The best South Korea travel tips – Ready for 2024
We probably never started writing a blog post at the airport when we were still in the country, however this time we were so full of incredible moments that we decided to prepare this post with the best travel tips to South Korea before we even left the country.
After almost 10 months in Southeast Asia, traveling to South Korea was just what we needed.
Its tranquility, organization, super stable internet connection, and no bargaining at every single price, gave us such peace of mind that now, a few days after our departure, we are already thinking about planning our next trip to South Korea.
Pick your Language but sorry if in this case, the translation is not perfect!
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Anyway you are reading this post, because you want to get the best travel tips to South Korea, and that is exactly what we are going to do next.
If you have already read any of our blog posts, when we first talk about a country we don’t write about where you have to go or things you should do there. There are too many posts like these and we don’t want to overload you any more.
Our only intention is to gather all the useful information to organize a trip to South Korea, without having to read many different posts and waste a lot of time.
So here you will find all the information and travel tips to South Korea which will be useful to you on your next trip to this beautiful country.
1. Security – South Korea travel tips
Is it safe to travel to South Korea in 2024?
To explain how safe this country is we have to tell you a little about the culture here.
South Korea is the country where if by chance you lose your phone, you have a 99.99% chance that at some point they will contact you to return your phone, and on top of that they will apologize for having touched it.
It is the same country where stealing is such a frowned upon act that not only the one who steals it is punished, but the whole family is punished, and it will be very difficult for a member of that same family to find a good job after that.
With this we are not saying that the Koreans are perfect, however, we assure you that South Korea is a super safe country, and that you will hardly have any problems.
What should you pay attention to on your next trip to South Korea?
One of the things we should mention in our travel guide for South Korea, and that is the way Koreans drive. In addition to noticing many times that they are not good drivers (sure there will be some), it is common throughout the country not to stop at zebra crossings when they see a pedestrian waiting (we miss Brunei for that).
We know that there is a lot of news about the tension that exists between North and South Korea, however it’s mainly news in the outside world since traveling to South Korea we haven’t noticed any of this.
We were obviously not aware of any local news and we didn’t bring this argument to any conversation with local people, and we suggest that you do the same since you never know the situation.If you want, you can visit several museums, or historical places, that will explain the history more in depth.
Although South Korea is a safe country, we always repeat that it is important to take basic safety precautions to avoid any problems.
If you are interested in the topic of “travel security”, here we provide you with a post with our steps and rules that have helped us to minimize problems and unpleasant surprises so far.
Grab our Travel Checklist and Let the adventure begin!
2. Visa – South Korea travel tips
What requirements do I need to enter South Korea?
In this section of our travel tips to South Korea, we talk about Visa requirements.
As Italian and Czech (European) citizens we don’t need to request a tourist visa in advance, they provide us with a stamp upon arrival for a maximum of 90 days of stay.
The only requirement is to have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months and an exit ticket within these 90 days.
If you have no idea whether to apply for a visa, we recommend that you access the official South Korean immigration page and check your visa requirements directly there.
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3. Vaccines – South Korea travel tips
We want to start this paragraph by saying that we are not specialists and the information is based on our experience, and it is always better to obtain information from specialist doctors in your country of origin.
Currently, if you are planning your trip to South Korea, you don’t need any vaccinations.
We recommend Hepatitis B, only if you plan to be there for a long stay (the same for whole Southeast Asia)
Our tip is also to take a good mosquito repellent, as it can get you out of trouble.
From April 2023 to December 31, 2024, tourists do not have to request the K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorization) in advance. Even so, this could change at any time, so double-check the official Korean website before you go.
4. Coins and Exchange – Malay – South Korea travel tips
Our next travel tip about South Korea is about money and currency exchange. The official currency of South Korea is WON, its acronym is (KRW), and its value when we write this article is equal to: 1 Euro = 1400 KRW or 1 dollar = 1300 KRW.
To know the updated exchange rate during your visit to this beautiful country, we advise you to use this platform Xe.com.
Are you wondering how to pay in Korea?
In a country as modern as South Korea, it will not be difficult to pay with your card or obtain WON in exchange for your currency.
Here are our personal travel tips about paying in South Korea.
Withdraw money from an ATM:
If you do not have cash with you or very little, you will have the option of withdrawing money at ATMs once you arrive in the country. Traveling for long periods like we do, withdrawing money from ATMs is always the most convenient and efficient way.
Some useful tips if you decide to withdraw money in South Korea:
- You cannot withdraw money at all banks in South Korea with your international card, most are exclusively for local use.
- You should look for banks that have the writing “Global ATM” above the ATM.
- You can find international ATMs in banks, 24-hour stores (convenience stores) and metro, bus or train stations.
- In Korea, unfortunately, when withdrawing money, the bank will always charge you a commission that varies from KRW 3,600 to KRW 7,200. For this reason our tip is to take out the maximum amount that the ATM allows you for each operation to lower the total expenses.
- The banks with the best commissions are Woory Bank, Shinhan Bank and IBK bank with 3600 KRW for each operation (verified).
- If you can, avoid Hana bank and 24h store ATMs, which usually have higher fees (+ – 7200 KRW per transaction).
- Remember to notify your bank that you will visit a foreign country. This will prevent your card from being blocked, leaving you with one less option to obtain money on your trips.
- In addition to the commissions from Korean banks, you should take into account that your bank could charge you for this type of service so check the contract you have with them.
- It is also possible that your bank charges you extra commissions to withdraw money during the weekends (ours does) so it is better to check this in your contract as well.
- We always recommend withdrawing money directly from ATMs present in banks, and better when they are open, so that you can solve problems without having to call the bank’s customer service.
Pay directly with your credit/debit card in South Korea:
This is undoubtedly the best way to pay in South Korea, since it allows you to pay quickly, keep your expenses (commissions) low, and not have to carry a lot of cash with you.
Of course, you should keep in mind that you cannot pay 100% of everything with the card, because in some cases international cards are not accepted or it will be rejected.
For example, the only way to recharge the t-money transport card (see the bus section) is in cash.
It also happened to us that we could not pay with a card for some intercity bus tickets, street food, and including some restaurants, which used a local banking circuit, or different from what our cards have (this last point is quite random).
Despite these small setbacks, we recommend using the card to pay for most of your expenses in South Korea and having some cash on hand in case they don’t accept cards.
To minimize bank commissions, we recommend virtual banking cards that exist on the market and are phenomenal.
What credit cards work in South Korea?
The main cards are accepted (VISA, Mastercard, Diners, American Express)
We use Wise online banking on our trips and we are very happy with this company. It turns out to be virtual banking with an incredibly good exchange rate and low fees, perfect for all the countries we’ve had the pleasure of visiting so far, including South Korea.
With Wise we simultaneously use another company called Revolut, and with these two we do 90% of our operations during our trips, avoiding scams, cloning and problems.
IMPORTANT: When you pay with a card abroad, remember to always pay in the local currency to avoid extra commissions from your bank.
Change euros or dollars to Korean WON:
Our next tip about South Korea is exchanging money. The question many travelers ask is:
Is it better to change money at the airport in Seoul?
If your idea is to travel with your local currency and change it once you have arrived in the country or change money in your country of origin in advance, here are a couple of tips that could be useful to you.
Although South Korea is quite a trendy destination, it is not advisable to change money in advance in your home country, the commissions could be very high.
It is best to change money upon arrival, using a strong and stable currency (for example, dollars or euros).
The exchange shops at the airports in South Korea have a good reputation and turn out to have good commissions. Despite this, we recommend that you do not change all your money there, since you will find better options in the cities.
Currency exchange services are almost everywhere in South Korea, especially in tourist areas of large cities and within shopping centers.
Our advice: Wise is an excellent card designed to make your life easier when traveling to a foreign country that has a different currency than yours. We always use your physical card during our travels and never had a problem, even in some of the most remote parts of the world.
5. Internet and Sim Card – South Korea travel tips
Our next travel advice to South Korea is about the internet and sim cards.
The technological level of this country is very high, however travelers always ask this question:
How does the internet work in South Korea?
We are not wrong in saying that South Korea has the best and fastest phone lines in the world. Practically, we have not had any connection problems in our entire stay there.
You have several options available on your next trip to South Korea, such as buying a SIM card, or taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi offered in the whole country.
In any case, we do not recommend that you use your phone line (even if it works) because the costs could be very high, we recommend that you turn off roaming before arriving in the country and use one of the options offered here.
If you constantly need the internet (like us), our best travel advice in South Korea is to buy a SIM card upon arrival, or rather before your arrival. Thanks to two traveling friends (Snapshots Travel) we discovered that buying a card in advance was cheaper than buying it once there.
On this website, you can choose the offer that you like best, pre-purchase the SIM and receive it at the airport upon arrival. We opted for the one-month offer with unlimited gigabytes at the price of 50 euros. We know that it is a bit expensive, despite that with a single sim card we have both been continuously connected without problems.
We have even worked and held meetings with 4 devices simultaneously and they were all working super fast. To do this we have used a portable router with a SIM input that we always carry with us, really useful for any trip.
Do I have a choice if I don’t want to buy a SIM card in South Korea?
If you think you don’t need the internet continuously, you can choose to use the free Wi-Fi.
In addition to the accommodation, you will find Wi-Fi in most places, including bus stops, or walking on the streets with public Wi-Fi.
Imagine that I managed to connect to a local Wi-Fi line at an altitude of 1,950 meters on the highest peak in the country and it worked perfectly.
Other option
On our trip through Southeast Asia, we discovered that there are electronic SIM cards available. Practically with the use of an App you can get a number, data and calls without having a physical sim card in your phone.
At the moment they are only compatible with some latest generation smartphones (iPhone, Samsung and little else). In this list of smartphones, there are not our expensive Chinese mobiles (and expensive only because we love them), and for the moment they are still not compatible, although we hope only for now 😉 .
That is why we have not had the opportunity to test this e-sim card in person, despite this, this e-SIM seems to us to be a great invention and will be a total revolution when it comes to moving from one country to another. Here is the link that other travelers suggested to us.
6. Transportation – South Korea travel tips
What are the means of transportation in South Korea?
Our next travel trip to South Korea is about transportation and if the transport service is reliable here.
The country offers a fairly modern and connected transport system, which will allow you to move around South Korea without many problems.
Normally, we use Google Maps to know which way to go or how far a certain place is. Here in South Korea this App doesn’t work very well, however we have a solution for that. Naver map and Kakao map are the best navigation systems in South Korea. Although they are not so user-friendly, since many things are in Korean, they allow you to write in English so you can find a certain place.
Here we list several options that you may find useful to know when moving in South Korea:
TRANSPORT CARD
Before starting to talk about the different means of transportation in South Korea, we would like to recommend that you buy a prepaid transportation card upon arrival that will allow you to move around comfortably.
The best known is the T-money card, although there are several other companies that work in the same way, they just go by other names. The price of the card is between 2,500-4,000 KRW, and you can buy it and recharge it at any 24-hour store in the country.
It works a bit like this, you recharge the card with the amount you want (minimum 1000 KRW) and you will have to sign in and out in all means of transport that accept this service. These types of cards are accepted on all public transport in all cities and also on many intercity buses, which is why it is an essential card if you decide to travel to South Korea.
Important: These cards can be reloaded exclusively with cash, don’t ask us why.
To check how much money you have inside you can download a simple application called “Loca M top up”.
BUS
We can divide this section into two parts, Urban Bus and Interurban Bus.
Urban Bus
Urban buses are an authentic transportation marvel that connect each city almost perfectly.
Not only that, you will almost always find buses that travel to the most touristic places nearby, the good thing is that you will always find different options.
To use this transport it is advisable to use the T-money card because it works practically everywhere. These buses do not need any prior reservation.
Intercity Bus
The intercity buses are the buses that connect various cities in South Korea. Although it is possible to use the T-money card without prior reservation on almost all intercity buses, we recommend buying tickets in advance, especially if you travel on weekends or holidays because you may run out of seats.
There are several buses available, and we can divide it into two categories, premium or cheap. The difference is often minimal, although the platform changes to be able to reserve or check the schedules.
This link will send you to a page that manages the premium or excellent buses, on this website you can check the schedules, how much the tickets cost, and even buy them online.
One important thing you have to know is that in order to buy tickets online you will need a Korean phone number. Remember that in the cards section you have to put “others” to use your international card.
This other link is very useful to be able to see the schedules of the various cheap buses, and also which station you have to go to. Unfortunately, you cannot book online in this app with an international card and you will have to buy your ticket directly at the station or ask locals to buy the ticket for you with their local card.
Keep one thing in mind, in the bus stations, in 90% of the cases you will have to pay your ticket with cash because they do not accept international cards.
TRAINS
If you are wondering if South Korea has a good train system, the answer is yes. Trains in South Korea are one of the most used means of transport, which have a wide, efficient and modern network that will allow you to travel anywhere.
In fact, the railway system in South Korea is reputed to be one of the best in the world. The prices vary based on the quality of the service, from local trains to super fast, and many times they turn out to be the most comfortable alternative to use (and rarely the cheapest). Here we leave you the official page where you can book your tickets online (link here)
CAB
We didnt have the need to use a taxi during our stay in South Korea, however, locals recommended the Kakao T App to book taxis comfortably.
PLANE
Due to its geographical position, it is currently almost impossible to reach this country without flying (apart from some ships that go from Japan or probably China).
The entire Korean territory is well connected through more or less low-cost airline companies. There are also several international airports, so it will not be difficult for you to enter or leave different destinations.
Check Google Flights or Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights to South Korea.
RENT A CAR
One of our travel tip to South Korea would be to rent a car mainly at Jeju Island. There is no really need to rent a car in South Korea except this beautiful island mainly because this place offers so many things to see and do that it will be impossible for you to see the entire island in a few days. So this is our special tip if you plan visiting wonderful island of Jeju.
7. Accommodation – South Korea travel tips
As expected, this was the most painful note of travel in South Korea because it was impossible to find accommodation at a good price.
We have been in all kinds of accommodations, from hostels with bunk beds, to entire apartments, to a motel that seemed more like a lady house 🙂 than a place to spend the night.
Everything will depend on your budget, what sites you are going to visit, and also on what days of the week you want the accommodation.
If we had to give you two useful travel tips to save money in South Korea for accommodation, it would be these:
- Book your accommodation in advance (even if you don’t like to plan ahead), and if you can’t, at least absolutely avoid booking last minute on weekends.
- Remember that Koreans travel a lot on weekends and last-minute prices tend to be more than double price.
- On average, you will not find a cheap double room with air conditioning for less than 30 EUR/$ per night and you will have to spend 15 euros/dollar minimum for a bed in a hostel in a shared room.
What are the best pages to search for a hotel?
To book accommodation in advance we recommend using online booking platforms. In the specific case of South Korea, we have found it more convenient to use the Airbnb app, and in almost all cities we book our accommodations with this app.
The motivation is that in this application we have found affordable small private apartments that were impossible to find on other platforms. In some cases, we have also used Agoda, and Booking.com, simply because they turned out to have cheaper accommodations than Airbnb.
In South Korea we also used Couchsurfing for the first time, which is an application that allows you to find people who offer you a roof (as the word couch says, a sofa or sometimes a bed) in exchange for spending time with them, and getting to know them.
8. Food – South Korea travel tips
Our travel guide to South Korea couldnt be complete without mentioned food. Although we are passionate about international food and we knew something about Korean food, we were very surprised by the variety and quantity of delicious dishes, often unknown, that we have found in this country.
During our entire stay there has not been a day that we have tried international food, and if you follow our journey, you know how much we love pizza and hamburgers (here we leave you three articles about the best hamburgers in Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Kuala Lumpur, to lick all your fingers ).
In any case, the concept of international food here is very Korean, and by that we mean that the dishes are modified so many times they do not reflect the originals in the slightest (we have seen pizza with peaches and sandwiches, ham and cheese with strawberry jam ).
We know that at this point you are curious, and in your head, there will be a voice that continually asks you:
What do they eat in Korea?
Don’t worry, you don’t have to look further, here you will find all the most delicious dishes in South Korea.
We are sure that if you travel to South Korea with a higher budget you will really enjoy the local food. Our must-haves are the Gimbap, the Hotteok, the cold buckwheat noodles with gochujang and the classic Korean BBQ, preferably with good Korean beef or the famous Jeju black pork.
If you have a tight budget you always have the option of eating delicious street food or the already named Kimbap or Gimbap (like the Japanese maki roll, which instead of having raw fish inside, generally has vegetables and cooked proteins.)
On a positive note for the environment, the water throughout South Korea is drinkable, so you can drink from the tap without any problems.
Even so, if you don’t feel safe with this, in almost all commercial places you will find machines with filters or you can buy bottled water. We always recommend buying water bottles like these from our travel gear shop since they are eco-friendly and in South Korea they were very useful to us.
9. Insurance – South Korea travel tips
In our opinion, the only useful mandatory thing you had to have while traveling during the COVID emergency was travel insurance. Now that many countries no longer require it as mandatory, many people decide not to invest in it and make a serious mistake.
We do not travel anywhere without travel insurance, it is a basic and essential thing that you cannot not do or ignore. We assure you that in case of health problems (and not) during your trips it will get you out of trouble and save you a lot of money.
Our insurance is True Traveller. We strongly recommend it, because it is a very serious company, super organized and with good conditions. I think that it is one of the few insurances that you can take out while traveling, so it is perfect for travelers and digital nomads like us.
10. Cultures and Habits – philippines travel guide
South Korea and its culture have always been fascinating in the eyes of foreigners, probably because of that mixture of modernity and ancient traditions that captivates and surprises, and very often leaves you speechless.
Their traditions and customs are partly inherited by colonizations raised in the past (China and Japan, among all) that over time have become their own. Among all of them, Confucianism stands out (read what it is about here) which is so rooted in Korean culture that it is shown in many aspects of life in this society.
For example, social decorum, or the degree of respect that one person has to give to another based on age, are two aspects that come from ancient traditions, which, even so, are part of the daily life of any Korean.
Studying at the university and having a fundamental role in society is such an important thing for the locals, that if you do not have an adequate degree, it will be difficult for you to find a job and be appreciated in a society as competitive as the Korean one.
Although in the eyes of the tourist, Korean society seems so modern, unfortunately it is still very macho, since women and men are not equal (it is sad to write this). In 2023, in all spheres of life, women continue to occupy lower positions than men, which shows how far behind they still are in this regard.
What religion do South Koreans practice?
If we talk about religion, surprisingly the most practiced religion is Christianity (30% of the population), followed by Buddhism with 23%, although the majority of the population declares that they have no religious affiliation.
Regarding this, we must say a curious thing that we discovered, there are many (private) religious groups that does not have any status, however, it has a lot of power.
11. Other tips and curiosities – philippines travel guide
- Lets give you more travel tips to Sout Koreaincluding some curiosities.
- South Korea is the country with the most use of plastic surgery in the world. It is estimated that 70% of women in the country have at least one surgical retouching (especially on the face).
- Young men wear makeup almost like women, in shopping malls you will see huge areas of men’s beauty products.
- Beauty products are as famous as they are expensive.There is only the Nivea brand of deodorant and it turns out to be quite expensive, (buy deodorant before you arrive in Korea).
- Korea has 4 weather seasons that coincide with what we have in Europe.
- A meal without a bowl of Kimchi on the side is not considered a meal.
- Generally, Koreans eat very quickly, especially during work hours, while in their spare time it seems like they go into slow-motion mode, spending hours in front of a table with friends and family.
- At group lunches or dinners, Soju (a drink with a flavor very similar to vodka) is usually drunk, and a lot of beer is also drunk.
- It is considered rude to blow one’s nose in public, instead, inhaling the nose inside is a normal practice.
- Making noises with your mouth, spitting in public or farting are morally accepted practices, don’t be scared if you hear any strange noise, no one is dying.
- Dentists must be very expensive, because the locals brush their teeth so deeply and make so many noises that it’s scary when you’re around them.
- Most educated young Koreans understand English, since they are required to study it as a university subject. Even so, there are very few who speak it, because the exams are written.
- Another motivation may also be because making mistakes in public in this country is seen very badly, and they prefer not to say anything, than making mistakes in public.
11. General prices – South Korea travel tips
Is South Korea cheap or expensive?
Prices are based on our travel experience in South Korea. When we wrote this list, the change was equal to: $1=1300 KRW or €1=1400 KRW.
We remind you that due to various factors, prices could change (up or down) and that these types of prices are for information only, since they are based on an approximate average.
Street Food: $0.77 – $4.62 (1000 KRW – 6000 KRW)
Classic Local Restaurant: $5.38 – $38.46 (7000 KRW – 50000 KRW)
Korean BBQ (2 pax): > $34.62 (> 45000 KRW)
International restaurants (pizza, ramen, etc.): > $7.69 (14000 KRW)
Water 0.5 lt: $0.23 (300 KRW)
2 lt water: $0.54 – $1.15 (700 KRW – 1500 KRW)
Coffee (espresso): ~$3.08 (~4000 KRW)
American coffee: ~$3.08 (~4000 KRW) (cheapest: $1.15 or 1500 KRW)
Intercity buses (70 km): ~$3.85 (~5000 KRW)
Gasoline x lt: $1.15 (1500 KRW)
Cheap accommodation 2 pax/day with a/c and private bathroom: $26.92 – $41.54 (35000 KRW – 55000 KRW)
Bunk bed in shared room: $12.31 – $31.54 (16000 KRW – 41000 KRW)
SIM card (1 month/unlimited gig): ~$53.08 (~69000 KRW)
Laundry (automatic wash): ~$0.77 (~1000 KRW)
Conclusions – South Korea travel tips
We wrote this travel guide to South Korea at the Jeju airport, on the way to Taiwan, and despite the fact that everyone told us that we were going to have a good time in the Republic of China, we cannot help but we felt a little melancholy greeting this incredible country.
Traveling to South Korea was something we needed on our trip, it was like being in a calm paradise, after what it takes to live 10 intense months in Southeast Asia, with the good and the bad that this entails.
Korea, it’s madness, its modernity and its deeply rooted traditions made us promise that soon we will visit the entire western part of this country again.
Thanks to some people (local and non) who live there, we have had the opportunity to understand their culture and traditions a little more deeply. And although we think that some things are very strange, reflecting a little on some aspects, we have come to the conclusion that in the end they are not very different from ours.
One thing is certain, here in Korea all these customs are still part of the daily life of any person, on the other hand, we are losing them with the passing of time.
We invite you to try to meet a local on your next trip to South Korea, we hope they will explain their customs and traditions to you. We assure you that it will be a much more enriching trip that will surely give you a broader vision of this country.
We hope our tips will be useful to you on your next trip to South Korea. If you need any additional information, let us know in the comments or send us email
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