11-Day Highlights of South Korea & Japan — Self-Launched Edition
11 days · South Korea & Japan
Tourist Journey charges £1,800
No-markup version: ~£1,235 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Tourist Journey's 11-day Seoul-to-Kyoto highlights package. You cover the same ground — Gyeongbokgung and the DMZ, Tokyo's imperial and neon contrasts, a Lake Kawaguchi/Mount Fuji day, Tsukiji's food stalls, the shinkansen to Kyoto, and a Nara day trip — but on hostel and business-hotel beds, local metro/bus/train tickets and self-booked day tours instead of a guided group. The only thing you really need to book ahead is the Seoul–Tokyo flight and the Tokyo–Kyoto shinkansen; everything else can be arranged 1–2 days out. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller rates in GBP and exclude international flights to/from Asia.
Day-by-day
Arrive Seoul — settle into Myeongdong/Insadong
Seoul, South Korea
Land at Incheon (ICN) and take the AREX All-Stop or Express train into Seoul Station (~£4–8, 45–60 min), then metro or a short taxi to your guesthouse in Myeongdong, Insadong or Hongdae. Pick up a T-money transit card at any convenience store (₩4,000 card + top-up) — it works on metro, buses and taxis across the city. Spend the evening orienting yourself: a wander through Myeongdong street-food stalls (tteokbokki, hotteok, egg bread) and a cheap Korean BBQ or gimbap dinner. The commercial tour starts with a hotel night and an optional paid airport transfer; the train does the same job for a fraction of the price.
🚌AREX airport train Incheon → Seoul Station ~£4–8; T-money card for metro
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Myeongdong/Insadong (dorm £12–18, private twin £35–55)
- →AREX airport train into Seoul
- →T-money card setup
- →Myeongdong street food evening
Gyeongbokgung, guard change & a self-booked Seoul food tour
Seoul, South Korea
Start early at Gyeongbokgung Palace (₩3,000, ~£1.80) and time your visit for the Changing of the Royal Guard ceremony (usually 10:00 and 14:00, free with palace ticket). Rent a hanbok nearby if you want free palace entry and good photos. Walk 10 minutes to Bukchon Hanok Village for the traditional alleyways, then loop down to Insadong for tea and crafts. In the late afternoon join a small-group Seoul street-food walking tour booked via Klook or GetYourGuide (typically £25–40 for 2.5–3 hours with 4–6 tastings in Gwangjang Market) — this replicates the operator's included Seoul Food Tour without the group-tour markup.
🚌Metro (₩1,400–1,500 per ride, ~£0.85); walking between palaces and Insadong
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Myeongdong/Insadong
- →Gyeongbokgung Palace + Changing of the Guard
- →Bukchon Hanok Village alleys
- →Insadong
- →Gwangjang Market food tour (self-booked, Klook/GetYourGuide)
Free Seoul day — museums, parks or a han river afternoon
Seoul, South Korea
A flexible day. Options: the National Museum of Korea (free), Leeum Museum of Art (₩10,000), the War Memorial of Korea (free), or a slow afternoon in Namsan Park with a walk up to N Seoul Tower (free to walk, ~₩12,000 to ride the cable car). Alternatively take the metro to Hongdae for cafés and indie shops, or rent a bike along the Han River parks (Seoul Bike, ~£3/hour). Cheap eat tip: lunch sets in office districts run £5–8; convenience-store picnic on the Han is under £5.
🚌Metro day of rides ~£2–3
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Myeongdong/Insadong
- →National Museum of Korea or Leeum Museum
- →Namsan Park walk
- →Han River bike ride
- →Hongdae cafés
DMZ day trip (self-booked tour)
Seoul / DMZ, South Korea
Book a DMZ half-day tour through Klook or GetYourGuide 3–5 days ahead (typically £45–65 per person, includes coach, Imjingak Park, the Bridge of Freedom, the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel with helmet, Dora Observatory and Unification Village — exactly the operator's included stops). Tours leave around 07:30–08:30 and return early afternoon; passport required. Note that access to specific sites (especially Dora Observatory and the JSA) can be suspended at short notice for security reasons — book a tour with free cancellation. Back in Seoul by mid-afternoon, use the rest of the day for a Jimjilbang (Korean bathhouse, ~£8–12) or a cheap market dinner.
🚌Included in DMZ day tour coach; metro to pickup point ~£1
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Myeongdong/Insadong
- →DMZ half-day tour (Imjingak, Bridge of Freedom, 3rd Tunnel, Dora Observatory, Unification Village)
- →Optional jimjilbang
Fly Seoul → Tokyo, evening in Shimbashi
Seoul → Tokyo, Japan
Fly from Incheon or Gimpo to Tokyo Narita or Haneda. Budget airlines (Jeju Air, Jin Air, Peach, Air Seoul) frequently run £60–110 one-way if booked 4–8 weeks ahead; Gimpo–Haneda is the most convenient pair. From Narita take the Keisei Skyliner (~£14) or the cheaper Keisei Limited Express (~£6); from Haneda the Keikyu line or monorail is ~£3. Check into a capsule hotel or budget business hotel in Shimbashi, Asakusa or Ueno, then take an evening stroll through Shimbashi's izakaya alleys (yakitori and highballs for £15–20). Get a Suica/Pasmo IC card at the airport for all Tokyo transport.
🚌Seoul → Tokyo flight ~£60–110; airport train ~£3–14
🛏Capsule hotel or budget business hotel in Shimbashi/Asakusa/Ueno (£28–45 private, £18–25 capsule)
- →Flight to Tokyo
- →Shimbashi izakaya evening
Tokyo highlights on foot and metro
Tokyo, Japan
Self-guide the same loop the operator walks. Morning: Imperial Palace East Gardens (free, closed Mon/Fri) and a view of Nijubashi Bridge from Kokyo Gaien. Metro to Asakusa for Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise-dori (free), then to Harajuku for Takeshita Street and a walk through Meiji Jingu Shrine (free). Finish at Shibuya Crossing at dusk and the Shibuya Sky observation deck if you want the view (book online ~£12). A one-day Tokyo Metro 24-hour pass is ~£4.50; or just tap Suica (~£1.20–2 per ride). Lunch at a standing soba or ramen counter is £6–9. If you'd like a guide for part of it, a half-day small-group walking tour via GetYourGuide runs £20–35.
🚌Tokyo Metro 24h pass ~£4.50
🛏Capsule hotel or budget business hotel in Shimbashi/Asakusa/Ueno
- →Imperial Palace East Gardens & Nijubashi Bridge
- →Senso-ji & Nakamise-dori
- →Meiji Jingu Shrine
- →Harajuku
- →Shibuya Crossing (optional Shibuya Sky)
Mount Fuji & Lake Kawaguchi day trip
Lake Kawaguchi / Fujiyoshida, Japan
Book a Mount Fuji day tour via Klook, GetYourGuide or Japanican (£55–80) covering Oishi Park, Chureito Pagoda and Arakurayama Sengen Shrine, Oshino Hakkai and the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station — essentially the operator's included itinerary. Cheaper DIY alternative: highway bus from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko (~£12–14 each way, 2 hours), local Kawaguchiko retro bus, and the Fujikyu line to Shimoyoshida for Chureito Pagoda, total ~£35–45 but slower and less reliable on weekends. Note the 5th Station is only reachable by road in the climbing season and can close in winter/snow. Pack lunch or eat at a Fujiyoshida udon shop (~£7).
🚌Fuji day tour coach or highway bus (included in tour price)
🛏Capsule hotel or budget business hotel in Shimbashi/Asakusa/Ueno
- →Oishi Park
- →Chureito Pagoda & Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine
- →Oshino Hakkai
- →Mount Fuji 5th Station
Tsukiji food morning, then a free Tokyo afternoon
Tokyo, Japan
Get to Tsukiji Outer Market by 8:00–8:30 for the best stalls and smallest crowds. Visit Tsukiji Hongwan-ji (free; the distinctive Indian-influenced temple) and you may catch the morning purification ritual. Graze rather than book: tamagoyaki skewers, uni, grilled scallops, mochi — 4–5 tastings comfortably £10–15. That mirrors the operator's included Tsukiji tasting without a guide premium. Afternoon options: teamLab Planets or Borderless (book ahead, £20–25), the Edo-Tokyo Museum area, Akihabara, or a slow afternoon in Yanesen (Yanaka, Nezu, Sendagi) for old-Tokyo lanes and cheap coffee.
🚌Metro rides ~£3
🛏Capsule hotel or budget business hotel in Shimbashi/Asakusa/Ueno
- →Tsukiji Hongwan-ji
- →Tsukiji Outer Market tastings
- →Free afternoon: teamLab / Akihabara / Yanesen
Shinkansen to Kyoto, Gion & Pontocho at dusk
Tokyo → Kyoto, Japan
Take the Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari or Nozomi from Tokyo Station to Kyoto (~2h15–2h45). A reserved seat is around ¥14,000 (~£72); the cheaper option is a Platt Kodama discount ticket or a night bus (~£30–40, 8 hours). The Japan Rail Pass is usually not worth it for this itinerary — buy point-to-point. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Kyoto Station or Shijo-Karasuma. Late afternoon: walk Pontocho Alley, spot the Izumo-no-Okuni statue by the Kamo River, then wander Gion and Hanamikoji Street, ending at Yasaka Shrine (free, lit up after dark). Dinner at a Nishiki Market-area izakaya or an oko-nomiyaki counter (£10–15).
🚌Shinkansen Tokyo → Kyoto ~£72 (or night bus ~£35)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Kyoto Station/Shijo-Karasuma (£22–40)
- →Shinkansen ride
- →Pontocho Alley
- →Gion & Hanamikoji Street
- →Yasaka Shrine
Kyoto icons & Nara day trip
Kyoto & Nara, Japan
Big day — start early. Bus 205 or the Karasuma line to Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion, ¥500, opens 09:00) before the tour buses arrive. Then train to Inari for Fushimi Inari's red torii gates (free, open 24h — the first hour is blissfully quiet). Lunch near Kyoto Station, then take the Kintetsu line to Nara (~£5, 45 min) for Todai-ji's Great Buddha Hall (¥800) and Nara Park's deer (free). Return to Kyoto in the evening. A one-day Kyoto bus pass is ~£4; consider a Nara–Kyoto rail pass if doing both. The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is the one stop that's awkward to squeeze in — if it's a priority, swap Fushimi Inari to dawn of Day 11 or add an extra Kyoto night.
🚌City bus + Kintetsu train to Nara ~£9
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Kyoto Station/Shijo-Karasuma
- →Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
- →Fushimi Inari Shrine
- →Todai-ji Temple & Great Buddha
- →Nara Park deer
Departure from Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan
Check out and head to Kansai International (KIX) by JR Haruka limited express from Kyoto Station (~£18, 75 min) or the cheaper limousine bus (~£13). If your flight is out of Tokyo instead, the shinkansen back plus Narita Express is ~£90. Budget a final ¥1,000–2,000 for souvenirs at Kyoto Station's Isetan or the Nishiki Market end-of-trip shop. The operator offers a €30 shared or €300 private transfer here — the Haruka train does it for less than a fifth of the private option.
🚌JR Haruka Kyoto → KIX ~£18 (or limousine bus ~£13)
🛏—
- →Transfer to Kansai Airport
Self-launched vs. Tourist Journey
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Tourist Journey | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,235 | £1,800 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £565 per person (31%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Tourist Journey-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,235
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 11-Day Highlights of South Korea & Japan — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,235 per person for 11 days in South Korea & Japan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Tourist Journey?+
Yes — Tourist Journey charges around £1,800 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,235 — a saving of roughly £565 (31%) per person.
How long is the South Korea & Japan trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through South Korea & Japan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through South Korea & Japan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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