Fall Foliage West Coast Trip

From Seoul to Busan beyond Tourist Maps!

Prepare for an extraordinary 9-day Fall foliage adventure through South Korea, where the usual tourist trails fade away, and the hidden gems come to light. From the vibrant streets of Seoul to the coastal charm of Busan, our curated journey is designed to unveil the authentic essence of Korea. Let’s dive into local treasures in Jeonju, Damyang, Yeosu, Suncheon, Boseong and Geoje Island. We will of course see some Must Visits for South Korea, but also witness the untouched beauty that awaits those who venture off the conventional touristy paths while still experiencing the Korean Culture we all know and love.

This is not just a trip – it’s an exploration of the uncommon Korea that most tourists won’t be able to see!

NOV 4 - NOV 12

9 Days / 8 Nights

max. 8 people

from $3,899

Our Stops from Seoul to Busan:

November 4, 2025

Day 1 - Seoul

ORIENTATION

On our first day we will get to know each other while exploring the traditional side of South Korea’s Capitol City Seoul.

Explore Changdeokgung Palace
Get a Welcome-Gift
Walk through Insadong
Drink a traditional Tea
Have Chimaek at Nodeul Island

November 5, 2025

Day 2 - Jeonju

CULTURE

We will go to Jeonju by KTX and explore the famous Hanok Village and experience Korean Traditional Culture.

Explore Jeonju’s Hanok Village (incl. Omokdae & Gyeonggijeon Shrine)
Visit the Jeonju Arboretum
See the Namcheongyo Bridge at night
Stay in a Hanok

November 6, 2025

Day 3 - Damyang

BAMBOO

The most famous spot is what we are gonna see today before going to Damyang’s Bamboo Forest and Yeosu.

Have a walk at Mountain Naejang
See Naejang Temple
Visit the Damyang Bamboo Forest
See a Fall Foliage Alley
Take the Yeosu Night Cable Car

November 7, 2025

Day 4 - Yeosu

OCEAN VIEWS

The Coastal City of Yeosu is in the far South of the Korean Peninsula and our goal for day 5 together with a small stop at Boseong’s Green Tea Fields.

Visit Yeosu Artland
Stroll through Naksan Eupsung Fortress
Explore Boseong’s Green Tea Fields
Spend the Night in Yeosu

November 8, 2025

Day 5 - Suncheon

NATURE

Close to Yeosu we will explore the unique nature of Suncheon and take a relaxing break here.

Wear School Uniforms at the Suncheon Drama Set
Enjoy nature at the National Garden
See the unique Suncheon Wetland
Have a Glamping BBQ Party

November 9, 2025

Day 6 - Geoje Island

HIDDEN GEM

One of Korea’s hidden gems is this small island close to Busan. We will spend some amazing hours exploring this beautiful place.

Have a scenic Boat Ride
Explore tiny Oedo Island
Visit Windy Hill at Geojedo
Stroll around Maemiseong Fortress
Have a fire BBQ Dinner

November 10, 2025

Day 7 - Busan

FUN

Get ready to explore the top recommendations in Korea’s second biggest city Busan.

Take the Blueline Skycapsule
take Photos at Cheongsapo Station
Visit Haedongyonggungsa Temple
Relax in the Hill Spa
Have a Yacht Tour

November 11, 2025

Day 8 - Busan

FOLIAGE

Time to find some Fall Foliage in Busan today combined with some breathtaking Sea Views!

Take the Geomjeong Cable Car
Relax in a pretty Cafe with a Sea-View
Explore Busan ARTE Museum
Enjoy the Night View from Hwaryeong Mountain

November 12, 2025

Day 9 - Busan

FAREWELL

We start our adventure with a half day trip to Hwadam Forest and continue to explore the Namsan Area right after it.

Have a unique Market Food Tour
Visit Busan’s Gamcheon Culture Village
See the BIFF Square and try Busan’s famous Seed-Hotteok
Say Goodbye 🙁

*The mentioned activities are subject to change, but no worries we will make the most of your time here!

What's included:

Accommodation for 8 Nights
Simple breakfast, daily Lunch, Dinner
Professional Local Guide
Entrance Fees

Experiences & Activity fees*
Transportation from Seoul to Busan
Booking Credit Card Fees
My personal Seoul Map

What's NOT included:

Flights to and from Korea
Transportation from Busan to Seoul (≈46$)
Daily full western style breakfast Buffett

Personal Expenses (coffee, dessert, souvenirs)
Optional Activities: Paragliding
Travel Insurance for the trip

Your Room-Options:

During our trip we will stay in different Hotels, stay in a Hanok and will do Glamping. All Hotels will be of similar standard, with good reviews and clean facilities. During the Hanok Stay it might be, that you have to share a room even if you book the single room option.

For the rest of the hotels you can choose between the following options in the booking process.

$3,899

By choosing this option, you will share a room with another random person.

$4,349

By choosing this option, you will have a private room all for yourself.

Your Hosts

As Tour Guide and traveler we met on one random trip and after becoming friends we travelled together to Danyang, Jecheon, the DMZ, Nami Island, Tongyeong and other destinations. During those trips we realized, that we have the same goal: Showing other travelers the hidden beauty of South Korea, that most tourists cannot see. So end of 2023 we decided to plan a trip together for adventurers like us and here we are!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who can join the trip?

Literally everyone over 18 years old, who wants to enjoy the hidden Korea with us! We don’t care about nationality, religion, looks or whatever. You are welcome to join!

Please keep in mind that some of the activities we plan for the trip will require a basic fitness level though.

What if I have special dietary restrictions?

As our trip is going deep into the country, away from tourist spots and modern cities and as we focus a lot on local gems including local traditional dishes, we unfortunately cannot guarantee vegan / halal / gluten-free / … options as the restaurants we will visit are part of the experience for the whole group.

We will always try our best to find an option for you and we will always have a convenience store stop planned per day, but we can’t guarantee anything. Please let us know your requirements before making a booking!

What are the room options?

We offer the following room options:

single room (1P)
shared room (1P)

If you chose the shared room, you will randomly get a room mate on the first day of our trip (or if you already know someone who will join too, let us know in advance). Changing room mate will be possible on the first day (if you meet someone you get along with really well for example) but on mutual understanding so no one feels left out!

All Hotels will be of similar midrange standard, clean and with good ratings. Please keep in mind, that – no matter which option you choose – during the Hanok Stay and Glamping you might have to sleep on a floor mat (the Korean traditional Style) and share a room. We will let you know this part in advance!

What Experiences are not included?

The following experiences during those trip are NOT included in the price as we don’t want to force anyone to do those:

Paragliding in Danyang
Ziplining in Danyang

You will have the chance to spontaneously decide to do those activities during the trip.

What if I have to cancel my booking?

Here our Refund Policy:

until 15 days before the trip: 100%
14-3 days before the trip: 70%
2-1 day before the trip: 40%
on Trip Day/No Show: 0%

To cancel the booking please send us an email: nxtstopkorea@gmail.com

Do I need Travel Insurance?

As we cannot include travel insurance for our participants, you need to get your own insurance, including cancellation, personal injury, death, medical expenses, personal property damage, and so on. It provides peace of mind knowing you’re covered in case of illness or injury.

Will you offer other Travel Dates?

We already shared our other trips for 2025 on @nextstopkorea and you can sign up to get an E-Mail once the booking links open ♡

🌸 Cherry Blossom East Coast:
🗓️ 2025/03/27~2025/04/04
📍Busan, Jinhae, Gyeongju, Pohang, Jecheon, Danyang, Gangneung, Sokcho, Injae, Taebaek

💜 BTS Cross Country Trip:
🗓️ 2025/06/05~2025/06/12
📍Busan, Gyeongju, Daegu, Jecheon, Gangneung, Pyeongchang, Seoul

🏝️ Jeju Island Trip:
🗓️ 2025/09/23~2025/10/01
📍Seoul, Mokpo, Jeju (whole Island)

🍁Fall Foliage West Coast Trip:
🗓️ 2025/11/04~2025/11/12
📍Seoul, Jeonju, Jeongeup, Yeosu, Suncheon, Damyang, Boseong, Geoje Island, Busan

🏠 Home Stays in Iksan (TBA)
➕ Special Trips (TBA)

What else should I know?

The itinerary and schedule is subject to change depending on many circumstances like weather, crowds, …

We will take videos and photos for marketing purposes during the trip. If you do not agree with being in the content, please let us know BEFORE the trip.

Previous participant's thoughts:

In 2024 we did our first trips: In April from Seoul to Busan along the East Coast, in October a Fall Foliage Trip along the West Coast and a Jeju Island Trip in November. We made amazing memories with women from Argentina, Germany, the US, the UK, Norway, Switzerland and learned so many new things about Korean Culture and each other. The company you’re traveling with will make this whole trip even better – we promise! Here the reviews of previous participants from the WeTravel Booking Platform and some of our favorite shots to show you, what you can expect during our trips.

[...] They organized such an incredible tour, showed us so many beautiful places – hidden gems not everybody gets to see while visiting the country -, answered all our questions, we had the most amazing local food, learned so much about the country and the culture, stayed in beautiful locations, …. And they always made sure all of us were feeling good. [...] I loved how varied our tour was. Every day was so different. Starting in a big city like Seoul, going to the countryside and smaller cities, seeing nature during fall foliage and ending at the coast in Busan. If you are looking for a tour in South Korea I can only recommend choosing Antje and Dony - two of the loveliest tour guides.

Kristina Marie S. Fall Foliage Trip, October 2024

It was such a well organised trip. Was really easy to get along with the organisers. They even took in our interests of where we wanted to go for food e.g. bts restaurants. Planned the food really well as I can't eat spicy foods so they would order something non spicy for me and another girl. The hotels we stayed in were also great. Overall it was such an amazing times. Would definitely do it 1000 times 🙂 thank you both 🙂

Francesca H. Jeju Island Trip, November 2024

We had the most wonderful time! Antje and Dony put together an interesting itinerary. Everything was taken care of (water, umbrellas, hiking boots etc.), we saw amazing scenery, met locals, got to make a lot of experiences and had the most delicious food - every day! We made new friends, laughed a lot and cried when we had to say goodbye. I am grateful to have chosen this trip and feel spoiled for future trips.

Tanja S. Jeju Island Trip, November 2024

I recently returned from an incredible tour of Korea, and it was nothing short of amazing! [...] We experienced one-of-a-kind activities, exploring the breathtaking natural beauty of Korea—from majestic mountains, to a hidden palace garden, tranquil tea fields and even the breathtaking vistas of the sea. [...] The food... where to start... the food was a highlight every single day! [...] What made this tour truly special was being introduced to Korea's hidden gems that most tourists might miss. Dony and Antje did an exceptional job curating an unforgettable experience, and I wouldn’t hesitate to join them on another adventure.

Heather-Lee L. Fall Foliage Trip, October 2024

The most caring and lovely tour guides and driver you might find. I can’t imagine that you find anything better. So much insight into Korean culture on various aspects and different regions including food, history, language, etc. I hope to be able to travel with Antje and Dony again. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. You are the best!

Ute V. Fall Foliage Trip & Jeju Island Trip, 2024

We had a great time. The group was great mix of different people. The program was wisely chosen and adapted to the group interests and weather conditions. We had the chance to try a lot of different food.

Dagmar L. Spring Trip, April 2024

From the moment I landed, I knew this would be a trip to remember. The stunning landscapes, vibrant colors, and cultural richness of Korea were incredible, but what truly made this journey unforgettable were the people I met and the extraordinary guides who led the way. Our guides, Antje and Dony, were absolutely fantastic. Their professionalism, warmth, and attention to detail were second to none. [...] Each dish we had told a story of the region’s history and culture, and I can honestly say it was some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. If you’re looking for a truly unique, high-quality tour that’s perfectly planned and offers something you can’t find anywhere else, look no further. I'm already planning my next adventure with Antje and Dony – it was that good!

Anne T. Fall Foliage Trip, October 2024

The trip was beyond expectations, filled with a lot of magical moments, fulfilling my travel dreams and more. The itinerary and every single stop were selected with great care and you could feel that. A great mixture of cultural experiences, old and new, as well as fun activities and time together. The trip was planned perfectly with beautiful spots you will not see as a "normal" tourist. The way our guides made every single experience spot on and beyond, was perfect. [...] Antje and Dony (and all the nice ladies in the group) made me feel welcomed in a group of strangers, being encouraged to experience places and adventures I would've never dreamed of visiting. When another trip will be announced: book that trip! It is more than worth it.

Tanja K. Spring Trip, April 2024

Wow, this trip was simply... WOW! Much more than I could have ever imagined. Antje and Dony make a wonderful team! I feel like in 9 days I got to do most of the things I dreamt of doing for 14 years of being a fan of the Korean culture and food. We had amaaazing food, and Antje and Dony were always open to hear from us what we wanted to do in the trip, so they were also flexible with the schedule! I only have good things to say about this trip. I'll take the memories of it in my heart forever. And I'm crossing fingers Antje and Dony will organize a fall trip on the west coast of Korea, because I would 1000% trust them again for another one of these!

Melisa D. Spring Trip, April 2024