Tours in Nagasaki & Seoul

We just returned from the first half (FLL to Hong Kong) of the 2017 World Cruise on HAL. If you are looking for an independent tour in Nagasaki and/or Seoul, So Korea, we recommend using ToursbyLocals dot com.

For a very different tour of Nagasaki we booked a Christian Sites tour with Miyuki, a local Japanese woman who knew English well and took us to the 26 Martyrs Museum and other places mentioned in the new movie (and book) "Silence". There were 6 of us and we took trolleys and buses around town, also spending time at Ground Zero where Miyuki informed us her grandfather was one of the few survivors of the bomb. She is an excellent guide and made our day really memorable. She met us at the ship and returned us 2 hours before sailing. Cost is very reasonable at $45 pp -- they give a flat rate and you divide by how many people go--we were a party of 6. This is a tour that HAL does not even offer and I'm not sure about other lines. Since you don't really tip in Japan, we "tipped" her in our loose leftover Yen since it was our last stop in Nagasaki and she was thrilled that she could get herself a cup of coffee. I also had purchased a handmade Christmas ornament in Marjuro, Marshall Islands before we arrived and presented it to her as a gift with a note of appreciation. She was more overjoyed at receiving this gift than the money. Earlier in our tour she presented each of us with a beautiful oragami crane she hand made when she talked of them at the Peace Park. You will not go wrong using her or this company.

In Seoul, we also booked through toursbylocals dot com Kevin who met us at the ship and waited for over half hour while our immigration process was held up. Again we had a party of 6 people, this tour costing $80 pp. What an informative man, so friendly and full of laughter. His van was comfortable and we took off from Incheon to Seoul taking in the Seoul Tower which is a wonderful view over Seoul. Because we were late getting off the ship, he changed our around our itinerary so we could see the colorful and interesting changing of the guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace. He was thoughtful to do this. We still did everything we had planned and more. We were there on a Saturday and they have been having demonstrations every weekend concerning the president's scandal. Roads are blocked off the closer to the evening that you get. He knew exactly what was happening at all times to route us around and yet still take in everything. We left the city as people were pouring in to it-they expected 1 million!! As a tip here, we gave him some loose change but his real appreciation was our purchasing him a cup of coffee when we took an afternoon break. We had told him we only wanted to snack at lunchtime so while at a traditional market, he explained all the food on the street and helped us purchase what the locals ate. Sooo good and no one got sick! Kevin was so good that day, and because we were in port the following day unexpectedly due to not being able to go to Jeju because of weather, he happened to be free and 4 of our group (along 3 others from the ship) booked him for the following day to go back to the DMZ. They told me the tour was just as good as ours and Kevin, again, was able to personalize what was being seen and the history.

Hope this helps someone who might want to tour these two cities on your own. I have never been disappointed by this online company anywhere in the world that I've used them. The guides are top notch and attentive to your needs while giving you a stellar tour at lower than ship excursion costs.

Thanks for posting this it is very helpful! Do you happen to have a direct email for Kevin your tour guide in Seoul? We are visiting next month and looking for a guide for the day. Many thanks.

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GeoM0zez, You have to contact Kevin by going to the toursbylocals website. Search for the country So Korea and it will bring up different tours and their guides. You should see Kevin's name if he is still guiding, which he probably is. All emails must go through their website and you can communicate with him before you book. Just follow their instructions. It's easy and he'll answer within 24 hours or less. He is very good about answering. Remember there is a 12-13 hr time difference and they are a day ahead.

Hope this helps and you can find a tour that suits you.