Korea For The First Timer

BY HALLIE BRADLEY · PUBLISHED JANUARY 3, 2020 · UPDATED OCTOBER 11, 2020

Seoul, Korea is huge and has gained a ton of attention in the past decade for not only a
beautiful culture but also the Hallyu wave that has swept over the world. When you begin to
plan your trip to the capital city of Korea it can seem overwhelming and you may not know
where to begin. While I’m known for promoting the off the beaten path spots in and around
Seoul and promoting new hot spots to check out, I wanted to create an essential guide for
the first time visitor to this busy and fun capital of Korea. Having lived here since 2006 when
I first came as an English teacher, you can be assured, this is THE guide to read before you
get here. Whether or not it’s your first time to Korea though, read through it and make sure
you’ve seen everything there is to see. From Seoul’s quirky cafes to the best spots to get
gorgeous views. it’s all here. Make your time in Seoul, Korea the best it can be!
This is a massive travel guide with all of the information you need for any trip to Seoul, Korea.
Because it’s so long, definitely feel free to skip around. Here is what you’ll find in this post:
 What To do To Prepare For Your Trip To Seoul
 Is It Safe To Travel In South Korea?
 What To Know About Money & ATMs In Seoul
 Which Is The Best Area To Stay In Seoul?
 What Is The Best Time To Visit Korea?
 General Travel Tips For Korea
 The Top Things You Must See & Do In Seoul
  To Join A Tour Or Not To Join A Tour
 Where To Get Out Of Seoul For A Day Trip
 Want To Get Off The Beaten Path In & Around Seoul?
 Places To Take Trips From Seoul
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What To Do To Prepare For Your Trip To Seoul

Are you traveling to Seoul soon? Here are some things to help you prepare for the trip:

Buy Your Plane Ticket: You can get some great deals on flights to Seoul, Korea. If you
haven’t tried, check Skyscanner.com for the best rates.
Get a Visa: Many people can come in easily and get a tourist visa but be sure to check that
you have what you need from your home country to come in to Korea and get a visa.
Get Travel Insurance: Make sure to prepare travel insurance. We always use World
Nomads for our trips. It’s always better to be safe rather than sorry. There have been cases
where people have been hospitalized while traveling through Korea and they were NOT
allowed to leave until they could post a substantial amount of money. This circulates
through the expat groups here as they try to figure out what to do and inevitably we tell
them to get in touch with family and friends if possible as they will NOT be allowed to leave
the country until they get the bills straightened out. Do NOT be one of those people. Get
travel insurance for your trip.
Study Korean: 90 Day Languages has a great course on Korean and offers a lot of help if
you’re interested in preparing before you come. A little goes a long way here and it actually
only takes about an hour to learn how to read Hangul… no joke!
Plan Your Airport Transfer: There are numerous ways to transfer from Incheon International
Airport outside of the city into the city of Seoul from the subway/train and bus to taxis. To be
honest, we almost always opt for the private transfer. It’s fast and easy and we don’t have to
worry about dragging our bags this way and that and up and down escalators. TaDa is a
great company that provides transfers as well as rides within the city. Book your transfer in
advance to make the trip smooth and easy.
Get Good Hard Case Luggage: Packing all of the essentials is good only if they get to the
other side with you. Make sure to have good luggage to get you and your belongings all the
way. Roam Luggage has awesome customizable bags that will go the distance and look
super cool on the way.
International Driver’s License: To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend driving in Seoul if it’s
your first time to this massive city. BUT, if you plan to and will rent a car while you’re here,
then remember to bring your International Driver’s License. I highly recommend renting a
car if you’ll be headed to Jeju Island or anywhere aside from Seoul and Busan because it’s
much easier to get around that way in those cases.
T-Money Card/Discover Seoul Pass/Hop On & Hop Off Bus: To get around using the
subways or buses or other public transportation options, you’ll need to get a T-Money card.
This card allows you to put money on it and scan it at the turnstiles in subways and when
you’re getting on and off buses and even works in taxis. HOWEVER, if you’ll be doing a lot
of touristy things and visiting the touristy sites, then you might be better off getting the
Discover Seoul Pass. This pass comes with a variety of perks like access to Hanbok
rentals, palaces, view points and other major attractions AND it also works as a T-Money
card. SO, if you’ll be touristy, grab the Discover Seoul Pass to get out and about. But do know
how to use it. Here is a guide and itineraries for using the Discover Seoul Pass to the max.
There’s also a great Hop On/ Hop Off Tour Bus option here in Seoul you can use too. You
can buy that here.
Korea Rail Pass: If you want to get out of Seoul and plan to use the train more than twice,
then the Korea Rail Pass is the economical/budget choice you want to have on hand. You
can get back and forth between the popular Nami Island nearby the city or go as far
as Andong or even Busan. The train line is the limits. Grab the card here and just head to the
station with your confirmation and it’s as easy as that.
Wifi Eggs/Sim Cards: While there is great WiFi in many places around Seoul and Korea,
nothing beats having your own Wifi Egg so there’s no lag in connection. You can reserve
both WiFi eggs and Sim Cards via Klook so they’re ready and waiting for you when you fly
into either Incheon International Airport or into Busan International Airport.
Download Some Useful Apps: The Seoul subway system is super efficient and you can ride it
for two hours or more, not pay an arm and a leg, and see a ton. Make sure to download the
subway app to know where to go the easiest. The app even tells you which subway car to
stand on when. On the note of apps, do note that Google Maps is horrible when it comes to
Korea and will be more difficulty than it’s worth. Another map app that you’ll find useful is
Kakao Maps which can be used in both Korean and English. Kakao also has Kakao Taxi
which is the best option should you want to get around using local taxis.
Pack The Right Clothes: Seoul has four distinct seasons. The summer is hot hot hot and the
winter is cold cold cold! Be prepared. Check out this post for what to pack when you come to
Korea. You’ll want to have everything from a fine dust mask to good walking shoes for the
best trip you can have in Korea.
Get Your TEFL: This is less for travelers than it is for the soon to be teachers. There are a
lot of teaching positions available in Korea so to make yourself stand out, definitely make
sure you get your TEFL before you come… though you can also get it online once you
come too!