Private Hiking to Bukhansan & Korean Style Spa(Include Lunch)

Great guide

Our guide Jimmy was simply exceptional. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. He made us feel very comfortable. The traditional lunch was quite awesome. The sauna experience afterwards was quite unique. It forced us to shed some inhibitions but thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Beautiful monastery hike in close proximity to Seoul

Hike was spectacular. It’s a relatively short, low/moderate intensity hike. Great for beginner hikers, seniors etc. Lunch was delicious and soaking in the spa was a relaxing way to end the tour. Guide was knowledgeable and attentive. Highly recommend.

Chance Kim hiker. Not good guide.

Chance Kim told us how Americans are couch potatoes, that USA government is poor, that the USA government wants South Korea to pay the USA, that the USA health care is terrible, and that he eats dogs. He was very poor guide and appeared angry at us from the very start. We walked slower than he liked, but we paid for a private tour, expecting to be treated with respect and kindness. Which we saw none of. It appears the Chance Kim does not like USA and should not guide persons from that country. Not a good experience. And I don’t recommend Kim as a guide.

Hike through beautiful mountain!

We went to our hike on a rainy day, our guide Benny was excellent , he texted before, brought water , snacks and umbrellas. Hike was amazing, it is demanding hike so make sure you are fiscally in good shape. Hike up was around 1.5 h. On top of the mountain is 1000 years old Buddhist temple with amazing view and Buddha figure carved in stone . After hike and steps to the temple you go another 108 steps to the stone. Hike down is easier. After hike we went to eat traditional Korean meal in local place, which was very tasty,it’s not flashy place but food was good. After that we went to Korean spa which was quite interesting experience. I hope you are not shy because you are completely naked around others. No swimming suites. Genders are separated and you first wash and scrub yourself then use hot tub and cold tub and sauna. People bring their own cleaning supplies , face masks and hair caps. You get 2 small towels that cannot cover you . Korean ladies were trying to explain things to us and show us what to do. It was funny very unique experience.

Wonderful experience

Just a heads up regarding the Korean-style spa. Initially, experiencing some cultural shock. But upon immersing oneself in, it proves to be a profoundly enriching experience. Like the Nike slogan: “Just do it.”

Lucky to find this tour.

Certainly! Here's a refined version of your message: --- I had an amazing time hiking in Bukansan and indulging in a Korean-style spa experience! Chance Kim was both entertaining and knowledgeable about outdoor activities, and our conversations during the hike were delightful. The lunch was simply delicious, and I'm convinced that the spa attendant worked wonders on my cellulite. Thank you, Kim, for an unforgettable experience. I look forward to booking with you again in the future. Stay awesome, my friend!

All in 1 experience

The wonderful hike, the lunch, the first experience into a local spa with the scrub experience would not have been possible without the guidance of Benny! He was a great host and made me feel at ease straight away. I highly recommend this tour!

Fantastic Tour and Hike

This hike was the best of my whole trip! Sophia was the best tour guide and had so much information to share. The hike itself was stunning and the views at the peak were unparalleled. I felt like a local. The Buddhist temple was gorgeous and a must-see. There was quite a bit of incline and many stairs, so be prepared. I wore hiking boots and felt that was a good call after exploring the trail. Be sure to bring lots of water, especially if you are not used to the heat. Thank you Sophia! I also ended up booking a second tour with Sophia to the DMZ the next day, as I truly enjoyed my time with her. She is such a gem and I am so thankful for the time we spent together on my trip!

Custom tour experience doing everything I love--hiking, food, and spa!

What an incredible day in Korea! Aeja took me on a beautiful hike with a crystal clear cool river where we got to cross over several times and keep ourselves cool on a hot day. She taught me about Korea's history and it's relationship with their natural plants and animals. She provided me with snacks and water and we had kimbap and fruit at the top of the mountain. Then we went to a restaurant where we had amazing bibimbap and she taught me some Korean phrases. Afterwards we went to a bathhouse and she was very helpful because I had no idea what I was doing there! I got scrubbed down head to toe by one of the ladies at the bathhouse and spent time in the hot sauna and switching between different pool temperatures. It was a great way to end the day after a long hike. Aeja was so sweet and accommodating to me. This tour was my favorite part of my time in Korea--absolutely worth it!

Hike with a hidden temple

Mr. Kim was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. I felt the hike was challenging but fun and loved what I saw. The entire day was perfect and saw a new side of Seoul that I hadn't seen. Recommend doing on your trip here.

Just book this tour :)

Our trip was amazing. Sophia was so kind and attentive to how we were doing the entire time. She took time to explain the history behind various plants and landmark of Bukhansan. We were beginner to intermediate hikers so took us on a route that was more suitable for us but view was equally beautiful. The lunch at the end and the Korean spa was icing on the cake. If you're considering this tour, make sure you ask for Sophia because she made the experience so easy.

You NEED to book this!

This hiking experience with Jimmy was the highlight of my trip! Not only was I able to see a gorgeous side of Seoul that wasn’t overrun with tourists (truly felt like a local), but the tour guide, Jimmy, was an incredible conversationist, extremely intelligent, well-traveled, answered all of my incessant questions with kindness/understanding and most of all fun! Truly the most “interesting man in the world” and this is coming for a 31 yr old from NYC. I was apprehensive about booking a guide as a solo woman, but I felt absolutely comfortable for all of ~6 hrs we spent together. After a week of indulging in street food, the hike was exactly what my body needed. You trek toward the top of the mountain to an active Buddhist temple with sights that are well worth the hike both in views and architecture. You also find a level of spiritually in the peacefulness and quiet. Jimmy provides plenty of history and anecdotes to make the experience much more elevated and rewarding than doing it alone. During my entire trip I ate my weight in fine dining, trendy restaurants and street food, but the local, no frills restaurant that we landed at post-hike (featured homestyle cooking) warmed my soul and is still imprinted in my memory. Highly recommend you indulge in “Makkoli”. Lastly, you end the trip at a local Korean Spa! Highly recommend you google what to expect as its quite different than any spa in the US. All in all, I walked away with a richer Seoul experience after my hike and also with a new friend! :) (Gamsahabnida, Jimmy!)

10/10 :)

I had a fantastic time on this hike. Benny was such a great tour guide, he shared many stories of Korea, history and pop culture, with me and I felt really comfortable throughout the day. Bukhansan is a beautiful area, and seeing the Buddhist temple at the peak of this hike was wonderful. The lunch was one of the best meals i had on my trip too, and the spa was a unique experience. Highly recommend doing this hike, and Benny as a guide.

Great Hike - Great Guide - Great Food

Great experience. The private hike had breathtaking views and the temple provided some amazing sightseeing. I recommend getting Jimmy as your tour guide. He was very kind, funny and had good English. My group was not an experienced hiking group, so luckily Jimmy was very accommodating. We had a delicious lunch at a Korean BBQ place near the base of the mountain. The sauna was quite the culture shock for us 'prude' Americans. If you're a very private person I would recommend foregoing the sauna as you must get quite intimate with strangers in an open room. Once over the shock though it turned out to be a relaxing and comfortable time.

Great hike in winter

First time hiking up a mountain in winter as I’m from a tropical country. The guide Chance, is very friendly, thoughtful and take special care of our safety. It was a great hike and hope to do it again. His English is good and we understand the history he described and explained.

Fabulous Trip out of Town

This was an excellent way to get out of the city and go "forest bathing." After 4 days in Seoul, to get up North and on the trail was great. Jimmy was waiting in our lobby and took us in his SUV to Bukhansan park, where we hiked up a peak with a beautiful view. He tailored the trip to our abilities and gear (not having true hiking boots you would likely want to skip the peaks that use cables). He brought us snacks and beverages, although I might suggest also some water of your own if it's a warm day. There was a lot of shade cover. The trails are maintained in fantastic shape, kudos to Korea. Jimmy loaned us his hiking sticks for the way down, as it was definitely a challenging walk. I so much enjoyed being able to talk with a local because Korean is a challenging language to me. I also loved seeing how popular hiking is with the locals. After the hike, he brought us down to a delicious lunch (not his usual restaurant, because we were hiking during the Chuseok holiday) then he dropped us at the sauna. If you haven't been to a Korean spa then you don't know what you're missing! This was a local sauna, definitely not a tourist spot, so it was an experience just figuring out what to do, although the ajummas helped us. The hot baths felt so fabulous after the hike, and I'm sure it cut down on the soreness. If you enjoyed that, then I would definitely recommend Dragon Hill in Seoul or Spaland in Busan, which are even larger and really fun. I just so enjoyed this combination of different activities, really different from a usual tourist day and my favorite tour of the vacation!

Highlight in Seoul

I lived for 8 months in Seoul now and this hiking tour remains as one of the top experiences I had here. Jimmy, our tour guide, was very friendly and considerate. Since we speak german, he brought along a friend who knew. the mountain well and also spoke german, so we got a lot of information on the area and the 4 of us had a blast. Jimmy made sure that the road was not too challenging and was funny and informative. My friend and me had the loveliest time. The view from the top was spectacular and the lunch was very very delicious and fun. The spa was relaxing and much needed after the hike! I cannot recommend this tour enough, if you need a respite from the bustling city life this is the tour to book. We would have loved to climb even more mountains with Jimmy! 즐거운 시간 보내줘서 감사합니다! 다음에 또 봐요 Jimmy!

Best Tour in Seoul

I am amazed at this hiking tour. It included everything I was looking for. From transportation to a great hiking spot, that was challenging but not too difficult, to a relaxing lunch and sauna afterwards. What make the hike even better was the guide. Sophia is a wonderful and kind person that dedicated to making sure I had the best experience possible. She was fun, courteous and knowledgeable about the area we were hiking. I could see that she was focused on my safety and comfort the entire time. I enjoyed every aspect of this hike and I highly recommend it.

Perfect

Really a very good experience, the guide was very friendly and really adapted the route to our needs and desires. The route is very easy even people with poor physical condition can do it. You won't regret it, the landscapes are magnificent!