bukchon alley hanok village seoul south korea

courtyard gyeongbokgung palace seoul - south korea

South Korea

South Korea in brief:

Capital : Seoul
Wide : 100 210 km²
Border countries : North and South Korea, Japan (maritime)
Official language : Korean
Currency : Won (KRW, in 2020: €1 = ₩1)
Religion : 31.6% Christianity, 24.2% Buddhist, 43.3% no religion
Independence : from the United States Army Military Government in Korea (August 1948)
Diet : Republic
Administration : 9 provinces + 6 metropolitan cities + 2 special cities (Seoul and Sejong)
Population : 51 million inhabitants
Visa for French people : 90 day exemption
Average daily budget : 47 € / person
Time difference with France : +7h (summer time)
Best period : from April to October
Flight duration : 11h minimum (direct flight Paris → Seoul direct)
Electrical outlets : voltage – 110 V; socket type(s): A, B, C, F
Telephone code : + 82

Why visit South Korea?

If there is one destination that is quite shunned by Europeans, it is South Korea, more widely ignored in favor of its neighbor, Japan, which is much more popular. And it is true that I am the first, we cannot say that this country is really part of my "list" and my priorities.

Ironically, we were following this trip to South Korea while our previous trip was... to Japan! The comparison could therefore be made straight away. And it must be said, South Korea, although having similarities in terms of architecture, has its own character. Also borrowing from Chinese culture, it is both a mix and a culture in its own right, but in no way a pale copy of Japan, as we sometimes hear.

Personally, I didn't have any particular preconceptions about South Korea, but I wasn't particularly excited about the idea of going there. So, it's the kind of trip that's ultimately interesting, because by leaving expecting nothing special, you have everything to discover.

Because we are not very interested in it, we mainly remember its recent history. First, with the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910, then shortly after the Second World War, this terrible war which will see Korea remain split in two. However, it is a country with a thousand-year-old history and a kingdom which prospered on the peninsula in complete independence.

This is what I discovered when I stopped in Gyeongju, once the capital of the important kingdom of Silla, which left its mark on the kingdom a thousand years ago. Moreover, it must be admitted that our stay was clearly more focused on culture than landscape. Although we went from the north to the south of the country, from its capital Seoul (a capital that could also change place soon) to the coastal city of Busan, we were not able to admire the Korean landscapes too much.

The capital, Seoul, is interesting, which means that we spent almost half of our stay there! 4 days in total out of the 10 days spent in South Korea. There are old neighborhoods, royal palaces, temples and a rather pleasant setting, surrounded by mountains. We also came across this trendy fashion in Japan (which can also be seen in Thailand) of dressing in a traditional way on historical sites.

Although the country is not particularly big, I still recommend spending at least two weeks there. In our case, due to lack of budget we limited the time but we would have liked to include a visit to the volcanic island of Jeju, in the southwest of the country. Since the food is good there and we came back with a rather positive impression, it is not impossible that we come back to explore a little more the country called, "of the calm morning".

“Elevated view of Seoul, surrounded by mountains”

“A stroll through the charming village of Hahoe”

WE love

Ease of inter-city travel.
Food rather cheap.
Little-known and interesting culture and history.

We are less of a fan

The small dishes that didn't always fill me up.
The landscapes are not particularly striking.

Preparing your trip: advice before you leave

Here is a summary of some essential information to know before any trip to South Korea.

Do I need a visa for South Korea?

No. For European nationals, and for short stays, between 30 and 90 days depending on your nationality. For passport holders French, Belgian, Luxembourgish, Swiss, but also Moroccan, you can stay up to 90 days visa-free in South Korea. If you are Canadian, you will even be entitled to stay 180 days. On the other hand, you will only benefit from 30 days if you are Tunisian. For Algerians, as is often the case for you, it is necessary to apply for a visa in advance, you will find the address of the Korean embassy in Algiers here.

The requirement (valid for many countries) is to have a passport valid at least six months after the return date.

And for a stay of more than 90 days in South Korea?

For stay longer than 90 days, a visa is required and to request in advance. Depending on the approach, it is obvious that different types of visas will have to be requested. But since the blog is primarily focused on travel, in the leisure and tourism sense, I am not going to elaborate on all types of visas.

In France, you have a main embassy in Paris but also various honorary consulates in Lyon, Papeete, Marseille, Rouen whose addresses you have (as well as that of the Korean cultural center and several Korean language schools in France):

Korean Embassy and Consulates in France

For general information, the following visas are distinguished outside of tourism:

Student visa, with a distinction between general studies and language stays to learn the Korean language (either D-2 or D-4)
Work visa for foreigners who want to work in South Korea. Note that with the D-2 student visa, it is also possible to work (up to 20 hours per week)
Working holiday visa valid for young people under 30 who want to visit the country for a year while working in a company or taking training courses.

Since this latter type of visa has a direct connection with tourism, I can elaborate a little on the conditions of this particular visa.

The working holiday visa, how does it work?

This is what is more commonly called the Working Holiday Visa (the famous PVT, also called WHV for English speakers). It allows you to stay, as for other countries accepting this visa, for a maximum period ofyear. Normally it is a visa whose role is to allow you to visit a country, while being able to acquire professional experience by traveling in a foreign country.

The rules vary from country to country, but in Korea they are:

OYou cannot accumulate more than 25 hours per week.
There is a whole list of prohibited activities (hostess, dancer, musician, acrobat, which I think is to prevent foreigners from doing street shows legally) and professions whose professions are regulated (doctor, lawyer, teacher, pilot, etc.)
It is possible to study Korean language with this visa, for all other studies then you need D-2 student visa instead
Finally, there is a quota, set in Korea at 2 participants each year

Then there are the conditions specific to this type of visa, namely being at least 18 years old and less than 30 years on the date of filing of the application. You cannot make a request if you already have previously benefited from this type of visa for Korea (it is only possible to obtain a PVT for the same country once).

Among other conditions, it is obviously necessary to be residing in France at the time of request and not be accompanied by a parent during his stay.

Two other essential conditions for obtaining a visa are: take out medical insurance, valid for the duration of the stay, i.e. one year. It is also necessary own a round-trip ticket, and havea minimum deposit from € 2 on a bank account. One exception, however, if you do not plan a return flight to France (in the sense, do not want to take it on a specific date in advance), it is still possible to apply for a PVT, but you must then prove that you have the financial means for this purchase.

For more complete information, I refer you to this site which details the conditions for applying for a PVT in South Korea:

PVT South Korea: tutorial and visa conditions

Transportation in South Korea

Coming to South Korea

Although there are no fewer than eight international airports in Korea, including two in Seoul (the main ones, Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport), it is still quite unlikely that you will arrive anywhere other than through its capital Seoul.

Flight Paris – Seoul

To make this flight, there are two direct Korean companies, Asiana Airlines, the cheapest, and the main national company, Korean Air. You will also have the possibility of traveling with Air France.

Departures are then from Paris (CDG) and take at least 10h50 for the outward journey (12h30 for the return journey). So, to recap, in direct flight, you have :

Air France, with flights starting from €930, the French national airline is often present for direct inter-country flights
Asiana Airlines, South Korea's second largest airline, with attractive fares starting at €864
Korean Air, a slightly more expensive alternative, starting at €1 when I did my test

If I go into a little more detail, with Air France, you have at least 2 daily flights, connecting CDG (Paris) – ICN (Seoul – Incheon). One at 13 p.m. and another at 21 p.m.

tarmac airport incheon seoul south korea

On the tarmac at Incheon Airport upon arrival.

To find more interesting rates, you will need to have at least one stopover, bringing the average journey time to 14 hours each way. But you can then find prices below €500, not bad considering the distance (after that it depends on the season of course).

Four companies stand out for their short stopovers and attractive prices:

Turkish Airlines, Türkiye's national airline, with a stopover in Istanbul, is the cheapest, with a fare starting at €428.
BATCH, the national airline of Poland (which I didn't know about before writing this page...), available from €462 (with a stopover in Warsaw).
KLM, a Dutch company (and partner of Air France), which operates the route from €470 (with a stopover in Amsterdam).
Finnair, the national airline of Finland, which offers flights (with a stopover in Helsinki) from €508 (excluding baggage).

All these companies arrive at Incheon, an island 50 km from downtown Seoul. If Gimpo Airport, much closer to the center (about 10 km) and certainly more practical, the options are then more limited. It remains possible with two Japanese companies, Japan Airlines, with a stopover in Haneda (Tokyo), and ANA, also via Haneda in Tokyo. On the other hand, the prices are similar to those direct, with €805 at best for ANA and €882 for Japan Airlines.

The options are generally more limited than for other destinations in Asia (which shows that Korea is less attractive). The only other airline that I can mention and could have competitive rates is Lufthansa. The German company can be a good option, with a price that remains below 600 €, with a stopover in Munich remaining quite short.

Search for a flight to Japan

Getting around in Korea

The country is not very big, less than 400 km in length and less than 300 km in width, it is quite easy to travel from one city to another without spending a lot of time in transport. Especially since the country is quite dense in terms of population (516 inhabitants per km²), which means that South Korea is generally well served, whether by bus or train.

We will also test these two means of transport, with the bus for the shortest journeys and the train for the longest. The railway network in South Korea, although reduced compared to its peak in the late 80s, still totals 3 km, of which about half are electrified (378 km). The trains of Korail, the national railway company (Korean National Railroad or KNR for short) are modern, comfortable, including a version of high-speed train, the KTX.

train station seoul to andong south korea

In the city, large cities like Seoul, Busan, Daegu and Incheon will have a subway, facilitating access to the various districts. This means that overall, taking a taxi is not really essential, although they will obviously be present in the big cities. There are 70 in Seoul alone, out of a total of 000 in the whole country.

To access sites outside the city centers, you will generally have city buses allowing these trips at a lower cost. Moreover, it is not the transport that will cost you dearly in Korea, in our budget it represents 17% of the total spent during this stay, the smallest amount after the budget for visits.

taxis and city buses seoul - south korea

Buses and taxis galore in Seoul (in addition to the subway).

Overall, here is an Android app that was very useful to me during this stay in South Korea:

- - South Korea map offline. The map is well detailed, includes visible bus stops and metro entrances. It helped me a lot to get my bearings by combining it with the GPS.

If you prefer to have more real-time information and want to stay connected, you can then take a local SIM card. In doing so, I advise you to use the Naver application for your travels, available here:

Naver app on Android
Naver app on the Apple Store

By default, because it was originally designed only in Korean, you will find instructions here to put it in English.

Just one thing to understand, Korea being technically still at war with the North, the government does not open the country's map data via API to foreign companies like Google, hence the fact that Google Maps is not the most relevant in South Korea.

The all-purpose card: T Money

We used a car for a lot of our travels prepaid card called T Money. Like all these types of cards that are practical for transport, it allows you to load money onto a card and pay simply by beeping on the machines, thus avoiding having to take out cash each time. In other cities in Korea, you will find the Cashbee or the Hanaro Card, which work similarly. However, the T Money remains the most practical because it works more widely in the country.

The card costs only 2 won. (€1,85) and can be found in all convenience stores/supermarkets (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, Ministop, Buy The Way, etc.) displaying the T Money or Cash Bee logo, in cities where these cards are accepted. The T Money card can also be purchased from ATMs and card top-ups in subway stations in the Seoul metropolitan area. And this is also its advantage, it can also be used for the subway (it's the kind of card we've been waiting for ages in Bangkok...).

My “cute” T Money card that accompanied me throughout my stay, here in the Seoul subway.

Basically, I saw that there was also a card for tourists, called Korea Tour Card, which costs 4 won (3 €), which remains a variant of the T Money, with some discounts on attractions like the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul or Lotte World, an amusement park in the South-East of Seoul. I didn't dig into the info because I only just saw that it existed and I don't know if this card has a real advantage over the normal T Money.

The card is easy to top up and at the end of your stay you can choose to keep it as a souvenir or for another time, or give it back to get back the small “deposit” of 500 won.

Anyway, you will find all the information on the Official website of the Korea Tourism Office (in French too).

Road transport

City buses

We didn't need to take the city buses much. It was pretty intuitive because we mostly took them in areas where we had information in both Korean and English. This won't always be the case and that's where the subway comes in handy.

In Gyeongju however, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the bus stops, which are super convenient in terms of information, with digital displays of the bus lines passing there and their position before your stop.

However, Seoul's city buses are color-coded to help you navigate:

Blue bus : they follow all the main lines of the capital.
Green bus: They serve secondary lines and main metro stations.
Yellow bus : they usually do circuits around certain main neighborhoods.
Red bus : they connect with the neighboring suburbs of Seoul.
Bus de nuit : explicit. These are specifically nocturnal lines.

How to use the buses and how much does it cost?

Generally speaking, you should know that in Korea, we validates his ticket by entering the bus, but we must not forget to do it also when going out!

The city where we used the bus the most was in Gyeongju, knowing that several sites were far from the center, and that there is no subway, it remained practical and easy to get around, and at a lower cost above all. To go for example to the Bulguksa temple, about fifteen kilometers from the center, it comes to 2 won per person or €000.

In general, the fares are similar to the metro, around 1 won for general buses. Some cities like Daegu have an express bus service that charges 1 won, or slightly more.

On a bus in Seoul.

Long distance buses (coaches)

The bus was our choice of transportation for medium distances. The type of bus will depend on the line and the length of the journey. For medium distances, what surprised me was the condition of the buses.

So no, I reassure you right away, these were not old rotten buses like you can sometimes find elsewhere in Southeast Asia in particular, but it is not as you might expect somewhere with a country like South Korea. I expected slightly more modern buses. However, given the distances traveled, it was more than enough and we can't say that it was uncomfortable. At least, we don't find ourselves crammed with loads of extra people, chickens or others, as can be the case elsewhere in Asia (to be taken with humor, it is not a criticism as such).

After that, only our experience remains, for fairly short and secondary lines. We distinguish concretely two types of buses, the express bus (gosok bus) and intercity bus (sioe bus) in South Korea. So it was rather the latter that we took. The express buses are a priori more "elaborate", with seats including an individual screen and USB sockets to charge your electronic devices.

The difference between express and intercity buses lies in the length of the routes and the importance of the cities connected.

Express buses (gosok bus)

They generally connect two major cities, with a direct connection to their destination (stopovers in a city along the way are rather rare). There are two types of express buses, which will not have the same prices, with on the one hand the normal, cheap buses and on the other, the "luxury" buses, which correspond more to what I briefly described above. Note that night buses have higher prices than buses running during the day.

Intercity buses (sioe bus)

These are the buses that connect small and medium-sized cities. These often include one or more stops in other cities before reaching their final destination. They are cheaper but obviously take longer. Non-stop buses are called "Mujeongcha (무정차, non-stop)" or "Jikhaeng (직행, direct line)".

Bus terminal in Gyeongju.

How to use the buses and how much does it cost?

We took the bus twice. This was the case between Andong and Gyeongju, which cost us 10 won (or €800) for a 140 km journey. We took the bus again straight away to reach our last stop, Busan, located 80 km from Gyeongju. In this case, you can find buses Kobus from 5 won only.

By the way, the only site I found (in English) to book in advance is the Kobus one:

https://www.kobus.co.kr/main.do (by default it might appear in Korean, the language menu is at the top right)

Afterwards, it is not necessary to book in advance if you are not on holiday in Korea. By coming on the same day, you should find a place, after that it is better to avoid bookings at the last minute anyway to avoid disappointment.

Taxis in South Korea

As in all countries, you will have at least in the big cities, taxis available. But to say if public transport is generally largely sufficient, we did not, from my memory, take a taxi once in Korea. Similar to what happened in Japan, buses and subways were largely sufficient to cover our travels.

How to use taxis and how much do they cost?

Taxis can be taken both at dedicated terminals, at specific spots such as at the exit of train stations or bus terminals but also simply hail them in the street. To know if they are free, the taxi sign on the roof will be lit red.

Taxis are divided into 4 types:

Ilban regular taxi : the basic taxi, therefore the cheapest. They are orange, white or sometimes gray.
Deluxe taxi Mobeom : these are black taxis with yellow stripes on the sides. As the name suggests, they are of a higher standard than the classic taxi and the price of the trip will therefore be higher.
Jumbo taxi : similar to the Toyota Innova or Fortuner that you sometimes come across in Bangkok, these are larger taxis, therefore accepting more people and luggage, practical if you are with family or in a group. They are generally black in color.
International taxi : as the name suggests, these are taxis more dedicated to travelers, with drivers who speak English, Japanese or Chinese. They are similar to the deluxe ones, black in color with an orange stripe indicating "international", they are obviously more expensive than the classic ones too.

The prices are similar to those in France, so we obviously avoid them... In Seoul, the fare starts at 3 won (that is, €2,80, more than in Paris!) then 757 won per kilometer if there is no traffic (precisely, it is 100 won every 132 m). Another example, in Busan, the pick-up is 3 won for the first two kilometers, for a rate of 300 won per kilometer thereafter (700 won every 100 m), so it is cheaper.

orange taxi in front of namdaemu gate - seoul - south korea

An orange Seoul taxi passing by the Namdaemun South Gate (real name Sungnyemun). Since we didn't take taxis in Korea, I didn't take a proper photo...

A deluxe starts the race at 5 won and then applies a charge of 000 won every 200 meters. The night, you will have the usual 20% surcharge, effective between 23 p.m. and 4 a.m.. Depending on the type of taxi, the pick-up will also be higher. Expect to pay 4 won for a departure from Seoul at night.

Good to know

While researching to write this page, I came across this information, which surprised me for this country, but cruelly recalling the trend in Thailand, it is not uncommon to see a taxi refuse passengers. Some drivers refuse for example a trip because it is too short, or conversely, because the trip does not go too far and not in the desired direction while the latter is almost finishing his work day. There may even be a refusal to stop to pick up a foreigner hailing them, due to the fear of language problems... This type of behavior is punishable by law so I don't know if it is really common or not.

Among other random information that I can give on taking a taxi in Korea:

You can find out an estimate of the prices via this site: Number Taxi Fare
When boarding, make sure the meter is reset. You can ask for a receipt when you leave.
Few drivers will speak English, better to have a map or better, the information written in Korean (you can ask your hotel in advance if you are planning a specific route in taxi).
Most accept card payments, obviously cash too but also the famous T Money transport card can also be used.
Tipping is neither customary nor expected. Drivers will always give change exactly. Unless extra service is provided, a 10% tip may apply.

Finally, I will mention an app for your smartphone to book taxis. If you are familiar with Grab, in Asia there is an equivalent in South Korea, Kakao T. You can download it from the Google Store on Android here: Kakao Taxi.

To tell you, I created an account on purpose to check whether the latter was available in English (this was not the case at the beginning). Creating an account is intuitive and quick, and you just have to change the language to English in the "settings", whereas by default, the latter is necessarily in Korean.

Screenshot of Kakao T app.

Car and bike rental

Car rental is always a possibility to have complete freedom of movement. When the budget allows, it's always a way to discover a country differently, a little more intimately somewhere. In addition, you won't be confused (easy pun) since in Korea, we also drive on the right. Afterwards, I don't know how driving is there and if it's easy to find your way outside the cities since for once, I haven't tested it. But the signs in town are in any case subtitled.

Administrative level, the international driving license is necessary and can be obtained from your prefecture by making an online request (it's free). Be careful because delivery times are sometimes very long (several months), so plan ahead if you plan to drive during your stay in Korea.

To rent, you can call on classic international rental companies such as Avis, Hertz etc. which are always safe bets in the event of disputes (although, no one is perfect). You also have local partners such as Lotte Rent-a-car, a sub-branch of Hertz a priori. I also saw that there is a car sharing system, in this case, I spotted two:

- - Green Car: www.greencar.co.kr
  - So Car: www.socar.co.kr

Both sites are in Korean, which is a shame. Green Car specializes in electric cars, and we came across one at a terminal in Seoul, which made me discover this option. If ever, there is this site indicating information in English about this mode of transport.

About the bikes for rent, it is in Gyeongju that we will have the opportunity to test. At first by chance, because it was not specially planned, but on the way to our first place of visit, we passed in front of a shop. So we said to ourselves that it could be a good idea, because we would have more time to go around the old city.

By the way, they also had scooters for rent, but as it was more expensive, we settled for bicycles, we said to ourselves that it would be more practical anyway (and in any case, I didn't have an international license).

During our visit, we paid 7 W (just over €5) by bike for the day. They have a website, but only in Korean… gjbike.co.kr

scooter rental sign gyeongju south korea

Prices for scooters.

Otherwise here is their location on Gmaps:

Finally, as in many metropolises now (even in Bangkok, that's saying something), you can find self-service bicycles like Vélib. We've seen some in Seoul, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were some in other big cities. I haven't looked at the prices, but I imagine they must be affordable.

Given the traffic we saw, it seems quite feasible to ride a bike in the city. When I saw one, it was at the exit of the subway, which can be perfectly complementary to reach a given point without having to walk (we could have done it the day we reached the river by crossing the Bango bridge from the Gangnam district, it was still a bit of a trek).

Self-service bicycles in Seoul.

Rail transport: taking the train in South Korea

The railway network is quite efficient in South Korea. Fast, modern, it is a means of transport that remains cheap considering the distances covered and the equivalence to the TGV.

There are also normal trains, but with longer journey times. In the case of the Seoul – Andong route, it took 3 hours by KTX while a normal train will take around 8 hours. The reason being that in this case, the connection is not direct. But on other routes, when the KTX will take 2 hours and something, the normal train (which is called Saemaeul), will take roughly double, around 4 hours.

cheongnyangni station seoul - south korea

You can also take the "sea train", literally the sea train, if you go to the northeast coast of the country. Indeed, along the 58 km of coast between Gangneung and Samcheok (passing through Donghae), it is possible to take a small line dedicated to tourism to enjoy the wild landscapes of this coast, with seats actually arranged on the side, to face the sea.

Train categories in Korea

There are four types of trains in Korea, depending on the number of stops and their speed:

mugunghwa : This is the most common type of train in Korea, and the oldest (Mugunghwa has been in service since the 1960s). These local trains make stops at smaller stations than the KTX or ITX-Saemaeul trains.
ITX-Saemaeul : These trains run on the Gyeongbu, Honam, and Gyeongjeon lines. ITX trains replace regular Saemaeul trains, at a slightly faster speed.
Super Rapid Train (SRT) : As the name clearly suggests, these are "super" fast trains, which operate on the Gyeongbu and Honam lines from Suseo Station in Seoul (Gangnam district). Introduced in 2016, it has a top speed similar to the KTX.
Korean Train Express (KTX) : The aptly named Korean Express Train, the KTX, entered service in April 2004. This high-speed train was designed to reach speeds of up to approx. 305 km per hour.

The different classes

On long-distance trains, mainly KTX, Korail offers a simple choice between two classes: THE standard and first class seatsFirst class offers rows of 3 seats (2+1, like in France) and 4 seats per row for standard class.

You will find vending machines selling snacks and drinks on the trains, clean toilets and comfortable seats. Some trains (KTX-Sancheon) even have revolving seats, allowing you to face the direction of travel regardless of the direction.

To buy a train ticket

If you are already there, just go to the ticket office at the station and give your destination and the desired time if there are several choices. There are also machines for express trains running around Seoul. This is particularly the case for the train connecting Incheon airport to the city center, very convenient since it runs directly into the city.

If you want to book online, it is possible up to one month in advance, not beyond. To do this, you first have the official websites:

- - Letskorail.com for most trains
  - etk.srail.co.kr for the SRT

Map of KTX lines in South Korea. Chugun / CC BY-SA

How much does it cost ?

For Seoul – Busan route, count no more than 2h30 to cover the 325 km and a average price of 59 won (or €44). Overall, expect to pay between €50 and €100 depending on the class and the journey.

The Korail Pass

If you plan on seeing a large part of Korea by train, it is worth getting a Korail Pass, similar to the popular JR Pass in their neighbor Japan. In Korea, they offer passes from 2 days to 5 days.

The 2 and 4 day passes do not need to be used on consecutive days, but within a limit of 10 days.
3 and 5 day passes must be used consecutively.

As for the prices, it ranges from 121 won (90 €) per adult (from 13 years old) for the 2 day pass and up 210 won (155 €) for the 5 day pass. In addition to the basic profitability, the pass allows you to reserve first class seats at 50% if you wish to benefit from an upgrade.

Book with 12GB

It is normally possible to book train tickets for Korea on this site, which is efficient for Asia and which I am a partner of. Otherwise, if there is no choice, you can look on the Trip.com site which sells Korail tickets: https://www.trip.com/trains/korail/

Taking the subway in Korea

To complete the part about the rails, Korea has a subway in several big cities, very practical to visit the main sites and move from one district to another (you will tell me, that's the goal). You will have subways in Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu and Gwangju.

The most complete is of course that of the capital, Seoul. Starting with a single 8 km line in 1974, the network now has 23 lines for an impressive total of more than 1 km. Which includes, it should be noted, the metropolitan area.

To give you an idea, here is a map of the Seoul network:

Impressive isn't it?

Afterwards you have a cleaner and more practical online version to help you find your way around this site: seoulmetro.co.kr

You have applications to help you (I only give the Android links because I don't use a Mac...):

Seoul Subway Guide and Interactive Map, great app simple to know your journeys and stops for connections. You will also have an indication of the estimated time to make the journey, the distance and the fare. All in French, offline and free.
Busan Metro Guide and Interactive Map, same as above for Busan city.

The Seoul metro is not entirely underground since some lines are similar to the Parisian RER. You can also reach incheon airport via the latter with AREX (the express train dedicated to the airport). The journey takes 45 minutes direct and costs 10 won (€350). You can also take the "All-Stop train" version, which costs half as much but will stop at every intermediate station, not great if you're in a hurry.

There is a train every 30 to 45 minutes if direct, every 5 to 15 minutes for All-Stop. Available from 5:23 to 22:48 from Incheon Airport and from 6:10 to 22:50 from Seoul Station. The train is equipped to place your luggage in dedicated locations.

train tickets incheon airport seoul - south korea

arex station incheon airport train seoul - south korea

interior train between incheon airport seoul - south korea

As you would expect in Korea (and Asia in general), the subway is orderly and clean. You will find the directions in Korean and also always in English. The announcements of the next stops are themselves stated in no less than 4 languages (Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese).

The only downside is, the frequency of the metro which would be on average every 4 to 6 minutes except during rush hour when you will have metros every 2/3 minutes.

Le metro is cheap since a basic ticket costs 1 won and 1 won if you use T Money card mentioned above, which is barely €1.

The timetables are fairly standard for a metro, namely, the first metros start at 5:30 a.m. and the last ones run between 23:30 p.m. and midnight depending on the stop and the line.

Check the signs carefully to find the right exit, as each station often has several directions to exit.

in the underground metro of seoul - south korea

Shipping

Korea is an archipelago and is surrounded by sea, making it natural to have a network of seaports and ferry connections.

It is possible to connect Korea with China, Japan or even Russia for international connections but I will not particularly develop this part here, you will find all the information on the tourist office website: International Ferries in Korea. Knowing that many sites concerning transport companies are mainly in Korean or Chinese but more rarely in English, it may be preferable to inquire directly on site at the port concerned.

Near SeouThere are two of them, Incheon Port, and the port Pyeongtaek further south.

If you have the small island of Ulleung, 150 km off the coast of Donghae, on the east coast, it is above all Jeju Island or Jeju-do as it is locally called. It is the best known and most popular, including by the locals themselves. Jeju being a volcanic island, Koreans readily call it Little Hawaii, even if the name may seem a bit presumptuous. However, the island still looks very beautiful, with some beautiful reliefs and wild coasts. Which is why it is listed on the UNESCO Natural Heritage.

We regret not having had time to go there, but it was also to avoid "flying over" this island, and its neighbor, Udo, that we gave it a miss. We can spend more time there next time 😉

Typical ferry to Jeju Island. Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Photographer name) / CC BY-SA

Most ports in southern Korea allow you to reach Jeju-do. Especially from Busan, although it starts to get a bit far since it takes 12 hours to travel. Otherwise, it takes an average of 4-5 hours to reach Jeju Island, which is more than 80 km from the coast.

The nearest port is Wando, and with the Hanil Express company you can make the journey in just 1h20, with the Blue Narae ferry otherwise in 2h30. You can book on the Directferries website.

Direct Ferries*

The advantage of ferries is first of all to enjoy the landscape, but also their reasonable cost, roughly around €35 for the Wando – Jeju connection. It is also an opportunity to see other islands along the way like Chuja, north of Jeju, located between the continent and the latter. Finally, there is the possibility of being able to take a car, practical if you are on a road trip.

There are also quite a few connections from Mokpo, on the west coast.

Ferry boarding formalities

You must be in possession of a passport in process of validation or a residence permit to travel to the islands and take the ferries. embark a vehicle, plan 1 to 2 hours of margin before departure time to ensure you are part of the trip. If you are without vehicle, 40 minutes before departure suffice.

Please note that ticketing ends 10 minutes before departure and after the ticket offices close, even passengers who have booked will find themselves unable to receive their tickets and logically cannot board the ferry.

Direct Ferries

Air transport

As mentioned above, there are 8 international airports in South Korea that can serve as a landing point in the country, in order of importance (in terms of traffic):

- 1. Seoul (Incheon International Airport – ICN)
  2. Jeju Island (Jeju International Airport – CJU)
  3. Seoul (Gimpo International Airport – GMP)
  4. Busan (Gimhae International Airport – PUS)
  5. Daegu (Daegu International Airport – TAE)
  6. Cheongju (Cheongju International Airport – CJJ)
  7. Muan (Muan International Airport – MWX)
  8. Yangyang (Yangyang International Airport – YNY)

There are otherwise 15 public airports in South Korea, seven more than the list above, some of which are busier than so-called international airports, such as Gwanju, which, with almost two million annual passengers, far exceeds Muan Airport and its 300 passengers. This recent airport is located between Gwanju and Mokpo, a coastal city from where it is possible to take a ferry to Jeju, by the way.) We can see that almost all the airports are located on the coast, with the exception of Wonju.

Again, in order of attendance, you have these possible cities and airports in South Korea:

1. 1. Gwanju (Gwanju Airport – KWJ) — main airport in the southwest of the country
  2. Yeosu (Yeosu Airport – RSU) — port city in the south of the country
  3. Ulsan (Ulsan Airport – USN) — coastal city between Gyeongju and Busan, on the east coast
  4. Gunsan (Gunsan Airport – KUV) — small airport on the west coast, also used as a base by the US Air Force
  5. Sacheon (Sacheon Airport – HIN) — in the middle of the southern coast, it also serves the city of Jinju
  6. Pohang (Pohang Airport – KPO) — main port on the east coast, north of Gyeongju
  7. Wonju (Wonju Airport – WJU) — city in the heart of northern Korea, southeast of Seoul

As such, given the transport network mentioned just before, the train and buses should be more than enough. An internal connection will only really be necessary if you are in a hurry and even then, counting the time to check in luggage etc., it is not certain that you will be a winner (not to mention the CO2 generated for the planet, since it is current…)

Where it can be useful is to reach Jeju Island. If you do for example the same itinerary as ours, extending it from Busan, rather than taking a 12 hour ferry ride, it is possible to take a Busan – Jeju flight, with Jeju Air for example, for attractive return fares starting from €34 (with cabin baggage).

I was surprised myself when I took the step of looking at the different Korean companies, to find so many of them. In addition to the two main companies of the country already mentioned, Korean Air, the national company, and Asiana Airlines, there are a whole host of smaller companies. Some are subsidiaries of these two companies, others are independent, but remain confined to specific routes.

And in order of importance, depending on the number of destinations served, we find the following companies:

Jeju Air

It is the first and largest independent low-cost airline in Korea and based, as the name suggests, on the island of Jeju. It serves a range of destinations mainly in Northeast and Southeast Asia and some in Oceania such as Guam, Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands) or the Gold Coast in Australia.

Air Busan

It is a low cost subsidiary of Asiana Airlines.. On the same principle as its competitor, with the difference of being based, as the name indicates, in Busan, the company serves a few cities in Korea but also quite a few cities in China, including Hong Kong and Macao, a few in Japan, South-East Asia (mainly Vietnam) and even Russia (Vladivostok).

T'Way Air

Formerly called Hansung Airlines, it is the 3rd largest low-cost airline in the country. It serves many destinations in Korea, Japan, China and Southeast Asia including Bangkok and Phuket. It also has two routes in Russia (Vladivostok and Khabarovsk) as well as flights to Guam and Saipan.

Jin Air

Formerly Air Korea, it is a low-cost subsidiary of Korean Air.. It serves several major cities in Korea as well as international destinations, Japan, China and also Southeast Asia (including a connection to Bangkok) and as far as Hawaii.

Eastar Jet

Based at Seoul's Gimpo Airport, this is another low-cost airline serving similar destinations to those mentioned above. It should be noted that this airline flies to Bangkok.

Air Seoul

Another subsidiary of the Asiana company. It only leaves from Seoul or Jeju airports and serves a few destinations in Japan, China and a variety of destinations in Southeast Asia. I can mention Vietnam with Da Nang, Hanoi or Nha Trang but also Boracay in the Philippines, Siem Reap in Cambodia or Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia (on Borneo).

Fly Gangwon

Small regional airline operating from Yangyang, a coastal city in the northeast of the country, with flights to Seoul (Gimpo) and Jeju.

Hi Air

The latest addition to the list, it is a small regional airline based in Ulsan and serving only Seoul and Yeosu with its two ATR-72 aircraft.

Book a hotel in South Korea

With 17 million annual visitors, South Korea has no reason to be ashamed of its "performance", even if it is far from the 30 million tourists in 2019 in Japan and the 40 million in Thailand. Afterwards, South Korea depends mainly on regional tourism, with Chinese tourists at the top of the list (as everywhere) then the Japanese, accounting for more than half of the tourists. Moreover, Europeans are surprisingly absent from the ranking of the 12 nationalities mainly visiting South Korea (Thailand being 6 with half a million curious visitors).

As for hotels, there is a wide range, from guesthouses, hostels for small budgets to more classic hotels.

There are also unique accommodations in Korea, the Jjimjilbangs. Similar to the Onsens of Japan, Jjimjilbangs are Korean saunas. You're going to tell me what does this have to do with sleeping? It is actually a place dedicated to relaxation in general, and this can include a night there. The advantage being that it is normally inexpensive (less than €10). If you want to know more about these saunas, open 24/24, you have the good article on Korean Dream.

If you ever have to stay for a longer period, you could try a Goshiwon, a sort of mini studio with a price proportional to the size, limited.

Below I have listed the best hotels we tested during our stay in South Korea:

G2 Hotel Myeongdong

Budget: from €46

Our first pied-à-terre when we landed in South Korea. And we started with a hotel of a rather classy category. If I saw rates starting at €46, expect to pay more, on our dates, it was more like €74 per night! And if I took it it's thanks to the accumulation of Agoda points, which allowed me to stay at this well-located 4-star hotel (near the Euljiro 3(sam)ga or Myeongdong metro) for only €32 for two nights!

Learn more and book G2 Hotel Myeongdong

Star Hostel Insadong

Budget: from €30

Second hotel tested in Seoul, in a different and rather cool neighborhood, Insadong. It was a somewhat semi-autonomous hotel, in the sense that, apart from the cat, do not expect anyone at the reception. But we still met the owner who remains attentive to his customers. The room is small but it is enough.

Learn more and book Star Hostel Insadong

K-GUESTHOUSE Haeundae 1

Budget: from €30

A guesthouse ideally located. We were not far from the bus terminal where we arrived and close to Haeundae beach, and also next to the subway. The room was small, but still ok (15 m²). The staff of the guesthouse is pretty cool. Breakfast to manage yourself. Overall good value for money.

Learn more and book K-GUESTHOUSE Haeundae 1

Book your hotels in South Korea with Booking

Health and Safety in South Korea

Do I need travel insurance?

Same remark as for other countries. Korea remains a generally safe country despite its belligerent neighbor, but 0 risk in general does not exist. As a result, travel insurance is always a plus to cover hospitalization costs and health expenses that can quickly become high without a proper assistance contract.

Health insurance will be particularly useful if you are going to Asia for several months, because in the event of a problem, basic credit card insurance only covers 3 months and often with limited conditions.

The maximum amount for healthcare costs covered by traditional credit cards may prove insufficient (around €10 compared to €000 for dedicated travel insurance) and these basic insurance policies generally do not cover civil liability.

I advise you ACS Travel & Expatriation Insurance Solutions.

I would like to point out that if you subscribe to the insurance via the link, I would receive a small commission. This is a simple way to help keep the site running, as insurance is preferable anyway and will therefore be beneficial to both you and me.

What vaccines and what do I need to know for my health?

This section is similar to the one on Japan, South Korea does not pose any particular hygiene concerns and encounters fewer mosquito-related diseases, so there is no compulsory vaccination as such.

As always, be up to date with your standard vaccinations (DTP for adults, MMR for children). Afterwards, it is mainly depending on the conditions of your trip that certain vaccinations could be recommended.

Recommended vaccines:

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid fever
Japanese encephalitis (especially if staying in rural areas)

Although malaria treatment is not necessary in South Korea, there is one area that is listed as at risk. This is the northern part of the country, specifically rural areas in the northern part of Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces (including the infamous DMZ).

Another notable concern that can be encountered in South Korea is air pollution. Not due to the country itself but rather to the wind bringing back fine particles from its neighbor, China. This is particularly the case in spring, with the phenomenon known as "yellow winds". This is a phenomenon combining dust and polluted particles, which are loaded from the Gobi Desert and fly over Korea at this time of year, which can cause respiratory problems.

To find out about air quality, here is a site, which works for the whole world:

Air Quality Index

Hygiene in South Korea

Hygiene conditions are good in Korea and should therefore not pose any particular problems from this point of view. LThe conditions are similar to Europe. Everything is well washed, packaged, it is unlikely that you will experience stomach problems in Korea (even if the risk 0 does not exist once again). The general hygiene rules therefore remain in force!

Wash your hands frequently before each meal (possibly with an antimicrobial solution since it is used without water).
Meat and fish/shellfish must be thoroughly cooked before consumption.

For your safety

Apart from possible tensions at the border, which I would like to point out is that South Korea is "technically" still in a state of war with its northern neighbour, there are few problems with regard to the safety of travellers. It is also unlikely that you will encounter theft, assault or even scams.

Risk areas

However, several risks can be distinguished in South Korea:

Typhoons. South Korea, like its neighbor Japan, is at risk of typhoons from July to September. The risk is higher in the south of the country than in the capital, Seoul, which will only experience heavy rain and a few good gusts. But the risk elsewhere is also linked to the essentially mountainous aspect of the country. Heavy rainfall can then cause landslides, mudslides or flash floods.
The seismic risk. Although it is much less exposed than its neighbor, South Korea can still experience medium-sized tremors. This is particularly the case towards the southeast coast, towards Ulsan.

Bad weather in Busan.

Emergency numbers –

Police: 112
Firefighters / Ambulance: 119

To deal with possible communication problems, the Korean authorities (more precisely the National Emergency Management Agency or NEMA) have set up an application called " Emergency Ready app » available in English on Android and the Apple Store. It is used to stay informed about safety risks and facilitate communication with emergency and rescue services. The app also contains information such as teaching users how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

In addition to this, you have a single telephone number (1588-5644) for a volunteer service who can act as interpreters for all procedures.

Finally, proof is that South Korea attaches importance to its tourism since, just like Thailand, it has set up a tourist police.

South Korea Tourist Police Website

Hospital in Seoul with French-speaking practitioner

Dr. Jin-Ju OK
Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (Seocho-gu)
International Medical Center:
Tel: (02) 2258-5745 or 2258-5746

French Embassy in South Korea :

43-12, Seosomun-ro, Seodaemun-gu120-030 Seoul

Tel: + 82 2 3149 4300

Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on South Korea

What to see and do in South Korea?

South Korea is divided into 17 administrative regions. In addition to the nine provinces (called "do"), there are eight cities with separate status, which are administratively managed as provinces. And of these cities, there are six metropolitan cities (called "gwangyeogsi"), and two cities with special status (called "teukbyeolsi"), which host government institutions.

So we find the following breakdown:

Special cities

- In number 1 on the map, we logically find the capital, Seoul.
- In number 17, because it is a recent addition, we find the new city of sejong (built in 2012). Because it hosts several ministries (only the presidency remained in Seoul), it enjoys, like Seoul, the status of a special autonomous city.

Metropolitan cities

The six metropolitan cities being, with their corresponding number on the map below:

- 2 - Busan (which we often also see romanized in Busan)
- 3 - Daegu
- 4 - Incheon
- 5 - Gwangju
- 6 - Daejeon
- 7 - Ulsan

The provinces

The nine provinces forming the rest of South Korea's administrative regions are as follows:

- 8 – Gyeonggi
- 9 – Gangwon
- 10 – North Chungcheong
- 11 – South Chungcheong
- 12 – North Jeolla
- 13 – South Jeolla
- 14 – North Gyeongsang
- 15 – South Gyeongsang
- 16 – Jeju

The latter enjoys a status that could be compared to the autonomous regions of China. Officially, the name of the province of Jeju is Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, after receiving in 2005 a series of administrative powers that were previously reserved for the central government.

Although the country is not excessively large, I will divide the visits by grouping the northern provinces (with the suffix " Beech") and the southern provinces ((with the suffix « nam") bearing the same name (each having been separated in 1896 during a major administrative reshuffle). I also include in it the metropolises, which although being separated from an administrative point of view, are geographically included in the 6 division zones that I propose to you below.

They actually correspond to 6 cultural regions such as Korea was traditionally divided in an unofficial manner but which reflect the historical, geographical and dialectal borders of the peninsula. These latter being:

Hoseo
Gwandong
Sudogwon
Yeongnam
Honam
Jeju

Gyeonggi

Gyeonggi is the province in the northwest corner of South Korea, a region that also borders North Korea. Although administratively separate, it is here that Seoul, as well as Incheon city, which has been home to the country's main international airport for almost 20 years.

The major attraction of this province is undoubtedly the imposing Hwaseong Fortress, built at the very end of the 18th century in the Suwon city, south of Seoul. The site, nicknamed the "shining fortress" is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, only the wall remains to attest to the imposing building that once dominated the region. Along it, you can take a lovely stroll around the old town and its surrounding monuments.

Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon. Photo credit: Craig Wyzik / CC BY

Less known but also registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you have the Namhansanseong Fortress and Palace, a site in the heart of the mountains of southeast Seoul.

Otherwise, I can recommend two places that could please nature lovers, without straying too far from Seoul. Both are neighbors and located in the northeast of Seoul. First, there is the district of Gapyeong, which brings together several mountain ranges, gardens, arboretum and even a theme park in the same area. You can thus see the quiet morning garden, then walk the nearby mountain of Chungnyungsan. From the city, you can move around in an original way using the Gapyeong Rail Park, rail bikes running along the river but whose highlight is at the beginning with the crossing of the bridge spanning the river.

I'm pointing it out to you here, although in reality it is part of the neighboring province of Gangwon, but not far from there just to the south, you can take a ride on the popular Nami Island, located in the middle of this same river. Famous since it was featured in a Korean soap opera on TV, it is an island that aims to be ecotourist. You will find galleries, museums, shows and festivals in a green setting. The main attraction is its Ginkgo tree avenue, a panchronic species (living fossil).

In Pocheon, the main attractions are Pocheon Art Valley, an old granite quarry (similar to what we saw at Ipoh, Malaysia), transformed into a space dedicated to culture and art. There is also the Bidulginangpokpo waterfall.

North of Seoul, besides on the outskirts, Bukhansan National Park, which literally borders the city and allows for some beautiful walks, you have a little further out, the valley and the Mount Gamaksan, popular for hiking, crossing a suspension bridge.

Seoul

In the capital, there are some of the country's top attractions, among those listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. I can mention the Changdeokgung Palace complex, a must-see royal palace in Seoul, but also Jongmyo Shrine, located nearby. Surprisingly, the main royal palace, Gyeongbokgung is not part of the UNESCO heritage even if it remains a must-see in the city. Another notable palace, Deoksugung, popular for its changing of the royal guard.

Other must-see places in Seoul include:

La Cheonggyechon Stream, a good example of positive urbanization for the people
Le “Hanok” village of Bukchon, a neighborhood made up of traditional houses
Le National Museum of Korea, if you were to see only one museum in South Korea
Different neighborhoods with character:
- Insadong District, lively with its cobbled streets lined with quaint little shops and family restaurants
- Myeongdong district, for dining and shopping
- Hongdae District, other popular streets for going out
- Gangnam, a world-famous southern district of Seoul
N Seoul Tower, to dominate the city
Namdaemun Market, to stroll and nibble on street food

Namdaemun Market.

I was just talking to you about the Suwon wall (Hwaseong Fortress), but you also have a wall in seoul same, which surrounded what was previously a small suburban town.

The latter is not very far from Changdeok Palace and passes next to a nice district, Hyehwa, decorated with murals (Ihwa Mural Village). This is a student district, rather trendy, which is home to Ihwajang, the residence of the first president of South Korea for the record.

If you have an interest in history, then a little visit to the demilitarized zone (DMZ), marking the separation between the two Koreas (and paradoxically the most militarized zone in the world despite this name...). The additional attraction is to go to the JSA (Joint Security Area), the border area where the armistice was signed in 1953. This agreement, still in force between North and South Korea, marked the end of the clashes, but the two countries remain technically at war.

Incheon

At first glance, it seems like it's just Seoul's neighboring city, home to the international airport. But the latter reveals some surprises. Starting with the small island of Muui, right next to the airport. Certainly not a tropical island to swim in translucent waters, otherwise you would have to change countries, but it remains a pleasant setting to get out of the city.

Then, and this is perhaps more unexpected, you have a site that is part of UNESCO's heritage. I'm talking about the Ganghwa Dolmens, another island off the coast, north of Incheon (and bordering North Korea). If you're curious (that's what we normally travel for), you can take a trip to Incheon Chinatown, but also to the recent park Central Park Songdo. A recent creation in the Incheon district of Songdo, a real artificial island with a park with an equivocal name, inspired by the famous park in New York.

Gangwon

The main attraction of this province is in the north, near the coast where the seaside town of Sokcho. I am of course talking about the big one Seoraksan National Park and its summit pointing at more than 1 m. The park offers a set of hiking trails, open views, waterfalls and lush flora/fauna. Its popularity comes in particular from its rocky ridges such as the Ulsanbawi Rock, its viewpoint at the ruins of the ancient fortress of Gwongeumseong and of course the waterways with their share of beautiful waterfalls like those of Yukdam or the Biryong falls.

Finally, as the mountains require, in autumn it is a festival of colours, particularly at the foot of the Biseondae peak, where the Cheonbuldong ValleyIn the national park, for the laziest, you will have a cable car (Seoraksan Cable Car) available to gain height.

Mount Gwonggeumseong in Seoraksan National Park

View of Mount Gwonggeumseong at Seoraksan National Park. Photo credit: Steve46814 at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA

Going down to the Donghae seaside town, you can take a break on the pretty beach of Chuam, where you can admire the cliffs to the north of the beach via the suspended pedestrian bridge. To get to this city, what better than to take the tourist train "Sea Train", offered by the national company Korail from the city of Gangneung. After this "break", you can meditate at the temple in the mountains, at Samwhasa, near which there are hiking trails and the Ssangpogpo twin waterfalls.

As you continue to go deeper into the mountains, you will be able to see some beautiful viewpoints. This is the case in Seondol, but also in Ari Hills Resort Skywalk Observatory and its view of the long U-shaped loop of the river winding between the mountains.

Close to the neighboring province of North Chungcheon, you can go to the caves Gossi. Other notable caves, the duo Hwanseongul Cave and Daegeumgul Cave, nestled in a superb valley at the foot of the Deokhangsan Mountain.

Chungcheongbuk and Chungcheongnam

Chungcheong or Hoseo cultural region is formed by two provinces distinguished by a suffix indicating North and South, roughly in the center of the country. The latter are not really on top of each other, but rather the North is in the center of the country, therefore to the East compared to the South which borders the West coast.

North Chungcheong

One of the most important sites in this province is the Beopju Temple. This complex is one of seven Buddhist mountain monasteries, called Sansa, which are listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located southeast of Cheongju, nestled in the mountainous region that encompasses the Songnisan National Park.

Between the cities of Jecheon and Yeongju, further north in the province, you will have some interesting visits centered around the Sobaeksan Mountain. You can go and see the local curiosity, rocky peaks emerging from the middle of the river (Dodamsambong Peaks), near which is located the Gosu Cave. Also not far away, you can visit the Guinsa temple, which is recent (1945) but nestled at the foot of a mountain (as is often the case in Korea, you might say) in a green setting.

South Chungcheong

This part of the province seems less interesting at first glance. But they reveal some important sites. First of all, Baekje Historical Area (Buyeo Gwanbukni Baekje Historical Site), registered in the Unesco World Heritage. Comprising eight separate sites such as the Gongsanseong Fortress and several royal tombs, it is a must-see in this region. Other UNESCO listed site, which is part of the Sansa complex, mountain temples mentioned above, the Magoksa Temple, north of Gongju.

autumn colors daedunsan provincial park - south korea

Fall colors at Daedunsan Provincial Park. Photo credit: SEUNGMIN WOO / CC BY-SA

For nature lovers, I especially remember the beautiful possible hikes, especially with the autumn colors, Daedunsan Provincial Park, south of Daejeon. I can then specify that the province is coastal. To the West, you will therefore find several beaches and coasts more or less wild and even dunes (Taean Sinduri Coastal Dune).

Daejeon

In the region is one of the metropolis with special status, which can also be seen written with its old writing style, Daejon. Its main interest lies in the Gyeryongsan Mountain, adjoining the city.

sejong

Also separated from the province itself is a new city in central South Korea a few kilometers north of Daejeon. Sejong is the result of an ambitious land-use plan launched in 2007 to create a new capital. The goal was to reduce the power imbalance between the megacity of Seoul and the southern provinces. A project that was subject to controversy and political conflict, it has since shrunk to house only a few ministries and other government institutions. Sejong became an administrative capital, inaugurated in 2012. Nothing historical as such, but the curiosity of visiting a city that emerged less than 10 years ago is the only reason for a visit here.

Gyeongsangbuk and Gyeongsangnam

The Yeongnam cultural region is the birthplace of the Silla Kingdom, a thousand-year-old kingdom that left traces making the region particularly interesting to visit.

North Gyeongsang

First of all, if you like small isolated pieces of land, you can go to theUlleung Island. Although located off the coast of Donghae (150 km from the coast), this small island (less than 10 km by 10 km on each side), is part of the province of North Gyeongsang and not of Gangwon. Dominated by the Seonginbong Mountain, which allows for some nice forest hikes, you also have at least one waterfall and viewpoints of the steep cliffs surrounding Ulleung.

Focusing back on the continent, we find two of the seven mountain temples, included in the Sansa recorded in Unesco World Heritage. There is the Buseoksa Temple, north of Yeongju and that of Bongjeongsa, northwest of Andong.

There is also one of the nine Korean Neo-Confucian academies, which are called Seowon and also listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites which I definitely write about a lot. In this province, there are four of them, Oksan-seowon, west of Pohang and the trio Dosanseowon, Byeongsan-seowon, Sosu-seowon, still around Andong.

And justly, Andong can be an interesting stop, just like we went there. If we did not visit its pedestrian bridge (Woryeonggyo Bridge), the longest bridge (387 m) of its kind in South Korea, spanning the Nakdong River, Andong served as our base for visiting the photogenic and other UNESCO-listed site, the Hahoe Folk Village. The area is also known for its folklore around traditional dances involving masks, which we witnessed in the village. Andong is also known for its local rice alcohol, Soju, which we tasted at the Andong market.

The must-see stop in North Gyeongsang is the Gyeongju city, a true open-air museum which includes several sites listed in the Unesco World Heritage. We thus find the combo Seokguram Cave and Bulguksa Temple, located close to each other, outside the city. The historic areas of Gyeongju as a whole are also included in the "properties" registered by UNESCO. They include the Joseon Dynasty royal tombs which dot the area, the former astronomical observatory of Cheomseongdae et Wolji Pond and Donggung Palace Ruins.

Near Gyeongju, to the north, is another old village, similar to Hahoe and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Yangdong "clan" village.

Just to the south is the Gyeongju National Park, which includes the Namsan Mountain (not to be confused with the hill where the N Seoul Tower is located). In addition to being a great place for hiking, you will find some remains of the Silla kingdom, mainly small stone pagodas and Buddha sculptures.

Northwest of Daegu, next to the small town of Gumi, is a local attraction, the Yagsaam temple (also spelled Yaksaam or Yaksa-am), literally clinging to the side of the mountain which is part of the Geumosan Provincial Park.

Finally, “honorable” mention for the Mungyeong City, which concentrates some interesting attractions. To the north, you have the old ramparts, and a site that was rebuilt to serve as a setting for historical TV series (at Mungyeong saejae open the set), never mind. To the south, you will have several swimming spots in the river and hiking towards the Mount Daeyasan.

South Gyeongsang

Its main attraction lies in the Jirisan National Park, home to beautiful scenery (and Asian black bears), close to the city of Jinju. With the province extending all the way down to the seaside, in the far south, you can visit Geoje Island, considered suitable for romantic getaways. Off the coast of the latter is the small island of Oedo, known for its botanical garden covering almost the entire area.

Haeinsa Temple. Theda Grimoire / CC BY-SA

It is also in this province that another of the seven Sansa temples is located, the Tongdosa, west of Ulsan. If you go west of Daegu, you have an important temple in the middle of the mountain of Gayasan National Park, Haeinsa Temple (which you can reach via the locality of Goryeong). Another notable temple if you haven't had your fill, the Tripitaka Koreana, which you can visit right away since it is located just a few hundred meters from Haeinsa. The latter being listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you like the charm of old villages, you can go to Namsa Yedamchon Village, northeast of Yeosu, close to the southern coast.

Daegu

Also spelled Taegu, it is the main city in the region, which can serve as a base for visiting the surrounding area. It is known for its tower, the E · WORLD 83 Tower, taller than the N Seoul Tower, with its 312 m. Without having to climb this tower, you can dominate the city from the Apsan Park.

Daegu is also known for its large Seomun Market, the largest traditional street market, bringing together no fewer than 4 stores.

Ulsan

Ulsan is a port city in the southeast of South Korea, overlooking the Sea of Japan. It has a few colorful streets, a large beach (Ilsan Beach) and a series of parks along the Taehwa River, including the Taehwagang National Garden. And if you like flowers, you also have the Ulsan Grand Park, at the foot of one of the hills surrounding the city. On another, you will have a viewpoint over the city, at a place called Hamwollu.

Busan

We arrive at Busan, also spelled Pusan. The famous seaside city in the southeast of South Korea. This is where we visited another site, Unesco World Heritage, the photogenic seaside temple, Haedong Yonggungsa, built in the 14th century. Its main beach, Gwangalli, sometimes brings together surfers with the Gwangwan Bridge in the background. People come to relax on its Haeundae Beach, where a sand sculpture festival takes place every year, which we were lucky enough to attend (the Busan Sands Festival is very popular in Korea).

At the Jagalchi fish market in Busan.

Close to the port and its Jagalchi fish market, there is a shopping area with street food, around BIFF square and Gukje market. And not far away is the BusanTower, yes, because Korea loves towers. Finally, one of the main attractions of Busan being Gamcheon Culture Village, a neighborhood with colorful houses built against the hills. It has become a tourist attraction by adding color to its steep streets, nice cafes and restaurants and an artistic side to the whole that make it an interesting half-day stroll.

The only visit we didn't make, due to the rotten weather, was the Taejongdae Natural Park, located at the end of Yeongdo-gu IslandIt is possible to take a walk along the cliffs, with a very beautiful view of the island.

Jeollabuk and Jeollanam

The Jeolla provinces, culturally corresponding to the Honam region, are perhaps among the most overlooked in Korea, even though they contain quite a few interesting attractions.

North Jeolla

There are several mountains for hiking enthusiasts and if you want to admire the autumn colors. The best known is the Naejangsan National Park, located halfway between Gwangju and Jeonju. Another important park, particularly appreciated in winter for its small ski resort, the Deogyusan National Park, located east of Jeonju. North of Jeonju, it is the Daedunsan Provincial Park and its suspension bridge which can offer beautiful walks.

As you can already see, many of the attractions are spread around Jeonju, which can be a good base. And in the city itself, I invite you to take a tour of the Jeonju Hanok Village, a district with traditional Korean houses in the same vein as Bukcheon in Seoul.

And this is as close to this city as you can combine nature and an interesting temple, by going to the Mount Maisan. The mountain is topped by two large rocks resembling two horses' ears. The Tapsa temple which is located in the vicinity stands out from the usual Korean temples. The latter is surrounded by stone pagodas and the small Buddhist complex is surrounded by nature, offering a unique setting.

temple tapsa pagodas stones mount maisan - south korea

Tapsa Temple at Mt Maisan. Not the best photo but had to make do, see better here. Photo credit : Steve46814 / CC BY-SA

An important historical site is located further south, in Gochang. In addition to the Gochangeupseong Fortress, an ancient fortification surrounding a small hill overlooking the small town, you will find one of the dolmen sites registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I mentioned above the one located in Incheon, you have here the Gochang Dolmen Site

South Jeolla

And since I'm talking about dolmens, here is where the 3rd site in the country is located, Hwasun Dolmen Site, in Hwasun District, south of Gwangju. While you're in this district, you can take a look at the Unjusa temple, with its many stone sculptures of Buddha, some engraved in the rock, on walls or on the ground.

If you go to the southwest corner, you can see one of the Sansa's missing from the collection, the Daeheungsa Temple, located in a mountain south of Haenam. Arriving on the coast, it is a real patchwork of islands and beaches. There is plenty to choose from. Among these, we can name Hongdo, far to the west, with its steep cliffs.

I then suggest an interesting city in this province, Suncheon, known for its bay (Suncheon Bay Nature Reserve), a wetland area suitable for bird watching and appreciated for its reed fields. In the city itself, you can visit its gardens, Suncheon Bay National Garden. If you like Korean cinema and dramas in particular, you can visit a reconstruction of a village, which served as an outdoor setting for the Suncheon Drama Filming.

Suncheon Bay. Photo credit: Illusion Pictures (FlickR)

Finally, heading into the mountains west of the city, you can see the seventh and final Sansa listed by UNESCO, the Seonamsa temple, in the heart of the Jogyesan Mountain. You will reach the complex by crossing its small stone bridge, after having taken a walk in the forest while following a stream. On the other side, there is the equally photogenic Songgwangsa Temple, near the lake.

Gwangju

Formerly the capital of South Jeolla Province, now "independent" with its status as a metropolitan city, the city itself has few attractions. One can cite the remains of the old wall to the east of the city or its lively street, 1913 Songjeong Station Market.

On the other hand, nearby you have the nature reserve next to Lake Gwangjuho, near which is located Soswaewon Gardens, a typical Korean garden from the Joseon Dynasty. Further south, you will have possible hikes at Mudeungsan National Park, known for its rock formations.

Jeju Island, a volcanic paradise

The only natural site in South Korea integrated into the Unesco World Heritage, Jeju Island is a popular island for its volcanic landscapes and wild coastlines. You can climb the highest mountain in Korea (Hallasan Mountain, culminating at 1 m), starting near the Gwaneumsa temple, you will do what is probably the most beautiful hike on the island.

Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak.

You will also have a beautiful view of the mountain on your way to the ancient crater Geomun Oreum, itself located next to the Jeju World Natural Heritage Center.

After all, mountains mean waterfalls. You can admire some beautiful falls on the island like the one in Cheonjeyeon, not to be confused with another waterfall on the island, Cheonjiyeon, or that of Jeongbang which flows directly into the sea.

By following the coast, you can observe some beautiful rock formations. This is the case in Jusangjeolli Cliffs, not far from Cheonjeyeon Falls but also on the Yongmeori Coast. If you are curious, head to the “mysterious road”, locally called Dokkaebi Road, to “defy” the laws of gravity.

Another notable natural site on the island, the Manjanggul lava tube, located inland, on the east side. It is not far from the Seongsan Sunrise Peak, an ancient crater that offers a beautiful panorama of Jeju. And to end this stay, what could be better than relaxing on the few beautiful beaches of Jeju-do like those of Geumneung Eutteumwon and Hyeopjae.

Finally, you might have the chance to meet the last "mermaids" of Korea, The Haenyo (literally women of the sea). It is a community of women who earn their living by diving into the sea, up to 10 m and holding their breath, to fish for seafood. The latter are rather old and probably in the last generation to practice this particular type of fishing.

South Korea in a nutshell

Destinations

Seoul

Sokcho

Donghae

Andong

Gyeongju

jeonju

Suncheon

Busan

Jeju

Things to see / things to do

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jongmyo Shrine, N Seoul Tower, Bukchon, Myeong-dong

Seoraksan National Park, Sinheungsa Temple, Sokcho Beach

Samhwasa, Sea Train, Chuam Beach, Ulleung Island

Hahoe Village, Bongjeongsa Temple, Dosanseowon Confucian Academy

Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Donggung Palace, Royal Tombs

Jeonju Hanok Village, Tapsa Temple, Daedunsan National Park

Seonamsa Temple, Songgwangsa, Jogyesan Mountain, Suncheon Bay and Gardens

Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Jagalchi Market, Gamcheon

Mount Hallasan, Manjanggul Cave, Seongsan Ilchulbong, Hamdeok Beach

South Korea landmarks on a map

Here is a map to locate and summarize all the destinations and places of interest in South Korea:

south korea map - places of interest to see and do

South Korea Itinerary Suggestions

South Korea is to this day relatively little visited by Westerners, there is still everything to discover if I may say so. However, there are of course, as everywhere, some must-sees, in particular sites listed as UNESCO world heritage sites, of which we will see a certain number.

In our case, with 10 full days on site, which is both short, but also a minimum to discover the whole country, we went to the essentials.

If you only have one week:

The initial idea would be to simply spend this time on Seoul. There is plenty to do just by staying in the capital, combining it with a little trip to the DMZ. It would be quite possible not to leave the capital by going to museums, hanging around here and there, but that is not really the kind of "home". So, this would give the following program, including a bit of nature:

Day 1 – Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung Temple, Jeongdong Observatory, Namdaemun
Day 2 – Hwaseong Fortress, Gangnam, Myeongdong
Day 3 – Jongmyo Shrine, Changgyeonggung Palace and its secret gardens, Bukchon Hanok Village
Day 4 – Bukhansan National Park
Day 5 – Insadong, Cheonggyecheon Stream, N Seoul Tower
Day 6 – Visit to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) / JSA (Joint Security Area), border with North Korea
Day 7 – Muuido (island next to Incheon Airport)

If you want to limit your time in the city, you can always head to the East Coast and visit the Seoraksan National Park, where there are some beautiful landscapes and waterfalls, including the superb Towangseong Falls.

Another possibility, especially if this is your second foray into the land of the morning calm, is to go to Jeju Island. It is possible to spend 4/5 days there easily. By going around its main mountain and ancient volcano, at the origin of the birth of the island, you will have some beautiful visits to appreciate the charms of the Korean landscapes.

On the two extra days, why not head to Busan and see one of the country's important cultural sites, the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.

If you have about 10 days in South Korea:

Since that's the time we had, here's our itinerary, which I'm giving you below, giving you an idea of what's possible to do in a little over a week (and less than two). A route starting logically in the capital, Seoul, up to the South coast in Busan, with a good dose of culture in between.

Day 1, 2 and 3

Arrival in Seoul
Start of visits to the main royal palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung, Namdaemun)
Seoul Tower

Day 3 and 4

Train ride to Andong
Visit to Hahoe Folk Village
Bus ride to Gyeongju

Day 5 and 6

Gyeongju's Main Historical Sites Tour
- - - Day 1: Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto
    - Day 2: Royal Tombs

Day 7 and 8

Bus ride to Busan
Sands Festival
Gamcheon District Tour
Fish market
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Return by train to Seoul

Day 9 and 10

Continuation of visits to the main sites in Seoul (Jongmyo Shrine, Changgyeonggung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village)
Gangnam District

Two weeks in South Korea

Basically, the easiest way is to combine our itinerary and add a visit to Jeju at the end of the trip. This allows you to see all the main cultural sites of the country (listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the village of Hahoe and the sites of Gyeongju), and to spend some time in the heart of nature when finishing on the island.

We can also imagine a slightly more “varied” route by taking the following route:

- - - 4 days in Seoul
    - 1 day at the DMZ
    - 2 days in Seoraksan National Park
    - 2 days in Gyeongju
    - 2 days in Busan
    - 4 days in Jeju

So yes, if you count, it's 15 days, it's never more than the almost "norm" when we talk about two weeks 😉 And you just have to adjust according to your tastes. For example, you can remove the day at the DMZ if that doesn't interest you, otherwise remove a day in Seoul or something else.

This is an itinerary that basically combines what we would have done if we had this length of travel and therefore reflects our way of traveling. Obviously there are other places to explore, as mentioned above, but I'm sticking to the rather unmissable places, based on the principle of a unique trip to Korea.

If you have a full month in South Korea:

In this time, you should have enough to go around the country. And I suggest one itinerary among others, because obviously, traveling an entire country will always take more time, but with this example, you should see the essentials.

Day 1 to 5

A few days in the capital to soak up the culture and fill your belly before heading off on a bit of an “adventure”.

- - Arrival in Seoul
  - Visit the main royal palaces
  - Seoul Tower
  - Bukchon Hanok Village
  - Hwaseong Fortress
  - Day at the DMZ

Day 6 to 9

See you in the province of Gangwondo for a first nature break with a walk in the mountains of the North-East and the beaches of the East coast.

- - Journey to Sokcho
  - Visit to Seoraksan National Park
  - Train ride with the “Sea train”
  - Stop at your choice between Gangneung, Donghae or Samcheok.

Day 10 and 13

Part of our route takes us to Andong and then the ancient capital of the Silla kingdom, Gyeongju.

- - Hahoe Village (near Andong)
  - Gyeongju's Main Historical Sites Tour

Day 14 and 15

- - Journey to Busan
  - Haeundae Beach
  - Gamcheon District Tour
  - Fish Market, Busan Tower
  - Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

16-20 Day

A break on an island is always nice, especially when the latter is nicknamed by the locals "the Hawaii of Korea".

- - Transfer to Jeju-do
  - Discovery of the main sites of the island

21-26 Day

Return to the mainland via Goheung

- - Tea plantations near Boseong
  - Suncheon Bay Nature Reserve
  - Gwangju (Mudeungsan National Park)
  - Damyang (Damyang Bamboo Park).
  - Naejangsan National Park

Day 27 and 28

Head back north through the land.

- - Jeonju Hanok Village
  - Daedun Mountain National Park

29-30 Day

Back to square one, Seoul.

- - Visit to the surrounding area (Gwangdo, Muuido)
  - Shopping

Some details about this itinerary. Regarding days 6 to 9, Donghae is interesting because it can be combined with a visit to the temple in the mountains of Samhwasa and the double waterfall not far from Ssangpogpo.

For the transfer to Jeju Island from Busan, concretely, take the ferry if you have time, or are more in agreement with the principle of slow travel, otherwise there is always the plane to save time (but not eco-friendly).

To go into a bit more detail on days 21 to 26, if you like it and have never seen it before, go to tea plantations near Boseong. For bird and nature lovers, next stop, Suncheon Reserve (Suncheon Bay Nature Reserve). Then head to Gwangju, to enjoy the mountains of Mudeungsan National Park, which are stunning in autumn. You can then head back up to Damyang, especially if you haven't seen the famous Arashiyama bamboo grove in Kyoto, because you will find a Korean version there, quite modest, at Damyang Bamboo Park.

Otherwise, instead of bamboo or in addition depending on your timing, you can visit the Naejangsan National Park, not to be missed if you travel to Korea in autumn. The leaves will be multi-colored and this mountain is particularly photogenic.

For days 27 and 28, go back up to Jeonju, where there is a "village" made up of traditional Korean dwellings (Jeonju Hanok Village). On your way to Daejeon, spend the day at Daejeon National Park. Daedun Mountain. This mountain is a classic outing spot for Koreans, especially popular with the fall colors. Daedunsan Provincial Park is also known for its suspension bridge and hikes to the summit.

For the last days, when returning to Seoul, depending on your visits at the beginning of your stay, you can complete the missing ones, if for example a palace was closed on the planned day. Otherwise, there are some great nature spots close to the city. For example, with the visit to the dolmens of Ganghwa-do Island. Alternatively, you can simply dedicate these days to Shopping, souvenir shopping by going to the Myeongdong or Hongdae Street shopping districts.

Weather / When to go to South Korea?

Climate:

South Korea is one of the regions with a temperate climate, similar to Europe. There are four seasons, but with some subtleties, due to the relief and the location of the country. Korea is characterized by two different climates, depending on whether you are in the north or the south of the country.

North : it's a continental climate. With mild or even hot summers but winters that can be harsh because they are influenced by winds from Siberia.
South : it is a humid subtropical climate. This results in heavy rains brought by the monsoon and humid heat in summer. Winter is milder on the coasts while it remains cooler inland, which is mainly mountainous.

To detail a little:

Le spring in Korea means ideal temperatures, ranging from 18° to 23°C. This is a time when, like in Japan, you can see many cherry blossoms (around the beginning of April). You might also attend festivals, like the one we saw in Busan, the Sands Festival, or religious festivals, like the beautiful lantern festival in May, celebrating Buddha's birthday. On the other hand, you should expect the rain to return to the East Coast from May onwards.

THEsummer is a period bringing more tropical heat, therefore heavy (up to 30°C and more), due to a high humidity rate (similar to Thailand). It is also the rainy season, called jangma in Korea, which involves heavy rainfall with sometimes typhoons hitting the southern coasts.

THEfall is the preferred season for Koreans to visit their country. Temperatures remain quite mild (between 10° and 20°C), rains are rarer and above all the trees are adorned with multiple colors before separating their leaves. It is at this time, towards the end of September or the beginning of October (depending on the year) that the harvest festival, “Chuseok”, takes place. It is one of the most important traditional Korean festivals.

THEwinter can be harsh in South Korea. Unless you are a snow fan or on a world tour of ski resorts, it is unlikely that you will go to Korea at this time of year. The sky will certainly be clear but at the cost of very dry air making the temperatures sometimes freezing.

beautiful blue sky seoul - south korea climate — Beautiful blue sky in Seoul.

rainy weather and wind busan - south korea climate — Bad weather (one day) in Busan.

When is the best time to visit South Korea?

It is generally considered that spring and autumn offer the best conditions for visiting this country.

This is the one we were in to do our trip (after mid-May). The weather was good in Seoul and throughout the trip, with pleasant temperatures, neither too cool nor too hot overall. As mentioned, we were in Busan at the end of the trip, so further into the month of May. The fact of having had rain at this season is indeed possible on the East coast. In our case, it didn't affect us too much fortunately since it was only on one day out of our two days in Busan.

Le spring, it's the flowering season, maybe a bit less popular than in Japan but there are also some beautiful spots to appreciate the cherry blossoms.

Concerning I'fall, it is the magic of the change of vegetation. The mountains then become multi-colored, yellow, red, orange, brown and green intertwine as if to enjoy a last "miracle" of nature before hibernating for the harsh winter.

Small clarification, towards the end of September or beginning of October (depending on the year) takes place the harvest festival, “Chuseok”. It is one of the most important traditional Korean festivals. A bit like Songkran in Thailand (also linked to agriculture), it is an important holiday period where many locals leave the city to join their families. The disadvantage is to find more closed shops and empty cities (this may seem good, but it also gives a less “lively” aspect).

So if I summarize, the best times to visit South Korea are the following months:

- - April and May : to see the cherry blossoms, enjoy generally sunny and pleasant weather
  - September and October : to avoid the rainy season and keep the benefits, a little warmth and beautiful colors

The period to avoid is from June to August due to possible cyclones and periods of more intense rain depending on the region.

Seoul

Forecasts :

SEOUL Weather

Conditions:

Jan.

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Mars

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May

June

Jul.

August

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Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Seoul

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	2	5	10	18	23	27	29	30	26	20	12	4
T°C Min	-6	-3	2	8	13	18	22	22	17	10	3	-3

Average monthly precipitation in Seoul

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	7	6	7	8	9	10	16	15	9	6	9	7
Sun**	5	6	6	7	7	6	4	5	6	6	5	5

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Cheongju

Forecasts :

CHEONGJU Weather

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Cheongju

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	3	6	12	20	24	28	30	31	26	21	13	6
T°C Min	-7	-5	0	6	12	18	22	22	16	8	2	-4

Average monthly rainfall in Cheongju

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	8	7	9	8	9	10	16	14	9	6	9	9
Sun**	5	6	6	7	8	7	5	6	6	7	5	5

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Gwangju

Forecasts :

GWANGJU Weather

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Gwangju

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	5	8	13	20	24	27	30	31	27	22	15	8
T°C Min	-3	-2	2	8	13	18	23	23	18	11	5	-1

Average monthly rainfall in Gwangju

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	11	9	10	9	9	11	16	15	10	7	9	10
Sun**	5	6	6	7	7	6	5	6	6	7	6	5

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Suncheon

Forecasts :

SUNCHEON Weather

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Suncheon

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	6	8	14	20	25	28	30	31	27	22	15	9
T°C Min	-5	-4	0	5	11	16	21	21	16	8	2	-4

Average monthly rainfall in Suncheon

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	8	8	9	9	9	10	15	14	9	6	8	8
Sun**	5	6	6	7	7	5	4	5	5	6	5	5

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Sokcho

Forecasts :

SOKCHO Weather

Conditions:

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Mars

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August

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Sokcho

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	4	5	10	16	20	23	26	27	24	19	13	7
T°C Min	-4	-2	2	7	12	16	20	21	16	11	5	-1

Average monthly rainfall in Sokcho

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	6	7	9	8	9	11	16	15	11	7	8	5
Sun**	6	6	6	7	7	5	4	5	5	6	6	6

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Donghae

Forecasts :

DONGHAE Weather

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Donghae

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	5	7	11	17	21	23	26	27	24	20	14	8
T°C Min	-3	-2	2	7	12	16	20	21	16	10	5	-1

Average monthly rainfall in Donghae

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	6	6	9	7	9	11	14	15	12	8	7	4
Sun**	6	6	6	7	7	6	5	5	5	6	6	6

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Andong

Forecasts :

ANDONG Weather

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Andong

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	4	6	12	19	24	27	29	30	26	20	13	6
T°C Min	-7	-5	-1	5	11	16	21	21	15	8	1	-5

Average monthly rainfall in Andong

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	5	6	7	8	9	10	14	13	9	6	6	5
Sun**	6	7	7	7	7	6	5	5	5	6	6	6

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Gyeongju

Forecasts :

GYEONGJU Weather

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Gyeongju

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	6	7	12	18	23	25	29	30	25	21	15	9
T°C Min	-3	-2	2	8	13	17	21	22	17	11	5	-1

Average monthly rainfall in Gyeongju

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	5	7	7	9	8	10	13	11	10	7	6	4
Sun**	6	6	7	7	8	7	6	7	6	6	6	6

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Busan

Forecasts :

BUSAN Weather

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Busan

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	8	10	13	18	22	24	27	29	26	22	16	11
T°C Min	-1	1	5	10	14	18	22	23	19	14	8	2

Average monthly rainfall in Busan

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	5	6	8	9	9	10	14	11	9	5	5	4
Sun**	6	7	6	7	7	6	5	7	6	7	6	7

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Jeju

Forecasts :

JEJU Weather

Conditions:

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Jeju

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	8	9	13	17	22	25	29	30	26	21	16	11
T°C Min	3	4	6	10	14	19	23	24	20	15	10	5

Average monthly rainfall in Jeju

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	13	10	11	10	10	11	12	14	11	7	9	11
Sun**	2	4	5	7	7	6	6	6	5	6	4	3

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

What budget for South Korea?

Currency in Korea: the South Korean won, which is transcribed like this ￦ has been in use since 1962. The latter had briefly been replaced between 1953 and 1962 by the hwan, following significant inflation, not stemmed by the change of currency. The term Won, is similar to the Chinese Yuan or the Japanese Yen, originally written with the same character which simply means "round".

The banknotes and coins currently in circulation in South Korea are as follows:

notes: 1, 000, 5 and 000 ￦
coins: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 ￦

The division of notes and coins is similar to that of Japan despite a ratio of 10 (1 ￦ = 10 ￥). By rounding, tell yourself that a 1 ￦ coin corresponds to 1/1250th of a euro… Suffice to say that similarly in Japan, it is difficult to know what to do with the small change that accumulates… The values of the other coins range up to a little less than €0,4 for the 500 ￦ coin.

It is easy to understand why the value of the notes issued by the Bank of Korea climbs to 50 ￦, which are ultimately not even worth €40 (€37 in 2020). It's not easy with this report to simplify the mental calculation and find your way around the amounts displayed. But to get as close as possible, you must first not "take into account" the three zeros. To get closer to the value in euros, subtract 25 % to this figure. This remains quite easy since it corresponds to 1/4 less of your starting value.

An example, you see something at 75 ￦ (yes, that seems like a lot, huh!), so that makes 75-25%, or 75-75/4 (or 18,75) = €56,25.

Hotels / Accommodations

Overall, hotels are quite expensive, as in North Asia and similar to Japan although proportionally lower. Below, I summarize the price range found in South Korea:

SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE:

- - For guesthouses, in dormitories, expect to pay around 9 to 000 ￦ (15-000 €) if you are alone.
  - For hotels with single rooms and private bathrooms, expect to pay at least 30-000 ￦ (60-000 €)
  - For a more cosy range, it varies greatly, since it goes from 60 to 000 ￦ (120-000 €)
  - To have a luxury hotel, it goes up to 150-000 ￦ (250-000 €)

Meals / drinks

Korean food has the merit of being rather cheap, even if I criticize it for sometimes not being filling enough (but it depends on the dishes and restaurants obviously). For a more substantial meal, we quickly arrive at prices similar to those in Europe.

SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE:

- - A bottle of water (0.5 litre) costs on average 800 ￦ (0,6 €)
  - A basic meal costs on average 8 ￦ (€000) per person
  - For a slightly more elaborate meal, expect to pay 20-25 ￦ (000-15 €) per person.
  - Coffee: 4 ￦ (3 €)
  - A 0,5 litre local beer – 4 ￦ (€000)

Transport

Transportation is definitely cheap compared to neighboring Japan. At least locally, city buses, subways, and even taxis are surprisingly cheap in Korea.

The most expensive thing was the train ride back from Busan to Seoul, the longest distance covered in one go. Using the famous Korean fast train, the KTX, the prices are immediately higher than by bus, even if it remains reasonable given the service and the time spent. What we didn't have to do, but also turns out to be quite expensive, is to rent a car, which here, oddly enough, is more expensive than in Japan, from the test I did out of curiosity.

SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE:

- - Car rental: expect 70 ￦ / day (000 €)
  - Gasoline: around 1 ￦ / liter (€550)
  - Bus: for intermediate journeys, expect to pay 10 ￦ (000 €) per person
  - For city buses and metro (local routes), on average 1 ￦ per trip (300 €)
  - Taxi: depending on distance, 7 to 700 ￦ (12 to 000 € for around 6 to 8 km)
  - Train journey, example Busan – Seoul, 56 ￦ (000 €) per person
  - Korail Pass: 121 to 000 ￦ (210 to 000 €) for 89 to 155 days

Small budget
^€ 35
jour
30 € for 2

10 € per person

4 € per person

6 € per person

Medium budget
^€ 59
jour
50 € for 2

18 € per person

8 € per person

8 € per person

Comfortable budget
^€ 110
jour
90 € for 2

35 € per person

12 € per person

18 € per person

Minimum daily budget suggestion / person - 47 € (Note: budget for a low-mid-range budget holiday, not really "backpacker", but to have a minimum of fun. Hotels in guesthouses or even 2* hotels, possibly 3* if on sale, in single rooms. Meals mainly in simple restaurants but a few small pleasures and use of public transport in the majority. Paid visits without overdoing it and not necessarily every day).

Articles about South Korea

My articles about my stay in South Korea.

13/04/2024

South Korea

Seoul in 4 days: itinerary to explore the essentials
Seoul, Travel to South Korea

Planning a trip to Seoul and wondering what's interesting to do and see there? Find out how we divided up our 4 days of exploring the Korean capital. This destination came as a

Roman
20/03/2024

South Korea

Two days in Busan in the middle of the Haeundae Sand Festival
Busan, Travel to South Korea

Sometimes, chance does things right, and our visit to Busan coincided with the famous Haeundae Sand Festival, which takes place on the city's eponymous beach. Two days to explore Busan is not enough, especially

Roman
15/03/2024

South Korea

Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan: a colorful neighborhood
Busan, Travel to South Korea

If we still had two days to spend in Seoul before returning to Thailand, Busan marked the last stop as such for this trip from the north to the south of South Korea. And what could be better

Roman
22/03/2023

South Korea

Visit Gyeongju: 2 days to explore this open-air museum
Gyeongju, Travel to South Korea

After our stop in Andong to see the historic village of Hahoe, we disembarked in Gyeongju, our penultimate stop before Busan, which completed our crossing of South Korea. Gyeongju is nearly 1 years of history concentrated in a

Roman
12/03/2023

South Korea

Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju
Gyeongju, Travel to South Korea

Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple are two joint UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in the ancient city of Gyeongju. This city is one of the cradles of Korean culture, since it is the starting point of the

Roman
31/07/2022

South Korea

Hahoe: Immersion in a folk village of the Joseon era
Andong, hahoe, Travel to South Korea

Roman

Any opinions, suggestions? Leave me a comment!

South Korea Asia Country Guide

Roman

16/07/2020

Romain B.

When I discovered Thailand in 2006, I certainly didn't expect to settle down there 2 years later! Since then, I've been based in Bangkok and I regularly travel throughout Asia. I share my stories, photos, advice on expat life in Thailand and on Asian countries, for those who want to discover the land of smiles, who are looking for a bit of adventure and those who dream of Asia (or those who just want to dream ;-)

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