5 Wine Tastings in South Korea Worth Booking

1.4-Hours Hiking and Tasting Rice Wine in the Mountain of Busan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · from $55Our pick

Meet a local guide at Oncheonjang Station for a bus ride and a 8 to 9 km hike on Geumjeongsan. After forest trails, viewpoints, and local history, enjoy makgeolli, banchan, and a light mountain meal at a village pocha. Small groups make this a friendly, personal Busan outing.

“Great hike to explore the mountains of Busan. The food at the end was excellent! So fresh and tasty!”

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2.Hiking and Tasting Rice Wine in the Hidden Village

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 74 reviews · 4h 30m · from $50

Meet Hug You at Oncheonjang Station for a guided 8 to 9 km hike on Geumjeongsan, with viewpoints, local stories, and a light meal of banchan and makgeolli in a mountain village. Small groups, English and Korean guides, and a rain plan make this a social alternative to standard Busan sightseeing.

“Really enjoyed the hike, the experience and the food and rice wine to end. It was a really great hike, with lots of interesting stories about the history of the area and Korea. Guide was super friendly and made it a great experience”

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3.Wine & Korean BBQ, Perfect Pairing Dinner in Sinchon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 2h 30m · from $49

Meet your English or Korean-speaking host at Sinchon Station, walk through the neighborhood, and sit down for Korean-style meat dishes with paired wines. You’ll learn basic wine tasting and Korean drinking manners in a private-group setting. Taser has hosted warm, conversational evenings here.

“This was such a nice experience! I booked it as a surprise for my mum who is visiting me in Korea. I thought we might need some conversation with others by this point in the trip… I can’t recommend this enough. There was only us and one other person on our tour. Taser was a very good host who knew a lot about the area, Sinchon and about wine. But he was also very thoughtful, and interesting and great to talk to. As was the other guest on the tour which made for a great few hours enjoying lovely food and wine, and great company. It really was something different…”

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4.Make your own Makgeolli (Rice Wine) in Busan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $35Best value

At Union Station’s brewery near Gwangalli Beach, host Michelle introduces Korean rice alcohol, leads a tasting, and shows you how to start your own makgeolli. The 90-minute English-language class includes ingredients, instruction, and a take-home option.

“Couldn’t recommend this class more. Michelle is friendly and knowledgeable and helps you understand the makgeolli brewing process in more detail in addition to tasting a broad spectrum of makgeolli’s. Plus she even gave us a couple recommendations of other places to visit around Busan which were great! 10 out of 10!”

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5.Rice Wine Tasting with Sommelier – Finest Makgeolli (& Soju)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 1h 20m · from $44

Meet Jay, a Korean liquor sommelier, and Sam, a certified brewer, for five or more hard-to-find makgeollis and Korean spirits. In a small back room near Hapjeong Station, you’ll learn how rice wine is made, compare flavors, and see why Korean alcohol is far more than green-bottle soju.

“GREAT tour!! Sam was incredibly knowledgable and fun -- I would highly recommend to learn more about Makgeolli and Soju :)”

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