South Korea Travel Guide Page

Intro

This travel guide page is dedicated to all things travel in South Korea! It is meant to give you an overview of what’s important when it comes to planning your trip to South Korea and provide links to all our South Korea posts, which is where you will find way more detailed information on various topics and specific destinations. Let’s get travel-planning!

South Korea or Republic of Korea (대한민국) is a country in East Asia that is located on the southern part of the Korean peninsula, bordering the Yellow Sea as well as the East Sea (or Sea of Japan depending on which country you ask). The name Korea was derived from the historical kingdom of Goryeo, however the exact pronunciation ‘Korea’ actually came from visiting merchants. South Korea has a really interesting history and beautiful culture, which make it an exciting country to visit and learn more about!

Today Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, is the forth most populous city in the world. Also in recent years Korean pop culture has started to become more and more popular all around the world.

We spend 6 weeks in South Korea, exploring some major cities such as Seoul and Busan, as well as some smaller towns, national parks and the famous “Hawaii of Korea” – Jeju Island!

Map of places covered in this South Korea Travel Guide
🇰🇷 South Korea at a glance:

📌 Where? East Asia
💬 Language: Korean
🌥️ Climate: Temperate Climate
💱 Currency: Korean Won(₩)
💰 Budget: middle

South Korea FAQ’s

The best time to travel to South Korea is generally either during spring or autumn as temperatures are mildest during these seasons. During the summer months it gets really hot and during winter pretty cold!

Apart from Jeju island, where renting a car does make sense, we would say no, you don’t need a rental car to travel South Korea. You can travel South Korea pretty comfortably via public transport! Especially the South Korean bus system is very efficient and will probably get you anywhere you want to go.

The currency used in South Korea is the Korean Won (₩).

South Korea uses the plug type C or F, which is the same one as in Continental Europe. The voltage is typically 220 V.

We spent six weeks in South Korea without knowing any Korean apart from a few words we learned through a language App and we survived! So yes you can definitely travel around South Korea without knowing Korean. Be aware though that a lot of shop and restaurant owners as well as bus and taxi drivers etc. do not speak English. And this is not only the case in the countryside, but in major cities such as Seoul and Busan as well.

Sunset over Seoul view from the cable car up to Seoul Tower.
Huge entry gate to enter Gyeongbokgung Palace an old Palace complex in Seoul.
A couple taking a photoshoot while wearing tradional korean clothes named hanbok.
View over the cliffs and the ocean from a little hill on the Igidae Coastal Walk near Busan.
Girl walking on astreet with the Busan Sky Capsule driving on rails above her head.
A temple complex near cliffs and the ocean on the left side and build into more of a forest on the right side.
girl standing on handam coastal walk and looking at the sea
view from above on crater lake of Mt. Hallasan
Night view from Seoul Tower in Seoul over the whole city.

Most Popular Posts

How to spend 3-4 epic days in Busan (Itinerary)

Ultimate 14-Day South Korea Itinerary: Explore Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island!

20 Amazing Free Things to Do in Seoul

What to know before you go

Getting to South Korea

South Korea is located on a peninsula. However, since land travel is blocked to the north, South Korea can essentially be considered an island in terms of possible ways to get there. Most likely, you are going to fly to South Korea.

✈️ Flying to South Korea

If you are travelling to South Korea from further overseas, you will most likely fly to Seoul, more precisely:

  • Seoul Incheon Airport.

If you are travelling to South Korea from more close-by (e.g. mainland China, Japan or Taiwan), you might also find direct flights to Jeju or Busan:

  • Jeju International Airport.
  • Gimhae Internation Airport (Busan).
Map showing the most common points of entry for tourists travelling to South Korea
Map of the most common points of entry for tourists travelling South Korea.

South Korea Itineraries

South Korea Planning Resources

How To Get Around South Korea

South Korea Regional Guides

In this section you will find all of our South Korea guides grouped by province! Featured cities and provinces can be found in our South Korea overview map at the top of this page!

BUSAN

GANGWON (e.g. Seoraksan NP)

JEJU ISLAND

JEOLLABUK-DO (e.g. Jeonju)

SEOUL


THE MIGRATORY BIRDS

We are Florence and Andy, the faces behind The Migratory Birds!

On this blog we share our experiences, but also focus a lot on travel planning as well as destination guides. With our posts, we aim to give you inspiration for your own travels and provide the tools you need to plan your own trips.

MORE ABOUT US

Note: This page may contain affiliate links. By interacting with these links, you can support us and our website at no extra cost to you🍀! Our affiliate links are marked by an *, so you can recognise them in advance. For more information, read our Disclaimer.