Answer a few questions and we will send you a written estimate for a private tour, built around what you actually want to see. Nothing is booked and nothing is charged by filling this in.
Inside Korea Travel · Mingledraw Co., Ltd. · Korea Tourism Business Registration No. 2023-000014 Photograph: Seoraksan National Park, Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1)
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Who is travelling
Group size changes the cost per person more than anything else, so this is the most important answer on the page.
What kind of trip is it?
Guides working in languages other than English are a small group in Korea. We will tell you honestly whether one is free on your dates, and the price can differ from the estimate below.
Good news: your passport does not need a K-ETA at the moment. You can enter Korea without a visa for a short visit, and the K-ETA travel authorisation is temporarily waived for your country. That waiver ends on 31 December 2026, and nothing has been announced for 2027 yet. So if your trip is next year, plan on applying for a K-ETA: it is done online at k-eta.go.kr, costs about 10,000 won and can take a few days. Checked 4 November 2026. Rules do change, so confirm on the official site, and we will confirm it in writing with your quotation.
No visa needed, but you do need a K-ETA. You can enter Korea without a visa for a short visit, but you must apply for the K-ETA travel authorisation online before you fly, at k-eta.go.kr. It costs about 10,000 won and can take a few days, so do it well before departure, not at the airport. Checked 4 November 2026. Confirm on the official site, and we will confirm it in writing with your quotation.
You will need a visa before you travel. Citizens of your country apply for a Korean visa at a Korean embassy or consulate, and it can take several weeks, so start early. A short stay tourist visa normally asks for proof of your itinerary, your hotels and your return flight. We can send you a signed itinerary and booking confirmation for your application at no charge, so please say so in the notes further down. Checked 4 November 2026. Confirm with your nearest Korean embassy.
Please check your own entry rules. Your country is not on our list, so we will not guess. Whether you need a visa, or only the K-ETA travel authorisation, depends on your passport. Start at k-eta.go.kr. Write your nationality in the notes further down and we will confirm it for you in writing with your quotation.
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When would you like to come
If you are still deciding, just tell us the month and we will tell you what the weather is like and what to pack.
January in Korea Cold and dry. Seoul runs about minus 6 to plus 2 degrees, colder in the mountains, but the skies are clear blue most days and there are very few tourists. Pack a proper winter coat, thermal layers, gloves and a hat. Ferries to the far islands are often cancelled. A good month for snow in Gangwon, hot springs and indoor food markets.
February in Korea Still cold, easing at the end. Seoul about minus 4 to plus 5 degrees. Lunar New Year falls in late January or February and many small shops and restaurants close for three days, so tell us if your dates are near it. Pack as for January. Plum blossom opens in the far south at the end of the month.
March in Korea A cold start and a mild finish, about 1 to 11 degrees in Seoul. Fine dust days are common in spring, so bring a mask if your chest is sensitive. Layers and a windproof jacket. Cherry blossom begins in Jeju and Busan in the last week.
April in Korea Cherry blossom month, about 7 to 18 degrees in Seoul. The blossom reaches Seoul in the first week and lasts roughly ten days. Beautiful and busy in equal measure. A light jacket, and a jumper for the evenings. Hotels fill up, so book early.
May in Korea One of the two best months, with October. Seoul about 13 to 24 degrees, dry and clear, everything green, and the rain has not started. Perfect for walking and trekking. Shirt sleeves by day, a light jacket at night.
June in Korea Warm and turning humid, about 18 to 28 degrees in Seoul. The rainy season usually arrives in the last week of June. Light clothes and a small umbrella. The sea is still cool for swimming.
July in Korea Monsoon and heat. Seoul about 22 to 30 degrees, with heavy rain for days at a time and then very humid sunshine. Quick drying clothes, sandals and an umbrella. Sea swimming is good from the middle of the month. Island ferries can be cancelled at short notice.
August in Korea The hottest and most humid month, about 23 to 32 degrees in Seoul. Korean school holidays, so beaches and Jeju are crowded and dearer. Typhoons are possible. Light clothes, a sun hat, and we plan indoor things for the hottest part of the afternoon.
September in Korea Hot early and lovely later, about 18 to 27 degrees in Seoul. Some typhoon risk in the first half. Chuseok, the harvest holiday, closes many shops for three days and fills every train and motorway, so tell us if your dates are near it. Layers.
October in Korea The other best month. Seoul about 11 to 21 degrees, dry and clear. The autumn colours reach Seoraksan in the middle of the month and Seoul and the south by the end. A jumper and a light jacket. This is our busiest month, so book early.
November in Korea Cool and clear, about 4 to 14 degrees in Seoul. The autumn colours finish in the south in the first half. Very few tourists and the best hotel prices of the year. A warm jacket and a scarf.
December in Korea Cold, dry and bright, about minus 3 to plus 5 degrees in Seoul. Christmas lights in the city and the ski season opening in Gangwon. A proper winter coat, thermals and gloves. Ferries to the far islands are often cancelled.
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How long you can stay
Count only the nights you want us to look after. Many travellers add their own days in Seoul at the start or the end.
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Where in Korea
Korea is a small country. Most travellers do not know the province names, so we have grouped it by how far it is from Seoul, where almost everyone lands. Tick as many as you like, or let us choose.
Korea has very good fast trains and good roads, but it is not all next door. As a rough guide: in 7 nights you can do Seoul plus two of the groups above without rushing. In 14 nights you can see most of the country.
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What you want out of it
This is what we use to decide between two towns that look the same on a map. Tick anything that applies.
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How you would like to travel
Getting around
Where you would like to sleep
Meals
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Your estimate
This is worked out from the rates we actually pay in 2026: a licensed guide, transport, hotels, entrance fees and the meals you chose. It is a range, not a quotation.
Keep these answers
This link remembers every answer above. Save it to come back later, or send it to whoever you are travelling with.
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Send it to us for a real quotation
The figure above is a calculator. A real quotation means we check guide and hotel availability for your dates and write you an itinerary. That is free and you are not committing to anything.
Almost done. Your details are already filled in below. Check your name and email, then press Send.
We reply within 2 to 3 working days. A real person reads every enquiry and writes back. We are a small licensed agency in Bucheon, not a booking engine, so please allow us the two days. If you have not heard from us by then, check your spam folder and then write to ikoreatravel@gmail.com.
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Or just book a few day tours yourself
A private trip is not right for everybody, and we would rather be useful than pushy. If you are two people on a tight budget, joining a group day tour is genuinely the cheaper way to do it, and you do not need us for that. These are the two sites most visitors use.
Two places you will not find a day tour. The old inland towns, Gongju, Buyeo, Andong, Jecheon and Danyang, and the far islands, Ulleungdo, Dokdo and Baengnyeongdo, are almost never sold as group day trips in English. Nobody runs them because there is no volume. That is exactly where a private guide earns their keep, and it is the part of Korea we like best.
The two links above are affiliate links. If you book through them we may receive a small commission from GetYourGuide or Trip.com, at no extra cost to you. We get nothing if you only look, and we have no say over their prices or which tours they show you.
