Personalized trips to South Korea
for independent travelers

A review our trip to S Korea: Thank you for flawless arrangements, transportation and interesting activities. The hotels were excellent with each having special advantages. The Hotel BOTANIK was close to markets and we loved the roof top garden. The La Valse had great views and was close to the downtown. Whistle Lark had a pool that was good for lap swimming, but too cool for lounging. The Nine Tree had the Insadong market right out the door. The hotels were so nice I am glad we did not opt for 5 star hotels. We enjoyed the K Cooking class and market tours in Seoul, Busan and Jeju. We missed the Gyeongbokgung Palace because it was closed on Tuesday. Climbing the Seongsan Ilchulbong crater in Jeju was great. The restaurant in Busan on the second floor of the fish market was over hyped. We enjoyed seeing the Gamcheon village in Busan and hearing its history. Great photos there. The Manjanggul lava tunnel was better than expected. But the DMZ third tunnel was arduous for Linda..
Our guides each presented unique Korean perspectives. Kory sincerely sought to impart a good impression to the visitor. Jade gave an honest and complete view of life as a young Korean. Sarah told us when we return next time we will be friends and not tourists - so sweet!

I just completed a private tour of South Korea organized by Christine of Kimkim. The trip fulfilled all my expectations and was an excellent introduction for a first visit to a country I've always wanted to visit. As usual with Kimkim the arrangements were first rate, from airport transfers, hotel pick ups, and private and group tours.

Seoul was a great beginning, and I had a private tour of the city highlights with Hera, who was informative, lively and flexible. She rearranged our schedule on the fly to accommodate both crowded venues as our tour fell on a major holiday, the Korean Thanksgiving, as well as rain in the afternoon. Hera knows the city well and easily found parking at Namsan Park and Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was my favorite place as I enjoy history. We also visited Bukchon Hanok Village and later Kwangiang Food Market where Hera described the various dishes available. She also recommended a resturant for lunch were I had an excellent local dish, Samgyetang, a ginger soup with a small whole chicken stuffed with rice.

The next day I visited the DMZ on an all group tour with Julie. It was fascinating. Julie was knowledge and she made the historical reality of a divided Korea relatable. We crept thru a tunnel leading from the DMC into South Korea, viewed North Korea across the DMZ, and meet a North Korean defector and heard her story.

From Seoul I took the train to the city of Gyeongju. A driver picked me up at my hotel and drove me to Seoul Station and walked me inside and ensured I knew which platform my train departed from.

At Gyeonjgu my driver/guide, Luke was waiting for me, and we spend the afternoon visiting various Silla Dynasty locations, from Tumuli Park with their curious royal tombs, to the Gyeongju National Museum with a first-rate collection of Silla artifacts and an excellent narrative of Silla history. We visited the beautiful Woljeonggyo Bride and the interesting Cheomseongdae Observatory. Luke provided detailed explanations with historical background on each place.

The next day Luke took me to Bulguksa Temple, and Seokguram Grotto. Both Buddhist sites dating back to the 8th Century CE. Both were located in beautiful settings and the buildings lovely. We drove to Busan that afternoon and on the way to my hotel Luke took me to a spa where I enjoyed a bathhouse experience that is part of Korean culture. We also took a walk around parts of the city.

Our guides were great. Nicole was really amazing and fun to be with on our tour of the Fortress in Suwon. We wanted to detour to Osan to take some pics of my old base but wasn’t able to do so but everything else went well. Billy our guide for our trip from Seoul to Gwangju, Daegu, Cheongju, and Pusan was extremely well versed in the history of the different dynasties and period of Korean history. He did everything to ensure we had a great time as we journeyed through the land of South Korea. Christine was always available to help and to fix anything that went wrong or keep us informed of any changes or updates to our itinerary. We love the Hotel arrangements and the food offerings at each location. Our tour in Daegu and Cheongju as well as Pusan were great. The people we met were so warm and attentive to our being able to have a wonderful experience in South Korea. We were able to visit the Language Institute in Seoul and Pusan and attended church on two Sabbaths and met some wonderful people of our faith. We enjoyed the spiritual fellowship with them and great food as well. Our trip to Jeju had a small hiccup with airport security but Christine came to the rescue and remedied the situation. Thanks for all your help Christine. You were great. We plan to visit again in 2030. Hope to stay in touch with Billy(Lee Kyung Jong), so we can see him again soon. Thanks to everyone involved in making our trip to South Korea so enjoyable and such a memorable success.