"2008 Korea Revisit Program"

18-24 May; 21-27 June; 26 September - 2 October ; 13-19 November

China Post Tour Option

24-29 May; 27 June – 2July; 2-7 October; 19-24 November

We are pleased to announce that the Korean Veterans Association (Seoul) has recently announced that the ROK government subsidized REVISIT KOREA Program will continue and be expanded!. They have indicated that a request has been made to increase the funding, and thus the numbers eligible to participate. Since these tours are ALWAYS sold out, it is vitally important that you get registered early. You can always cancel later for personal or health reasons, but you may miss out on the 2008 program if you procrastinate! The eligibility requirements established by KVA Seoul are contained on the reverse of the registration form. The most important requirement is that a veteran must have served “in, over, or around” the Korean peninsula during the period 25 June 1950 to 15 October 1954.

In addition, applicants must be members in good standing of KWVA. For those of you who are not, a KWVA membership application is available by clicking this link. To register for the 2008 program, complete the attached KWVA application, indicate your desired date of return, attach the deposit, and mail the form back.

Warren Warren Wiedhahn
KWVA Revisit Korea Coordinator
Korea 1950 - Pusan, Incheon & “Chosin”

Optional Post Tours: After every Revisit tour, we schedule optional tours to Beijing & Xian, China. Over 60 % of past Revisit Korea participants have selected this very popular option. China, is less than two hours by air from Seoul, Korea. You may also remain in Korea longer if you want to visit on your own the specific battle areas where you served. We will assist you in your tour extension or deviation.

ELIGIBILITY:
The dates for service in, over or around Korea remain the same: 25 June 1950 to 15 October 1954! (SERVICE FOR LATER DATES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE, YET!)

EXCEPTIONS:
* WIDOW OR "DIRECT DESCENDANT" OF A DECEASED KOREAN WAR VETERAN.
* WIDOW OR "DIRECT DESCENDANT" OF A KOREAN WAR VETERAN WHO IS INCAPACITATED AND CANNOT TRAVEL.
* ONE PERSON HAS ALWAYS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO ACCOMPANY THE VETERAN, WIDOW OR DESCENDANT. A RECENT CHANGE IS THAT "IN ADDITION TO FAMILY", IF NO FAMILY MEMBER IS AVAILABLE TO TRAVEL, THE VETERAN IS AUTHORIZED TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A "TRAVEL COMPANION" TO HELP THEM DURING THE LONG TRIP. (THIS IS AN AGE RELATED EXCEPTION.)
* IF A VETERAN OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBER HAVE ACCEPTED A PREVIOUS REVISIT INVITATION, THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO GO AGAIN UNLESS THEY ARE THE "TRAVEL COMPANION" OF AN ELIGIBLE VETERAN.

Depending on the accessibility of the restricted Panmunjom (DMZ) area, the day to day itinerary may vary. However, all the ingredients listed below will be incorporated.

Day 1: Arrive Los Angeles (LAX) - Overnight 4 Points Sheraton (LAX) for flight to Seoul. Meeting in Hotel meeting room for Q & A session.

Day 2: Depart LAX for Incheon International Airport. Arrive Incheon at 1715 day 2 (due to crossing the International Date Line) and transfer to Hotel Lotte World, Seoul.

Day 3: Breakfast at Hotel Depart Hotel for Korean War Memorial for Commemoration & Luncheon Wreath Laying at the Wall of the KIAs Observation of Honor Guard Parade & War Memorial Tour Return to Hotel for Dinner

Day 4: Breakfast at Hotel En Route to Incheon War Memorial Hall & tour the 1950 Landing Beaches Lunch & Tour of Freedom Park Return to Hotel, Free Time, & Dinner at Hotel

Day 5: Breakfast at Hotel Depart for National Cemetery & Wreath Laying Ceremony and tour of cemetery (coat & tie) Return to Hotel for Lunch & Free Time Evening to celebrate KWVA/KVA Ambassador of Peace Award Presentation Banquet and Medal Awarding Ceremony (coat and tie).

Day 6: Breakfast in Hotel Depart Hotel for Imjimgak & Wreath Laying at US Monument and Tour; Move to Camp Boniface (Panmunjom) & DMZ Briefing & Tour Return to Hotel for Dinner

Day 7: Breakfast in Hotel Mid-morning departure for Post Tour to Beijing, China Late morning departure for Main Body for LAX - Arrive 1020 same day (Cross International Date Line)

REVISIT TOUR PRICE:
$1,595 per person, air from Los Angeles
Single Supplement: $500

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Typical China Post-Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Beijing from Incheon. Upon arrival, we will take a bus orientation tour around Tian An Men Square and the Legation Street area. After checking into our hotel the late afternoon is free to rest or enjoy the sights and sounds in and around our hotel. In the evening, we will enjoy a traditional welcome dinner.

Day 2: After a western-style buffet breakfast, we depart for the Forbidden City: The Palace Museum, also known as the “Forbidden City”, is the largest and most well preserved imperial residence in China today. Completed in 1420, for five centuries thereafter, it continued to be the residence of 23 successive emperors until 1911 when Qing Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate the throne. At 11:30 a.m., we will leave the grounds of the Forbidden City and enjoy a traditional Chinese lunch at a local restaurant. Following lunch, we will depart for a tour of the Temple of Heaven. Following the visit to the Temple of Heaven, we will visit a local pearl workshop and “outlet” store. In the evening, we will go out to dinner and an optional trip to the Chinese Opera, or an evening on your own.

Day 3: After breakfast, we will depart for the Great Wall of China: The Great Wall, symbolizing China's ancient civilization, is one of the world's most renowned structures. In 221 BC, after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified China, he decided to have the existing walls linked and extended to more than 4,200 miles. Historical records show that about 1 million people, one-fifth of China's population at the time, were involved in the project, whose completion took more than a decade. After our visit to the Great Wall, we will tour a jade workshop and “outlet” store and have lunch at the Friendship Store restaurant near the Great Wall. This evening, dinner is on your own.

Day 4: After breakfast, we will depart for the Summer Palace. The construction of the Summer Palace first started in 1750. After 15 years and one seventh of the nation's annual revenue spent, the Summer Palace was completed and served as a testimony to China's scientific and technological achievements. Characterized by its vast scope and rich cultural embodiments, the Summer Palace has become one of the most famous tourist sites in the world. We will leave the Summer Place late in the morning to tour a silk factory and search out bargains in its retail store. After lunch in a local Chinese restaurant, we will visit the Korea War exhibition at the Chinese Military Museum. We will then return to our hotel for a group dinner, after which we will be guests at a special acrobatic show.

Day 5: After breakfast, we will depart for a walking tour of Tian An Men Square: Tian An Men Square occupies an area big enough to hold half a million people. The Square is famous for the protest held here, most recently the 1989 student protest for more personal freedom. Next we will take a unique Hutong tour—i.e., a rickshaw journey through old Beijing streets and neighborhoods. We will have lunch with a Hutong family, a unique opportunity not generally available to foreign tourists. Following lunch, we will journey to a teahouse and participate in a tea ceremony. In the early afternoon, we will leave the Hutong district for a shopping spree on Wangfujing Street. We will return to the hotel for a rest before venturing out for our farewell dinner. We will return in plenty of time to prepare for tomorrow’s departure from China.

Day 6: After breakfast, you will have time to complete your packing for the trip home. We will depart by motor coach for the airport.

TOUR PACKAGE PRICE INCLUDES: Arrival & Departure Transfers China visa application and processing Hotel accommodations Meals as listed in the itinerary Entrance fees to museums and special events Round trip airfare from Incheon to Beijing Local taxes and service charges Sightseeing with fully licensed tour guides Touring with air-conditioned deluxe motor coach

Day 6: After breakfast, the Xian group departs Beijing for a morning flight to Xian. Arrive check in to our hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the ancient Xian City Wall and the Wild Goose Buddhist Temple. The Tang Dynasty Song and Dance Dinner Show highlight the evening.

Day 7: After breakfast, we spend the entire day touring the Terracotta Soldier Museum, the largest museum in China. We will visit a factory to view the painstaking workmanship that went into producing the Emperor’s porcelain army. In the late afternoon, we fly from Xian to Tianjin (Tientsin) and transfer and check in to the famous Astor Hotel for the evening.

Day 8: After breakfast, we transfer to the Tianjin Airport for our flight to Seoul and on to LAX.