South Korea Private Tours & Local Tour Guides

“Day in busan”

Our guide was fabulous. Traffic was terrible but he stayed with it. Saw fabulous things and changes explained to us what we were seeing. He took us from the east side of the city all the way together the west side. We had lunch together in the fish market at his favorite restaurant. What a wonderful day

Changwoo Y.

(17 reviews)

Connie! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review! The rainy weather and the holiday traffic during Chuseok definitely made things a little more challenging, but I’m so happy to hear that you still had such a fun and meaningful day. I really enjoyed spending the day with you too. It honestly felt a little like traveling with my own parents. I especially loved how interested you were in Korean history and Busan. Sharing those stories with you was just as enjoyable for me! I really hope we get to see each other again if you come back to Korea someday. Or maybe, who knows, I’ll have a chance to visit Washington, D.C. one day! Haha. Thank you again, Connie and Jim. It was truly a pleasure meeting you, and I hope our paths cross again someday!

“2 Day Custom Gyeongju Historical and Culture tour”

I spent two exceptional days exploring Gyeongju with Greg and would recommend him without hesitation to anyone who genuinely wants to learn about Korean history and culture. We began at the Gyeongju National Museum, which proved to be the perfect introduction. Greg continually connected what we saw during the following two days back to the history and artifacts we had encountered that first morning, giving the individual sites a much broader historical context. Our customized itinerary was ambitious, covering the central Silla historic area, royal tombs, Cheomseongdae, Wolseong, Woljeonggyo and Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond on the first day, followed by Bulguksa, Seokguram, Gameunsa, King Munmu's tomb and the east coast on the second. Every site was different and Greg did an excellent job of tying their stories together. Greg was also exceptional for photography. He knows excellent viewpoints and angles, but more importantly, he has a photographer's eye himself—he notices clouds, patterns in nature and compositions that others might overlook. He generously shared his own photographs afterward, which were wonderful complements to mine. His English is excellent—he is a retired English teacher—and conversation was effortless. He also introduced me to several Korean food specialties, adding an unexpected and thoroughly enjoyable dimension to the tour. The Kia Carnival Hi-Limousine was exceptionally comfortable and essential to covering our itinerary efficiently. Greg managed the pace perfectly; I never felt rushed. When we found ourselves ahead of schedule, he added another site rather than simply ending early. By the end of two very full days, it felt less like I was traveling with a guide and more like I was traveling with a knowledgeable friend. An outstanding experience and excellent value.

Greg D.

(1 reviews)

Dear Brian, I am deeply moved and truly humbled by your extraordinarily thoughtful review. Reading your kind words made my heart full, and I cannot thank you enough. In Korea, we have a special concept called "Jeong" (情)—a deep, affectionate bond and warm connection that naturally grows between people over time. Though we first met as a guide and a guest, by the time our two days together ended, I genuinely felt the warmth of Jeong, as if I had spent those days exploring with a long-time, cherished friend. Hosting you was a truly comfortable, deeply rewarding, and joyful experience for me as well. Before every tour, I strive to do my absolute best to help visitors truly appreciate and understand the unique depth of Korea’s cultural heritage. However, your profound curiosity, respect, and sincere attitude toward history allowed us to turn this trip into something far beyond a typical tour—a journey rich with stories and shared meaning. Unlike those who simply hurry from one spot to the next, watching you pause to absorb the true essence of each site and capture its beauty through your photographer's lens was inspiring. I actually learned a lot from you as well. Exploring the thousand-year legacy of Silla with someone who appreciates it so deeply made me fall in love with Gyeongju's captivating charm all over again. Thank you once again for your incredible praise and for being such a wonderful companion on this journey. I sincerely hope our paths cross again someday. Until then, I wish you endless health, happiness, and beautiful travels wherever you go. Warmest regards, Greg

“Custom Suwon Hwaseong historical tour and photography experience.”

I spent an excellent day exploring Suwon Hwaseong with Susu. She has a superb command of English, is engaging and enthusiastic, and clearly loves Suwon and enjoys sharing her city with visitors. One of Susu's best decisions was beginning our tour at the Suwon Hwaseong Museum. She explained the fortress's construction, defensive design, equipment and unique features there, establishing a foundation that greatly improved my understanding of everything we subsequently saw. As we walked the fortress, she continually connected the structures we encountered with what she had explained at the museum, including the distinctive defensive characteristics of the gates and the differently designed secret entrances. Our day included Hwaseong Haenggung, the climb to Seojangdae on Mt. Paldal, the fortress walls to Janganmun, Hwahongmun, Yongyeon Pond, Banghwasuryujeong, Yeonmudae and traditional archery. The climb to Seojangdae is physically demanding but absolutely worthwhile and was one of the highlights of the day. Susu's local knowledge also led to an excellent lunch featuring a distinctive Suwon-style bibimbap. What particularly impressed me was that her assistance continued beyond our tour. Knowing that I planned to explore independently afterward, she developed an afternoon and evening itinerary for me, purchased tickets for some of the activities, and advised me where to position myself for the opening night of the Suwon Hwaseong Media Art show. I would highly recommend Susu both to first-time visitors and to travelers with a serious interest in Korean history. Her knowledge, excellent English and genuine enthusiasm for Suwon made this a memorable day.