Japan & Korea Teen Travel Program: Tokyo to Seoul, 15 Days

Tokyo to Seoul includes the Narita to Incheon flight in the $6,490 tuition. Other international airfare is excluded.

Rustic Pathways offers chaperoned group flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Narita International Airport (NRT) in Japan.

Students not joining the group flight or travelling from outside the U.S., fly independently to Narita, where Rustic Pathways staff meet them at the airport.

Program sessions have set arrival and departure windows. Airport transfers for students on independent flights are free of charge within the arrival and departure windows. Transfers outside of the designated windows are subject to an out-of-window fee.

After the program, students can fly back to the U.S. on the chaperoned flight from Incheon International Airport (ICN) in South Korea to Los Angeles (LAX). For students flying home independently, Rustic Pathways staff assists with baggage drop and check-in at Incheon.

Compare airfare to Tokyo for the June 18, June 25, and July 9 departures

The arrival and departure windows for Tokyo to Seoul are based on the arrival and departure times of the chaperoned group flight.

Students on independently managed flights should book their flights to arrive and depart the designated airports within the arrival and departure windows. Airport transfers outside of these designated windows are subject to an out-of-window fee.

Included in the program price for Tokyo to Seoul:

• Accommodation (all 13 nights)
• All meals
• Japan to South Korea flight
• All airport transfers and ground transportation
• All activities, excursions, and entrance fees
• 24/7 staff supervision
• Gratuities/tipping

Not included in the program price for Tokyo to Seoul:

• International airfare
• Travel insurance
• Passport and visa fees
• Personal spending money

Rustic Pathways applies this cancellation schedule to all Summer 2027 enrollments.

Cancellations must be submitted in writing to cancel@rusticpathways.com. Telephone cancellations are not accepted. Program changes requested after the deadline carry a $750 revision surcharge, issued as credit.

For emergencies outside this schedule, families can request an individual review, which Rustic Pathways evaluates against documentation of the circumstance. Travel insurance is recommended and covers most scenarios this schedule does not.

Rustic Pathways accepts departure date changes and program transfers to a current-year or next-year program, subject to availability. Requests must be submitted in writing.

For Summer 2027 programs, changes requested before midnight ET on March 31, 2027 are made at no charge. Changes requested on or after April 1, 2027 are processed as a transferable credit for all amounts paid, less a $750 change surcharge.

A change is not a cancellation. See the enrollment terms for the full schedule.

In Japan: Scott Ingram leads Rustic Pathways programs in Japan. Scott has 15 years of experience in the student travel and experiential education field. He lived in Japan for 3 years, holds a Master’s degree in Japanese Studies, and is fluent in Japanese. Seasonal local and international Program Leaders join Scott on the ground in Japan to welcome students.

In South Korea: Chang Mo Ahn leads Rustic Pathways programs in South Korea. Chang Mo is of Korean and Guatemalan descent, is fluent in Korean, and has lived in Seoul since 2019. Chang Mo has led 10 Rustic Pathways programs in South Korea along with seasonal local and international Program Leaders.

Rustic Pathways programs maintain a median of one staff member per 4.37 students (4.37:1), with no program exceeding 7 students per staff member (7:1). In 2026, each Tokyo to Seoul program session had 15 students and 3 Rustic Pathways staff members, a student-to-staff ratio of 5:1.

All Program Leaders are CPR and First Aid certified, and every program includes at least one leader with 3 or more years of field experience. Program Leaders range in age from 22 to 45+.

Rustic Pathways reviews medical forms before departure and coordinates with families about medications, allergies, and dietary needs. All Program Leaders are CPR and First Aid certified and carry First Aid kits at all times.

Local teams in Japan and South Korea maintain clinic lists. St. Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo and Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seoul serve as a primary hospital for medical emergencies.

Rustic Pathways allows students to keep their phones and does not confiscate them. Students may contact home as often as they like.

High-speed public Wi-Fi is widely available in Japan and South Korea, all accommodations provide Wi-Fi access, and students using local SIM cards, eSIMs, or international roaming plans have reliable cellular data connectivity.

Students stay in gender-separated rooms in hostels and guesthouses throughout the Tokyo to Seoul program. Program Leaders stay on-site in separate rooms and conduct nightly room checks.

In the Tokyo youth hostel, each room has a private bathroom. In Kanazawa, students share bathrooms and showers, but the guesthouse is reserved exclusively for the Rustic Pathways group.

The Seoul guesthouse is also exclusive to Rustic Pathways and includes gender-separated bathrooms, a communal kitchen and living room, television, Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and a private locker for every student.

The table below shows the accommodation type, neighborhood, number of nights, typical room sharing, and supervision in each city.

Rustic Pathways publishes accommodation type, neighborhood, room configuration, and supervision arrangement before enrollment. Property names and addresses are shared with enrolled families through the parent portal.

Tokyo to Seoul is limited to 15 students per session, ages 14–18. In 2026, all program sessions sold out, with 15 students per session. Most participants were 15 and 16 years old. In 2026, two 13-year-olds were allowed to enroll in the Tokyo to Seoul program after individual review, as they both turned 14 in the program year.

Yes. International students can join the Tokyo to Seoul program. In 2026, 6 of the 45 students (13%) traveled from outside the United States, representing Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

International students fly independently to Narita Airport (NRT) in Tokyo, where Rustic Pathways coordinates airport pickup during scheduled arrival windows.

Visa requirements vary by passport, so contact a travel advisor for guidance.

Most students join on their own without knowing anyone. Some friends or siblings travel together.

In 2026, three siblings from Atlanta, Georgia joined the program together. Program Leaders run icebreakers and bonding activities on the first day, helping students build friendships that often continue after the program.

Yes. Rustic Pathways accepts roommate requests during enrollment and considers them when making room assignments. In 2026, two students requested to room together because they had traveled on a Rustic Pathways program the previous year. Rustic Pathways accommodated their request.

Yes. The Rustic Pathways Tokyo to Seoul itinerary may change because programs operate in real-world conditions. Activities can change due to weather, health and safety factors, transportation, site availability, or local circumstances.

The Rustic Pathways teams in Japan and South Korea prepare backup activities to maintain a safe program if itinerary changes become necessary.

Rustic Pathways pairs Tokyo with Seoul because Japan and South Korea are geographically close, with flights from Narita to Incheon taking about 2 hours.

Traveling through Tokyo and Kanazawa before continuing to Seoul gives students the opportunity to experience two distinct East Asian cultures within a single 15-day program, comparing their history, traditions, food, and contemporary urban life firsthand.

Students on the Tokyo to Seoul program complete 8 service hours. In 2026, Rustic Pathways partnered with nonprofit organizations and NGOs in Tokyo and Seoul.

In Tokyo, students joined neighborhood cleanups in different parts of the city with Greenbird, a local NGO that brings community members together to help keep their neighborhoods clean.

In Seoul, Rustic Pathways partnered with Open Arms, a welfare agency where students led sports, English, and arts-and-crafts activities and shared lunch with 28 local children.

Students also volunteered at a local library by designing and leading an English reading and conversation class for elementary school children.

There are no specific physical requirements for the Tokyo to Seoul program. Students should be comfortable with sustained walking and spending much of the day on their feet. In 2026, students averaged about 15,000 steps per day.

Students participate in Shodo calligraphy with a master, a Shibuya walking tour, a visit to Kanazawa Castle, kendo training, the N Seoul Tower viewpoint, wearing hanbok at Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwangjang Market, a K-pop dance class, and a taekwondo workshop.

Yes. Students have structured independence during designated free time, with Program Leaders always nearby. In Seoul, students have free time in Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Seongsu, known as the “Brooklyn of Seoul.”

Program Leaders continuously patrol the area, one staff member remains at the designated meeting point, and students must stay in groups of at least three.

Yes. Rustic Pathways accommodates vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other common dietary requirements with advance notice. Families provide dietary information during enrollment, and Rustic Pathways shares it with restaurants and meal providers before the program begins.

The team confirms suitable meal options in advance, including for students with food allergies. In 2026, staff contacted every restaurant before departure to ensure it could accommodate a vegan student.

No. Students do not need to speak Japanese or Korean to join the Rustic Pathways Tokyo to Seoul program. English is widely spoken in restaurants and stores in tourist areas of Tokyo and Seoul. Local Program Leaders speak Japanese and Korean and help students navigate language barriers.

Rustic Pathways recommends $300–$400 USD in personal spending money for the Tokyo to Seoul program, or approximately $150–$200 per week. Students only need money for personal shopping and snacks because all meals and program activities are included in the tuition.

Popular items students like to buy in Japan include clothes, tea, traditional arts and crafts, and anime and manga merchandise, while in South Korea they include convenience-store snacks, K-pop albums, skincare products from Olive Young, and personalized accessories.