This 16-day escorted tour combines the highlights of South Korea and Japan, two countries linked by a short flight but very different in character. It is fully inclusive: return flights from the UK, 3-star-plus and 4-star hotels, all meals, guided sightseeing with entrance fees, and all transport, including high-speed trains in both countries. An escort and local guides look after the group throughout.

In Seoul you watch the Changing of the Guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace, cook bibimbap at a Korean cooking class and see the city from N Seoul Tower. A day at the Demilitarised Zone takes you into the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel and up to Dora Observatory, overlooking North Korea. A train south leads to Gyeongju, capital of the Silla kingdom for a thousand years, with the UNESCO-listed Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto and the royal tombs of Tumuli Park. In the port city of Busan you browse the Jagalchi fish market and the Gukje market.

A one-hour flight takes you to Fukuoka on Kyushu, where you visit the Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine before the bullet train to Hiroshima. There you visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, take a boat to an oyster farm and cross by ferry to Miyajima and its floating torii at Itsukushima Shrine. On the way to Osaka you stop at Kurashiki's canal-side Bikan quarter and the Koraku-en garden in Okayama. From Osaka you visit Nara's Todai-ji temple and deer park, Dotonbori and Osaka Castle.

Two nights in Kyoto, Japan's capital for a thousand years, bring the Ryoan-ji rock garden and the Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, a traditional tea ceremony, the Arashiyama bamboo grove and fan painting. Lunch is with a maiko, an apprentice geisha, followed by the thousands of red torii gates of Fushimi Inari. In Hakone you visit the shrine on Lake Ashi, with Mount Fuji in the distance on clear days, and try yosegi marquetry. The tour ends in Tokyo with the Skytree, Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, a bonsai workshop and a Tokyo Bay cruise.

The pace is steady and the physical rating low, though some days involve two to five hours on foot. It suits travellers who want to see both countries in depth, with every detail arranged.

Trip highlights

The Changing of the Guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace and a bibimbap cooking class in Seoul (Day 3)
The DMZ and the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel (Day 4)
Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju (Day 5)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima (Day 9)
Kinkaku-ji, a tea ceremony and Fushimi Inari in Kyoto (Days 12–13)
Lake Ashi in Hakone, with views of Mount Fuji on clear days (Day 14)
Tokyo Skytree, Senso-ji and a Tokyo Bay cruise (Day 15)

Map of the 16-day tour from Seoul to Gyeongju and Busan, then Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, Hakone and Tokyo — 16-day route: Seoul – Gyeongju – Busan – Fukuoka – Hiroshima – Osaka – Kyoto – Hakone – Tokyo

Seoul Days 1–4
DMZ Day 4
Gyeongju Day 5
Busan Day 6
Fukuoka Day 7
Hiroshima Days 8–9
Miyajima Day 9
Kurashiki Day 10
Okayama Day 10
Osaka Days 10–11
Nara Day 11
Kyoto Days 12–13
Hakone Day 14
Tokyo Days 14–15

Two countries in one well-paced trip, with fast trains, a short flight and all meals, entrance fees and transfers included. Hands-on experiences, from a cooking class and tea ceremony to fan painting and bonsai, bring you closer to local culture.

Best suited to

First-time visitors to South Korea and Japan
Travellers who want an all-inclusive tour with flights from the UK
Anyone interested in temples, gardens and traditional crafts
Rail lovers keen to ride Japan's bullet trains

Gwanghwamun Gate, the main entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul

Day 1 Fly to Seoul

Board your overnight flight from the UK to Seoul, South Korea's capital. Flights and taxes are included in the price.

Hotel
Overnight flight
Day 2 · Seoul Arrive in Seoul

You are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, the rest of the day is free to start exploring before dinner with the group.

Hotel
Crown Park Hotel or similar

Meals
Dinner
Day 3 · Seoul, Gyeongbokgung Palace, N Seoul Tower Seoul

Watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Gyeongbokgung Palace and explore its halls and courtyards. Cook your own bibimbap at a Korean cooking class for lunch, then see the city from N Seoul Tower and explore more of its neighbourhoods.

Hotel
Crown Park Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 · DMZ, 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, Dora Observatory The DMZ

An early start for the Demilitarised Zone, the buffer between North and South Korea and one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world. See the DMZ Theatre and Exhibition Hall, walk into the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, and visit Dora Observatory, Dorasan Station and the Bridge of Freedom.

Hotel
Crown Park Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 · Gyeongju, Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto Train to Gyeongju

Take the train to Gyeongju, capital of the Silla kingdom for a thousand years and known as the museum without walls. In the afternoon, visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Bulguksa Temple and the granite Buddha of Seokguram Grotto.

Hotel
Gyeongju Commodore Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 · Gyeongju National Museum, Tumuli Park, Busan, Jagalchi Market Gyeongju to Busan

Visit Gyeongju National Museum and the grassy royal tombs of Tumuli Park, then drive to Busan, South Korea's great port city. Explore the Jagalchi fish market and the busy stalls of Gukje Market.

Hotel
Busan Asti Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 · Fukuoka Fly to Fukuoka

Take the one-hour flight to Fukuoka on the Japanese island of Kyushu, where your Japanese guide meets you and takes you to your hotel.

Hotel
ANA Crowne Plaza Fukuoka or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 · Dazaifu Tenmangu, Fukuoka, Hiroshima Fukuoka to Hiroshima

Visit the Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine and the Kyushu National Museum. After lunch, take the bullet train to Hiroshima, a city that has become a symbol of peace and resilience.

Hotel
Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 · Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Miyajima, Itsukushima Shrine Hiroshima and Miyajima

Visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, which remembers the victims of the 1945 atomic bomb, then take a boat to an oyster farm. In the afternoon, cross by ferry to the holy island of Miyajima to see the UNESCO-listed Itsukushima Shrine and its torii gate standing in the sea.

Hotel
Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 · Kurashiki, Okayama, Koraku-en, Osaka Kurashiki and Okayama to Osaka

Take the bullet train to Kurashiki to explore the Bikan quarter, with white-walled merchant houses along the canal. Then visit Koraku-en in Okayama, one of Japan's three great gardens, before continuing to Osaka.

Hotel
Osaka Excel Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 · Nara, Todai-ji, Dotonbori, Osaka Castle Nara and Osaka

Walk through Nara Park, home to free-roaming deer, to Todai-ji temple and its giant bronze Buddha. Back in Osaka, have lunch on neon-lit Dotonbori Street, then visit Osaka Castle.

Hotel
Osaka Excel Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12 · Kyoto, Ryoan-ji, Kinkaku-ji Kyoto

Travel to Kyoto, Japan's capital for a thousand years. Visit the Zen rock garden of Ryoan-ji and Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, then take part in a traditional tea ceremony.

Hotel
Kyoto Tower Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13 · Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari

Walk through the Arashiyama bamboo grove and try your hand at fan painting. Lunch is with a maiko, an apprentice geisha. In the afternoon, visit Fushimi Inari Shrine and walk among its thousands of vermilion torii gates.

Hotel
Kyoto Tower Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14 · Hakone, Lake Ashi, Tokyo Hakone to Tokyo

Take the bullet train to Odawara and visit Hakone Shrine on the shore of Lake Ashi, with Mount Fuji in the background on clear days. After lunch, try yosegi marquetry, a traditional woodcraft, before driving to Tokyo.

Hotel
Mercure Hibiya or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 15 · Tokyo Skytree, Asakusa, Senso-ji, Tokyo Bay Tokyo

Go up the 634-metre Tokyo Skytree for views over the city, then explore the old district of Asakusa and Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple. You also join a bonsai demonstration and workshop and take a cruise on Tokyo Bay before a farewell dinner.

Hotel
Mercure Hibiya or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 16 · Tokyo Fly home

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK, arriving the same or the following day.

Meals
Breakfast

The stone staircases of Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, South Korea

Seoul (3 nights) Crown Park Hotel or similar
Gyeongju (1 night) Gyeongju Commodore Hotel or similar
Busan (1 night) Busan Asti Hotel or similar
Fukuoka (1 night) ANA Crowne Plaza Fukuoka or similar
Hiroshima (2 nights) Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima or similar
Osaka (2 nights) Osaka Excel Hotel or similar
Kyoto (2 nights) Kyoto Tower Hotel or similar
Tokyo (2 nights) Mercure Hibiya or similar

Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.

Included

Flights return international flights from the UK with taxes, and the flight from Busan to Fukuoka
Accommodation 14 nights in 3-star-plus and 4-star hotels
Meals — all meals breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
Transport high-speed trains, coaches, ferries and boats, plus airport transfers
Guided sightseeing with entrance fees, including the DMZ, Bulguksa, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Miyajima, Kinkaku-ji, Fushimi Inari, Hakone and Tokyo Skytree
Experiences bibimbap cooking class, oyster farm visit, tea ceremony, fan painting, lunch with a maiko, yosegi marquetry and a bonsai workshop
Tour escort and local guides throughout

Not included

Visas for South Korea and Japan, if required
Drinks and personal spending
Optional excursions and upgrades
Tips, travel insurance

The Atomic Bomb Dome at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Japan

Honest disclaimer — please read

You want plenty of free time — most days are fully guided
You prefer to choose your own restaurants — all meals are included
You want to explore rural Japan — this tour focuses on cities and heritage sites
You find long walking days hard — some days have up to five hours on foot

FCDO advice UK FCDO travel advice for Japan · UK FCDO travel advice for South Korea

The colourful houses of Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, South Korea