A Taste of Japan & South Korea

Day 1-3

Tokyo

Welcome to Tokyo: the city with the most Michelin stars in the world, and a paradise for gourmands of all stripes. There’s no time to lose, so get right out there and start exploring. You’ll have a full day with a private guide to learn the ropes, whether you’re after tranquil gardens, art galleries and wooded shrines, or something more manic — perhaps the crazy youth fashions of Harajuku or the non-stop neon of buzzing Shinjuku. Wherever you go, the food’s incredible — but we definitely recommend sushi-sampling at the city’s famous fish market. Finally, an evening exploring the city’s izakaya pubs with one of our fantastic tour leaders is a surefire highlight.

Highlights

Explore Tokyo with a local guide who’ll tailor the day to your interests and wishes

Ask your guide to take you to Tokyo’s world-famous fish market, where a single bluefin tuna can snag over three million US dollars at auction

Go izakaya-and-bar-hopping to try the city’s best bites and get to grips with food etiquette

Day 4-5

Takayama

One of the great joys of eating in Japan is the regional variation, and the alpine town of Takayama, with its wood-panelled streets crammed with craft shops, is a great example. Begin your stay with a kaiseki feast at your traditional ryokan inn, then head out for a day in the Hida countryside with a guided cycling tour. Along the way, you’ll get to meet the locals, cycle through farming villages, and sample some alpine specialities — including strawberries, fragrant sesame goheimochi, beef buns or hoba miso grilled on magnolia leaf (depending on the season). Then, return to town and go sake brewery-hopping — or settle in for a dinner of melt-in-the-mouth Hida beef (Kobe’s unsung cousin).

Highlights

Spend two nights at a traditional ryokan inn, sleeping on a futon laid out on tatami mats

Enjoy an elaborate, beautifully presented kaiseki feast prepared with local, seasonal produce

Cycle through the rice paddies and timewarp towns of the Hida countryside with a local guide

Bicycle parked outside house in Takayama

Day 6

Kanazawa

Kanazawa is one of our favourite cities in Japan. Not too small, not too big: it’s just right for a day of exploration — starting with a crash course with two of our favourite cooks. Once they’ve inducted you to Kanazawa cuisine, the city is yours to discover. You might combine stunning Kenrokuen Garden with the nearby contemporary art museum, or explore the samurai quarter and teahouse district, with their old-fashioned craft workshops and beautifully preserved, Edo-period architecture. Kanazawa has a surprisingly lively nightlife for such a small city, so make the most of the bars and restaurants, but don’t overdo it as a sushi breakfast at the wonderful Omicho Market tomorrow is a must.

Highlights

Sip home-made plum wine and learn to make authentic Japanese dishes at a super-fun cooking class

Visit one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan: Kenrokuen

Taste your way through the grilled eel’s liver, spicy pickled squid, fresh oysters and more at Omicho Market

Purple flowers in Kenrokuen gardens in Japan

Day 7-8

Kyoto

Kyoto is Japan’s heartland of traditional culture — and that includes its most refined and elegant cuisine. Explore the wood-panelled streets of Gion, then spend a full day with a guide, combining some of Kyoto’s most fabled temples (perhaps the Golden Pavilion, or the wish-granting waterfalls of Kiyomizu) with some of its lesser-known hideaways (moss-covered Gioji and the azalea gardens of Chishaku-in are just two possibilities). To cap it off, we’ve included a reservation at Endo, one of our favourite tempura restaurants, where you’ll sample fresh, lightly-battered vegetables and seafood in a beautiful traditional setting.

Highlights

Keep your eyes peeled for geisha on a walking tour of the Gion teahouse district

Explore Kyoto’s historic shrines, temples, palaces and gardens on a full-day guided tour with a local expert

Make time to visit 400-year-old Nishiki Market, where you can peruse pickles, spices, and dried seafood galore

Day 9

Osaka

Tokyo may have the most Michelin stars, but ask any Japanese and they’ll tell you: it’s Osaka that’s the real foodie draw. Balancing out Kyoto’s refinement with bold, brash flavours, this is the place to let loose and kuidaore: “eat 'til you drop”. Join one of our local connoisseurs for a night of street-food sampling and you’re sure to make a few new friends: Osakans are famously straight-talking and warm, and they love a few beers. If you have time in between wolfing down okonomiyaki pancakes and grilled yakiniku, just pick a district to explore: Amemura for weird fashion, Horie for artsy café-cum-bike-shops, or Den Den Town for electronics and maid cafés.

Highlights

Wander beneath the neon lights and crazy animatronic signs of buzzing Dotonbori

Sample octopus balls and skewered meat on an evening street-food tour

Get a look at green-roofed Osaka Castle, the city’s most recognisable landmark

Day 10-11

Busan

From the coolest city in Japan to the coolest city in Korea, it’s time to see what Busan has to offer. Kick off your Korean adventure with a night market tour, catching the light show at Yongdusan Park before you dive into the kimbap seaweed rolls of Gukje Market and the sweet stuffed pancakes of BIFF Square. The next day, join an expert local guide for a tour of Gamcheon: a former slum that’s now one of the prettiest neighbourhoods in Korea. Here, rainbow-coloured alleys are splashed with street art and packed with dinky craft shops and hipster cafés — and the views over Busan are stunning. Don’t miss the local treat: shaved ice topped with fruit, condensed milk and sweet beans.

Highlights

Find out how Korea’s seafood measures up to Japan’s with a visit to Jakgalchi Fish Market

Explore the brightly painted streets of Gamcheon Culture Village

Visit one of Korea’s only coastal temples for majestic ocean views

Day 12

Gyeongju

Steep yourself in 4,000 years of history at Gyeongju, former capital of the Kingdom of Silla and celebrated “museum without walls”. A half-day tour will take you via a 1,500-year-old observatory and the fifth-century tombs of Tumuli Park (the latter a treasure trove of Silla artefacts) to Seongdong Market: a treasure trove of a different sort. Here, your guide will steer you to Gyeonju’s tastiest delicacies, including ssambap (meats, sauces and rice wrapped in perilla leaves), beopju (Gyeongju’s speciality rice wine), and hwangnam bread (flaky pastry stuffed with sweet bean paste). Later, we suggest heading to Anapji Pond to enjoy the after-dark illuminations in Gyeongju’s prettiest spot.

Highlights

See the remnants of the magnificent Silla Kingdom at the tombs of Tumuli Park

Visit Cheomseongdae Observatory at Anapji Pond: a throwback to when Gyeongju was the scientific hub of the world

Sample the street-food highlights of Gyeongju on an evening tour of Seongdo Market

Day 13-15

Seoul

Finally, it’s time to round off your gastronomical adventure in Seoul — and boy are there some treats in store. Start with a guided evening of marinated bulgogi barbecue, tteokbokki rice cakes and mayak gimbap (“narcotic rice rolls” — so-named for their addictive qualities). Then spend a full day exploring the city with a local, catching the changing of the guard at Gyeongbok Palace, exploring the hanok houses of Bukchon, or perusing the antiques and sweet shops of Insadong. Finally, conclude your trip at Nanta: a bizarre fusion performance of drumming, acrobatics, knife stunts and comedy pantomime with a culinary theme.