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

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

U.S. students can book the chaperoned group flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Haneda.

International students or students traveling individually fly independently to Haneda, where Rustic Pathways staff meet arrivals at the designated arrival gate.

Programs have set arrival windows.

Program Leaders assist students flying independently with check-in and baggage drop at Incheon.

Compare airfare to Tokyo for the June 18, June 25, and July 8 departures

Included in the program price for Tokyo to Seoul:

• Accommodation (all 13 nights)
• Three meals per day
• Tokyo to Seoul flight
• All airport transfers and ground transportation
• All activities, excursions, and entrance fees
• 24/7 staff support
• Gratuities/tipping

Not included in the program price for Tokyo to Seoul:

• International airfare
• Travel insurance
• 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 world. He lived in Japan for 3 years 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. He has lived in Seoul year-round since 2019, and is fluent in Korean. Chang Mo has led 10 Rustic Pathways programs in Korea along with seasonal local and international Program Leaders.

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.

In Korea and Japan, local teams maintain clinic lists, and Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seoul serves as a primary hospital for serious 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 Korea, all accommodations provide Wi-Fi access, and students using local SIM cards, eSIMs, or international roaming plans have reliable cellular data connectivity.

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.

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 Haneda Airport (HND) in Tokyo, where Rustic Pathways coordinates airport pickup during scheduled arrival windows and helps families select suitable flights.

Visa requirements vary by passport and destination, 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 ice-breakers and bonding activities on the first day, helping students build friendships that often continue after the program.

Students stay in gender-separated rooms in hostels and guesthouses throughout the Rustic Pathways Tokyo to Seoul program. Program Leaders stay on-site in separate rooms and provide 24/7 supervision.

In Seoul, students stay in a private guesthouse in Hapjeong used exclusively by Rustic Pathways. Three to six students share each room, with gender-separated bathrooms, a communal kitchen, living room, television, Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and a private locker for every student.

Rustic Pathways publishes accommodation type, neighborhood, room configuration, and supervision arrangement before enrollment. Property names and addresses are released to enrolled families through the parent portal rather than published publicly, because the location of a group of teenagers abroad is not appropriate for an open web page.

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 team in Seoul prepares backup activities to maintain a safe program if itinerary changes become necessary.

Rustic Pathways pairs Tokyo with Seoul because the two cities are about two hours apart by air and offer contrasting experiences in a single program. Tokyo spreads its energy across many neighborhoods and rewards patience, while Seoul concentrates its energy and rewards speed.

Students complete 8 service hours. In 2026, students partnered with Open Arms, a welfare agency in Seoul, where they 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.

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 Seoul include snacks from convenience stores, K-Pop albums, skincare products from Olive Young, clothes, and personalized accessories.