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South Korea & Japan

11 days in Seoul, Busan, Osaka, Kansai region, and Tokyo

Optional 3 day extension

Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, a highlight of Japan and South Korea student tours.
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OVERVIEW

Discover how South Korea and Japan turn tradition, technology, and creativity into global culture

Explore South Korea and Japan, two countries that create and inspire global trends. Students experience the places behind the music, gaming, fashion, food, anime, technology, and design that continue to shape culture around the world. In Tokyo, they move from the Meiji Shinto Shrine to Harajuku, seeing how peaceful gardens and cultural hubs coexist only streets apart. In Kyoto and Nara, Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and centuries-old architecture add context to Japan’s enduring cultural identity. Then in Seoul and Busan, students connect South Korea’s global rise to its royal heritage, contemporary neighborhoods, culinary traditions, and modern history—including a powerful look toward North Korea from the Odusan Unification Observatory. It’s an immersive introduction to two countries whose influence reaches far beyond their borders.

South Korea & Japan route map

What you’ll do

Explore a sample itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Japan

Board your international flight to Tokyo

Day 2: Tokyo

Meet your Tour Director at the destination airport

Day 3: Tokyo

Tour Tokyo with an expert local guide

Explore the Asakusa Kannon Temple

Take a walking tour of Shibuya

Take a tour of Akihabara Electric Town, a hub for tech trends and fans of gaming, manga, and anime

Discover the world of Japanese gaming culture with a visit to a local arcade

Day 4: Kansai region

Travel by bullet train to Kyoto

Take a guided tour of Kyoto

Visit the Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple

Visit Nijō Castle, where the Tokugawa shogunate kept a second home

Take a tour of the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Day 5: Kansai region

Travel to Nara

Visit Todaiji Temple

Take a guided tour of Nara

Travel to Kyoto

Add this in-depth experience
Karaoke

Karaoke

A trip to Japan wouldn’t be complete without an evening of singing with friends in your very own private karaoke lounge. Belt your favorite jams in English or Japanese, or just clap along and enjoy a truly authentic Japanese pastime.

Day 6: Kansai region

Fly to Seoul

Meet your Tour Director at the destination airport

Enjoy time to independently explore the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza, an exhibition space dedicated to art, music, fashion, and more

Day 7: Seoul

Take a tour of Seoul. With your Tour Director, you will:

  • See Cheonggye Plaza and Cheonggyecheon Stream

  • See Gwanghwamun Square

  • Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace

Take a walking tour of the Ikseon-dong neighborhood

Visit the Bukchon Hanok Village

Take in panoramic views of Seoul from the Lotte World Tower

Add this in-depth experience
Korean martial arts

Korean martial arts

Explore the discipline of both body and mind as you particpate in an introductory Korean martial arts class. Learn the basics of either modern taekwondo or traditional taekyyeon, one of the oldest martial arts in the country and considered to be taekwondo's predecessor.

Day 8: Seoul • Busan

Travel to Busan

Visit Bulguksa Temple

Visit Gamcheon Culture Village

Day 9: Busan

Explore the UN Memorial Cemetery and Peace Memorial Museum

Enjoy a cable car ride over Songdo Beach

Visit Taejongdae Park

Day 10: Busan • Seoul

Travel by train to Seoul

Participate in a Korean cooking class, including a kimchi tasting

Visit the Odusan Unification Observatory and learn about the division of North and South Korea

Day 11: Depart for home

Board your flight home from Seoul

What makes this tour special?

Visit the Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kyoto’s most celebrated landmarks

Visit the Golden Pavilion, a Zen Buddhist temple that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kyoto’s most celebrated landmarks

Roll up your sleeves for a hands-on cooking class and prepare traditional dishes—then taste your creations

Roll up your sleeves for a hands-on cooking class and prepare traditional dishes—then taste your creations

Look toward North Korea at the Odusan Unification Observatory and learn about the division of North and South Korea

Look toward North Korea at the Odusan Unification Observatory and learn about the division of North and South Korea

All of our tours are powered by our proven EF Method

Learn more

Your experience includes

Airfare & transportation
Hotels
Regional-style meals
Guided sightseeing
Entrances
Full-time Tour Director
Expert Local Guides
Personalized Learning Support
Continuous Support
Worldwide Presence

Travelers save when you lead this tour before October 1, 2027

See 2027 pricing

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Payment plan options

Pay over time interest-free or pay all at once

Fundraising

Every traveler receives a no-fee donation page

Global Citizen Scholarship

Every year EF awards $100,000 to student travelers

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Frequently asked questions

Let’s unpack that

We’ll connect you with your personal Tour Consultant—someone who works with other teachers in your area and specializes in planning EF tours. They’ll walk you through this itinerary (along with other tours in our portfolio that match your curriculum or catch your eye), explain student pricing, and show you just how easy it is to partner with EF.

Once you decide to lead a tour, your Tour Consultant will help you get school administrators on board, students excited, and families ready to enroll. You’ll host an informational meeting to kick off the enrollment period, and we’ll provide everything you need—from a digital presentation to printed handouts, parent resources, and more.

You’ll have a dedicated Tour Director who will guide your group from the moment you land in your first destination until your final goodbye. They:

  • Take all the same transportation and stay in the same hotels as your group

  • Speak the local language (but lead the tour in English!)

  • Support you 24/7 as your right hand

  • Offer deep cultural context to help students feel connected to their destination

  • Handle all the logistics, so you don’t have to

  • Are the secret ingredient that makes your tour truly shine

Yes! You earn a free spot on tour as soon as six paying travelers enroll. For every additional six paying travelers, you earn another free spot for an adult chaperone of your choosing. For example, if 30 students sign up, that’s four free chaperone spots in addition to yours.

All travelers on international EF tours must have a valid passport. When it comes to documentation, every traveler and destination is different, so once your group starts enrolling, we’ll help direct you and your families to relevant resources.
 
Passports should have at least three blank pages and be valid for at least six months after your return date.

EF has set the standard for travel-based learning for over 60 years. Not only do our educational tours amplify the lessons you’re already exploring in your classroom, but they also help build more empathy, open-mindedness, confidence, and cross-cultural understanding.
 
Our educational philosophy, the EF Method, is built into every itinerary, so your students are immersed in a continuous journey of engaging, hands-on learning in real-world situations from the moment they step off the plane.

Yes! Plan to explore each destination primarily on foot, so be sure to pack your comfiest sneakers. You’ll have time to rest on the bus while traveling between cities and activities. If any travelers need accommodations, just let your EF Travel Team know in advance.

Every hotel your group stays in is required to meet EF’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and cleanliness. (We have an entire team dedicated to ensuring that!) However, it’s important to remember that international hotels designed for student travel may feel a little different from what students are familiar with. For example, some hotels may not have an elevator. Rooms will have multiple single beds or shared double beds, and every room will have a private bathroom.

You’ll receive more detailed meal information closer to your tour, but here’s an overview of what to expect:

  • Daily breakfast is served continental-style at your hotel.

  • Most tours include daily group dinners, which take place at local restaurants (or your hotel) and feature a mix of familiar favorites and local dishes from a set menu.

  • Lunches are usually not included, but this varies by itinerary. If lunch isn’t included, this is the perfect opportunity for students to explore local markets and discover their new favorite food.

Travelers will share allergy or dietary information with EF after signing up, and we’ll help make the necessary accommodations.

We’re here to help! Start a live one-on-one chat with a team member.

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