Experience Day trips in the best of
Seoul with Withlocals

"We had such a great experience on this tour. What really made it stand out was how Ho Jin took us to spots we never would have found on our own—those hidden gems ended up being the highlight of the day. The whole vibe was super laid-back and easygoing, which made it feel more like exploring with a friend than being on a structured tour. Nothing felt rushed, and we had plenty of time to actually enjoy each place. Highly recommend if you want something relaxed but still really memorable."

"As one of the members in our group was 92 years old, we chose a private tour to see the DMZ to make the experience as smooth and stress-free as possible. Thomas delivered with a customized itinerary taking into account our group's relatively limited mobility. Thomas was responsive and clear with all communication, which made planning and coordination very easy. Hotel pick-up was on time and Thomas' van was spacious and comfortable. We made it through our itinerary at an ideal pace without feeling too rushed. Along the way, we had a very engaging discussion about the history and events of the Korean War and modern Korean culture. We also enjoyed a delicious lunch at a restaurant in the area, for an additional cost. The tour included visits to mountaintop observation decks, but unfortunately the weather was less than ideal due to dust from Central Asia creating low clouds that greatly reduced visibility. With the Joint Security Area closed to tours at the time we took it (March 2026), the highlight of the experience was entering the infiltration tunnel and reaching a point only 170 meters away from the North Korean border. There are three main reasons that made Thomas the perfect guide for our DMZ tour. First, Thomas is an expert photographer and he took photos of our group that not only helped to make the best of a day with less-than-ideal weather but also will serve as priceless mementos of our experience. Second, when one of our group members decided they were physically unable to complete the infiltration tunnel portion of the tour, Thomas stayed behind with them and took some extra photos. Third, during our conversations throughout the day, Thomas learned more about our group's background and had the flexibility to extend our itinerary to include one extra site that was relevant to our group. If you want a thoughtful and courteous guide who makes planning your tour easy, enriches your experience with insightful discussions and also takes excellent photos for you to have as a keepsake, then I highly recommend Thomas."

"We had a terrific time with Ho Jin. He is easy going, knowledgeable and flexible. We thoroughly enjoyed the DMZ tour. It was the perfect start to our trip! Don’t think twice and book Ho Jin! You won’t regret it!"

"We had a lovely day with Juli exploring and learning about the landmarks and history of Seoul. She also had wonderful local food recommendations. We enjoyed our time with Juli immensely."

"The tour with Ho Jin was a delight. Ho Jin is very friendly, knows great spots in the city, and is very patient. He speaks excellent English and Spanish. Thank you so much for the wonderful day!"

"Sanghee was wonderful and helped us craft a perfect day. We really enjoyed the time at Nami Island, riding the rail bikes and more. The restaurant for lunch was amazing- some of the best Korean food we had during our visit. Sanghee is very friendly, knowledgeable, insightful, and funny. She's full of energy and insightful about Korean history, culture, and food. Don't hesitate to book her - she listens well and makes the time special!"

"We spent the day with Thomas yesterday from airport pickup to evening check-in at our downtown hotel. He had a comfortable van and saved us immediately from the cold with hand warmers! We visited the DMZ at the pace that we prefer which is to move past larger groups! Very interesting history! We then had a delicious and very Local lunch which included fern and river snails among the dishes! Actually excellent! ( there were less exotic options) After seeing a vista of the city which is so expansive, we concluded with a tour of the royal palace which is also a don't miss even if you think you have seen too many palaces! All along the way Thomas took memorable photos of us . We appreciated that he knew the best places ! A big thanks to Thomas for making our short stay in Seoul a great memory! A note here.. we had only a short time in Seoul so we were willing to pay a premium to maximum our experience. We appreciated being able to time this visit and what we saw!"

"We went on a DMZ tour with Ho Jin in hopes of getting to experience a bit of Korea's history close up. Ho Jin was great! We learned a lot, and more importantly, Ho Jin helped bring the history to life for us - giving us a deeper understanding of the lasting impacts the conflict. "

"First and most important, Kevin was an excellent guide, very understandable who all through our tour told us about ancient history, stories of old, traditions that still exit today and a picture of modern Korean life & culture. We had had a big travel snag that curtailed our stay in Seoul to just one day. Kevin was incredibly gracious and patiently waited for us and then fast-tracked without rushing. Our tour captured central city viewpoints, a famous palace (where many locals as well as visitors dress in traditional Hanok costumes for fun), ancient sites with original housing and statuary, and the famous Bukchon-Hanok Village. He knew all the bathroom stops, good places for coffee, and a truly wonderful arts and crafts area where shopkeepers make their goods to sell in small shops. High quality and lots of local color. We finished our trip with a stop at a traditional Korean restaurant where we tried shrimp pancakes, pickled radish, kimchi and a really delicious bibimbap with super crispy rice at the bottom of a hot pot. All in all, Kevin was easy going, mindful to keep us on track without disrupting our picture-taking and moments of contact with others. We wished we could have had a second day with him!"

"Having traveled the world and exposed to many guides, Ho Jin is by far the best we’ve ever had. His knowledge of Seoul & South Korea both today & historically helped us have a better perspective. His excellent commend of the English language was important for our understanding. We did two tours -DMZ & tour of Seoul. He took us to some site that I would have never thought about but they made our understanding of Seoul much better. If anyone wants the best tour & guide, you have to select Ho Jin"