Discover and explore Korea through immersive city landmarks, cycling paths, and family adventures.
Taste your way through Korea with expert-led street food walks and deep-dive culinary journeys.
Stand at the border of divided Korea and learn about the deep history behind it.
A 10 Day Korean Food Journey curated by Erica, @Thechefsmartypants
Wednesday, May 5 – Friday, May 14 2027
Seoul, Jeonju, Sunchang, Gyeongju and Busan
Perfect for all adults
9 Breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners and many tastings!
Led by Expert local Guides with your host Erica
Learn more about Erica here
Dive belly-first into Korea’s kitchens—from Seoul’s back-alley chicken joints to countryside kimchi caves and seaside clam bakes in Busan. You’ll cook with chefs, home cooks, and market vendors, sip cloudy rice wine from golden kettles, and sleep it off with cozy hanok homes and boutique hotels.
Arrive in Seoul and roll straight into flavor town. Your private airport pickup takes you to the hotel, then we meet at 16:00 for a stroll through Ikseon-dong. Its hanok alleys are packed with cafés, and the salt bread is worth queuing for. The night ends with a welcome dinner of golden, crackly Korean fried chicken and a cold local beer (or fizzy soda). It sets the tone for what’s to come: indulgence with intention.
After a proper hotel breakfast, dig into the spicy history of Korea’s most beloved dish at the Insadong Kimchi Museum. Then step into the Bulgwang blacksmith forge, where master knife makers still shape steel by hand using centuries-old techniques. Lunch is a steaming bowl of samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup). In the afternoon we head to Gwangmyeong for a traditional market crawl, then put on aprons at Daniel Gray’s house (yes, the one from Netflix and Chef’s Table). Together you’ll roll gimbap, toss japchae, fry zucchini jeon and fold mandu, then sit down to dinner at his table.
Hop on the KTX to Jeonju, home of bibimbap and the slow food gospel. Slurp legendary kalguksu for lunch, then roll up your sleeves for a hands-on kimchi-making class. If time allows, we’ll drop by a bangjja yugi workshop to see Korea’s hand-forged brassware being made. Wander the hanok alleys of Jeonju Hanok Village like you’re time traveling. Dinner is bibimbap at Gajok Hoegwan, a restaurant so revered its chef is considered royalty. Tonight you sleep in a cozy hanok, a traditional Korean house.
Head out to Sunchang, Korea’s red pepper paste paradise. Start at Sonnae Onggi, where artisans shape the iconic earthenware jars that have stored Korean flavors for generations. Then make your own gochujang at a hands-on red chili paste class. Lunch is at Sangyeong or Jindo restaurant (subject to change), then hike off the spice on the trails of Mt. Gangcheon. Back in Jeonju, end the night the local way at a gamaek-jip, a neighborhood corner shop that turns into a beer-and-snacks hangout after dark.
Start with a Jeonju classic, kongnamul-gukbap (bean sprout soup), for breakfast. Then travel to Gyeongju, the ancient Silla capital, often called a museum without walls. Stroll among the grassy royal burial mounds of Daereungwon and see Cheomseongdae, Asia’s oldest surviving observatory. Lunch is sizzling Eonyang-style bulgogi, and then we roll on to Busan by the sea. An optional lamb-skewer dinner is there for anyone still hungry.
Busan is Korea’s seafood capital, and today you eat your way through it. Wander the pastel lanes of Gamcheon Culture Village, then dive into Jagalchi Seafood Market for all things wriggly and the maze of Gukje Market. At the Taejongdae cliffs you’ll meet the haenyeo, Korea’s legendary women free-divers. The day ends with a seaside clam BBQ.
Begin at Haedong Yonggungsa, one of Korea’s rare temples built right on the rocky coast. Then join a hands-on cooking class at Yein Food Academy, where you eat what you cook for lunch. The afternoon is yours for the beach, a café or a nap. In the evening we unwind Korean-style at a jjimjilbang, a bathhouse with hot pools, saunas and snacks.
All aboard the KTX back to Seoul. Stop at a big Korean supermarket to stock up on snacks you’ll end up hoarding (and packing home). Then get hands-on at a makgeolli-making class and learn how Korea’s cloudy rice wine is brewed.
Spend your last full day exploring Seoul’s icons. Start at Gyeongbokgung Palace, then browse the chaos of Namdaemun Market and take in the city views from N Seoul Tower. In the evening we raise a final glass at the farewell dinner: top-grade 1++ Hanwoo beef BBQ at the Majang-dong Beef Market.
One last hotel breakfast, then wave goodbye to Korea (and your food baby). Please note the airport drop-off is not included. Take snacks for the road. You’ll miss them.
Most activities are light to moderate. Optional hikes are adjustable; vans are always available.
All breakfasts, most lunches and dinners, tastings, classes, guides, ground transport, airport pickup on arrival, and entrance fees. Flights and the airport drop-off on departure are not included. Optional extras (Group DMZ tour, Busan yacht cruise, Nanta show) are 70 USD each.
Yes—please list allergies or preferences at booking. We work with chefs and hosts to prepare alternatives.
Small groups of 8–14 travelers to keep experiences intimate and flexible.
Offer good until May 12, 2027
Secure your tour with a 500 USD deposit (non-refundable).
The remaining balance is paid in two parts: 50% due 60 days before departure and 50% due 30 days before departure.
Please note that the initial 500 USD deposit is non-refundable, unless the operator (8 Birds) cancels the trip.
– Between 15 and 24 days prior to departure: 20% cancellation fee charged.
– Between 0 and 14 days prior to departure: 100% cancellation fee charged.
Save an additional 2% by paying by bank transfer in USD to our Korean bank account
Balance can be paid via credit card via PayPal
If there are not enough passengers to run this tour in May, you will receive a full refund or a credit towards a future departure
Group DMZ tour (70 USD)
Busan yacht cruise (70 USD)
Nanta show (70 USD)
