South Korea Private Tours & Local Tour Guides

“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.

“Custom, private, Seoul Highlights: History, Culture, Local Life & Scenic Views tour”

I spent a full day exploring Seoul with Thomas and had an excellent experience. He was knowledgeable about the sites we visited and, during the planning process, was very open to customizing the itinerary around my interests in Korean history, architecture and photography. Thomas was particularly flexible. On the morning of the tour, I unexpectedly needed to return to my hotel earlier than originally planned. He immediately reorganized the itinerary so that we could still make very good use of the available time. Having Thomas's private car was a major advantage and allowed us to cover Gyeongbokgung Palace, Samcheong-dong, Bukchon Hanok Village, Insadong, Gwangjang Market, Naksan Park and the Seoul City Wall, Bugak Skyway and Palgakjeong Pavilion, and Ikseon-dong efficiently and comfortably. Thomas also knew some excellent photography locations, including an elevated viewpoint overlooking Gyeongbokgung and the surrounding city. After the changing-of-the-guard ceremony at Gyeongbokgung, he quickly got me into the queue to have my photograph taken with the guards—a wonderful and unexpected experience. Another highlight was his suggestion that we have lunch sampling street food while exploring Gwangjang Market. The food was excellent and it was a memorable local experience. Thomas's English comprehension was good, communication was easy, his vehicle was clean and comfortable, and he readily adapted to my relatively fast walking pace while still allowing plenty of time for photography and exploration. I would particularly recommend Thomas to visitors who want to see a broad range of Seoul efficiently, appreciate the convenience of a private vehicle, and value a guide who is flexible and willing to customize the day around their interests.

Thomas K.

(55 reviews)

Dear Brian, Thank you so much for your kind review. I really enjoyed spending the day with you and showing you around Seoul. It was especially nice to share some places that matched your interests in history, architecture, and photography. I’m also glad we were able to adjust the schedule when your plans changed and still make good use of the time we had. I hope you enjoyed the rest of your stay in Korea and went home with lots of good memories — and, of course, some great photos too. Thank you again, Brian. It was a pleasure meeting you. Warm regards, Thomas

“Nice afternoon in Yeouido”

Kevin has very in-depth knowledge of the history of South Korea and how each historical event shaped the development of the country. I had the opportunity to visit Yeouido, which I hadn't yet, and Kevin walked me through the National Assembly, the financial district and the Han River through the Yeouido side, and shared his experiences of how he saw the radical transformations that part of time went through it while he worked around there. Super interesting time!