r/koreatravel

Hi all! Just got back from 11 days in Korea, we explored Seoul, Daejeon and Busan and it was amazing! Loved every bit of it, and already plan to go back next year.

I do have a question if anyone in here can answer. I sell new cars back in New Zealand, and when new cars arrive to dealerships they're covered in plastic, protective foam on the doors, stickers with the chassis numbers, extras fitted, colour code etc and it's the dealerships job to remove all of this and fully groom/valet new cars. I noticed in Korea,almost every new car I saw (mostly only domestic brands such as Kia Hyundai) were driving around with the stickers and foam etc still all over the cars. Do they not fully groom/valet new cars before delivery to customer? All the high end stuff such as BMW, Merc etc didn't have any of this.

I’m really liking the protein powder at Olive Young and HBAF almonds with all the different flavors. It seems like it’s priced higher for tourists. Do locals have places they go to these to buy bulk to take home?

I'm looking to incorporate seoraksan into my itinerary and saw that there are flights from YangYang to JeJu. That would save a lot of time! However I'd be traveling early November and I don't see any tickets released yet?

Does anyone know if there will be a winter schedule, or is YangYang airport only seasonally open?

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

I hope you are able to help me here and this help inquiry is within the rules of this subreddit.

After intensive research and back and forth with my travel partner, we have narrowed down the hotels for our upcoming trip to the following three:

1. Four Points by Sheraton Josun, Myeondong
2. LOTTE CITY HOTEL Myeongdong
3. Nine Tree by Parnas Seoul Insadong

I am aware of the location difference between the ones in Myeongdong and the one in Insadong.

What I need your help with is your first/second hand experience with the hotels/locations regarding quality of stay and location convenience. We will be exploring extensively but we are not the nightlife people.

Is one of them a clear winner if you do not look at the price difference but only quality of stay and location?

We will be visiting for 12 days in october and sleep in separate beds but share a room.

Thank you in advance!

Flying there for a week in 2 months mainly for a couple of tattoos.

I plan on staying in Yongsan since is relatively central and closer to the tattoo shop. I was planning on visiting Itaewon, Hongdae, and MAYBE Myengdong since it is my first time in South Korea.

Narrowing what I am interested to do while visitng:

☆Fashion shopping (want to explore the styles Korea has to offer and see some underground/local brands they might have maybe street wear if I have to put a label but nothing super expensive) - this will probably fall mainly in Hongdae from what I have seen but I am also open in discovering other places if near the Yongsan area.

☆Eyeglasses shopping (need new frames and new a relatively soft prescription so I want to try visiting a Davichi store and other trendy places were I can get frames at a good price)

☆Technology and vintage technology (Open and looking for places with stuff like this. Hopefully nothing crazy in terms of price)

☆Do one of those Acorn Caricatures (place is already found but if anyone knows better potrait/caricature spots I'm open to discover)

Not super interested in:

》Cafes... I know they are a big thing around there but is the thing that interests me the least.

》Clubs (might skip itaewon if this is the main focus bit if there is anything else to offer on there will comtinue with the plan)

》Temples (Sorry I know this is a go-to when visitng Korea for most but I feel like it has been enough fmthrough video so I am ok skipping this)

》 Museums Npw that I have gave a general idea of what I'm looking for. Here it comes my main challenge for finding even more interesting stuff:

I made the huge mistake of opening a Naver account while I am still outside South Korea so I was flagged for that and they closed my account. Being trying to see what's interesting, fun, and cool around those areas with Kakao and Google maps. It has proven to be a bit difficult so that's why I am here asking for advice.

What tools do you use to plan your itineary and find interesting not super trendy places to explore? I like to do have rough ideas in mind and go somewaht prepare even if I don't end up nothing or anything wrote down. Gives me some peace of mind in a sense.

Thanks for reading and hopefully what I'm looking for makes sense.

We are traveling to Seoul at the end of March and will only have 2 full days and 2 partial travel day. I am looking for suggestions of cool things to do. My niece and I are KPOP fans, and we are Muslim so looking for both family friendly activities and also ones were you can have sober fun. Are there any must see / must do activities, live music venues, places to get both Unique and Useful souvenirs? I think one thing we want to do for sure is Hanbok rental and visiting historical sites and other immersive ideas like that would be appreciated. Is there anything that you did there that was particularly memorable?

I bought a large bag in order to carry mousepads and peripheral gear for computers, but the bag has dimensions that feel very large. I don’t want to spend extra money for it to be a separate checked bag, so would it be able to be taken as a carry-on?

I am going to Seoul/Busan July 16-26, and would love some feedback on my itinerary. Please let me know if i’m fitting too much in one day, and if the order of things make sense. Also, would love some indoor recs for rainy days, which i’m sure will be a lot. I had Claude help me put this together, so please excuse if this itinerary makes no sense logistically or is hyper specific lol, but i prompted it to make sure things were planned according to the areas, and that it hit up specific spots on my list of saved places.

For some background, me and my bf love shopping, specialty coffee, i love ceramics, we love music so vinyl bars/cafes are always welcomed, we love cycling, and just being outdoors. We also like going out, and we’re looking to go to Volnost on Saturday. We are also not super fancy when it comes to food, and prefer hole-in-the-wall, mom and pop places over fancy restaurants, but are willing to splurge a night or two for some premium KBBQ.

SEOUL & BUSAN — JULY 16–26, 2026

Day 1 (Thu 7/16) – Arrive Seoul, Yeonnam-dong

*Staying in Yeonnam

**•** Land ICN 6:05 AM, AREX to Hongik Univ
**•** Breakfast: gukbap or kimbap near Yeonnam
**•** Coffee, then explore Yeonnam + Gyeongui Line Forest Park
**•** Check in, short rest (max 60–90 min)
**•** Dinner: Korean BBQ near Hongdae

Day 2 (Fri 7/17) – Nails + Seongsu

**•** Nails appt in Yeonnam (10 AM, already booked)
**•** Subway to Seongsu
**•** Lunch on Yeonmujang-gil
**•** Coffee: mesh Coffee
**•** Fashion walk: Seongsu boutiques, Musinsa Megastore, Tamburins, Olive Young flagship
**•** Coffee: Center Coffee (Seoul Forest)
**•** Walk Seoul Forest
**•** Dinner in Seongsu or Yeonnam

Day 3 (Sat 7/18) – Palace, Hannam, HBC

**•** Gyeongbokgung Palace, early entry (\~8:30 AM)
**•** Coffee in Hannam/Itaewon
**•** Leeum Museum of Art (\~12 PM)
**•** Lunch in Hannam
**•** Hannam boutique shopping
**•** Walk up to Haebangchon (HBC)
**•** Optional: Han River/Banpo fountain
**•** Dinner + drinks in HBC/Noksapyeong

Day 4 (Sun 7/19) – Myeongdong, Bukchon, Insadong

**•** Optional: 3rd-place World Cup match, 6 AM
**•** English Mass, Myeongdong Cathedral, 9 AM
**•** Myeongdong skincare shopping + lunch
**•** Bukchon Hanok Village
**•** Insadong + Ikseon-dong craft shopping
**•** Coffee at a hanok café
**•** Early dinner
**•** Nap before World Cup final

Day 5 (Mon 7/20) – World Cup Final + recovery

**•** World Cup Final viewing, Hongdae, 4 AM
**•** Sleep in / recover
**•** Late lunch: Gwangjang Market (bindaetteok, yukhoe, makgeolli)
**•** Coffee in Euljiro café district
**•** Browse Euljiro print/maker shops
**•** Dinner: pojangmacha or charcoal grill in Euljiro

Day 6 (Tue 7/21) – Travel to Busan, Seomyeon

**•** KTX Seoul → Busan morning
**•** Lunch: dwaeji-gukbap in Seomyeon
**•** Coffee crawl: Jeonpo Cafe Street
**•** Explore Seomyeon underground shopping
**•** Dinner in Seomyeon food alley
**•** Nightlife in Seomyeon

Day 7 (Wed 7/22) – Haeundae + Yeongdo

**•** Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, early morning
**•** Check into Haeundae, beach/pool time
**•** Coffee: Momos Coffee, Yeongdo
**•** Golden hour: Huinnyeoul Culture Village
**•** Haeundae Blueline Park Sky Capsule in evening
**•** Late dinner: raw fish in Haeundae

Day 8 (Thu 7/23) – Nampo, Jagalchi, Gamcheon

**•** Sunrise/breakfast in Haeundae, then move to Nampo
**•** Jagalchi Fish Market
**•** Gukje Market, BIFF Square, Kkangtong night alley
**•** Check in near Jagalchi
**•** Golden hour: Gamcheon Culture Village
**•** Dinner: Nampo seafood/night market

Day 9 (Fri 7/24) – Back to Seoul, Mapo-gu

**•** KTX Busan → Seoul, morning
**•** Lunch in Hapjeong
**•** Mangwon Market
**•** Check into Mapo-gu accommodation
**•** Coffee: Anthracite Seogyo + Hapjeong vintage shopping
**•** Dinner: Mapo-galbi
**•** Sangsu-dong bars (keep it moderate — tattoo tomorrow)

Day 10 (Sat 7/25) – Tattoo day, Hapjeong

**•** Big breakfast, shower before appt
**•** Tattoo appt, Hapjeong, 9 AM (3–5 hr session)
**•** Aftercare supply run (Olive Young)
**•** Quiet café, low-key afternoon

Day 11 (Sun 7/26) – Last day, fly home

**•** Morning tattoo aftercare (wash + balm)
**•** Last coffee near Mapo-gu
**•** Check out, store bags
**•** Closing lunch
**•** Indoor/shaded shopping only (no sun on fresh tattoo)
**•** Final café, collect bags
**•** Head to ICN by \~6 PM

To make a very long story short. Our plans for reaching our morning flight in Seoul while traveling from Busan are falling apart.

Right now our best option seems to be by plane from Busan til GMP and then GBP to ICN by train.

Timetable

*Arrive at GMP: 7:40 AM

*Take airport railroad: 8:21 AM --> 9:28 AM

*Arrive at terminal 2: 9:28 AM

*Flight to Paris departs: 11:40

I know they recommend 3 hours but how bad is my plan?

i've been to korea multiple times and stayed at a few different types of accommodations.

1. co-living space (mangrove dongdaemun, sinseol, jeju) - i liked it at first. it was a good budget option. however the service started to go down, the bathrooms always had mould, and the kitchen areas were always poorly kept. the cleaning staff were always kind though and greeted whenever we saw eachother. even had a nice chat with one of them in the kitchen. the front desk staff became almost non existent when they switched to digital check ins. it was impossible to get ahold of them. i remember checking into my room and it wasn't even finished set up. but it took hours to talk to someone about it.

2. goshiwon - long story but i had to find last minute accommodation and found a decent looking goshiwon in noryangjin. in the pictures, it looked nice and well kept. the reviews were really good. but as i arrived i quickly noticed it was off. the room was way smaller than the pictures, extremely dusty, was not able to turn off the aircon, and bugs! i ended up getting super bad respiratory issues, and i woke up to a money bug on the ceiling. i left immediately as this means cockroaches. but the host did not refund me for the unused days, and airbnb were not helpful.

3. 3 star hotel in jongno (prima hotel) - the front desk staff (a tall lady with short hair at the time) was extremely kind and helpful. the room was dusty and small, but generally clean. the room layout was a bit funny though. the washer and dryer only took cash which was a bit inconvenient. the location was amazing. i would most likely re-book with them to be honest

4. 4 star hotel (four points in seoul station) - the room was a little big, bathroom was bigger than others, but the room was dark and had barely any walking space. walls were thin, interior was worn out. was very surprised that it was a 4 star hotel. the bathroom was clean and room service was always super good. but the front desk staff felt a little uninviting, were really quietly talking over loud volume music. location was good but a little far from the airport railroad. i didn't mind the noise from the subway or outside, but it did get a bit noisy.

5. when i lived in korea i stayed in a loft style officetel. it was just...okay. i did not like the loft style. the building had many issued with it and my neighbours were either creepy old men or really loud couples. i wouldn't recommend loft style airbnbs, would rather somewhere with a separate room (it's called 1.5 room in korea)

what type of accommodation did you like the most? as i am preparing my next trip, i'm looking for something of good quality (in terms of cleanliness most importantly) but not too high end. mould in the bathroom and dust are my main concerns. so far, i haven't had a great experience with these.

my dream accommodation is hotel naru, but of course it is really expensive haha

Does anyone know if there is a certain time of day that I would have to arrive in order to take a pet through quarantine/customs at Incheon Airport?

For background, I'm planning to bring my cat in-cabin on a Korean Air flight from Sydney to Seoul at the end of August. I was advised by a pet transport company that that "because Korean Air flight lands after 5pm... pets cannot clear customs the same evening and have to spend a night at ICN airport". Is this correct, or can I go through the quarantine/customs process at anytime of day?

Of course, I will have all of my cat's documents ready before he gets to Korea (health certificate, virus test etc) so that he will be able to clear quarantine and customs.

Edit: I will be moving to South Korea for my Masters, which is why I'm taking my cat. And also, I was already advised by Korean Air that there I can take my flight in the cabin on this specific flight.

Has anyone done a health check and know how the follow up is done? Do you get to talk to someone over phone, WhatsApp or email about the results or is it just up to me to read the report?

Also when the x-ray and ct scan is done, who is the radiologists that is used to interpret the results? Because it’s not a hospital, just curious about the doctors

Hi, I'm not sure if this would be the right sub but I am a native Korean living in Korea. I am traveling to China to meet up with a friend, and I am wondering what kind of gifts I could bring!

what were your favorite souveniers from Korea? my friend is a girl in her mid twenties. I am thinking a few facemasks(we could even do them together on our girls' trip), and snacks... but I also have no clue what snacks are 'viral' or unique.

help me out please and thank you🙇🏻‍♀️

We are a family of five adults and one toddler planning to visit South Korea in late September-early October this year.

Day 0 arrive Incheon late night
Day 1-4 Seoul
Day 5-6 Sokcho/Seoraksan
Day 7-10 Jeju
Day 11-12 Busan
Day 13-14 Gyeongju
Day 15 afternoon flight back home from Incheon

1. I’m thinking if we should skip Busan as we are not really into beaches and will be having time at the beach in Jeju anyway.

2. Is it worth visiting Seoraksan for autumn foliage at this time of the year or will it be too early?

Any comments or suggestions re. our itinerary will be most appreciated. Thank you!

Hello everyone! I just need some advice. 😊
I'll be attending a conference in South Korea, and the venue is Lotte Hotel World Seoul. It will be my first time visiting Korea, and I'll be paying for the trip out of my own pocket, so I'm looking for a budget-friendly place to stay.
Can anyone recommend a 3-star hotel that's near the venue or just one subway or bus away? I've been checking Agoda and Trip.com, but the hotels nearby are quite expensive.

Thank you so much in advance for your recommendations. Please be kind. ❤️