GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!
GoWithGuide
GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!
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Tao Abundance Temple, Seoul's most-important Buddhist Site

Art, Culture, & Historical
Seoul Tour Guide - David a. M.

Joined 2022

David a. M.
5.00 / 5
(3 reviews)
Identity Verified
Interview-Based Quality Checks
GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!Seoul
GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!English (Native), Korean
GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!4 hours
GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!Private tour (only you and David a. M.)
GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!Up to 15 people

Doseon-sa was founded around 1100 years ago just beneath the three main peaks of the Triple-Horns Mtn, Seoul's sacred & prominent guardian (a National Park), by one of Korea's greatest Buddhist masters. It has remained the most religiously important monastery of the Seoul area ever since always crowded with sincere Buddhists. It has several unusual features that will be pointed out and explained to your group. There is a large ancient standing Buddha statue designated as a National Treasure.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

09:30 AM

Meeting Point

Any Metro-Subway Station, your Hotel lobby, or other.

09:30 AM

Downtown or Uptown Seoul

Depart from our meeting place -- your hotel or other site, and travel by subway trains, rented car or taxis (extra cost) to far-NE Seoul, then up to the temple near the Bukhan-san National Park Entrance.

10:10 AM

Lower Doseon-sa, the Tao Abundance Monastery

We will walk through the lower and outer grounds, seeing grand views of the pine forest and the city area far-below, learning about the long history and Feng-shui character of this grand temple, including tales of its remarkable founder, Korea's first "National Master". We will see many interesting monuments, including a huge complex stone memorial for a great/important 20th-Century master, whose accomplishments will be recounted.

11:20 AM

Upper Doseon-sa, the Tao Abundance Monastery

We will tour the upper and inner courtyards, seeing a grand view of the rocky peaks soaring above. Visiting all the main buildings, we'll see several unique shrines for great heroes of Buddhism and Korea's modern development, and I will explain everything with artistic details and several more colorful stories. The capstone is a large ancient standing relief-carving of Buddha designated as a National Treasure, said to have been sculpted by Maser Doseon himself about 875 CE.

01:00 PM

Lower Doseon-sa

We will be departing the temple, heading back down to urban civilization. There are some great Korean restaurants at the gorge's bottom, if you wish to partake. Otherwise, we'll have you back where you wish to be (or on the way) by 13:30, four hours from the start.

Ending Point

Your hotel, or any place downtown, as you wish.

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

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What‘s included

Guiding Fee

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What‘s not included

Transportation costs for us all, meal, snack, drinks. There is no entrance fee.

Tour Important Information

I am a well-known expert on both Korean Buddhism and Korea's folk-religion traditions, and will give a fascinating tour! You will learn a lot about Buddhist beliefs & history, and folk-buddhist practices, and see some amazing photo-perfect sights! Many great short stories will be told...

Transportation is an extra cost, and can be done however you wish; I will explain the options. It's best to avoid the morning rush-hour (7:30-9am).

Should not be done in a medium or heavy rain; light rain is possible, but blue sky is best!

Important message from the supplier

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I do this full-time now, any day -- but only in Spring & Autumn.

Cancellation Policy

  • GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!
    Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
  • GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!
    50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
  • GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!
    No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Seoul Tour Guide - David a. M.

Joined 2022

David a. M.
5.00 / 5
(3 reviews)
Identity Verified
Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide David a. M.

I have been a Professor of Korean Cultural Tourism in Seoul, and a Tour-guide, Lecturer and Author on Traditional Cultural Sites, especially religious ones, on the high-end, for 25 years. Wrote the 1996-7 edition of Lonely Planet's KOREA guidebook!

Reviews

V

Vasilios K.

5 / 5
Oct 10, 2023

Half-day Intro to Seoul and Korean History

Seoul
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knowledgeable and flexible

David is a fountain of information and was very accomodating in meeting our needs. Book with confidence.

Vasilios K.

Thanks VK, it was great to host you guys!! D

Jeffery M.

Jeffery M.

5 / 5
Sep 10, 2023

Full-day Intro to Seoul and Korean History

Seoul
8 hours

Grab Your Walking Shoes & Spend The Day With David!

David is absolutely splendid! A human, walking encyclopedia of anything you could hope to know. If you enjoy learning and desire to truly grasp the history and culture of South Korea- he is your guy! There wasnt a question we asked that he didnt have a full, in-depth explanation for. He offers a variety of tours to cover most anything you'd be interested in- he truly knows it all and is an excellent storyteller and teacher. He went out of his way to accommodate our wishes. We even had a medical situation arise and he took the time to go with us to the hospital and ensure we got checked in since we only speak English. Highly, highly recommend!

Jeffery M.

I was so glad to guide you two for two days; you were great company and very attentive, curious listeners! DM

A delightful walking tour listening to fascinating stories about Korea’s history

David took us to the Jogye-sa where we learnt in details about the country’s history of religions that helped shape the Korean culture. Then we walked to the Seoul Plaza to see the historical monuments, listening to fascinating stories about the national heroes. I was in particular inspired by the stories of Yi Sun S

Tang C.

It was my pleasure to serve your first visit to Korea!

Want to Personalize?Send a Message
$395/ per group
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