Tours in South Korea

Start with the side dishes. In South Korea a meal arrives as a crowd of small plates before anyone has ordered the main thing, and you will spend the first lunch working out which ones to refill. That tells you a lot about the country: generous, fast, and a little bit communal.

Seoul is where most people begin. The city folds itself around hills, and you feel it in your legs. Gyeongbokgung Palace is the grand set piece, with wide courtyards and gates that make the towers around it look briefly irrelevant. Walk up into Bukchon and the scale drops to low tiled roofs and lanes that tip downhill. Gwangjang Market is for eating standing up, elbow to elbow. Wander further and you will find Insadong's tea houses, Namsan with its tower above the city, and the late-night streets of Hongdae and Myeongdong.

Busan is the other Korea, salty and steep. Jagalchi Fish Market smells of the sea long before you see it, and the stalls run right to the water. Up the slopes, Huinnyeoul Culture Village stacks colourful houses above the harbour, and the viewpoint on Hwangnyeongsan gives you the whole port and skyline at once. Haedong Yonggungsa sits on the rocks at the water's edge, which is not where you expect a temple to be. Beaches like Haeundae are close by too.

Beyond those two, there is plenty more. Gyeongju is a quiet city of grassy burial mounds and temples. Jeju Island has volcanic coast and walking paths. Jeonju is known for bibimbap, and the Demilitarized Zone draws many visitors from Seoul. If something here is not on the list below, ask. A local guide can build the day around it.