South Korea & Japan: Seoul to Japan

Arrive in Seoul, check in and take your time recovering from the flight. This evening you'll meet your Soca Islands Host and the group over a relaxed welcome dinner and your first Korean meal of the trip.

The day opens at Gyeongbokgung, the royal palace that has anchored Seoul since the late 1300s; catch the guard-changing ceremony if the schedule allows. Then head south to Suwon, the fortress city built by King Jeongjo in the 1790s, to walk its walls and see Hwaseong Haenggung Palace. After lunch, continue to Jeonju and stroll the Hanok Village among traditional houses, craft studios and galleries.

Travel to the Demilitarized Zone, the line that has divided the peninsula since 1953. You'll go underground in the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, look north from Dora Observatory and visit the Joint Security Area, and give real insight into Korea's division and the hope of reunification. Back in Seoul, spend the evening in Hongdae among street performers, studios and bars.

Please note: bring your passport. DMZ access can change at short notice depending on military conditions.

A high-speed train brings you to Gyeongju, the ancient capital so full of tombs and temples it's often called a museum without walls. At Bulguksa, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the slopes of Mount Toham, you'll meet local monks and learn about monastic life. The evening ends with a traditional cultural performance.

Continue to Busan, Korea's great port city. Walk the sands of Haeundae Beach, visit Haedong Yonggungsa temple on the rocks above the waves, and browse the markets. In the evening, graze your way through Bupyeong Kkangtong Night Market; there's also time for Jagalchi Fish Market or shopping at Shinsegae Centum City.

Today you leave Korea for Japan. The rest of the day in Osaka is unscheduled: rest, explore, or join an optional food tour for okonomiyaki, tempura and wagyu.

Another free day. See Osaka independently or book an optional excursion, either to Himeji Castle and the Kokoen Gardens, or to Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima Island with its floating torii.

Leave Osaka for Nara, Japan's first permanent capital, where deer roam freely through the park. See the lantern-lined paths of Kasuga Taisha, then continue to Kyoto, the heart of traditional Japan.

Walk the Arashiyama bamboo grove, then try traditional fan painting. Lunch is shared with a maiko, an apprentice geisha, for a rare look into Kyoto's geisha world. Finish at Fushimi Inari, where thousands of red torii climb the mountain.

Ride the bullet train to Odawara with a bento lunch on board, then continue into Hakone, a mountain resort known for its ryokan inns. End the day soaking in an onsen with the mountains all around you.

Cruise Lake Ashi, hoping for a clear view of Mount Fuji mirrored in the water, then ride the Hakone Ropeway high over the valley. Afterward you continue to Tokyo.

Look out over Tokyo from the Skytree. Then explore old Asakusa and Senso-ji, the city's oldest temple, and watch a hands-on bonsai demonstration. After dark, cross the Shibuya Scramble and board a dinner cruise on Tokyo Bay.

The day is entirely yours: shop, hop between cafés, or return to a neighborhood you loved, before the final leg of the journey.

Leave Tokyo for Taipei, where the Rotary International Convention begins. No group activities are planned from here, so you're free to attend sessions, meet delegates from around the world and enjoy the cultural program.