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Christine Liu

I have a deep passion for exploring and traveling, as it allows me to encounter new cultures, meet new people, and witness the incredible diversity of our world. I have traveled to more than 30 countries and had the opportunity to study and work in various places, such as Europe, Japan, and most recently, South Korea.

South Korea has captured my heart with its rich culture, stunning landscapes, and the hospitality of its people. I am delighted to have the opportunity to show you the magnificent beauty of this extraordinary country and provide my assistance in creating an unforgettable travel experience for you.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"Everything South Korea! It is a fascinating country where the old and the new are in perfect harmony. Whether you're drawn to the vibrant cityscape of Seoul, fascinated by the rich cultural heritage of Gyeongju, seeking a serene temple stay experience, or yearning to explore the breathtaking natural landscapes of Jeju Island, I'm here to help you enjoy a personalized travel experience that caters to your unique interests and preferences. From must-visit landmarks and local culinary delights to immersive cultural experiences, family-friendly activities, K-pop encounters, and outdoor adventures, you can rely on me for insights and recommendations that will ensure your journey through South Korea is full of unforgettable moments and cherished memories."

How did you get involved in travel?

"During my time studying in France, I often found myself strolling along the picturesque banks of the Seine River in Paris, completely captivated by the stunning architecture and numerous museums that lined its shores. In my free time, our university organized trips to the magnificent castles of the Loire Valley. It was there that my French professor advised me not to miss the opportunity to explore other European countries. Following this advice, I traveled to Italy with my friends during the holidays. The cities of Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan left me completely enthralled. It was during these moments that my love for travel blossomed.

After graduating, I made the decision to pursue a career in the tourism industry. Having worked as a tour guide for over fifteen years, I had the privilege of leading travelers to explore China's breathtaking landscapes and rich historical heritage. I also took groups to visit South Korea and Japan, where I encountered countless beautiful places and met amazing people.

One day, I received an unexpected email from someone I didn't recognize. They introduced themselves as a French couple I had met five years ago on a train in Japan while guiding a group. They expressed their deep appreciation for my professionalism and passion and requested my assistance in planning their trip to South Korea the following year. I was both surprised and deeply touched by their kind words. Working closely with them, I created a travel itinerary that catered to their interests, ensuring they had a truly memorable time. This experience marks the beginning of my journey as a travel specialist, crafting tailor-made trips for travelers and helping them fulfill their unique travel desires.

I find immense satisfaction in my work as a travel specialist for tailor-made trips. It allows me to help people uncover hidden gems and explore places at their own pace. The joy of witnessing their excitement and satisfaction is truly rewarding. I am grateful to be able to play a role in making their travel dreams come true."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I have had numerous memorable travel experiences, but one that stands out is a camping trip with my family on a mountain. It was a unique adventure that I will never forget. It all started when my husband and I decided, almost on a whim, to embark on our first-ever outdoor camping experience. Along with two other families, we began a three-hour drive and had to go up a narrow, steep, and winding road to reach the mountaintop. There, we set up the camps right underneath a wind turbine at a wind farm.

After successfully arranging our tents, we were treated to a stunning sunset. As the night fell, the kids and the guys retired into the tents, while us girls gathered around a small table with steaming cups of tea. We spent hours chatting away, marveling at the magnificent stars twinkling in the night sky. Later, after midnight, we witnessed an incredible surprise—the shape of the galaxy became visible before our eyes. It was a truly magical sight that exceeded our wildest expectations!

In the morning, we woke up early to witness a heartwarming sunrise. The sky was adorned with fluffy clouds, and in the distance, we could see hundreds of wind turbines majestically standing tall. It was a breathtaking view that left us in awe of nature's beauty and the courage of human beings.

That's why I love to travel and explore. You can always see something you cannot see at home, and you will meet people you have never encountered by staying in one place."

Christine is part of the following groups: South Korea Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice

Recent trip reviews for Christine

Unforgettable Beauty and Kpop trip to Seoul
South Korea | Nov 24 - Dec 1, 2024

Maribel
Maribel U.
Redmond, WA | Reviewed on Dec 06, 2024
This was an amazing trip and we had a great time!
The tour with Jones the first 2 days was perfect. Jones did such an amazing job and he always went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time and be safe at all times. We truly missed him the rest of the trip. He’s a great driver and a great guide too.
K-pop class was great.
Color Analysis was great too.
Rides from and to airport were also great. MrNam has such a nice limo van with reclining seats, the most comfortable...
Read more

This was an amazing trip and we had a great time!
The tour with Jones the first 2 days was perfect. Jones did such an amazing job and he always went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time and be safe at all times. We truly missed him the rest of the trip. He’s a great driver and a great guide too.
K-pop class was great.
Color Analysis was great too.
Rides from and to airport were also great. MrNam has such a nice limo van with reclining seats, the most comfortable ride.
Alicia, our driver, was great too. She drove us the day of the snow storm. She was well prepared and she was a great driver even with the snow conditions.
Hotel was good. Nothing too fancy, but a great location. Staying in Myeongdong was a great decision. I think we went to the shops and market daily.

Thanks again for making this an unforgettable trip.

Hotel Review
Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong
Seoul

Great location. Good breakfast buffet with a great variety of Korean and non-Korean food.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Sightseeing in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace and Jogyesa Temple
Sightseeing in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace and Jogyesa Temple
Seoul

Jones was the best driver and tour we could have ever had.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Christine Liu
Christine
Christine Liu
Local specialist in Seoul and China | Replied on Dec 12, 2024
Dear Maribel, Hope you are doing great.Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing trip and enjoyed your time with us. It’s fantastic to know that Jones made such a positive impact during the first two days. We take pride in our guides, and it’s great to hear that he went above and beyond for your safety and enjoyment. We’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to him. We're glad you enjoyed the K-pop class and Color Analysis sessions. ... Read more

Dear Maribel,

Hope you are doing great.Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing trip and enjoyed your time with us.

It’s fantastic to know that Jones made such a positive impact during the first two days. We take pride in our guides, and it’s great to hear that he went above and beyond for your safety and enjoyment. We’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to him.

We're glad you enjoyed the K-pop class and Color Analysis sessions. It’s always nice to hear that our activities resonate well with our travelers.

We're happy to know Alicia handled the snowstorm like a pro. Safety is our priority, and it’s great to hear she was prepared.

Myeongdong is indeed a fantastic location for shopping and exploring, and we’re glad you took full advantage of it. Thank you once again for choosing us for your trip. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience in the future.

Best regards,
Christine

A Bespoke Asian Adventure
South Korea | Nov 2 - Nov 17, 2024

W
William R.
Corona, NY | Reviewed on Nov 23, 2024
This was my second time planning a trip with KimKim, and it easily matched the stellar experience I had the first time. Christine truly did listen to my individual preferences in planning a trip to South Korea and Beijing that felt very bespoke in the end. I personally find 5-star hotels very isolating but adore private tours, which is probably an odd combination. Nevertheless, Christine listened and accommodated my wishes. She was also the first to suggest China as a secondary... Read more

This was my second time planning a trip with KimKim, and it easily matched the stellar experience I had the first time. Christine truly did listen to my individual preferences in planning a trip to South Korea and Beijing that felt very bespoke in the end.

I personally find 5-star hotels very isolating but adore private tours, which is probably an odd combination. Nevertheless, Christine listened and accommodated my wishes. She was also the first to suggest China as a secondary destination. It was a segment that turned out to be the highlight of the trip - although everything was pretty much perfect from beginning to end.

What I failed to fully appreciate my first time with KimKim was how comforting and luxurious it is to have someone checking in on a routine basis as the tour progresses. As a solo traveler, it’s nice to know someone is there looking over my shoulder in case I run into trouble.

During this trip, I did encounter a couple of minor hiccups involving daily tours. I was able to reach out to Christine both times, and she quickly resolved the situations, leaving me free to enjoy myself. If I’d planned everything myself, I would have had to set aside a portion of my vacation to make alternate arrangements on the fly while in unfamiliar lands.

I’m sure this is only the start of a long relationship with KimKim, and I can’t wait to begin scoping out other destinations.

Local specialist: Christine Liu
Christine
Christine Liu
Local specialist in Seoul and China | Replied on Nov 28, 2024
Dear William, Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We're thrilled to hear that your second experience with KimKim was just as stellar as the first. It's so happy to know that I was able to craft a bespoke trip to South Korea and Beijing that suited your unique preferences. We're particularly pleased that you found comfort in having someone check in on your trip and we're glad we could provide that reassurance. We’re excited to be part of your travel journey and can’t wait to help... Read more

Dear William,

Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We're thrilled to hear that your second experience with KimKim was just as stellar as the first. It's so happy to know that I was able to craft a bespoke trip to South Korea and Beijing that suited your unique preferences.

We're particularly pleased that you found comfort in having someone check in on your trip and we're glad we could provide that reassurance.

We’re excited to be part of your travel journey and can’t wait to help you explore more destinations in the future. Safe travels, and we look forward to planning your next adventure.

All the best,
Christine

Exceptional visit to South Korea organized by Christine
South Korea | Sep 28 - Oct 26, 2024

Mona
Mona Y.
France | Reviewed on Oct 31, 2024
As usual, Kimkim never disappointed me. Christine, my travel counselor, was amazing, professional, proactive and gave me recommendations on what to do and see.
Christine was continuously in contact with me during my month long trip in South Korea.
She organized 21 days of my stay, other days were my own planning, even so she continued to advise me.
In some places I joined group tours, which were very well organized. My private tours were in Gyeongju and Busan.
In Gyeongju, Jino was an...
Read more

As usual, Kimkim never disappointed me. Christine, my travel counselor, was amazing, professional, proactive and gave me recommendations on what to do and see.
Christine was continuously in contact with me during my month long trip in South Korea.
She organized 21 days of my stay, other days were my own planning, even so she continued to advise me.
In some places I joined group tours, which were very well organized. My private tours were in Gyeongju and Busan.
In Gyeongju, Jino was an amazing guide so knowledgeable and helpful, he was my private guide for my whole stay in Gyeongju and he drove me to Busan, where he was my guide the first day in Busan.
Another private guide was Lily in Busan was also wonderful.
All other visits were with group tours.

Activity Reviews
Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience
Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at Local Home with Local Market Experience
Seoul

An amazing experience, we learned to cook few local dishes. The cooking teacher was wonderful, perfect English, funny, and very efficient. We enjoyed what we cooked and the dishes were delicious

Quality of Experience
The cooking teacher
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Full Day Excursion to Korean DMZ + Suspension Bridge Tour (Join-in)
Full Day Excursion to Korean DMZ + Suspension Bridge Tour (Join-in)
Seoul

Fascinating visit to the DMZ. I went with a group, the guide Paul was a fantastic guide, passionate and knowledgeable. Thanks to him I learned a lot about the DMZ and the N and S Korea conflict and hopes for unification. A memorable visit in spite of the rainy weather

Quality of Experience
The guide was very knowledgeable
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Seoul Traditional Korean Folk Painting
Seoul Traditional Korean Folk Painting
Seoul

I missed the class because I mixed up the station name

Quality of Experience
Did not join
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Did not join
Transport
Did not join
Korean Folk Village / Suwon Hwaseong Day Tour from Seoul
Korean Folk Village / Suwon Hwaseong Day Tour from Seoul
Seoul

Very enjoyable experience learned a lot about the way of living in traditional villages

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Full Day Petite France and Nami Island Tour (join in )
Full Day Petite France and Nami Island Tour (join in )
Seoul

I enjoyed both visits tremendously. Nam island is very special and not to be missed

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Christine Liu
Christine
Christine Liu
Local specialist in Seoul and China | Replied on Nov 04, 2024
Dear Mona, Greetings from Christine.Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We're thrilled to hear that your experience with Kimkim exceeded your expectations. It's great to know that my proactive communication made your month-long trip in South Korea enjoyable. We're glad to hear you enjoyed the private tours in Gyeongju with Jino and in Busan with Lily. Their knowledge and support truly make a difference in enhancing the travel experience. We're also happy that the group tours met... Read more

Dear Mona,

Greetings from Christine.Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We're thrilled to hear that your experience with Kimkim exceeded your expectations. It's great to know that my proactive communication made your month-long trip in South Korea enjoyable.

We're glad to hear you enjoyed the private tours in Gyeongju with Jino and in Busan with Lily. Their knowledge and support truly make a difference in enhancing the travel experience. We're also happy that the group tours met your needs as well. Thank you for choosing Kimkim for your travel plans, and we look forward to assisting you on your future adventures.

Wish you a wonderful day.

All the best,
Christine

Taylor Woo was an exceptional private tour gu...
South Korea | Oct 22 - Oct 28, 2024

Jordan
Jordan L.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on Oct 30, 2024

Taylor Woo was an exceptional private tour guide! We had so much fun exploring the city and learning from him.

Local specialist: Christine Liu
Christine
Christine Liu
Local specialist in Seoul and China | Replied on Nov 04, 2024

Dear Jordan,

Hope you are doing great.Thank you so much for your kind words.We're thrilled to hear that you had a great time exploring the city with Taylor Woo. He truly is exceptional at what he does, and we're glad you enjoyed your experience. We hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future.

All the best,
Christine

Classic Culinary Culture Trip: Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan, Jeju Island
South Korea | Oct 11 - Oct 22, 2024

Lauren
Lauren K.
Canada | Reviewed on Oct 27, 2024
The tour guides and drivers were fantastic. They accommodated our requests and were flexible to our needs.
Some issues I had was with the tour company. During the trip I wasn't sure who or which company I was dealing with. It was Christine, who had put our trip together but it seemed like the actual person/company coordinating our day to day was not Christine but someone else who was actually located in Korea. We do not mind this but it seemed like there were way too many cooks in the...
Read more

The tour guides and drivers were fantastic. They accommodated our requests and were flexible to our needs.
Some issues I had was with the tour company. During the trip I wasn't sure who or which company I was dealing with. It was Christine, who had put our trip together but it seemed like the actual person/company coordinating our day to day was not Christine but someone else who was actually located in Korea. We do not mind this but it seemed like there were way too many cooks in the kitchen.

One of our issue was with our KTX ticket from Seoul to Busan. No one delivered or sent the tickets manually or electronically to us, even with me asking the agent for them. It got resolved quickly enough but it was during our car ride to the train station. I was not happy. Also, some of the recommended activities were not something I wanted to do nor requested, such as going to Spa land in Busan. Luckily the guide was able to accommodate and find something else for us to do. Also in Jeju Island, the company had put seaweed museum on our itinerary but when we asked the locals, they indicated it was not that interesting and it would be waste of our time since it was located on the opposite end of the island.

Local specialist: Christine Liu
Christine
Christine Liu
Local specialist in Seoul and China | Replied on Oct 30, 2024
Dear Lauren, Greetings from Christine.Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent trip. We're thrilled to hear that the tour guides and drivers were fantastic and able to accommodate your needs. However, we appreciate you bringing to our attention the concerns you had with coordination and communication. We understand how important it is to have a clear point of contact, and we apologize for any confusion regarding the arrangements between Christine and the team in Korea.We will... Read more

Dear Lauren,

Greetings from Christine.Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent trip. We're thrilled to hear that the tour guides and drivers were fantastic and able to accommodate your needs. However, we appreciate you bringing to our attention the concerns you had with coordination and communication.

We understand how important it is to have a clear point of contact, and we apologize for any confusion regarding the arrangements between Christine and the team in Korea.We will take your comments into consideration to improve our communication process.

We also value your feedback on the recommended activities. We're glad the guide was able to make adjustments based on your preferences, and we'll review our itinerary suggestions to ensure they match better with our travelers' interests in the future.

Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future.

Wish you a wonderful day.

Warm regards,
Christine

The perfect blend of guided and unguided activities.
South Korea | Sep 10 - Sep 23, 2024

David
David R.
Berkeley, CA | Reviewed on Sep 26, 2024
Christine, we really liked the accommodations, especially La Meridian Myeongdong, AC Marriot (Gangnam) and La Valse in Busan. I must admit, I was surprised to learn that our hotel on the beautiful natural island of Jeju was in a highly urban area; it wasn't what I expected. But the hotel itself was fine. We appreciated the balance of planned activities (six days) and unplanned activities (5 days). That really worked for us. The guides were tremendous. Jiyoung, Jake and Kevin were all so... Read more

Christine, we really liked the accommodations, especially La Meridian Myeongdong, AC Marriot (Gangnam) and La Valse in Busan. I must admit, I was surprised to learn that our hotel on the beautiful natural island of Jeju was in a highly urban area; it wasn't what I expected. But the hotel itself was fine. We appreciated the balance of planned activities (six days) and unplanned activities (5 days). That really worked for us. The guides were tremendous. Jiyoung, Jake and Kevin were all so different, but they were fun, friendly, enthusiastic and informative. We couldn't have been happier with them. In fact, we've enjoyed guides in several other countries and we think Korea's might have been the best we've ever had. One of the special aspects of having a great guide is that you learn more about the culture than simply learning about the sites. We learned about how elders are treated, about the different perspectives of the different generations, the ways the ancestors are honored (and so much more). Also, Alicia Lee was extremely helpful in many regards, especially in supporting us in real time. Thanks to you and Kim Kim for another great experience!

Local specialist: Christine Liu
Christine
Christine Liu
Local specialist in Seoul and China | Replied on Oct 12, 2024
Dear David, Hope you are doing fantastic. Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your accommodations, especially at La Meridian Myeongdong, AC Marriott in Gangnam, and La Valse in Busan. We appreciate your feedback about the location in Jeju. We’re delighted that the balance of planned and unplanned activities worked well for you, and it’s fantastic to know that Jiyoung, Jake, and Kevin made such a positive impression. Our guides are truly... Read more

Dear David,

Hope you are doing fantastic.

Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your accommodations, especially at La Meridian Myeongdong, AC Marriott in Gangnam, and La Valse in Busan. We appreciate your feedback about the location in Jeju.

We’re delighted that the balance of planned and unplanned activities worked well for you, and it’s fantastic to know that Jiyoung, Jake, and Kevin made such a positive impression. Our guides are truly passionate about sharing their culture, and we’re glad you felt that connection. Learning about the nuances of Korean culture from them is something we strive for, and it’s rewarding to hear that you found that experience enriching.

Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to create more memorable experiences for you in the future.

Best regards,
Christine