NorthWest Arkansas Community College

July 24 - August 9, 2024 (includes travel dates)

Students enroll in World Civilization since 1500 summer 2024 (three credits), World Cuisines summer 2024 or World Civilization spring course (four credits), or Global Studies summer 2023 (three or one credit).

Community members may audit (AU) with permission of the instructor.

DAY 1 - Wed., July 24

• Depart home for Seoul, South Korea

DAY 2 – Thurs., July 25

• Arrive in SEOUL - Arrive in Seoul, South Korea Airport Transfer - Private Bus Orientation Walking Tour - The group will become oriented with their neighbourhood, the public. transportation systems, nearby pharmacies, markets, ATMs, etc. Additionally, an in-depth safety briefing will be provided for what to do in case of an emergency.
• Historical & Cultural Tour of Seoul (depending on time of arrival) - Seoul is a dynamic city fearlessly forging a path into the future while faithfully preserving its proud past. Depending on arrival time you will start exploring the city’s landmarks, such as Seoul city hall plaza, Gwanghwamun square, Cheonggyecheon stream etc.
• Welcome Dinner at Hanjeongsik Restaurant (Korean Royal Court Cuisine) - The group will be taken for an authentic Korean dinner with a wide variety of menu options to cater all diets.

DAY 3 – Fri., July 26

SEOUL

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Korean Crash Course
• National Museum of Korean Contemporary Art
• Korean Cuisine - Bibimbap Making Experience - Learn how to make this specialty and prepare your own Korean lunch!
• Transfer to University of Utah’s branch Campus in South Korea
• Korean Public Policy Lecture and Campus Tour
• Night Tour of Itaewon

DAY 4 – Sat., July 27

SEOUL -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Rent Hanbok for the palace tour
• Guard Changing Ceremony
• Tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace - The first and largest of the royal palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty. Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace was located at the heart of newly appointed capital of Seoul (then known as Hanyang).
• National Folklore Museum - Located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum of Korea presents historical artifacts that were used in the daily lives of Korean people in the past. Through the displays, visitors can learn about the domestic and agricultural lifestyles, as well as Korea’s cultural beliefs.
• Lunch Break - at Tongin Traditional market including KRW10,000 worth coin to enjoy shopping and street food experience
• Women’s University Tour
• Free time

DAY 5 – Sun., July 28

SEOUL -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Transfer to Paju to join DMZ tour (approx 50 mins)
• DMZ Excursion - Experience the extraordinary Korean
• Demilitarized Zone on the South Korean side, and learn about the war between the North and South and how the demilitarized strip of land came about. You will become familiar with Imjingak, the Bridge of Freedom, the 3rd infiltration tunnel, the Dora observatory and Dorasan station
• Lunch break
• The War Memorial of Korea
• Transfer back to Seoul

DAY 6 – Mon., July 29

SEOUL/JEJU -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Airport Transfer
• Flight to Jeju Island
• Dragon head rock
• Hyeopjae beach
• Trekking along Suwolbong Geo Trail
• Dongmun Traditional Market in the evening

DAY 7 – Tues., July 30

SEOUL/JEJU -

• Transfer to Seongsan Sunrise Peak
• Breakfast and day briefing nearby after sunrise
• Seopjikoji coast - free time on the beach
• Women Diving show
• Haenyeo Museum Manjang Lava cave

DAY 8 – Wed., July 31

JEJU/SEOUL -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Airport transfer
• Flight to Seoul
• Transfer to hotel
• Namsan park and Seoul Tower
• Cheonggyecheon stream and museum
• Dongdaemun market in the evening

DAY 9 – Thurs., Aug. 1,

SEOUL -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Bukchon Hanok Village - Bukchon Hanok Village contains 900 traditional homes and 600 years of Seoul's history.
• Insadong Antique Street
• Lunch break
• Join a K-Pop Dance Class
• Gangnam and Garosugil street
• Back to hotel and free time
• Korea Farewell Dinner at Samgyeopsal (Pork Belly BBQ) restaurant or similar

DAY 10 -  Fri., Aug. 2

SEOUL/KYOTO -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Airport transfer - private bus
• Flight Seoul to Osaka (approx. 2 hours)
• Arrival in Osaka, Japan
• Chartered transfer to Kyoto via Osaka
• Historical & Cultural Walking Tour of Osaka - Dotonbori, Takoyaki, Shinsaibashisuji etc..
• Osaka Castle - Osaka Castle is an important historic monument that represents the great history of Azuchi-Momoyama period during the sixteenth century.
• Continue to Kyoto (approx 1 hr)
• Check-in, relax and refresh
• Orientation Walking Tour

DAY 11 – Sat., Aug. 3

KYOTO -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Fushimi Inari Shrine - Fushimi Inari is a large shrine complex built on the side of Mt. Inari.
• Tea Ceremony - Learn about the culture and history of tea in a traditional tearoom, watch an authentic tea ceremony and enjoy a traditional sweet.
• Make your own tea - After being served a small traditional sweet, you will have the opportunity to make your own bowl of matcha under the careful guidance of your instructor.
• Visit Nijo Castle - built during the 17th century, and one of the 17 Historic Sites of Ancient Kyoto. The fortified castle interior was designed to protect the Shogun at all costs.

DAY 12 – Sun., Aug. 4

KYOTO -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) - Kinkakuji is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Each floor represents a different style of architecture.
• Lunch break
• Japanese Calligraphy Workshop - (also called Shodo) an ancient art said to reflect the writer’s mind as well as their writing skill. A shodo expert will kindly explain the connection between meditation and Japanese calligraphy and teach you how to use the brush to create strokes like the Japanese. You will be able to create your own calligraphy after a few practice attempts and bring your creations home with you.
• Free structured time & Cultural Immersion
  • Suggestions: Spend the remaining of the afternoon strolling around the historical geisha district of Gion and the modern shopping precinct of Shijo, before heading back to your hotel.

DAY 13 – Mon., Aug. 5

 KYOTO/ TOKYO -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Walk to Kyoto station
• Bullet train transfer to Tokyo (approx. 2 hrs) - (Ordinary class bullet train tickets included / we will provide full instructions in advance). Upon arrival, meet your Tokyo guide at the station, store your luggage at the hotel and continue with your Tokyo Historical & Cultural Tour.
• Lunch break - included (you will eat your own sushi!)
• Historical & Cultural Tour of Tokyo - Imperial Palace, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Metropolitan Government Building, Meiji Shinto Shrine and more.

DAY 14 –Tues., Aug. 6

TOKYO -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• TeamLab Planets - This is a museum where you walk through water, and a garden where you become one with the flowers. There are four massive exhibition spaces and two gardens. By immersing the entire body with other people in these massive body immersive artworks, the boundary between the body and the artwork dissolves, the boundaries between the self, others, and the world become continuous.
• Asakusa Walking Tour
• Lunch break
• Senso-ji Shrine - It is the oldest Buddhist temple in the capital, with a five-story pagoda, trails of incense and vast eaves will take you back to a Tokyo of time gone by.
• Visit Yanaka - One of the few remaining shitamachi, or old town neighbourhoods, which survived the Great Kanto Earthquake of early 1923. It is a rare gem of a place, often disregarded by the regular tourists but highly appreciated by the locals.
• Evening ramen tour

DAY 15 – Wed., Aug. 7

TOKYO -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Learn How to Make Sushi - This course is a hands-on class for anyone with a love of Japanese food and a big appetite. Learn how to make various types of sushi, including nigiri, inari, hosomaki (thin roll) and California roll. You will then enjoy the fruits of your creativity at the end of the class. You will eat them with miso soup at the end.
• Lunch break - included (you will eat your own sushi!)
• Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum - Established in 1926, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is Japan's first public art museum. This museum features colorful thematic exhibitions, as well as special exhibitions that provide encounters with art masterpieces from both Japan and overseas. Each year, to showcase up-and-coming artists and art groups, it sponsors around 280 exhibitions a year. It also holds school education exhibitions to encourage and support student artists.

DAY 16 – Thur., Aug. 8

TOKYO –

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Free day in Tokyo 
  • Suggestions: Tokyo is a city with a hip, happening, and vibrant youth culture scene. Young Tokyoites have set trends both in Japan and globally with their avant garde fashion. Explore the perennially trendy neighbourhoods of Shibuya and Harajuku, stopping at Meiji Shrine for a glimpse of the local Shinto traditions, before heading to the ‘Skyscraper District’ of Shinjuku.
• Farewell dinner and program closing
• Karaoke night - A trip to Japan is simply not complete without a visit to one of the many karaoke bars or boxes available. It is one of the main social activities of Japanese adults, popular with people from all walks of life. It is a staple form of entertainment. Modern Japan karaoke chains assign you a private room depending on the size of your party. The rooms have a large table in the middle, a television screen, two microphones, and several remote controls. There is a wide variety of English songs, including classic rock and recent hits.

DAY 17 – Fri., Aug. 9

RETURN HOME -

• Breakfast and day briefing
• Airport transfer - private bus
• Depart Tokyo, Japan for home

Program Fees: $7769

Cost for single occupancy upgrade: $900

• Round trip airfare (estimated $2,100)
• Lodging on site
• Admission to sites and attractions that are part of the program's curriculum.
• In-country transportation
• Travel health and extraction insurance
• All breakfasts and 6 other meals
• You may elect to purchase your own airfare and fly separately. You are responsible for joining the group at the designated meeting place an paying any associated transportation fees incurred due to traveling independently. NWACC will reduce your program fee by $2100 if you choose to not fly with the group. You must notify the Director of International Programs by January 5, 2024.

What the Fee Does Not Include:

• New passport application fees (if applicable)
• Visa fee (if applicable)
• NWACC Course Tuition and fees
• Meals on your own
• Optional excursions
• Immediate medical expenses

Program Deposit Deadline: Dec. 31st 
Program Fee Deadline: Feb. 28th 
Full Program Fee Deadline: April 30

Use NWACC's portal to make a payment.  

As a participant, you may pay a reduced rate if you are receiving financial aid, grants, and/or scholarships in benefit your study abroad program. Please email StudyAbroad@nwacc.edu with evidence of awards prior to the program fee deadline to confirm exact payment amount.

Learn how to finance your trip.

NWACC makes studying abroad accessible to students through financial aid, scholarships, payment plans and other options. Learn more about various financial options and accessing the payment portal.

Dr. Sevin Gallo
World History Faculty
479-986-6946 
sgallo@nwacc.edu