour are requested to purchase by their own travel insurance covering
all risks associated with the upcoming trip. This is hard requirement and you will not be able to join
the trip if you cannot provide a copy of your insurance. When selecting a travel insurance policy, we
require that, at a minimum, you are covered for medical expenses, including emergency evacuation
and repatriation. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation,
curtailment, and loss of luggage, and personal effects.

Local Dress
In Asia, the dress standard is more conservative than it is back home. Please, be aware of the type
of activities and dress accordingly.

International Flights
Check-in times and baggage allowances/restrictions vary by airline and can change at any time. For
the most up-to-date information for your ight, please contact your airline. We recommend checking
in online in advance to avoid potential delays at the airport.
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