EXODUS DMC

tour

Seat In Coach

Busan / Gyeongju / Andong 3 days



Tour Highlights

  • Yongdusan Park
  • Jagalchi Fish Market
  • Haeundae Beach
  • Bulguksa Temple
  • Seokguram Grotto
  • Tumuli Park
  • Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory
  • Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond
  • Gyeongju Natioal Museum
  • Yangdongmaeul Village
  • Hahoemaeul Village



We book this tour through subcontracted out to other tour companies. Therefore the tour quality, conditions and prices by their nature may vary company to company.


Arrival complications
Sometimes the unexpected can happen; If you have missed your tour departure, first call the relevant emergency number and speak to our staff who will be happy to help you catchy up with the group. Please note that you are responsible for any extra travelling expenses incurred due to you missing your tour¡¯s departure, so please be on time.


Day 1 Seoul - Busan (- - -) 440km
You join the tour with other tourists at the designated point to enjoy a 3-day excursion. There will be a lot of driving today and you will have a chance to enjoy a beautiful countryside. Busan is Korea's second largest city surrounded by the ocean on one side, and mountains on the other. Its deep harbor and gentle tides have allowed it to grow into the largest port in Korea and the fifth largest in the world. It is also a center of industry and commerce, a thriving metropolis formed unusually long in shape along its coastal line.

You will tour Yongdusan Park where Busan Tower sits atop a hillock of a steep slope, affording 360-degree views of the hilly terrain of this mountainous coastal city and the harbor. Smack dab in the middle of the park stands the statue of Yi Sunsin, who is credited with the perfection of the first iron-clad warship in history. You will also see a flower clock and a Busan citizen's bell that they ring on New Years' Day, March 1 and August 15.

Just off the park is Gwangbokro Street, full of shops selling everything from bargains to luxury items. Adjacent is a maze of small streets alive with color, sidewalks sprinkled with unique shops and local eateries. Enjoy the vibrant ambience as you leisurely make your way to the BIFF square, Busan¡¯s modern movie district having hand prints of the famous movie stars and directors on the sidewalk, movie theaters, trendy shops and street food stalls. The area with originally little more than a pair of cinemas that were built over half a century ago had turned into the newly transformed district, and was named BIFF Square on August 14, 1996.

Across the street from the square is a fascinating Jagalchi fish market, a great attraction located dockside. Here you will find a diverse array of seafood on display as you walk along the narrow alleys of street vendors. A nearby indoor market features live fish in the tanks and the upstairs are dried fish along with many restaurants selling raw fish at reasonable prices. The market is really a visual and culinary treat.


Day 2 Busan - Gyeongju (B) 120km
Journey continues to Gyeongju, an ancient capital of the Silla dynasty (BC57-AD935). Today, you are treated to one of the ten historical cities in the world. Temple sites with weathered stone pagodas, royal tombs, Buddhist bas-reliefs, and fortress ruins are scattered throughout this ancient city.

En route, squeeze in a stop at Haeundae, a world-class beach resort blessed by beautiful water and screened by skyscrapers along the beautifully curved coastline. Afterward, cross the Suyeong Bay over Gwangan Bridge, installed with over 10,000 colorful LED lights which sparkle brightly under the night skies.

While in Gyeongju, you will explore the delights of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Seokguram grotto. It is the home of the serene stone Buddha of the eighth century. Inside, a white statue of a seated Buddha in a sublime state of enlightenment, is surrounded by 37 relief figures of Bodhisattvas, disciples, devas, and guardian kings. The grotto represents the magnificent harmony of religion, science and the arts of Buddhism, symbolizing the pure land in which Buddha resides.

A short ride leads you to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bulguksa temple, where you will witness the impressive gates, symbolic bridges leading up to the world of Buddha, graceful architectures, Three-storied Seokgatap and highly ornate Dabotap blending well into the architectural harmony. At Gwaneumjeon hall, check out the image of the Avalokitesvara who is referred to as the Bodhisattva of Compassion and has a thousand hands, and eyes in each so as to reach out to those in need of help. You will see a gilded statue of Vairocana with the gesture of the first wisdom, Sakyamuni Buddha along with sixteen figures of Buddha's disciples sitting in deep meditation, and a gilt-bronze Amitabha Buddha who is the ruler of the Western Paradise Sukhavati. The architectural design of Bulguksa is one of constrained dignity, peace, and harmony and the temple still remains one of the most remarkable achievements of the ancient Far East.

Visit Gyeongju National Museum for a great insight into Silla culture and history. The first thing that you will notice is The Bell of King Seongdeok, the largest extant bell in Korea. You must certainly stand in awe before the bell from the 8th century with such artistic beauty of design. The bell is distinguished not only for its outstanding beauty but also for its long reverberating sound, the incredibly precise casting technique, in addition to the sad legend surrounding it. On entering the museum, you will marvel at the priceless archaeological and historical artifacts including splendid gold crowns, earrings, belts, ornaments, glassware, potteries, and clay figures as well as a royal barge.

Continue your historic discovery by exploring Donggung palace and Wolji pond, a pleasure garden built to commemorate the victory of Silla. A short walking tour leads you to the ruins of Banwolseong fortress, the world's oldest existing astronomical observatory, Cheomseongdae and finally Tumuli Park that encompasses 23 huge burial mounds. You can go inside Cheonmachong and see how the tombs were made and replicas of the treasures excavated in 1973.

Day 3 Gyeongju - Andong - Seoul (B) 470km
You will explore UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yangdongmaeul, a delightful journey to the traditional clan village which embraces simple, unadorned natural beauty. There are some steep hills to climb but also easier streets. Over 150 homes as well as two shrines are in perfect harmony with the natural topography, presenting different angles where walls ascend a hill interspersed with tiled roof houses or thatched roof buildings.

While in Andong, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hahoemaeul from the 15th century. It is the best preserved traditional village portraying and spanning the life of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and some 480 Korean traditional houses, both large and small, are still fully functioning. As you take a walk in the narrow alleys, enjoy the rustic and old charm of this unique village. You cannot possibly miss a 600-years old zelkova tree, the home to the village spirit. At the tree's base is where residents still make their wishes. The village is also known for traditional festival, Hahoe Mask Dance which gave common people the opportunity to mock those in authority, and in particular the Byeolsingut, a shaman ritual exorcising evil spirits, dating back to the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392).



Remarks
The tour is subject to operation with minimum four persons and will be conducted in English