We recommend trying these 5 best small Korean tour companies as ones to try because they offer easy adventures across Korea. Their trips will take you to many wonderful places beyond Seoul.
About Small Tour Operators in Korea
Small tour operators have been helping Korean ex-pats see new people and make new friends for decades. Such trips and tours have often been the backbone of building community and lifelong friendships while having fun adventures.
Traveling with a small tour can take some of the hassles out of traveling in South Korea. They book the tickets, plan the trips, do the driving, and you just go along. It’s perfect for those who don’t want to travel alone or struggle with booking things on Korean sites.
That said, laid-back personalities enjoy traveling with small tour providers more than those who like to have control over an experience. The tours often go off schedule, change aspects of the trip last minute, and may include people you don’t get along with. If you have your heart set on a particular experience you may have your hopes dashed with that part the trip gets canceled.
Expect there to be confusion and misunderstandings. The tour operators work with many different foreigners from many different countries and communication can be confusing. Expect that you will need to ask many clarifying questions and follow up often on details you may not clearly understand. Consider this part of the adventure.
Best Small Tour Companies to Try
South of Seoul volunteers choose these companies as the 5 Best Small Korean Tour Companies to Try based on their longevity and commitment over time. These are a very human way to meet others and make friends.
Plus Planner
Plus Planner works with administrative districts and organizations across Korea to create cost-effective trips.
- Pros: Since Plus Planner partners with different businesses and organizations, they can often offer trips filled with activities for a low price. Great for families, couples, and people who don’t focus on the party.
- Cons: The trip itinerary often changes and the day may be packed with a few too many activities which may feel exhausting. You have to be ready to just go with the flow. Most tours leave from Seoul.
Plus Planner also has subsidiary brand names such as WinterFriend.
WinK Travels
WinK has provided tours for young folks looking for community and adventure for over a decade. They know the best places and plan on a budget.
- Pros: Since Plus Planner partners with different businesses and organizations, they can often offer trips filled with activities for a low price. Great for families, couples, and people who don’t focus on the party.
- Cons: The trip itinerary often changes and the day may be packed with a few too many activities which may feel exhausting. You have to be ready to just go with the flow. Most tours leave from Seoul.
Goh Travel Korea- fun travel group
Goh Travel Korea has also been around for a while. They have beautiful trips to many stunning areas of Korea. They visit all of the main areas of Korea and have trips going regularly.
- Pros: Goh Travel Korea offers affordable trips and has been doing it for a while. It makes traveling easy and you can get to know others along the way.
- Cons: Their trips don’t offer a lot of unique experiences and you tend to be tied to a solid schedule. Most tours leave from Seoul.
Good Times ROK
Good Times ROK has been planning fun adventures for the young and rowdy for many years. A reliable tour company that knows where the fun is.
- Pros: Good Times ROK trips often include more time to have fun and relax. Less running around and more time to connect with new people in fun places.
- Cons: If you don’t love the party Good Times ROK might now be the tour for you. Most tours leave from Seoul.
K Tour 08 – Foreigner Tours
K Tour 08 offers regular tours across South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers have not personally taken any of their tours so we can not refer to their pros and cons with any relevance. However, their reviews remain strong over time and they have been operational for many years.
They offer a variety of unique and relaxed tours in rural areas you might not otherwise visit.
Join the Pyeongtaek Travelers Group
You are also welcome to join our Pyeongtaek Travelers. The South of Seoul moderated community of active and friendly travelers (most who live in Pyeongtaek, South Korea) sharing their adventure across the country.
Volunteer with South of Seoul
Interested in working with a fun team of talented volunteers? The South of Seoul volunteer team is always looking for other like-minded folks to research information, compile blogs, and edit content.
Lanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert.
Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities.
Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea.
When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains.
