WALKING THROUGH CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Welcome to South Korea! Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, you will be greeted by a local English-speaking guide and transported to Busan by KTX, a bullet train. The second-largest city in South Korea, Busan is a city full of surprises, framed by electric blue oceans, lush mountains, and mouth-watering cuisine. It is the perfect base to start your journey from. The remainder of the day is free for leisure activities. You can explore the fish markets near your hotel or visit Gamcheon Cultural Village if you wish.

Overnight stay at Hotel Noah or a similar hotel in Busan.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before departing for Changwon (a one-hour drive). Your first stop is Anmingogae Hill, a 9-kilometer-long hill that stretches from Taebaek-dong in Jinhae to Anmin-dong in Changwon. Six of the nine kilometers are lined with cherry blossoms, creating the famous Jinhae Cherry Blossom Tunnel. The hill offers a stunning view of Jinhaeman Bay, Ungsan Mountain (alt. 703m), Sirubong Peak (alt. 630m), and Cheonjabong Peak (502m).

Next, you will visit Yeojwacheon Stream, one of the best locations for viewing spectacular cherry blossoms. Every April, the whole city of Jinhae is covered with cherry blossoms, but the Yeojwacheon Stream area has the most beautiful cherry blossoms.

Your final stop of the day is Gyeonghwa Station, a famous spot for cherry blossom viewing, and a small railway station. Railway services in and out of Gyeonghwa Station have been discontinued, allowing you to walk through the tracks surrounded by rows of cherry blossom trees. This creates a beautiful tunnel effect filled with flowers.

Overnight stay in a local guesthouse.

Start the day with breakfast at a local restaurant before embarking on a 6-hour walk of two sections of the Dream Road totaling 14km. As you walk through the surrounding forest, listen to the birds singing, and enjoy the sweet scent of cherry blossoms in the air. Depending on what time you finish walking today, you may wish to visit the birthplace of Seongheungsa and Kim Daejin, a famous poet, and Kim Daejin’s literature museum, located at the end of the Dream Road.

Overnight stay in a local guesthouse.

Enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant before walking two more sections of the Dream Road covering 13.4km and taking approximately 6 hours. Walk through the cooling forest, clear your mind, and absorb the spectacular nature around you.

Overnight stay in a local guesthouse.

After having breakfast at a local restaurant, you will leave and drive for approximately 3.5 hours to reach Mt. Songnisan National Park, one of the most stunning places in Korea. Here, you will have the chance to hike amidst spectacular scenery and take part in the unique temple stay program, which will introduce you to the Zen of Buddhism.

The peaceful and lush green landscapes of Songnisan National Park are composed of quietly profound mountains that hold 1500 years of history. Beopjusa, which means a temple where the Buddha's teachings reside, was founded in 553 CE and is a treasure trove of cultural artifacts. It offers access to the essence of both Buddhist and Korean traditional culture, bringing local and foreign visitors together. The humble, yet pristine and gorgeous temple welcomes everyone with its wide-open doors.

Beopjusa is especially famous for its cultural properties. The temple's highlights include Geumdongmireukdaebul (a 33-meter or over 100-feet-high gilded bronze Buddha statue), Palsangjeon (a five-story wooden pagoda), Daeungbojeon (considered one of the three major Buddhist halls in Korea), Ssangsajaseokdeung (twin-lion stone lamp), Lotus-Shaped Stone Fountain, and Palsangjeon Hall.

Regardless of your religion, this experience will immerse you in the spiritual culture and practice of Buddhism as you stay in a traditional Buddhist temple. You can be part of nature and turn inwards for self-reflection.

Dinner tonight will be a simple vegetarian temple meal, followed by an evening Yebul.

In the daily routine of Korean temples, the most important event is the Buddhist ceremony – Yebul. This ceremony involves paying respect to the Buddhas enshrined in the Dharma halls three times a day and repeating the teachings. Yebul is also called the "ceremony of five fragrances (obunhyangnye)" because participants reaffirm the five virtues that practitioners hope to perfect. Yebul is the ceremony that regulates the day and is attended by everyone possible in the temple compound.

Different instruments are used to symbolically call all beings to join the ceremony. First, the large bell is sounded, then the drum calls all animals, next the wooden fish for the water-dwelling animals, and finally, the cloud-shaped gong for the animals of the air. The ceremony continues with a re-affirmation of the refuge we take in the various Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and generations of Seon Patriarchs. Then follows the recitation of the Heart Sutra and the Wishes for the welfare of the temple and all people (Barunmoon). Lights are out in the temple by 9 pm. (B,L,D)

Overnight temple stay.

Participate in an early morning chant (Yebel) with the monks under the moonlight and stars before returning to the main temple for breakfast.

Enjoy some Zen meditation, meditation in the mountains, and a tea ceremony with the monks and nuns, where you will have the opportunity for Q&A.

Have a temple lunch before departing at midday to return to Incheon International Airport for your onward flight. (B)