Begin in Seoul. At street level, it’s a place of markets, riverside walkways hanok neighbourhoods and cosmopolitan cafes. Above it all rise towers that frame the capital’s scale and energy – with the Bukhansan mountains on the city horizon.

The Cheonggyecheon stream is an unexpected focal point for the city’s stories. A local guide will bring these tales to life, linking the stream’s history with modern day Seoul – dynastic politics, folk tales, shifting social customs. As you follow the Cheonggyecheon through the city, you’ll cut through varying neighbourhoods – from business districts to street food markets.

High above the skyline, the Skywalk at Lotte World Tower offers a completely different perspective. After riding one of the world’s fastest lifts (10 metres per second!), you step onto the bridge near the tower’s peak – a narrow span exposed to the elements, surrounded by Seoul’s grid of river, districts and distant mountains. You’ll be harnessed up well (even your phone is protected), so we recommend taking a deep breath and going for it – it’s one of the most exhilarating ways to truly get a sense of the city’s scale.

As the former capital of the Kingdom of Silla, Gyeongju is celebrated as the “museum without walls”. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s packed with monuments and ancients sights up to 4,000 years old.

Your expert local guide will spend the day showing you around. The 1,500-year-old observatory built with 365 stones, one for each day of the year, the fifth century tombs of the Daereungwon Ancient Tomb Complex, a literal treasure trove of Silla artefacts. But it’s not a place frozen in time. Hwangridangil merges modern day cafes and bars with traditional hanok architecture. Think trendy cafes serving flat whites and cocktail bars on hanok roofs. After dark, we suggest heading to Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond to walk by the nighttime illuminations. It’s one of Gyeongju’s prettiest spots.

It’s indisputable: Busan is the coolest kid in Korea.

Set sail from Suyeongman Yacht Centre for a breezy lap of the coastline and a closeup look at the city’s sleek marine district.

Head out the city for a tour of Gamcheon Village. Once a tightly packed home for post-war refugees, the district was transformed by a local revitalisation project. Today it’s a jumble of steep, multicoloured alleys overflowing with sculptures, murals, craft shops, cafes and views out to sea.

At Jagalchi, Korea’s largest seafood market you’ll see the freshest catch on sale, with a chance to try hoe, Korean sashimi or fish soup at the nearby restaurants.

Further along the coast lies Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. Many Korean temples are built in the mountains, and this is one of the few built by the sea. Spot the four lions at the entrance, symbolizing joy, anger, sadness and happiness.

As your time in Busan comes to a close, we recommend heading up to Yongdusan Park for sunset, with views out across the city and sea.

You’ve got a feel for the best of Korea, now it’s time to see how Japan compares. Kyoto is widely considered the heart of Japanese traditional culture, and your Japan trips starts here.

Spend a full day with an expert local guide exploring temples, shrines and gardens of this former imperial capital, then have tea with a maiko (trainee geisha): a privilege few visitors ever experience. Kyoto has enough UNESCO temples, moss gardens and bamboo groves to keep you busy for a lifetime, and your guide will select a mix of the biggest ‘must-sees’ along with their quieter, more locally-known favourites.

If you do fancy a change of scenery, hop on the train to visit the friendly deer in Nara, the street-food and nightlife of “work hard, play hard” Osaka, or the wooded walking trails of Mount Hiei.

It may have begun life as a samurai’s hot-spring retreat, but Hakone today is a wacky wonderland of art museums, upmarket resorts, pirate ship rides and Venetian glass forests. You’ll stay in a traditional ryokan, where you’ll sit down each night to an elaborate, traditional kaiseki meal. Use the well-oiled network of boats, cable car, funicular railways and buses (and pirate ships) to explore the region, passing through the mountains swathed in forest, with Lake Ashi at the centre. Don’t miss the Hakone Open-Air Museum packed with outdoor artworks from Henry Moore to Picasso.

We don’t think you could visit Japan without visiting Tokyo (and that’s not just for your flight home!).

You’ll have a full day to explore Tokyo under the wing of a local guide. They’ll tailor your day to what you most want to see, the weather, and perhaps even their favourite spot for lunch. You could explore the incense-wreathed temple and market stalls of traditional Asakusa, or hop on a boat down the Sumida River to Hamarikyu Gardens, or browse the blazing neon arcades and manga shops of Akihabara. Shops, bars, shrines, restaurants, art museums, karaoke: however you want to see out your trip; Tokyo's the place to do it in style.