Korea Travel Tips: Things to know when coming to South Korea
Below are useful Korea travel tips; check them out before your journey!
Korean Holidays
South Korea has 11 official holidays every year. Be sure to check what kind of holidays they are and the travelerโs tips to enjoy the holidays in Korea and to avoid having a hard time finding open restaurants and shops on those days.
Weather
South Korea has four seasons โ spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Letโs find out the monthly temperature and precipitation in Seoul to make sure your trip is comfortable and fun.ย
SIM card or Pocket WiFi
ย Itโs hard to imagine traveling to a foreign country without internet access. Therefore, itโs necessary to read more about where and how to buy a SIM card.
Useful Apps for Korea travel
As South Korea is well-known for its technology you could find tons of apps to make your trip easy and convenient. Be sure to see the 5 best apps for traveling in Korea like transportation, maps, and options for food.
Luggage Storage
Hanging out with luggage is always a big hassle. But no worries! Thereโre luggage lockers in most subway stations in Seoul, private storage services, and even delivery services to the airports. Take a look at our post, โLuggage Storage Services in Seoulโ to travel light. And you can check all the detailed information about the subway storage near you HERE.
Korea Power Adapter
The standard voltage in Korea is 220 volts at 60 Hertz. The outlet has two round holes with no earth as used in many European countries. Consequently, a power adaptor is a must item to put on your packing list. If you forgot, itโs easily found in 24h convenience stores in Seoul.
Visas
South Korea maintains a Visa Waiver Agreement with 107 countries. Depending on nationality and passport type, citizens from these countries can visit Korea for the purpose of tourism without a visa for 30 to 90 days. Please check visa information on the website of the Korea tourism organization.
Insurance
Accidents happen everywhere. Please please donโt forget to have travel insurance before you leave. One of the most popular travel insurance companies is World Nomads. They cover anyone worldwide and are extremely easy to use.ย
Money Exchange
Usually withdrawing money from an ATM gets a better rate than currency exchanges. Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, you can easily find ATM machines near Check-In counter H on the 3F, Terminal 2 and near Check-In counter M on the 3F, Terminal 1. At Gimpo International Airport, thereโs one located to the right of the Arrival Gate, Domestic Terminal 1F.
Helpful Korean Phrases
Hangul is the official written language of South Korea. In the major cities, most people understand short and easy sentences. If you are at a large market in Seoul, thereโs nothing to worry about. However, learning a few common phrases and words would make your trip much more enjoyable. Write down keywords in a small notebook or take a screenshot on your phone so you have them handy.
- Hello โ ์๋ ํ์ธ์ ( annyeong-ha-se-yo)
- Goodbye โ ์๋ ํ ๊ณ์ธ์ (ahn-nyeong-hee geh-se-yo)
- Thank you โ ๊ฐ์ฌํฉ๋๋ค (gam-sa-ham-ni-da)
- Iโm sorry โ ๋ฏธ์ํฉ๋๋ค (mi-ahn-ham-nee-da)
- Over here! โ ์ฌ๊ธฐ์ (yuh-gi-yo); when you call a server in a restaurant.
- Please give me some water โ ๋ฌผ ์ฃผ์ธ์ (Mul-ju-se-yo)
- Taste good โ ๋ง์์ด์ (Ma-si-sseo-yo)
- I like it โ ์ข์์ (jo-ah-yo)
- Left / Right โ ์ผ์ชฝ (oen-jjok) / ์ค๋ฅธ์ชฝ (o-reun-jjok)
- Please let me know โ ์๋ ค์ฃผ์ธ์. al-ryeo-ju-se-yo
- How much is it? โ ์ผ๋ง์์? (eol-mah-eh-yo?)
- Too expensive โ ๋๋ฌด ๋น์ธ์ (neo-mu-bee-ssa-yo)
- Iโm allergic to โpeanutsโ. โ ์ โ๋ ์ฝฉโ์ ์๋ฌ์ง ์์ด์ (jeo-โttangkongโ-eh-al-le-ru-ghi-ee-sseo-yo)
- The police โ ๊ฒฝ์ฐฐ (gyeong-chal)
- Hospital โ ๋ณ์ (byeong-won)
- Beer โ ๋งฅ์ฃผ (Meak-ju)
- 1/2/3/4 โ ์ผ(eel)/์ด(ee)/์ผ(sahm)/์ฌ(sah)
You may also like
- Korea Travel Guide
- Best Korean Restaurants in Hongdae
- Best Korean Restaurants in Gangnam
- How to Get to Seoul from Incheon Airport
IVKโs Top Picks โ Day Tours, Tickets, and Travel Activities
Seasonal Picks!๐
Great blog. You just wrote everything in incredible detail. My daughter is planning a trip to Seoul this summer. Thanks! Good luck!
Hi Tori,
Thanks a lot! This is why we canโt stop blogging about Korea.
I hope your daughter has a wonderful trip to Korea and feel free to contact us if she has any questions about Korea.
Kindest regards,
Dy & Jay
Thank you for the useful information.
Is there any good place to purchase sim card in hongdae? Thanks.
Hi Eloise,
Thanks a lot.
There is a shop, Travel Depot, sells SIM card just in front of the exit no.3 of Hongik Univ. station.
Address: #102, 183 Yanghwa-ro Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Open: 9:30 AM โ 9:30 PM (10:00 AM opens on weekends)
Have a fantastic trip to Korea! ๐
Kindest regards,
DY & Jay