With good reason, Korean culture has entranced the world in recent years, giving us the phenomenon that is K-pop (from when singer Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ went viral in 2012, achieving over 1 billion views on YouTube), and, most recently, the compelling TV series Squid Game, designed to fascinate and shock in equal measures.

Foodwise, this is a country that has taken fried chicken to a whole new level and achieved unlikely global fame for kimchi (fermented cabbage); just two exports from a nation where the entire food scene is incredible. But these, of course, are only small dimensions of this ancient land. Although South Korea shares similarities with other Asian countries, there’s a mystery to its culture, making it unique from anywhere else in the region.

Escorted tours with InsideAsia sold out in 2025, proving popular with visitors looking to explore in an authentic, unhurried way, and delve deeper beyond the usual tourist hotspots. Small group tour dates in South Korea for 2026 have just launched to include Seoul, the coastal city of Busan, the cultural, ancient capital of Gyeongju, and Yandong, one of the country’s most traditional villages.

When most people think of South Korea, it’s usually the modern face of Seoul and its pulsing, fast-paced K-Culture, encompassing fads for fashion, music and food, that comes to mind, and all of the above play a part in what makes South Korea so special.

Scratch the surface, however, and you’ll soon discover that this is a country with tradition at its core, peppered by enchanting temple towns in a landscape that is 75% mountainous, with a beautiful coastline and sub-tropical islands.

Seoul

InsideAsia’s Soul of Korea tour begins in Seoul, a thrumming metropolis of 9.7 million people. To get the measure of its sprawl, the views from the top of N Seoul Tower, built as the country’s first TV and radio mast in 1971, are hard to beat. It’s a country that keeps you on your toes and, for first-time visitors, can be a little hard to navigate, with lots of Lost in Translation moments as language is such a barrier.

InsideAsia paves the way for easier travels in South Korea, drawing on expert knowledge that unlocks cultural doors that lead to meaningful experiences, such as a wander through the city’s local markets, including Gwangjang, where bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) and mandu (steamed dumplings) are just two among many street-food favourites that would be easily missed without a guide.

While, under canvas in a tent-like pocha bar, it’s a shot of best-loved, age-old soju – often referred to as Korean vodka and most usually distilled from rice – that’s on the menu.

Seoul’s palaces are another highlight. At the grand palace complex of Gyeongbokgung (built in 1394), the throne hall is impressive, set against a backdrop of pine-clad mountains; in the palace of Changdeokgung, take a Secret Garden tour through pretty pavilion-filled gardens, with small ornamental lakes and shrines.

Busan

Leaving the frenetic scene of the capital behind, it’s a journey through valleys, across rivers and agricultural plains to the port city of Busan, which is flanked by the rugged Geumjeongsan and Hwangnyeongsan mountains.

With its lively beach scene, the atmosphere here is more laid-back than Seoul but the city enjoys an equally vibrant food culture, with a focus on seafood.

You can lose hours in exploring Busan’s lively, daily fish market (the largest in the country), where generations of fishmongers sell a wide variety of marine creatures, to a soundtrack of gutting knife upon chopping board, including the highly prized seafood delicacy of abalone, a large, flat sea snail.

At sunset, a stroll up to Beomeo-sa temple, with a glorious mountain backdrop, is a popular way to end the day.

Gyeongju

From here, the South Korea tour continues to the ancient cultural capital of Gyeongju, home to the Silla Kingdom from 57BC to AD935, and known as the ‘museum without walls’ thanks to the many age-old pagodas, temples and tumuli (burial mounds).

Wandering through this living, breathing museum, the huge grassy hillocks dominate (the largest has a circumference of 250 yards), once packed with treasures from the Silla dynasty, such as jewellery and pottery, which are now on display in the Gyeongju National Museum.

By night, Gyeongju takes on an ethereal dimension, with many historic monuments, such as the Donggung Palace and Woljeonggyo Bridge, brilliantly illuminated to create perfect mirror reflections in the surrounding ponds and waterways.

Yangdong

Ten miles northeast of Gyeongju, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Yangdong (Korea’s largest traditional village) is like stepping back in time. Established some 500 years ago, during the Joseon Dynasty, over 160 thatched- and tiled-roof houses are dotted through the forest, with over 50 of them more than 200 years old and immaculately preserved.

Some houses are open to visitors, including the largest – Hyangdan; built in 1491, it was once home of a Confucian scholar, who served as governor of the Gyeongsang-do province. There are walking trails to help you explore, but this is mainly a place for getting a little lost in and soaking up the atmosphere of this still tight-knit community.

More information: South Korea

Cultural adventure travel specialists InsideAsia has launched 2026 dates for their Soul of Korea small group tour, which cost from £2,990pp (excl. flights) and includes nine-nights’ accommodation and breakfast, five lunches and five dinners, all transport across Korea, airport transfers, an Insider tour leader and a range of Korean cultural experiences.

Each group has a maximum of 14 people. InsideAsia can also design self-guided cultural adventures to suit interests, budgets and time-frames. Find out more at InsideAsiaTours.com

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