Published on Oct, 2024

My daughter and I connected with English-speaking Korean tour guide, Young Y. thru theToursbyLocals website. Our tour was for several days, mostly around Seoul, but we also went to the DMZ. Young Y. truly brought Seoul to life with his insights and stories. His enthusiasm was contagious, and he was able to answer all our questions with depth and clarity in clear, concise English. Each site we visited felt richer with his explanations, and he encouraged us to engage with the culture in a way I hadn't anticipated. When it rained unexpectedly for an hour, he had a backup plan for something interesting we hadn't considered....libraries... and it created an understanding for ffor an aspect of the Koreans current way of life based on historical philosophies that was foreign to us. Despite my preparation, I was struck by how much more there is to discover. Young Y. highlighted nuances in Korean history and traditions that I hadn’t encountered in my studies. It was a reminder of the beauty of travel: you can learn so much more when you immerse yourself in a place and connect with its people. The experience left me eager to continue my studies and explore more of Korea. I can’t wait to share everything I learned with friends and family back home! In a part of the world where the use of the English languge is sparse, having someone like Young was essential.

Published on Jul, 2023

I booked the tour, my guide reached out with a list of options to explore around the city and asked for my preferences. And then the morning of we began what I can only explain as a whirlwind tour of Seoul: it was my first time, so I wanted to see as much as possible with an emphasis on history and culture (and pictures!). I would highly recommend GJ (Jee Eun) as a guide! We had so much fun! There was a detailed itinerary, and though some places we were only able to spend a short time there, I was left with enough explanation to revisit on my own later during my trip.

Published on Dec, 2019

We had an all day layover in Seoul. With limited time, this was a great way to get around and see what we wanted to see as well as what we didn’t know we wanted to see. Giwon was an excellent guide. She planned a great itinerary, knowledgeable about the sites and culture, and added impromptu stops as we shared interests.

Published on Nov, 2019

I took the 8 hour personalized tour. My guide was Rossi. We had communicated via Whatsapp on what I wanted to see. Since the tour fell on the second day, I had already seen some of the things he wanted to show me. He was extremely flexible and we adjusted the schedule on the fly. He was easy to get along with and we had some good conversations while crisscrossing the city walking and using public transportation. A highlight was Ewha Women's University where I never would have gone on my own. Highly recommended.