Seoul to Osaka: Beaches & Big Cities (Self-Launched)

Land at Incheon and take the AREX express train (approx. £7) or all-stop train (approx. £3.50) into the city. Check into a hostel in Hongdae (party/young vibe) or Myeongdong (central). Evening: free orientation walk — Gwangjang Market for bindaetteok and makgeolli (approx. £8), then a noraebang (karaoke) room for an hour (approx. £8 split between friends).

🚌AREX train Incheon–Seoul (£3.50-7); metro/T-money card top-ups (£1-2/trip)

🛏Hostel dorm, Hongdae or Myeongdong (£12-16/night)

• →Gwangjang Market food crawl
• →Noraebang karaoke
• →Myeongdong night wander

Morning at HiKR Ground (Korea Tourism K-pop interactive centre, free entry — book a slot online). Then wander Ikseon-dong hanok alley for photos and independent cafés, lunch on your own (approx. £7). Afternoon back at Gwangjang Market for snacks. Set aside a couple of hours for a self-booked K-pop dance class (approx. £20 via Klook or direct with a Hongdae studio).

🚌Metro card (£3-4/day)

🛏Hostel dorm, Hongdae/Myeongdong

• →HiKR Ground (free)
• →Ikseon-dong Alley
• →Gwangjang Market snacks
• →Optional K-pop dance class (£20)

Pick your own adventure: DMZ half-day tour booked via Klook/GetYourGuide (approx. £35-45), a Gyeongbokgung + Bukchon Hanok Village walk (palace £2, free hanbok entry), or N Seoul Tower (£10). Cheap eats day — kimchi jjigae or gimbap lunch for £5-7, Korean BBQ dinner split with hostel mates (approx. £15).

🚌Metro (£3-4)

🛏Hostel dorm, Hongdae/Myeongdong

• →DMZ tour (optional)
• →Gyeongbokgung Palace
• →Bukchon Hanok Village
• →N Seoul Tower

Take the KTX or ITX-Saemaeul from Seoul to Jeonju (approx. £22, 1h40-2h30). Check into a budget hanok guesthouse in Jeonju Hanok Village (dorm or private ondol room, £18-25). Self-guided wander of the hanok lanes, Nambu Traditional Market for bibimbap (Jeonju's signature dish, approx. £7), and the free Hanok Village Craft Museum. Optional hanbok rental (approx. £10) for the photo shots. Evening: sit on the wooden veranda of the guesthouse — this is the traditional Korea moment.

🚌Train Seoul–Jeonju (£20-25)

🛏Hanok guesthouse, Jeonju Hanok Village (£18-25)

• →Jeonju Hanok Village
• →Nambu Traditional Market / bibimbap
• →Hanok Village Craft Museum (free)
• →Optional hanbok rental

Bus or train from Jeonju to Busan (intercity bus approx. £15, 3h). Drop bags at a hostel in Nampo-dong (the location G uses). Metro or local bus to Gamcheon Culture Village — free to enter, colourful hillside houses and murals, allow 2-3 hours. Evening: Nampo-dong street food (ssiat hotteok, fish cake) and a cheap beer by Gwangalli or Jagalchi.

🚌Intercity bus (£13-16); Busan metro (£2-3)

🛏Hostel dorm, Nampo-dong (£12-16)

• →Gamcheon Culture Village
• →Nampo-dong street food

Get an early bus/taxi to Haedong Yonggungsa, the cliffside temple (free entry; bus £2). Then Songdo Cable Car (approx. £12 return). Afternoon at Jagalchi Fish Market and Gukje Traditional Market for snacks. Optional: Haeundae Beach, jjimjilbang (Korean spa, approx. £10) or Taejongdae coastal walk. Pack light tonight — small bag only — for the flight to Jeju.

🚌Local buses (£3-4)

🛏Hostel dorm, Nampo-dong

• →Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
• →Songdo Cable Car (£12)
• →Jagalchi Fish Market
• →Gukje Market
• →Optional jjimjilbang

Morning free in Busan, then a 1-hour LCC flight Busan (Gimhae) to Jeju (approx. £25-40 booked ahead on Jeju Air/Jin Air). Check into a hostel in downtown Jeju City. Evening at Dongmun Market — black pork skewers, hallabong (Jeju orange) juice, and the famous dancing lobster stall (approx. £12).

🚌Flight Busan–Jeju (£25-40); airport bus (£1.50)

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse, Jeju City (£14-20)

• →Dongmun Market night food stalls
• →Jeju City wander

Book a local bus tour or a shared half-day day-trip via Klook (approx. £35) covering Seongeup Folk Village (free entry, learn about old Jeju life), the 20-minute hike up Seongsan Ilchulbong Sunrise Peak (approx. £3 entry), and the haenyeo women divers show at Seongsan (free to watch from the harbour wall). Evening: Big Night Out — Jeju beer and karaoke with new friends (approx. £20).

🚌Local day-tour or public buses (£8-35)

🛏Hostel dorm, Jeju City

• →Seongeup Folk Village
• →Seongsan Sunrise Peak hike
• →Haenyeo divers
• →Karaoke night

Do Jeju your way. Best budget picks: bus to Geumneung or Hyeopjae Beach (white sand, volcanic rock, free), walk a section of the Olle Trail (free, well-marked, the Jeju Olle Route 14 or 15 near the city works for a half-day), or Bunker des Lumières immersive art (approx. £12). Hire a bike for the day (approx. £10). Hostel dinner and an early night.

🚌Public buses (£4-6)

🛏Hostel dorm, Jeju City

• →Geumneung / Hyeopjae Beach
• →Olle Trail walk
• →Optional Bunker des Lumières
• →Bike hire

Fly Jeju–Tokyo Narita or Haneda (approx. £60-90 on an LCC such as Jeju Air, Peach or T'way; book 6-8 weeks ahead). Narita to central Tokyo on the Keisei Skyliner (approx. £12) or the cheap Keisei main line (approx. £6). Check into a hostel in Asakusa, Shinjuku or Shibuya (dorm approx. £20-28). Evening: Shibuya Crossing + izakaya dinner (approx. £12) and drinks out.

🚌Flight Jeju–Tokyo (£60-90); Keisei Skyliner or local train (£6-12)

🛏Hostel dorm, Asakusa or Shinjuku (£20-28)

• →Shibuya Crossing at night
• →Izakaya dinner

Self-guided walking loop: Meiji Jingu shrine (free, £5 donation optional), Harajuku's Takeshita Street and Cat Street for people-watching, then the Yamanote line east to Akihabara for anime/electronics browsing. See Asakusa's Sensō-ji at dusk (free). Food: convenience-store breakfast (£3), ramen lunch (£6), conveyor-belt sushi dinner (£12). Buy a Suica/Pasmo card for the metro (£1-3 per ride).

🚌Suica card, Yamanote line (£6-8)

🛏Hostel dorm, Tokyo

• →Meiji Jingu
• →Harajuku & Takeshita Street
• →Akihabara
• →Sensō-ji Temple

Tokyo to Toyama on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (approx. £60, 2h), then the Hida limited express to Takayama (approx. £25, 1h30) — day 1 of a Japan rail itinerary, and a JR Pass (7-day, approx. £175) is worth pricing up if you add Kyoto/Hiroshima legs. Check into a budget ryokan or traditional-style guesthouse with an onsen (dorm/private approx. £30-45). Afternoon: self-guided old-town walk along Sanmachi Suji for sake breweries (tasting approx. £3) and craft shops. Soak in the onsen.

🚌Shinkansen + limited express (£85-95, or covered by JR Pass)

🛏Budget ryokan / traditional guesthouse with onsen (£30-45)

• →Old-town Sanmachi Suji walk
• →Sake brewery tasting
• →Onsen soak

Early Miyagawa Morning Market (free) and Hida no Sato folk village (approx. £4) if you have time. Then train Takayama to Kyoto via Nagoya (approx. £55, 3-4h). Check into a Kyoto hostel in Kawaramachi or near Kyoto Station (£22-30). Evening: free walk through Gion's Hanamikoji Street to spot geiko heading to appointments, then dinner on Pontocho Alley (approx. £14).

🚌Hida limited express + shinkansen (£50-60)

🛏Hostel dorm, Kyoto (£22-30)

• →Miyagawa Morning Market
• →Optional Hida no Sato
• →Gion evening walk
• →Pontocho Alley dinner

Beat the crowds at Fushimi Inari Taisha (free, open 24h — go before 7am and you'll have the torii tunnels nearly to yourself). Then Kiyomizu-dera (£3), Wander Nishiki Market for lunch (approx. £8). Afternoon: Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion (£3) and Ryōan-ji zen garden (£4). Book any guided temple tours via GetYourGuide if you want context — but Kyoto's temples are easy to self-route on buses and subway (day pass approx. £3.50).

🚌Bus/subway day pass (£3.50)

🛏Hostel dorm, Kyoto

• →Fushimi Inari Taisha
• →Kiyomizu-dera
• →Nishiki Market
• →Kinkaku-ji
• →Ryōan-ji

Train to Nara (approx. £7 return on the Kintetsu line, 45 min). Feed the deer in Nara Park (crackers £1.50), visit Todai-ji's Great Buddha (£4) and Kasuga Taisha lantern shrine (free outer grounds). Back to Kyoto for a budget dinner — okonomiyaki or a Kyoto-style bowl for £10.

🚌Kintetsu train Kyoto–Nara (£7 return)

🛏Hostel dorm, Kyoto

• →Nara Park deer
• →Todai-ji
• →Kasuga Taisha
• →Nakatanidou mochi pounding

Kyoto to Hiroshima on the Sanyo Shinkansen (approx. £80, 1h45; covered by a JR Pass). Check into a hostel near the station (£20-26). Afternoon: Peace Memorial Park and the A-Bomb Dome (park free; Peace Memorial Museum approx. £1.50). Evening: Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki at Okonomimura (approx. £8) — a multi-storey building of grill counters, genuine highlight.

🚌Shinkansen (£80 or JR Pass)

🛏Hostel dorm, Hiroshima (£20-26)

• →Peace Memorial Park & A-Bomb Dome
• →Peace Memorial Museum
• →Okonomimura okonomiyaki

JR train to Miyajimaguchi then the ferry (both covered by JR Pass; otherwise approx. £4 train + £2 ferry). Walk out to the Itsukushima Shrine floating torii gate — check tide tables, high tide for the float and low tide to walk to the gate. Optional Mt Misen ropeway + hike to the 500m summit (approx. £15 return, spectacular Seto Inland Sea views). Back to Hiroshima in the evening.

🚌JR train + ferry (£6-10, or JR Pass)

🛏Hostel dorm, Hiroshima

• →Itsukushima Shrine & floating torii
• →Optional Mt Misen ropeway/hike
• →Momiji manju tasting

Hiroshima to Osaka on the shinkansen (approx. £70, 1h25). Check into a hostel in Namba or Shinsaibashi (£20-26). Afternoon: Osaka Castle Park (free) or the Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda (approx. £5). Evening: Dotonbori — takoyaki (£4), kushikatsu (£10), neon canals, and a final Big Night Out in Japan's best party city (drinks approx. £20).

🚌Shinkansen (£70, or JR Pass)

🛏Hostel dorm, Namba/Shinsaibashi (£20-26)

• →Osaka Castle Park
• →Dotonbori street food
• →Night out in Namba

Sleep in, then Kuromon Ichiba Market for grilled scallops and wagyu skewers (approx. £12). Afternoon options: Umeda Sky Building rooftop (approx. £10), Amerikamura vintage shopping, or a day trip to Kobe (approx. £5 train) for its own Chinatown and harbour. Final-night karaoke box (approx. £10) and a cheap izakaya dinner (£10).

🚌Metro (£4-6)

🛏Hostel dorm, Osaka

• →Kuromon Market
• →Umeda Sky Building (optional)
• →Karaoke box
• →Amerikamura shopping

Last convenience-store breakfast and a walk by the canal. Kansai International Airport (KIX) is about 45 minutes away on the Nankai Rapi:t express (approx. £9) or the slower Nankai line (approx. £5). If you're flying from Itami (ITM), take the airport bus or monorail. Depart with the group chat full of plans for a reunion.

🚌Nankai Rapi:t or local train to KIX (£5-9)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Final market breakfast
• →Airport transfer