Have you been wanting to explore the bustling and beautiful cities of South Korea? Do you want to have the experience of a lifetime while staying safe, and in the know with the guidance of a top rated tour operators in South Korea?
South Korean culture is vast and you will find yourself in awe at all of the exciting things you will learn about the country while adventuring. This is an incredible Asian destination where you will find examples of their past in the form of buddhist temples as well as newer cultural traditions, like K-pop. As one of the best economies in the world, the country is extremely clean and welcoming to tourists. Your time spent touring South Korea will be filled with unforgettable memories and amazing sights to see throughout your trip. There are many opportunities to see nature, visit museums, and participate in exciting city tours.
Although it may seem easy to choose a tour company in South Korea, narrowing down the best choice can actually be complicated. Each tour company available will have varying prices, quality, and history dealing with clients. Giving your hard earned money to a South Korea tour agency without having the proper information can lead to you wasting your money or being given a lackluster experience as a tourist in South Korea.
You may end up paying thousands of dollars to a company who will provide you with measly service and could potentially ruin your entire tourist experience. To help you avoid having a bad trip to South Korea, we have compared prices, read hundreds of reviews, and have thoroughly researched options in order to provide you with this top 10 tour companies list in South Korea.
Here is an unbiased list of the Top 10 most reputable South Korea tour operators.
| Providers | Package | Reviews |
| This is Korea Tours |
Gyeongbokgung Palace Everland Tour | Trip Advisor -1,320 reviews |
| Top Korea Tour |
Korea Folk Village Changdeokgung Palace | Trip Advisor – 467 reviews |
| DMZ Spy Tour – Day Tours |
Private Tour Premium Small Group | Trip Advisor – 359 reviews |
| Iamyourguide |
DMZ + N Seoul Tower Observatory Seoul City Tour | Trip Advisor – 347 reviews |
| HaB Korea |
Korea Private Tour Guide DMZ/JSA Tours and Activities | Trip Advisor – 270 reviews |
| Color of Korea Tour |
Gyeongbokgung Palace Hallasan Mountain | Trip Advisor – 184 reviews |
| HanaTour ITC |
1day Ski tour Paju City Tour | Trip Advisor – 140 reviews |
| Novaland Tours |
7 days Seoul, Busan & Gyeongju tour 5 days South Korea tour | Trip Advisor – 138 reviews |
| Tours by Aaron – Day Tours |
day tour of Seoul Overnight Tours Around Korea | Trip Advisor – 114 reviews |
| Korea Private Tours |
CHEORWON DMZ TOUR BUSAN SHORE EXCURSION | Trip Advisor – 59 reviews |
Table update Jan 22, 2021
This is Korea Tours
Company’s location and type: South Korea, Local Tour Operator
Awards, Certification: 2014-2019 Certificate of Excellence by Tripadvisor
Reviews: 1320 reviews on Trip Advisor 98% rated very good and excellent
About Company
This is Korea Tours is a top-rated tour operator in South Korea designed to offer you a great experience over everything else. The company provides pre-planned tours and they also excel at offering you the freedom to choose where you want to go and when as well as for how long. You can get involved in many options with TKT like their in-city tours, food tours, ski tours, multi-day tours, DMZ tours, province tours, layover tours, and more. Your itineraries with This is Korea Tours are also completely flexible! You can count on them to give you an unforgettable experience.
Packages
With many package tours to South Korea to choose from and the ability to choose your own schedule, This is Korea Tours has you covered no matter your interests! You could find yourself touring the Jeju Dongmun Traditional Market and see local cultural delicacies and souvenirs or even visit the K-Pop museum in Jeju. Another exciting South Korea tour package available is the everland theme park, where you can ride roller coasters! If you would like to have a more spiritual experience, This is Korea Tours can also bring you to Gyeongbokgung Palace and you can see the changing of guards ceremony.
Reviews on This is Korea Tours
This tour operator is proudly the holder of the most reviews in all of South Korea and each day they continue to gain more positive attention from past customers. With over 1300 reviews, this South Korea tour company is rated 5 stars on tripadvisor! You can see this nice review left by a client:
“Korea is one of my dream destinations because I love to watch Kdrama. It was really a memorable trip not only because of the beautiful places…- Kim
Top Korea Tour
Company’s location and type: Seoul South Korea, Local Tour Operator
Awards, Certification: #3 out of 371 tours in South Korea on Trip Advisor
Reviews: 467 reviews and 5 stars on Trip Advisor
About Company
Top Korea Tours in Seoul has a strong focus on customer satisfaction and their goal is to provide you with unmatchable service while also giving you affordable options. This tour operator in South Korea specializes in private day tours and all you need to do is let them know where and what you would like to see, and they will give you an unforgettable adventure while keeping you safe, happy, and satisfied with their service.
Packages
When you join in on a private day tour with Top Korea tours in South Korea, your options are not limited and you have a wide selection of great packages available. One of these tour opportunities is the Korea Folk Village tour where you can see how people in the rural areas of the country live. Another great option is the Changdeokgung Palace. The palace is a UNESCO world heritage site and you can see an ancient palace with a beautiful royal garden on this tour. The Makosa temple tour will start you off at the temple and take you to the royal tomb of king Muryeong, as well as Gongsanseong Fortress. Both of these are UNESCO heritage sites and you are in for a real treat. Your other option to consider is the South Korea Gamcheon Culture Village tour where you can ride in a cable car, visit an authentic fish market, see an ancient cemetery and experience the Oryukdo SkyWalk!
Reviews on Top Korea Tour
TKT offers amazing tour programs in South Korea and has many great reviews on TripAdvisor to back this up. In South Korea, they are ranked number 3 out of 371 tour operators and have a 99% approval rating. You can see what this past customer had to say about Top Korea Tours:
“We had a wonderful tour in Seoul which gave us a great overview of the city. Miae was engaging and had great insight into the city and history of Seoul… “ -Jeff
DMZ Spy Tour
Company’s location and type: South Korea, Local Tour Operator
Awards, Certification: 2017 certificate of Excellence Trip Advisor
Reviews: 359 reviews on Trip Advisor 99% rated very good and excellent
About the company
DMZ Spy Tours is a tour operator in South Korea that offers high-quality guided tours, centered around the 38th parallel. You can join one of their tours and explore the DMZ near North Korea and have the guidance of expert tour guides.
Packages
DMZ Spy Tours is all about military tours and if you are interested in history, especially war, these tour packages in South Korea will be the perfect match for you! They have a private tour option that includes an extremely rare opportunity for you to meet and listen to a North Korean defector. You can also join the Incheon Landing operation tour and learn a vast amount of knowledge about North Korea’s invasion and loss at the 38th parallel in 1950. The premium small group tour in South Korea is designed for smaller-sized groups and is an expertly guided journey through the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone).
Reviews on DMZ Spy Tour
This tour and travel agency in South Korea has a great reputation for providing high-quality tours in South Korea and is ranked number 3 out of 359 Outdoor Activities in Seoul. You can read about how well they provide for their clients on this review on tripadvisor: “Our guide Shrek was unbelievably friendly and knowledgeable. Enjoyed the tour tremendously even though the JSA was closed due to swine flu. Shrek was very accommodating to my wife’s dietary restrictions. Highly recommended.” -Wallooners
Iamyourguide
Company’s location and type: Seoul, South Korea, Online Tour guide locator
Awards, Certification: 2015-2019 cert. of excellence on TripAdvisor
Reviews: 99% of 347 reviews rated them Good or Excellent on TripAdvisor
About the company
Iamyourguide is a tour operator in South Korea that is based as an online platform. They have created this type of tour service platform in order to save you money and provide you with an easy, fast, and more affordable way of touring. Instead of wasting time, iamyourguide does all the work for you and brings you to the tour that is right for you.
Packages
Since Iamyourguide is an online platform that connects you to the tours that are best matched for your preferences, they have hundreds of different options. One of these options is the DMZ tour in South Korea where you can explore the demilitarized zone near the 38th parallel and also visit the N Seoul Tower observatory. Another popular choice is the Seoul City Tour where a professional guide will take you around all of the must-see sights in Seoul. South Korea is filled with UNESCO Heritage sites and you can explore Gyeongju & Yangdong Traditional Village to experience an ancient part of the country. You have a great opportunity to take a tour of the Nami Island Village tour in South Korea on an exclusive private tour.
Reviews on Iamyourguide
This tour guide finder service has been given the certificate of excellence by TripAdvisor for 7 years in a row and they have astoundingly positive reviews. They have matched many clients with the perfect Korea tour package and you can see what someone had to say about their experience with them here:
“My friend and I went on a personalized trip to the trout festival. Our tour guide, Andrew, was awesome! He not only brought us around but also showed us the way, translated for us…thestranger13
HaB Korea
Company’s location and type: South Korea, Local Tour Operator
Awards, Certification: TripAdvisor Hall Of Fame Certificate of Excellence 4 years in a row
Reviews: Rated 5 stars out of 237 reviews on TripAdvisor
About the company
HaB Korea literally stands for, “Have a ball in Korea”, because they believe a tour with them is always going to be exciting and fun. This tour operator in South Korea is very reliable and wants to provide you with an unforgettable experience while striving to be the very best in their industry.
Packages
Make your Korea trip awesome by investing in a high-quality tour with HaB Korea. You can get involved with a great Korea Private Tour guide and see the country in a different way. If you are a history buff and would be excited to learn about an important part of South Korean history, you can check out the South Korea DMZ/JSA tour. As someone wanting to have a different and exhilarating time, you could join a Ski Tour and find yourself flying down a mountain abroad. If you do not like to be pushed around and forced to shop and see certain things, you can have full control in the Korea Custom Private tour that you can find on the HaB website.
Reviews on HaB Korea
This is a unique tour and travel agency in South Korea as they are completely web-based and you can be connected with many different options based on your preferences. You can see how well the algorithm and the website works based on the high level of positive reviews they receive from clients. It is rated 5 stars on TripAdvisor with over 270 reviews. Read this comment made by a past tourist:
“Our customized and private tour with Hab Korea is the best itinerary we have had so far. It is our 2nd time in South Korea, the last one is only DIY and we have faced a lot of trouble…- Romeo
Color of Korea Tour
Company’s location and type: Namyangju Si, Local Tour Operator
Awards, Certification: Ranked 10 out of 371 Seoul Tours on TripAdvisor
Reviews: 5-star rating out of 184 reviews on Tripadvisor.
About the company
Color of Korea Tours is a privately owned tour operator in South Korea that has a strong belief in giving you the freedom to plan your trip to Korea the way you want it and with their professional support. You can count on them to provide you with honest business and an amazing customized tour at the highest quality. Another important thing to Color of Korea Tours is keeping you safe and enthralled through the entirety of your tour, wherever and whatever that may be.
Packages
Even though CKT offers many great opportunities for you to plan your tour your way, you can also choose from pre-selected, high-quality tours & trips in South Korea. Gyeongbokgung Palace, or otherwise known as the Northern Palace is the largest of the 5 Korean palaces and you can have a guided tour of its beauty and history. The South Korea Hallasan Mountain tour will take you way up high to a massive volcano shield on the famous Jeju Island! In South Korea’s history, a war happened and near the North Korean border lies many war memorials and you can tour them with Color of Korea Tours. You can also tour the famous Nami Island. This island actually has its own culture and diplomatic policies and is a separate entity from South Korea.
Reviews on Color of Korea Tours
This tour company in South Korea has earned its place on this top 10 list because of its highly positive reviews and transparent business practices. With 184 reviews and a 99% approval rating, you can see why. Here is a review that the company received recently on TripAdvisor:
“Two weeks ago, I went to the Azalea Festival in Korea with my family. When I first booked the tour, I asked for a schedule to see a lot of flowers around Seoul, but the boss recommended the Goryeosan Azalea Festival…- Hyukju Bae
Hana Tour ITC
Company’s location and type: Seoul, South Korea, Local Tour Operator
Year of establishment: 2003
Reviews: 138 reviews on Tripadvisor 96% rated very good and excellent
About the company
Hana Tour is one of the tour operators in South Korea and is a massive travel agency, operating in 29 different branches. This tour provider got its start in 2003 and continues to offer amazing tour packages. They specialize in many different kinds of tours and you can get involved in a Discover Korea Tour, Day tour, Transit tour, or even a city tour.
Packages
When you invest your time and money into a tour of South Korea with HanaTour ITC, you can rest easy knowing you are going to have a great time while staying safe, comfortable, and entertained. One great tour option is the Gyeongbokgung Palace & Namsan Full Day Tour where you can spend the day visiting the North Palace and explore ancient South Korean heritage and history. If you are active and would like to race down a mountain in South Korea, you can join the 1 day ski program for an unforgettable adventure. As a tourist, it is important to sightsee and the Seoul Culture Experience Walking Tour is the perfect chance to be guided and professionally educated on must-see sites and locations. Another immersive city tour is through the Korea Paju City tour package. This is a themed city village filled with amazing architecture and great food.
Reviews of Hana Tour ITC
With Hana Tour ITC, your time will not be wasted. When we looked into the history of HT ITC, they had been in operation for almost 18 years and throughout that time, they have honestly and faithfully served thousands. With over 96% of reviews ranking them as great or excellent, they deserve a spot on our list of top tour providers in South Korea. See this great review on tripadvisor left by a past client of theirs:
“Sights were amazing. Loved that meals were included with the trip. Our 85-year-old mother came on the trip and I loved that most locations had free wheelchairs we could use. – Dolores
Novaland Tours
Company’s location and type: Seoul, Tour Operator
Awards, Certification: #16 of 371 in Seoul Tours
Reviews: 138 reviews on Trip Advisor 99% rated very good and excellent
About the company
Novaland Tours is a tour operator in South Korea that has a strong interest in your personal desires and interests. They would like to make you completely satisfied with excellent service on a private tour. This tour provider offers comfortable vehicles, professional guides, easy transport, and more! Novaland Tours can make your trip to South Korea one to never forget.
Packages
Novaland provides exceptional private tours in and around Seoul, South Korea and you can book a personalized tour that matches exactly what you are looking for. One great option is the 7 days Seoul, Busan and Gyeongju tour where you can tailor-make your destinations along the way to these great historical sites around South Korea. If you are short on time but still want an incredible tour, you can join the 1 day Korea Cultural Experience Tours Incheon Seoul, also completely customizable. The other 1-day tour option is in Busan, a port city greatly known for its beaches and mountains! The 5 days South Korea tour with Novaland is a great chance to see many historical sites all in one go. You can see temples, palaces, and UNESCO heritage sites while being educated by a professional tour guide.
Reviews on Novaland Tours
This South Korea tour company has an exemplary track record for great service, proven by over 135 positive reviews. Novaland proudly has earned a five-star rating on TripAdvisor and continues to provide great tours every day. Other customers have given raving reviews and you can read one of the recent ones here:
“Novaland is really worth traveling with, they have tailor-made trips ( as They Say) everything is well organized always on time and a good English speaking guide.” – d_veen54
Tours By Aaron
Company’s location and type: Seoul, Local Tour Operator
Year of establishment: 2009
Awards, Certification: Rated 58 of 371 outdoor attractions in Seoul
Reviews: 5-star rating and 59 reviews on TripAdvisor
About the company
Tours By Aaron is a tour operator in South Korea and its mission is to provide opportunities for you to see all of the treasures that the country has to offer. Since 2009, this provider has offered tailor-made tours that have been curated by professional and experienced tour guides in the hope that you can have an amazing time while traveling. The tour guides that work with Tours by Aaron are passionate about Korea and have the drive to provide you with a great time.
Packages
With Tours By Aaron, you have many great options around Seoul. Even if you only have a day or would like to explore for longer, they have the right tour for you. The day tour of Seoul is the perfect choice if you would like to have a well-rounded experience while seeing all of the areas that are not as well known to regular tourists in the capital city. You can also book an overnight tour around Korea and visit multiple cities along the way. The Korea tour option is completely customizable and you can work with Tours by Aaron to set up the perfect trip for you. In 1950, when North Korea attacked at the 38th parallel, South Korea defended valiantly and held them back. This area is known as the DMZ and you can tour it with Aaron. Your other option and arguably the best is the tailor made Korea tours. You can completely create your own schedule and tour based on what you would like to see.
Reviews on Tours by Aaron
This tour operator in South Korea is much smaller than the others on this list, however, they care deeply about exemplary tours, and less traffic means more of a personalized trip for you. With 59 reviews on TripAdvisor, they are ranked 5 stars. Here is one comment left by a satisfied customer:
“I would highly recommend Happymize-Korea Private Tours for a South Korea tour! Oscar (our guide) and Sky (our driver) were very respectful, gracious, and accommodating to our group of eight (3 seniors). – Happy Customer
Korea Private Tours
Company’s location and type: Seoul, South Korea, Local Tour Operator
Year of establishment: 2009
Awards, Certification: Number 58 out of 371 Tours in Seoul
Reviews: 59 reviews on TripAdvisor with 5-star rating
About
Korea Private Tours is proud of its small size and they are extremely confident in their abilities as a tour operator in South Korea. They are a specialized tour provider in South Korea that will not sacrifice quality for a lower price and as such, will not compete with other providers for the lowest cost. KPT’s tour guides and staff are paid for their professionalism and knowledge which is why your experience with them will be unbeatable.
Packages
Korea Private tours have many immersive choices for you in South Korea and if you like exciting and new things, joining a tour with them is a great choice. They have a Cheorwon DMZ tour where you can explore the tunnels used by North Korea to dig underneath the 38th parallel in order to attack South Korea. The South Korea Busan Shore Excursion tour is another great option as the city of Busan is a place rich with culture, happy people, and beautiful urban scenery to enjoy. If you are up for an exercise-filled adventure, look into joining up with Korea Private Tours on the Bukhansan Mountain Hiking Tour and be faced with gorgeous views of South Korea. The Heritages of Korea tour, otherwise known as the essence of South Korea, is an adventure filled with many activities around Seoul and other cities.
Reviews on Korea Private Tours
With nearly 60 stellar reviews on Tripadvisor, Korea Private Tours is a strong competitor for being one of the top travel tour operators in South Korea They are able to provide stellar service at competitive prices and this can be argued by the consistently positive reviews. You can see what someone has said about the company here:
“We are a group of 6 friends that booked a tour with Korea Private Tour. Everything worked exactly as planned …” – Gerard
In Conclusion
This top 10 tour operators in South Korea list has been compiled with the intention of educating and assisting you in your search for the best tour provider in South Korea. If you would like to make a trip to South Korea and immerse yourself in the culture through tour experiences, please use this list to help you in your search.
Once you arrive home from South Korea, we would be thrilled to hear back about your journey. If you have gone on a tour with one of these companies in the past, send us a message and let us know how it went!
Honorable mentions
- One Day Korea – Day Tours, Trip Advisor – 545 reviews
- Sweetravel Korea – Private Day Tours, Trip Advisor – 451 reviews
- Exclusive Tour Korea – Private Day Tours, Trip Advisor – 300 reviews
- Korea GPS Travel (tours & activities), Trip Advisor – 257 reviews
- Cosmo. Jin Tour – Day Tours, Trip Advisor – 195 reviews
- Korea Time Tour, Trip Advisor – 136 reviews
- Ultimate Korea Tour, Trip Advisor – 115 reviews
- Capture Korea, Trip Advisor – 43 reviews
- YGC KOREA TRAVEL, Trip Advisor – 36 reviews
- The Sool Company – Korean Alcohol Tours, Trip Advisor – 33 reviews