Korea Business Travel and Grace Tours: Seoul: Be Aware

I booked my Korea tour through Korea Business Travel (KBT) -- 6 nights/7days. The tour covered Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan. This company booked me on a SIC (seat in coach) with Grace tours for the first three days. This "tour" company had very young "guides" who didn't know anything about culture, sights, or Korea. They basically acted and direction givers. They also skip various locations on the itinerary, as they were either closed or inconvenient. At each site, we had 10-20 minutes at most and were rushed through. We didn't really learn anything. They like to take you to shops with kick backs, such as the amethyst and ginseng shops. They rush you through and then sales pitch. Do not use this company, also known as Daisy Tours in Korea.

As for KBT, they book all your travel and transfers, but don't give you details. We had to, on more than one ocassion, email the owner to get details such as train times, pick up locations and times, and payments for hotel to airport transfers. Without these emails, we wouldn't have known anything. The hotel choices were nice in Gyeongju and Busan (Commodore chain and 4 stars). However, in Seoul, we stayed at the Hamilton in Itaewon -- very American area and touristy, and very noisy. Also, the hotel is 2 1/2 stars at best. No night time events were planned, so you are on your own to find shows and dinner locations.

All-in-all, if you want a lower class/cost trip, this may be your flavor, but if you want a better planned tour, I would stay away from KBT, Grace and Daisy tours. Others on the tour said the exact the same thing.