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10-Nights South Korea & Japan: Cultural Legacies - Marco Polo Journeys from $19,070
Abercrombie & Kent
OFFER ID 1504803
South Korea & Japan: Cultural Legacies
Explore two vastly different and evolving national legacies — each steeped in rich heritage and tradition — and each poised on the cutting edge of tomorrow’s cultural and technological horizons.
10 nights from $19,070 per person
Itinerary Details
Abercrombie & Kent: South Korea & Japan: Cultural Legacies
Day 1 Seoul, South Korea
Upon arrival in Seoul, you are met and transferred to your hotel in the heart of the bustling capital.
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul
Meals:
Day 2 Seoul
Begin your exploration of this vibrant city with a visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace. Commissioned in the 14th century, the palace has risen from the ashes of conquest several times throughout its storied past. Today, the palace endures as the largest of Seoul’s five historic palaces, its compound housing a wealth of museums, gardens and architectural wonders. Next, browse the revealing cultural exhibits of the National Folk Museum. Continue to Bukchon Hanok Village, a collection of hundreds of hanoks (traditional houses) dating back to the 14th century. After a lunch of traditional Korean barbecue, stop at bustling Gwangjang Market, one of the oldest and largest traditional street markets in South Korea, and home to over 5,000 shops. This evening, join your fellow guests for a welcome dinner at the hotel.
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Seoul
Today, head north to join a shared tour of the demilitarized zone (DMZ), a hotly contested border region that has divided the Korean Peninsula since 1953. Delve deeper with a tour of the Third Tunnel, a highly secured, mile-long corridor linking the two countries. At Odusan Unification Observatory, look out across the DMZ line toward North Korea. Then, visit Dorasan Train Station, its (as yet) unused international customs facilities a symbol of hope for the future reunification of north and south. Return to Seoul for an afternoon at leisure, exploring the city on your own or relaxing at the hotel. Later this evening, embark on a street food tour in Seoul’s exciting Myeong-Dong neighborhood, sampling everything from Korean egg toast to hotteok (sweet Korean pancakes).
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 Busan
Board a high-speed train to Busan, South Korea’s second largest city and one of the world’s busiest ports. Walk the narrow lanes of colorful Gamcheon Culture Village, and then enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Afterward, browse the Jagalchi Fish Market, taking in a vast array of exotic seafood, before stopping at the United Nations Cemetery, a solemn memorial that is the final resting place of more than 2,000 Korean War veterans. Check in to your accommodations and settle in with a refreshing Scenic Sundowner as you look out over the bay.
Park Hyatt Busan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Gyeongju
Travel outside Busan to Gyeongju, former capital of the Silla Dynasty, a kingdom that ruled Korea from 668 to 935. Begin your exploration with a visit to Bulguksa Temple, one of Korea’s most iconic structures. Perched atop a series of stone terraces, the temple’s 33 steps represent Buddhism’s 33 stages to enlightenment. The temple was all but destroyed in a 16th-century conflict with Japan. Lovingly rebuilt, it endures today as the crowning glory of Silla architecture. After lunch, visit Tumuli-gongwon, a large park with 23 tombs of Silla monarchs and family members. Explore further at the nearby Gyeongju National Museum and its exhibits showcasing treasures discovered within the tombs themselves. Return to Busan for an evening at leisure.
Park Hyatt Busan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6 Osaka & Kyoto, Japan
Fly to Osaka, Japan, where you enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Visit Dotonbori, the bustling heart of this foodie capital, where diners indulge in everything from octopus dumplings to okonomiyaki, a battered and grilled concoction of chopped cabbage, meat or seafood, and seaweed. Continue on to historic, temple-filled Kyoto, and check in to your beautiful hotel.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 Kyoto
This morning, contemplate Kyoto’s iconic Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji, the perfect spot for a meditative moment, and discover the glittering Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion). Covered with gold leaf, the temple casts its delicate reflection in a tranquil pond. After lunch, explore the Arashiyama neighborhood, including the garden of Tenryu-ji Temple. Dating back to the 14th century, the temple buildings themselves were destroyed and rebuilt over the course of several conflicts, while its stunning garden has survived the centuries in its original glory. Later, bask in the magical atmosphere of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, strolling along a winding path as sunlight filters down through towering bamboo shoots — considered by many a healing experience. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8 Kyoto
This morning, visit a local temple where you experience the art of the tea ceremony, noting its refined sense of hospitality and etiquette, which date to the time of the samurai. Continue to the 10,000 torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine. This Shinto shrine is renowned for its visually striking tunnel comprised of thousands of vermilion torii gates that line a network of trails leading into the wooded forest of Mount Inari. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit a local sake brewery to gain a deeper appreciation of this national spirit and enjoy a tasting. This evening, savor traditional Japanese cuisine while an attending geiko (as a geisha is known in Kyoto) and maiko (apprentice geisha) dance, sing, pour sake and chat about life in Kyoto.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 Tokyo
This morning, transfer to Kyoto Station and Ride Like a Local as you board a high-speed train bound for Tokyo. Hurtling along in excess of 170 miles per hour, your route affords a glimpse of Mount Fuji’s iconic profile. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon, visit colorful Asakusa Kannon Temple before continuing to a family-owned workshop that specializes in Japanese drum making, and try your hand at playing the taiko, on an A&K-exclusive experience. Check in to your hotel and gather with your fellow guests for dinner at a local restaurant.
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 Tokyo
Start your day at Tsukiji Fish Market, a bustling hub of Japanese daily life boasting a dizzying array of seafood. Then, embark on a culinary adventure as a local chef leads a hands-on sushi-making class, followed by lunch, for a memorable Chef ’s Table experience. Explore the Tokyo National Museum, the oldest national museum in Japan and home to a vast collection of Japanese art and antiquities. Next, visit the sacred Meiji Jingu Shrine and stroll along the city’s famed Omotesando Street. Tonight, enjoy cocktails and a farewell dinner at your hotel.
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 Tokyo
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Meals: Breakfast
If your schedule permits stopping at only one city other than Seoul, that city should be Gyeongju, 165 mi/265 km southeast of Seoul. It was the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-AD 935) and has a high concentration of temples, statuary and burial mounds, as well as an excellent historical museum.
One of the highlights of your visit will be a walk through Tumuli Park, where you'll stroll among the burial mounds of 20 kings, some several stories high and looking more like hills covered with soft green grass than the royal tombs that they are. (Oddly enough, the park was only dedicated in the 1970s. Before that, the area was residential.) Just a few have been excavated, and the interior of only one is open to the public. Inside, an exhibit re-creates what it looked like when the mound was first explored, and some of the original contents are on display. Most of the finds, however, are exhibited in the Gyeongju National Museum, along with other artifacts from Gyeongju's golden age.
Outside of town is Bulguk Temple, one of the most beautiful temples in the country. It's a large complex with wonderful architecture, pagodas and statuary. There are other temples and mounds near Gyeongju (some have larger-than-life stone soldiers and bureaucrats to guard and guide the departed kings in the afterlife) as well as the Seogbinggo (where ice was kept long before refrigeration), Anapji Pond (a part of the royal pleasure garden), a very early star-gazing tower and other relics.
Also within easy driving distance are the Seokguram Grotto (containing an exquisite stone Buddha image surrounded by friezes) and the Poseokjeong Pavilion. In the mountains surrounding the city are thousands of Buddhist temples, inscriptions and pagodas (the roads to some are impassable without a four-wheel-drive vehicle). You could spend weeks driving around, but two or three days will give most travelers a taste of the area.
One other nearby attraction merits mention, though it is difficult to get to: the underwater tomb of King Munmu (AD 661-681). The tomb is submerged in shallow water in the middle of a little island about 300 ft/90 m offshore. Legends say that King Munmu asked to be buried there so he could return as a dragon to protect his people from invasion. Visitors must bargain with a local boat owner to get to the tomb.
If time permits, visit the village of Yangdong, just south of Pohang. Ignored by most tourists, the village seems immune to all forms of modernization.
Tokyo, Japan, presents a different view at every turn. It's one of the world's main economic centers and its most populous agglomeration. The business of Tokyo is business, but you can still find harmony and small-scale gardens on back streets. Around the corner from neon and concrete, you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn.
Tokyo was nearly destroyed by bombs and fires during World War II, and by earthquakes at other times, but it has always rebuilt itself. As a result, there is little left of Old Japan in the city, but there's plenty of New Japan to take its place.
The streets are a confusing maze, so a map is essential. The transit system is excellent, however, and there are kobans (police boxes) throughout the metropolis, as well as a populace generally willing to answer questions.
Visitors to Tokyo represent both business and leisure travelers. And despite its past reputation, Tokyo is no longer fearsomely expensive. It's relatively easy to visit Tokyo on a budget.
If you can visit only one city in Japan, Kyoto is the one. This ancient city, 30 mi/50 km northeast of Osaka, was the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years and still is considered the country's spiritual capital. Thousands of shrines and temples dot the city, including more than a dozen on the UNESCO World Heritage list. That list is far from all-inclusive, and many excellent places that might be the star attractions of other cities crowd the streets of Kyoto. It is a center of Japanese Zen and has several huge monastery complexes where serious students still sit in meditation.
Kyoto is also the nation's capital of traditional arts. Whether your interest be in pottery, textiles, dance, the tea ceremony or any of the other innumerable arts, Kyoto has excellent galleries, museums, shops and tea houses. Japanese people from the countryside and foreign students flock there to learn under the great masters. Much of what is considered Japanese haute cuisine was developed there too, as an offshoot of the tea ceremony.
Kyoto is Japan's heartland of history. With 1,300 years of tumultuous existence, the city's past intrudes upon the present day as in few other Japanese cities. In Gion, you can spot a geisha (or geiko, as they are called in Kyoto), one of the last hundred or so in Japan, slipping down a side-street to entertain rich guests with witty conversation, dance or music. A shopping arcade may suddenly fill with discordant clanging music as a shrine festival passes among the shoppers, or you may hear the long chant as Zen monks pass through the neighborhood, calling for alms.
Kyoto is an understated city that might disappoint visitors at first (at first glance, it is a large city with modern buildings that might not align with one's original perception); its charm lies in small details, pocket gardens, tiny traditional restaurants and refined artwork.
Vacation Details
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