Hey everyone! I’m an Indian visiting Seoul, South Korea for the first time for a business trip. I’ll be working during the weekdays, so unfortunately I’ll have only weekends + evenings to explore.

I’d love some advice from people who live in Seoul or have travelled there recently, especially other Indians who have figured out the practical stuff.

Money / financial tips

How much Korean Won (KRW) should I carry in cash vs using cards?
Is it better to exchange INR → KRW in India, exchange in Seoul, or use an international/forex card?
Any tips to avoid bad exchange rates or unnecessary card/ATM fees?
Roughly how much should I budget per day for food + local transport + sightseeing if I’m trying to keep things reasonable?

Cheap & must-try Korean food

I’m looking for local food rather than expensive tourist restaurants.
What are some cheap/local dishes I absolutely shouldn’t leave Korea without trying? Also, recommendations for specific food markets, neighbourhoods, stalls or restaurants would be great.
Bonus points for:
Korean BBQ that isn’t ridiculously expensive
Street food
Korean fried chicken
Noodles
Breakfast options
Good convenience-store food
Vegetarian-friendly options

Also, how difficult is it to find food without pork/beef if needed?

Places to visit

Since this is a business trip, I won’t have much free time during weekdays. What would you recommend for 2 weekends in Seoul?
I’m interested in a mix of:
Classic Seoul/Korean cultural experiences
Beautiful viewpoints
Markets
Nightlife
Shopping
Interesting neighbourhoods
Anything that is genuinely worth visiting rather than just an Instagram spot
If you had only 2–3 days of free time in Seoul, what would be your absolute must-dos?

Things worth buying in Korea

What should I buy in Korea that is significantly cheaper/better/more easily available there than in India?
I’m particularly interested in:
Electronics/gadgets
Korean skincare
Clothing/sneakers
Watches
Korean brands
Souvenirs
Anything unique to Korea

I don’t want to waste money buying something in Korea only to discover it’s cheaper in India 😂

Gifts

I also want to bring back gifts for my parents, friends and family.
What are some genuinely good Korean gifts that aren’t just generic tourist souvenirs?
And specifically for my friends: are cigarettes worth buying in Korea compared with India? If yes, which Korean/local brands or varieties are interesting, and are there any customs/duty limits I should know about when bringing them back to India?

Other first-timer advice

Anything else an Indian travelling to Seoul for the first time should know?

Especially:
SIM/eSIM
T-money / public transport
Google Maps vs Naver/Kakao Maps
Translation apps
Useful Korean phrases
Weather/clothing
Common tourist scams or things to avoid
Cultural etiquette

Basically, if you could go back to your first trip to Seoul, what would you wish someone had told you beforehand?

Thanks in advance! 🙏🇮🇳🇰🇷

I’m wondering if 10-13 days is sufficient to explore a huge chunk of S. Korea in January. Due to some limitations of my job, I am unable to travel for longer.

Hi all, i have been trying very long to pay on naver website/app for the Bigbang Cosmos exhibition. It keeps telling me to register my card (which i did) but does not prompt the card to be selected. I have deleted my account and created a new one and facing the same problem.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!

For those who have traveled to Korea and other parts of Asia, which country felt most similar to Korea as a travel experience?

how do you guys usually plan your trips to Korea?

and I was wondering how much the people you travel with actually affect your Korea itinerary.

Like, I imagine a trip with friends would look completely different from a family trip, but maybe not?

Who did you go with, and do you think your itinerary would have been totally different if you went with someone else?

I’m planning a trip to Korea and was wondering how visitors usually order food delivery when they don’t have a Korean phone number.

I came across a delivery service called K-FASTFOOD while researching this and noticed it allows you to use a non Korean phone number and pay by card.

Has anyone staying in Myeongdong used a service like this before? I’d be interested to hear what other tourists have done and whether there are any easier options.

My parents (late 60s) and I (mid 20s) are visiting Jeju for about two weeks at the end of August. We are visiting some friends who live on island but will also have some time on our own. I am hoping for some recommendations. We enjoy being outdoors and already have some scuba diving set up near Seogwipo. We are Americans (Hawai’i). My father has visited Seoul multiple times but it will be my mother’s and I first time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone !I’m planning my first concert trip to Seoul and really thought getting the ticket would be the hard part.

Nope, not at all.

Now I’m reading about real-name rules, passport info, ticket transfers, local apps, and different delivery methods. half of this stuff never even crossed my mind when going to shows in the US. Damn this is hard.

Last night I had my flight tab open while checking tickets on veritickets, then somehow ended up reading venue rules for another hour instead of booking anything.

Please universe, send me one veteran concert girlie with all the cheat codes and save me from making some stupid rookie mistake..

I’m trying to get the ticket details sorted first, then book the rest of the trip without overthinking every little thing. This is kinda insane for a first-time traveller here.

For people who’ve gone to concerts in Korea before, what’s the one thing you always double-check before buying? How was your first concert experience in South Korea?

I have to move from Gyeongju to Busan the 24th September, what would you suggest me to do?
I'm a little scared since it's a busy time to travel.

I was trying to search for buses but I couldn't understand how KOBUS works.. should I wait and try to reserve a train ticket or going for the bus?

Then I'm going from Busan to Seoul the 28th September, since it's after the holiday it should be not affected right? Should I be able to reserve the KTX/SRT to Seoul booking the 28th August?

Thanks in advance

Has anyone travelled to South Korea knowing only English? Is language is the barrier? How do you commute there without knowing Korean? Thank you

Going to Japan tomorrow with a transit in Seoul but i just found out what k-eta is from my airline company SMS'ing me to make sure i have it. I read on K-ETA's site that i don't need keta for transits but only if i don't leave the transit area to get my luggage. Is there any possibility i may need it????

Hey everyone! My partner (M32) and I (M30), from Amsterdam, are heading to South Korea in November (he’s running the JTBC Marathon in Seoul) and would love to hear from anyone who’s been. How LGBTQ+-friendly did you find it, and is there anything we should keep in mind or be cautious of as a gay couple? Btw, our straight guy friend is joining us at least for the first leg in Seoul.

We’d also love recommendations for queer-friendly spots, neighbourhoods, nightlife, or experiences that are worth checking out. Mostly just looking for advice on making the most of our trip!