One of the best ways to get to know Seoul is to set out with a Seoul-saram (a Seoul resident). And that’s exactly what you’ll do. Your Insider guide will show you the city through their own local lens, adding in their own personal anecdotes, sharing their favourite spots to eat and drink, and telling stories that highlight the everyday details you’d otherwise miss. Visit Yangnyeong Medicine District, the centre of Korea’s herbal medicine trade since the 1970s, before browsing Gyeongdong Market, known for its fresh produce, sesame oil and ginseng flavoured snacks. Your Insider will help you chat with the vendors, and pick out food for now, or souvenirs for later.

Then, you have a day to explore yourself, following whatever interests you most. Shop for K-beauty and fashion at independent boutiques, eat kimchi ijigae stew at a local restaurant, or simply people watch in Korea’s cafés (there are countless themed cafés to try). Your Info-Pack will be full of suggestions tailored to you.

Culture, art, history and a really nice place to go for a walk – Gangneung has plenty going for it. It’s got mountains, a lake and a coastline, all just a couple of hours by KTX train from Seoul.

Get some proper fresh air after your days in the city, with a bike ride around Gyeongpoho Lake. Or walk the Jeongdong-Simgok Badabuchae-gil Trail, a 1.5-hour coastal route following cliffs and rock formations beside the East Sea.

Gangneung has plenty of history too. Stop at Ojukheon House, birthplace of the Joseon scholar Yi I, then continue to Gyeongpodae Pavilion, known for its collection of calligraphy and poetry as well as views across the lake. At Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Park, a local guide will introduce the lives and work of poet Heo Nanseolheon, considered one of the Joseon dynasty’s greatest female poets, and her brother, the writer Heo Gyun.

The Arte Museum brings you right back up to date, where vast digital installations use light, sound and movement to turn landscapes, oceans and forests into immersive works of art. And then there’s Haslla Art World for contemporary galleries and outdoor sculptures overlooking the coast

There’s a lot to do and see here, but make time for a coffee break on Anmok Coffee Street, where cafés line the seafront.

Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla Kingdom, which lasted for almost 1,000 years and unified much of the Korean Peninsula in the seventh century. Its tombs, temples and former palace grounds make the city one of Korea’s richest archaeological centres.

With a local guide, visit Bulguksa Temple – its stone terraces, bridges and pagodas were designed as an earthly representation of a Buddhist paradise. Nearby, Seokguram Grotto centres on an eighth-century granite Buddha surrounded by carved bodhisattvas, guardians and disciples, representing the Buddha’s enlightenment.

Back in the city, walk among the grass-covered royal burial mounds of Daereungwon. See Cheomseongdae, one of the world’s oldest surviving astronomical observatories, then cross Woljeonggyo Bridge, a modern reconstruction of an eighth-century Silla crossing. At Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, explore the remains of a secondary royal palace once used by the crown prince and for court banquets.

Outside Gyeongju, visit Yangdong Folk Village, a UNESCO-listed clan settlement. The village layout reflects the Confucian social order of the Joseon period. You’ll also visit Golgulsa Temple, built into the slopes of Mount Hamwol.

South Korea’s second city has a busier, less refined feel to it than Seoul, shaped by its markets, beaches and working port. With a local guide, move from the painted hillside lanes of Gamcheon Culture Village to Jagalchi Fish Market and the tightly packed stalls of Kukje Market (come hungry, there will be plenty to snack on here). Visit Yongdusan Park and Busan Tower for views across the city and harbour, then continue to Haedong Yonggungsa, a 14th-century temple built on the rocky shoreline. A free day gives you time to head down to the coast, track down a plate of tteokbokki rice cakes or spend a few hours soaking, scrubbing and unwinding at SPA Land.

Jeju feels distinctly separate from mainland South Korea, with its own history, food traditions and volcanic geography. With a rental car included, you’ll be free to follow the island’s coastal roads between lava fields, farming villages and stretches of rocky shoreline.

Visit the Haenyeo Museum to learn about Jeju’s women divers, who have harvested shellfish and seaweed without breathing equipment for generations. Then, for something a bit more playful, wander through Snoopy Garden. In between, stop for seafood, spend time in smaller villages and leave room for unhurried afternoons by the coast.

Disembark your ferry from Jeju Island, and get to know Mokpo. Here, it’s all about sea views, food and traditions.

Walk up Yudalsan Mountain for some of the island’s best views across the harbour to neighbouring islands. Back at street level, you’ll explore Mokpo’s so-called “Modern History and Culture Street” to learn more about the city’s role during the Japanese colonial period. The former Japanese Consulate and Oriental Development Company branch have been converted into museums, while several surviving Japanese-style houses line the surrounding streets. After lunch, take to the skies on the Mokpo Marine Cable Car, then head up to Gohado Observatory’s coastal deck for far-reaching sea views. Finish at Mokpo Fishery Market, perhaps with some skate for lunch, caught in the Southwest Sea.

Gwangju’s has a recent history and creative culture like no other Korean city. With a local guide, visit the May 18 Democratic Memorial Hall to understand Gwangju’s central role in the 1980 democracy movement, then continue to Jeungsimsa Temple, set at the foot of Mudeungsan Mountain, and Gwangju Lake Ecological Park, where wetlands and walking paths border the water.

Jeollanam-do is a window into more rural traditions – in a region many visitors don’t reach. On a full-day trip into the surrounding countryside, you’ll meet local indigo dyers who will show you how they use natural pigments and repeated dipping by hand to create finished pieces. You’ll get a chance to have a go yourself, and take home your masterpiece. Lunch is at a hanok café, where local ingredients are used with care and waste is kept to a minimum. In nearby Gangjin, visit Baegunokpancha, Korea’s first tea brand, still run by the Lee family. Make fermented tea, walk through the fields and finish with a cup of tea and traditional sweets.

Return to Seoul by high-speed KTX train for one final afternoon in the capital. Revisit a favourite neighbourhood or seek out somewhere you missed earlier – independent shops, a museum, a gallery or a quiet café. There’s also time for one last meal, and you’ve got plenty to choose from. Korean barbecue, market street food snacks or a tiny neighbourhood restaurant you find by accident. A private transfer will take you to the airport for your departure.