Textile Sensations of South Korea

We arrive in Seoul mid-afternoon and will be met by our English-speaking local guide, who will accompany us throughout the tour. Transfer to our hotel for some time to unpack and freshen up before dinner.

Today we enjoy a full day tour of Seoul. We’ll visit Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897). Built in 1395, it is the largest of the Five Grand Palaces built by this dynasty. Gyeongbokgung served as the home of Kings of the Joseon dynasty, the Kings' households, as well as the government of Joseon. The National Folk Museum is also located within the grounds of the palace, which illustrates the history of traditional life of the Korean people. We’ll continue to Insadong Antique Alley, one of the most memorable streets in Seoul and the focal point of traditional Korean culture and crafts before heading to Buckchon Hanok Village, a traditional Korean village which was traditionally the residential quarter of high-ranking government officials and nobility during the Joseon dynasty.

We start the day at Seoul Handicraft Museum, where the permanent exhibitions cover interesting topics such as the history of handicraft development through the ages in South Korea and the importance of embroidery and Bojagi in every day life. We'll continue to Chojun Textile and Quilt Art Museum, founded in 1998, to preserve traditional Korean patchwork quilting techniques and to exhibit textile crafts from other countries. Our next stop will be Seoul Tower, a landmark in the city offering panoramic views of Seoul and the surrounding areas. Our final stop is Gwanjang market, the nation’s first market which continues to thrive today, and Dongdaemun shopping complex, renown for quality silk and handmade goods.

Today we visit the De Militarized Zone, our only chance to get close to the border between North and South Korea. Our guide will explain the history of the division, from 1950 through to the inter-Korean summit held in 2018. The Military Demarcation Line was constructed 2km away from both North and South Korea, creating a total distance of 4km that has been managed by the military community since 1951. We’ll view North Korean territory from the Dora Observatory and walk into the mile-long infiltration tunnel, built by North Koreans trying to sneak into the South after the division.

This afternoon we’ll visit the Museum of Korean Embroidery, a privately funded museum founded in 1976. Embroidery work has long been a way for Korean women to express their artistic sensibility and cultivate beauty in their daily lives. As embroidery was a basic skill that Korean woman had to learn, it was handed down from mother to daughter. Embroidery was widely used in all classes of Korean society, thus the history of embroidery plays an important role in understanding the lifestyle of Korean women of the past. Hangsangsoo Embroidery Museum was opened by Master Embroiderer Han Sangsoo, who founded the museum to educate the public on the excellence of traditional Korean embroidery.

Today we’ll spend a full day with South Korean quilter Hongjoo Kim. We’ll meet some members of her quilting group and take part in a workshop focusing on Korean patchwork techniques.

We leave Seoul today and travel by coach to Jeonju. On route we’ll stop at Seocheon and Gunsan. At Seocheon we’ll visit the Ramie Fabric Museum. Here we’ll view the entire ramie fabric manufacturing process and watch as women weave ramie products on looms. The fibre from the Ramie plant (a flowering plant in the nettle family), is white and lustrous and looks like silk, but it lacks stretch and elasticity. Extremely absorbent, much more than cotton, ramie fabric breathes well and makes comfortable clothing for warm and humid summers. In Gunsan we'll enjoy the highlight of the Modern History Museum, a reconstruction of a typical 1930s neighbourhood, when the area was under Japanese rule.

This evening we enjoy dinner together in Jeonju.

Our first stop this morning is Gyeonggijeon Shrine and Jeondong Cathedral. The shrine was erected in 1410 and holds the portrait of King Tae-jo, founder of the Joseon dynasty. The cathedral was built between 1908 and 1914, in honour of the Roman Catholic martyrs of the same period. Both buildings are located in Jeonju Hanok Village which contains 800 traditional Korean houses or hanok. We continue to Hapcheon, where we visit Haeinsa Temple, one of the head temples of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is most noted for being the home of the Tripitaka Koreana; all the Buddhist scriptures carved onto 81,350 wooden blocks. We finish the day in Daegu, where we enjoy dinner together.

Daegu is the city of textiles. Here we’ll visit the Daegu Textile Complex, the one and only textile museum in Korea. The museum exhibits and preserves objects relating to fashion and textiles as well reporting on the future of the industry. From here we travel to Gyeongju, where we visit Yangdong Village. The village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a traditional village from the Joseon dynasty. It is a fine example of Korean aristocracy lifestyle.

We spend the night in Gyeongju, where we’ll enjoy dinner together

Today we spend a full day in Gyeongju. Our tour will include:

Seokguram Grotto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The grotto is a hermitage and houses some of the best buddhist sculptures in the world

Bulguska Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is another of the head temples of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It includes seven of the National Treasures of South Korea including stone pagodas, Blue Cloud Bridge and two gilt-bronze statues of buddha

Daereungwon Tomb Complex houses the large tombs of kings and nobles of the Silla dynasty (57BC – 935AD). There are 23 tombs located here, the most famous being Cheonmachong and Hwannamdaechong.

Cheomseongdae Observatory is the oldest existing astronomic observatory in Asia. It was constructed between 632 and 647 and was used for observing the stars in order to forecast the weather

In Gyeongju National Park we'll visit Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, once part of the palace complex of the Silla dynasty.

Today we travel to Busan, the second largest city in South Korea and the ninth busiest seaport in the world. Those of us with a head for heights will visit the Busan Tower for fantastic views of the city's skyline and coastline. Back on the ground we'll visit Jagalchi Fish Market and Gamcheon Cultural Village, a town built into the mountainside with its labyrinthine alleys and brightly painted houses attracting local artists and craftspeople. We end the day at Songdo Sky Walk, a 365m long walkway extending out to sea and over Turtle Island.

Transfer to Gimhae airport for our flight to Jeju island, South Korea's largest and most populous island. On arrival we'll enjoy a half day tour, culminating with a Hyewon Eco Dyeing Workshop, where we’ll create a naturally dyed scarf. On route to our hotel we'll visit Suwolbong Peak, the westernmost point on the island giving views over Chagwido and Jokdo islands.

We continue our tour of Jeju Island today. Our first stop is Seongeup Folk Village. Properties in the village have been handed down from generation to generation and include residential houses, Confucian shrines and schools, ancient government offices, stone statues and monuments. Trees that are hundreds of years old stand at the centre of the village, preserving the dignified atmosphere of a bygone era.

On Jeju Island, there is a community of women, some aged in their 80s, who go diving 10m under the sea to gather shellfish, such as abalone or sea urchins, for a living without the help of oxygen masks. With knowledge of the sea and marine life, these Jeju haenyeo (female divers) harvest for up to seven hours a day, 90 days of the year. We'll visit a museum dedicated to this extraordinary group of women. At Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise) Peak, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, If the weather conditions are right, we’ll see the female divers disappearing into the sea and coming up with fresh catch.

Transfer to Jeju airport for our flight to Seoul. This evening we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner