BTS: Bon Voyage
BTS: Bon Voyage is a South Korean reality show that has aired since 2016, starring South Korean boy band BTS. The program follows the members of the group as they visit different countries around the world. For each season, several behind-the-scenes episodes were also uploaded online.
The Maltese tourism authority attributed a 237% increase in the number of Korean tourists visiting Malta in the first five months of 2019 due to the third season of the show.
Episodes
Season one
The first season of BTS Bon Voyage aired on V Live+ from July 5 to August 23, 2016, for a total of eight episodes, during which the group visited three Scandinavian countries—Norway, Sweden, and Finland—to celebrate their three-year career. The destination was chosen by the production team after hearing the singers' opinions.After packing their bags, six members of BTS head to the airport to catch their flight to Bergen, Norway, while V leaves the following day as he is busy filming Hwarang. Upon landing in Norway, Jimin forgets his suitcase on the airport shuttle, but manages to retrieve it with the help of RM, who explains the situation in English to the transport company. Once the beds have been assigned in the hostel where they are staying, the members organize a party for Jungkook's coming of age.
The following day, BTS go to watch a parade before splitting into two groups and climbing one of the city's mountains. Returning to Bergen by cable car, they are joined by V for dinner. On the third day, they take a boat trip to the Sognefjord and the nearby village of Flåm. With the help of the staff, BTS make V believe that his bag, containing his documents, has been lost. After moving to Stockholm, Sweden, the following morning, the group split up to find the hotel, asking locals for directions, and explored the city until evening. On the fifth day, while his bandmates are touring Gamla Stan, RM goes to the embassy to obtain a travel permit because he has lost his passport, but after a cruise to Helsinki, Finland, he is forced to return to South Korea ahead of schedule.
In Finland, the six remaining members enjoy camping while traveling by camper van to Rovaniemi, and then explored the town by bicycle. After playing in a sauna, they receive letters from their managers and producer Bang Si-hyuk, as well as a video letter from RM in Korea. The group then ends their trip at Santa Claus Village.
Season two
The second season aired on V Live+ from June 27 to August 15, 2017, for a total of eight episodes, during which the group visited Hawaii at the end of the American leg of The Wings Tour on a trip themed around the friendship between the members. During their stay in the archipelago, BTS went snorkeling, visited Akaka Falls, and visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Moving from the island of Hawaii to Oahu, they swam with sharks and toured the Jurassic Park theme park on quad bikes. The trip ended on a yacht, where the group members read letters to each other and watched a commemorative video of the main stages of their career.Season three
The third season aired on V Live+ from September 18 to November 6, 2018, for a total of eight episodes, during which the group visited Malta. Initially, only six of the BTS members left for the trip, as V had to stay in Korea for a while longer for personal reasons. He joined the others in the fourth episode, and at the same time, Suga had to return home for family reasons.During the program, the group explored Valletta, took a ferry to Gozo to learn scuba diving, visited Popeye Village and Mdina, and went fishing and camping. Both V and Jungkook also improvised solo performances by busking on the streets.
As in previous editions, at the end of the trip, BTS wrote letters addressed to their future selves, which were opened during a dinner in a suspended restaurant, before ending the evening at the amusement park
Season four
The fourth season aired on Weverse from November 19, 2019, to January 7, 2020, for a total of eight episodes, during which the group visited New Zealand.A month before the trip, BTS meets with staff at a restaurant to choose the places to visit and the accommodations to stay in. On the day of departure, due to a problem with his documents, Jin is forced to board a different plane, landing directly at Auckland Airport, while the other members of the group make a stopover in Singapore and then head to Christchurch Airport, where the seven boys reunite. They then rent a camper van and an SUV from a car rental company and head to their first accommodation, a guesthouse on the slopes of a mountain.
The next day, they visit the outdoor observatory of the University of Canterbury on Mount John, and during the trip, J-Hope falls victim to a candid camera prank that makes him believe he has been forgotten by the gas station attendant. The morning after stargazing, BTS set off on an excursion to Mount Cook, stopping off at Lake Pukaki.
This is followed by two days of camping, with the group members spending the nights in tents, relaxing during the day at a spa, and bungee jumping from the Nevis Highwire Platform over the Nevis River. They then fly by helicopter to the snow-capped mountains, go horseback riding, and fish for salmon on Lake Taupo. The final stop on the trip is Queenstown: after racing together on the city's toboggan run, BTS split up to spend their free time in different ways. Jin, Suga, and Jungkook go fishing, RM, J-Hope, and Jimin go cycling, and V visits the art gallery, before ending by sharing their impressions of the trip.