Flower and Sun of the Far East: "South Korea and Japan" | May 12 – May 22, 2027
THE FLOWER AND SUN OF THE FAR EAST: "SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN"
SEOUL (3 NIGHTS) – TOKYO (3 NIGHTS) – HAKONE – KYOTO (2 NIGHTS) – NARA – OSAKA (1 NIGHT)
ALL CITY TOURS, TEAM LABS DIGITAL ART MUSEUM, KIMONO RENTAL, TEA CEREMONY, ENTRANCE FEES INCLUDED, FLIGHT BETWEEN SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN INCLUDED
EXPERIENCE TRAVEL ON THE WORLD'S FIRST HIGH-SPEED TRAIN, SHINKANSEN, INCLUDED
ISTANBUL to SEOUL > Tuesday, May 11, 2027
Meet at the Turkish Airlines counter in front of the Istanbul Airport international departures terminal at 22:50.
SEOUL > Wednesday, May 12, 2027
After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we fly to Seoul on Turkish Airlines flight TK20 at 01:50. We will spend the night on board. Upon arrival at Seoul Incheon Airport at 17:40 local time, after completing passport and baggage procedures, we are transferred to the hotel by our waiting vehicle. We complete check-in and settle into our rooms. We will spend the night at our hotel in Seoul.
SEOUL > Thursday, May 13, 2027 (K)
After breakfast at our hotel, our first stop will be Gyeongbokgung Palace. Built in 1395, it is not only the largest of the Five Grand Palaces constructed by the Joseon Dynasty but also considered the most beautiful and magnificent. Our next stop is Insadong Street, famous for its traditional tea houses, art galleries, and souvenir shops. After the free time provided here, we visit Namsangol Hanok Village. Located at the foot of Namsan Mountain, this village offers visitors a sense of traveling back in time with its restored traditional "hanok" houses, peaceful gardens, and authentic atmosphere. Here, we will have the opportunity to closely observe Korean living culture, architectural details, and traditional layouts. Passing through, we will also enjoy panoramic views of the former Blue House and Gwanghwamun Square. The final stop of our tour will be Myeongdong Street, one of Korea's most popular shopping and fashion streets. After exploring this vibrant area filled with cosmetic stores, local restaurants, and international brands, we return to our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel in Seoul.
SEOUL > Friday, May 14, 2027 (K)
After breakfast at our hotel, our first stop will be Aegibong Ecopark. Located in the only Demilitarized Zone between South Korea and North Korea, Aegibong Peace Ecological Park stands out as a symbol of peace and harmony. The confluence of the Han River with the Jogang River, which connects different histories and cultures, makes this spot even more meaningful. From here, we will have the opportunity to observe the North Korean Propaganda Village on the opposite bank of the Han River and North Korean farmers working in the fields. Additionally, we will have the chance to enjoy our coffee at the first and only Starbucks in Korea with a view of North Korea. We will be able to see North Korean territory and the border line from the observation deck. Our tour will continue with N Seoul Tower, a communication tower and observation point. After reaching the tower via cable car, we will enjoy panoramic views of Seoul from its highest point. Next, we set off to see the Gangnam Style Statue. Then, we visit Starfield Library located just nearby. Our next stop will be Bongeunsa Temple, which has a history dating back 1,200 years. As a cornerstone of Korean Buddhism, Bongeunsa is among the structures that attract tourists to the area, featuring one of Seoul's largest statues, Maitreya, and a library housing 3,479 sacred Buddhist texts. After our tour, we return to our hotel. We will spend the night at our hotel in Seoul.
SEOUL TO TOKYO> Saturday, May 15, 2027> (K)
At the time announced by our guide, we will complete our check-out procedures and transfer to the airport. We fly to Tokyo on flight KE703 at 10:10. We land at Narita Airport at 12:40 local time. After passport and baggage procedures, we begin our Tokyo tour from the airport with our vehicle. We move to the Shinjuku district, famous for its lights, entertainment centers, and vibrant atmosphere. Taking a short walk, we experience the dynamic nature of the area and the energy of the modern city. At the end of the day, we transfer to our hotel. We complete our check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight stay at our hotel in Tokyo.
TOKYO > May 16, 2027 Sunday > (K)
After breakfast at our hotel, we continue to the Tokyo tour. Our first stop is Asakusa Sensoji Temple, one of the city's oldest and most important temples, along with the colorful Nakamise Shopping Street leading to the temple. Here, we get to know Japanese culture up close and enjoy a pleasant time for souvenir shopping. Later, we move on to Akihabara, famous for its electronics stores, anime culture, and pop culture shops. There, we experience the vibrant atmosphere of the area. After free time for lunch, we will have an impressive art journey at TeamLab Planets Digital Art Museum, which showcases digital art experiences where light, water, and sound come together in a unique harmony. This interactive exhibition that appeals to the senses offers visitors an unforgettable experience. After this impressive experience where light, sound, and space merge, we head to Harajuku – Takeshita Street, Tokyo's center of youth and fashion. We explore the area with its colorful shops, boutique stores, and unusual street culture. After free time for lunch, we proceed to Shibuya Crossing (Shibuya Scramble Crossing), one of the first images that come to mind when Tokyo is mentioned. After taking a photo break at one of the world's busiest pedestrian crossings, we see the Hachiko Statue, famous for its loyalty. In the evening, we return to our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel in Tokyo.
TOKYO > May 17, 2027 Monday> (K)
After breakfast at our hotel, we head towards the Kisarazu area, approximately 1.5 hours from Tokyo by car. Upon arrival, we proceed to Mitsui Outlet Park Kisarazu, one of Japan's largest outlet centers. Here, we are given free time for shopping in stores offering a wide range of products from global brands. At the time announced by our guide, we depart from the Outlet to head to the Ginza district. After arriving in Ginza, we have some free time for a short stroll and shopping. Following the program, we return to our hotel in the evening with free time thereafter. Overnight stay at our hotel in Tokyo.
TOKYO → HAKONE → KYOTO > Tuesday, May 18, 2027 > (K)
After having breakfast at our hotel, we set off towards the Hakone region. Upon arrival in Hakone, our first stop is Onshi-Hakone Park, famous for its views of Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji. After touring this area, we enjoy a pleasant boat tour on Lake Ashi aboard pirate ship-themed vessels. Following free time for lunch, we visit Owakudani Valley, known for its volcanic activity and sulfuric hot springs. If weather conditions permit, we may also have the chance to see Mount Fuji. After the tour, we proceed to Odawara Station and take the express train to Kyoto. Upon arrival at Kyoto Station, we transfer to our hotel. We complete check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight stay at our hotel in Kyoto. Note: Large suitcases collected this morning will be transferred via cargo from our Tokyo hotel and will reach us the following day. Therefore, please bring only essential items for tonight in a small bag.
KYOTO> Wednesday, May 19, 2027 > (K)
After the breakfast we will have at the hotel, we depart for the Kyoto Tour. Our first stop is the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, known for its stunning walking path where bamboo trees stretch toward the sky. Next, we visit Kinkakuji Temple (the Golden Pavilion), one of Japan's most eye-catching structures with its exterior covered in gold leaf. During our walk through the temple gardens, the reflection of the Golden Pavilion in the pond will add a special beauty to your photos. Afterwards, we experience a tea ceremony while wearing kimonos specially prepared for our guests; this activity will create an unforgettable memory both culturally and visually. Later in the day, we tour Gion district, one of the areas that best reflects Kyoto's historical character. After the tour, we return to our hotel and have free time. Overnight stay at our hotel in Kyoto.
KYOTO → NARA → OSAKA > May 20, 2027 Thursday > (K)
After the breakfast at the hotel, we set off for our Kyoto tour. Our first stop is Fushimi Inari Shrine, one of Japan's most impressive structures, known for its thousands of red torii gates. After completing our visit there, we move on to Nishiki Market, known as "Kyoto's Kitchen." At the end of our market visit, where we can closely experience Kyoto's rich culinary culture, we are given free time for lunch. Continuing our tour, we visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List under "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto." After finishing our temple visit with panoramic views of the city, we enjoy a pleasant walk through Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka streets, lined with traditional Japanese houses, tea houses, and souvenir shops. Having completed our Kyoto tour, we depart for Nara. There, we visit Nara Deer Park, where the adorable deer, now iconic to the city, roam freely. Upon concluding our Nara visit, we head toward Osaka. After arriving at the hotel and checking in, we have free time.
OSAKA Q ISTANBUL > May 21, 2027 Friday > (K)
After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for the Osaka city tour. Our first stop will be Osaka Castle, which has become a symbol of the city. We have the opportunity to take photos of this magnificent structure from the outside, which has witnessed some of the most important periods in Japanese history. Afterwards, we provide free time for lunch at Kuromon Ichiba Market, one of Osaka's most famous gastronomic stops. It will be an ideal stop for those who want to try Japanese street food. Continuing our tour, we visit the Dotonbori & Shinsaibashi area, famous for its neon lights, entertainment venues, and shopping streets. At the end of the day, we transfer to Kansai International Airport. After check-in and passport procedures, we depart for Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK87 at 22:10. Overnight stay on the plane.
Q ISTANBUL > Saturday, May 22, 2027
Arrival at Istanbul Airport at 05:00 local time and the end of our tour. We say goodbye, looking forward to meeting again on our next enjoyable trip.
Explanations of abbreviations >>> (K): Breakfast | (A): Dinner | (Ö): Lunch
Japan is an archipelago country consisting of 6,852 islands in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it extends from the Sea of Japan to the east of China, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia; from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The kanji characters that make up the Japanese name mean "sun" and "origin." Therefore, Japan is also known as the "Land of the Rising Sun." The country is divided into 47 prefectures across eight regions. Most of the islands are mountainous, and some consist of volcanoes. Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak, is a volcano. With a population of 126 million, 98.5% of whom are Japanese, Japan is the eleventh most populous country in the world.
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia occupying the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, sharing a land border with North Korea. The name Korea comes from Goguryeo, one of the powerful kingdoms of ancient East Asia that ruled over much of the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, parts of the Russian Far East, and Inner Mongolia under King Gwanggaeto. Its capital, Seoul, is a major global city, and more than half of South Korea's 51 million people live in the Seoul Capital Area, home to the world's fourth-largest metropolitan economy.
Visa Information
No visa is required for Turkish citizens traveling to Japan.
A K-ETA application is mandatory for South Korea. Since the K-ETA application contains personal information, it must be completed by the guest themselves via the link below. Please note that any spelling errors, missing letters, or other mistakes in the K-ETA application may result in denial of boarding on the flight. This applies to all travelers, including those holding green passports. Payment is made by credit card; on the final screen, the site automatically converts the fee into the user's local currency.
https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/apply/viewstep1.do
All passengers must hold a chip-enabled passport. Old dark blue chipless passports are not accepted. For this tour, a passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the tour is required. Guests whose passports do not meet this requirement may be denied boarding by the airline. Immigration authorities have the right to refuse entry to any passenger. In such cases, all responsibility lies with the traveler.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Our tour program operates under a minimum participation requirement. If sufficient participants are not secured for the package tour, it may be canceled 30 days prior to departure. Cancellations due to insufficient participation will be communicated to you.
In cases where the tour program specifies only category information without naming specific hotels and/or offers options for the same destination, the hotel(s) will be notified by our agency 48 hours before the tour departure.
This price list and program remain valid until a new price list is issued, at which point this version becomes entirely invalid.
The prices for all our package programs are limited to a maximum capacity of 10 persons per group. Additional guests beyond this number may incur increased pricing. Please inquire for updated pricing information.
For regular passports, if the issue date is more than 10 years ago, and for other passport types, if the issue date is more than 5 years ago, the parties acknowledge that Sora, acting solely as an intermediary and not as the operator, bears no liability for any service failures directly attributable to passport validity issues. At all customs-controlled international departures, passengers must be present at the port of departure three hours before the scheduled tour departure time. Especially for guests arriving from other cities via domestic flights to reach the port or airport, flight schedules must be adjusted accordingly to ensure timely arrival. Consequently, any delays or failure to join the tour due to late arrival are the sole responsibility of the passenger, and Sora has no obligation to provide compensation.
Sora acts as an intermediary between airlines and passengers and is subject to the Hague Protocol of September 28, 1955. Flight times may change prior to departure. All flight times must be confirmed by the passenger 48 hours before the tour departure. Passengers purchase the tour acknowledging and accepting that flight details may change.
Triple rooms are assigned based on hotel availability. In such rooms, the third bed is smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of one large bed and one additional bed. Since additional beds are foldable or convertible (often referred to as coach beds), participants booking triple occupancy (third person and/or children) are deemed to have accepted potential crowding and the type of bedding involved. Child discounts apply only to one child per room who is within the appropriate age range and accompanied by two adults. Due to limited availability of TWIN rooms (two separate beds) in hotels, please verify your TWIN room request before making a reservation.
If children under 18 travel without at least one parent, written parental consent forms must be carried by the accompanying adult(s) throughout the entire journey.
Panoramic city tours are 2–3 hour sightseeing tours designed to introduce cities and do not include museum or historical site entries unless specified. Such tours may be rescheduled to different days while maintaining the same content. Extra tours are conducted based on a minimum number of participants determined by the tour leader. If this minimum is not met, extra tours may proceed with additional charges, and their dates may be adjusted by the tour leader according to the itinerary. Tours may be canceled due to weather conditions. No tours or visits will be conducted if local authorities prohibit access for any reason. Sora cannot be held liable for the cancellation of such tours.
Passengers must carry relevant medical documentation regarding health conditions, pregnancy status, and any medications they regularly use, along with supporting medical reports.
Tour details, airport representative information, tour leader contact, and hotel notifications will be provided 48 hours before the tour departure.
A passport is an official document. If it is damaged, stained, torn, or otherwise compromised, immigration authorities have the right to deny entry. In such cases, all responsibility lies with the passenger.
A visa is required for Turkish citizens traveling on this tour program. Even with a valid visa, immigration authorities retain the right to deny entry. In such instances, all financial and legal responsibilities rest with the passenger. Please carefully review your passport details and information.
When departing from Turkish border crossings, regardless of nationality (Turkish or foreign), all passport holders must possess a passport valid for at least six months from the date of travel. Our agency will not approve bookings for passports with less than six months of remaining validity. Sora bears no compensation liability for passengers unable to join the tour due to insufficient passport validity.
Guests who do not participate in included tours as specified in the program are not eligible for any refund.
What's Included
Round-trip economy class air tickets on Turkish Airlines scheduled flights for the Istanbul-Seoul/Osaka-Istanbul route
One-way economy class air ticket for the Seoul/Tokyo route
Airport taxes
Journey via Shinkansen high-speed train
Total 9 nights accommodation at specified or similar hotels
Morning breakfasts as specified in the program
Aeigibong (Korean Border Area) tour
Seoul City Tour
Osaka City Tour (Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi, Kuromon Ichiba Market)
Kyoto City Tour (Kinkakuji Temple, Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu Temple, Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Harajuku, Takeshita)
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove Tour
Nara Park Tour
Tokyo City Tour (Asakusa Temple, Nakamise Street, Akihabara, Ginza, Shibuya, Shinjuku)
Hakone Tour
Kimono Rental
Tea Ceremony
TeamLab Digital Art Museum
Mitsui Outlet Park
Airport – hotel – airport transfers
All tours and entries specified in the program
Turkish-speaking guide service
Professional liability insurance (as required by Law No. 1618)
Not Included
Exit tax
K-ETA South Korea electronic travel authorization
Personal expenses
Tour guarantee and travel health insurance
All services not explicitly included in the tour program
Tips (5 EUR per person per day, to be collected by the guide)