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Optional Seoul, Korea Prelude
6 days/5 nights
May 13 - 18, 2013
May 13 — New York, Seoul, Korea
Depart in the early hours of the morning on an overnight flight to Seoul.
May 14 — Seoul
Arrive in the Korean capital in the early morning, and transfer to the deluxe Lotte Hotel, where rooms are reserved for immediate check-in. The day is at leisure to rest and explore independently. In the late afternoon, gather for a walking tour of Bukchon Hanok Village to see traditional Korean houses and visit a local artisan gallery. Our welcome dinner is at Top Cloud Restaurant, with spectacular views of the city. (D)
May 15 — Seoul
Begin the day with a visit to the National Museum of Korea, the premier institution of Korean art and culture, where the director plans to greet us. After lunch, tour Changdeokgung Palace, the best-preserved of the city palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage site. There will be time to explore the compound and its grounds, including Biwon, the palace’s secret garden. Continue to the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, an outstanding private collection on the slopes of the city’s Namsan Mountain. This evening enjoy a festive dinner and performance at The Korea House. (B,L,D)
May 16 — Seoul
Today visit Gyeonbok-Gung Palace, the oldest royal residence of the Joseon Dynasty Kings. See the Blue House, the Presidential Executive Office and Residence, and continue to The National Folk Museum, located on the palace grounds. Lunch is in Insa-dong, a neighborhood originally famous for its antique markets and traditional art but now also popular for its restaurants, shops, and art galleries. Alternatively, travel north of the city for a tour of the Demilitarized Zone. The balance of the day is at leisure. (B,L)
May 17 — Seoul, Gyeongju, Korea
Depart Seoul this morning and travel east across the Korean peninsula to Gyeongju, ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom and center of Korean Buddhist art and culture for over 700 years. The entire area has been designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, preserving the finest early Korean Buddhist monuments. Following lunch, visit one of the great temple sites in the region, the Sokkuram Grotto, with superb granite carvings dating to the 8th century. Then see the nearby Bulguk-sa temple, built in 528 and destroyed by Hideyoshi’s armies in the late 16th century. In its reconstructed form, the temple houses several treasures of Silla and Koryo Dynasty Buddhist art. Continue to the Gyeongju Hyundai Hotel for check-in and dinner. (B,L,D)
May 18 — Gyeongju, Busan, Korea, Embark Clipper Odyssey
Enjoy a scenic climb up Namsan Mountain, along ancient paths carved with hundreds of Buddhist sculptures and bearing the remains of some 100 temple, pagoda and royal pavilion sites. Alternatively, visit Gameunsa Temple, built by the Silla King Munmu on the edge of the East Sea to ward off Japanese pirates. Following lunch, transfer to the port city of Busan, where we embark Clipper Odyssey and begin our cruise to Japan. (B,L,D)
Double Occupancy: $1,995
Single Occupancy: $2,945
Optional Tokyo, Japan Postlude
5 days/4 nights
May 26 - 30, 2013
During an optional postlude in Japan, spend time in Kyoto before discovering dynamic Tokyo. See some of the capital city's finest art at the Idemituse Museum, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Mori Art Museum. Visit the Nezu Museum, which houses the private collection of industrialist Nezu Kaichiro, and the Tokyo National Museum, a great repository of East Asian art and archaeology. Savor Japan's cuisine during meals such as a gourmet bento lunch, accompanied by traditional shamisen music, in the Ryotei tea house at Kiyosumi Garden.
Meals: 4L,2D
Double Occupancy: $3,250
Single Occupancy: $4,245
6 days/5 nights
May 13 - 18, 2013
May 13 — New York, Seoul, Korea
Depart in the early hours of the morning on an overnight flight to Seoul.
May 14 — Seoul
Arrive in the Korean capital in the early morning, and transfer to the deluxe Lotte Hotel, where rooms are reserved for immediate check-in. The day is at leisure to rest and explore independently. In the late afternoon, gather for a walking tour of Bukchon Hanok Village to see traditional Korean houses and visit a local artisan gallery. Our welcome dinner is at Top Cloud Restaurant, with spectacular views of the city. (D)
May 15 — Seoul
Begin the day with a visit to the National Museum of Korea, the premier institution of Korean art and culture, where the director plans to greet us. After lunch, tour Changdeokgung Palace, the best-preserved of the city palaces and a UNESCO World Heritage site. There will be time to explore the compound and its grounds, including Biwon, the palace’s secret garden. Continue to the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, an outstanding private collection on the slopes of the city’s Namsan Mountain. This evening enjoy a festive dinner and performance at The Korea House. (B,L,D)
May 16 — Seoul
Today visit Gyeonbok-Gung Palace, the oldest royal residence of the Joseon Dynasty Kings. See the Blue House, the Presidential Executive Office and Residence, and continue to The National Folk Museum, located on the palace grounds. Lunch is in Insa-dong, a neighborhood originally famous for its antique markets and traditional art but now also popular for its restaurants, shops, and art galleries. Alternatively, travel north of the city for a tour of the Demilitarized Zone. The balance of the day is at leisure. (B,L)
May 17 — Seoul, Gyeongju, Korea
Depart Seoul this morning and travel east across the Korean peninsula to Gyeongju, ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom and center of Korean Buddhist art and culture for over 700 years. The entire area has been designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, preserving the finest early Korean Buddhist monuments. Following lunch, visit one of the great temple sites in the region, the Sokkuram Grotto, with superb granite carvings dating to the 8th century. Then see the nearby Bulguk-sa temple, built in 528 and destroyed by Hideyoshi’s armies in the late 16th century. In its reconstructed form, the temple houses several treasures of Silla and Koryo Dynasty Buddhist art. Continue to the Gyeongju Hyundai Hotel for check-in and dinner. (B,L,D)
May 18 — Gyeongju, Busan, Korea, Embark Clipper Odyssey
Enjoy a scenic climb up Namsan Mountain, along ancient paths carved with hundreds of Buddhist sculptures and bearing the remains of some 100 temple, pagoda and royal pavilion sites. Alternatively, visit Gameunsa Temple, built by the Silla King Munmu on the edge of the East Sea to ward off Japanese pirates. Following lunch, transfer to the port city of Busan, where we embark Clipper Odyssey and begin our cruise to Japan. (B,L,D)
Double Occupancy: $1,995
Single Occupancy: $2,945
Optional Tokyo, Japan Postlude
5 days/4 nights
May 26 - 30, 2013
During an optional postlude in Japan, spend time in Kyoto before discovering dynamic Tokyo. See some of the capital city's finest art at the Idemituse Museum, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Mori Art Museum. Visit the Nezu Museum, which houses the private collection of industrialist Nezu Kaichiro, and the Tokyo National Museum, a great repository of East Asian art and archaeology. Savor Japan's cuisine during meals such as a gourmet bento lunch, accompanied by traditional shamisen music, in the Ryotei tea house at Kiyosumi Garden.
Meals: 4L,2D
Double Occupancy: $3,250
Single Occupancy: $4,245
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