South Korea - How to get there / Get In

The nationals of 109 countries and territories, including all the usual suspects, will receive a visa on arrival valid for 30 to 90 days. Rules for visiting only Jeju are even more lenient, allowing in everybody except citizens of 11 countries. See the the Hi Korea web-site[2] for the latest details. Don't overstay, even by a single day — this incurs heavy fines and possible jail time, and you'll probably be banned from re-entering.

By plane

South Korea has 8 international airports: Cheongju, Daegu, Gimhae (Busan), Gimpo, Gwangju, Incheon (Seoul), Jeju and Yangyang. The largest is Incheon International, located approximately 45 minutes west of Seoul. This is arguably the best run and best designed airport in the world - a pleasure to use. Among the others, only Gimhae (Busan) and Jeju field significant numbers of international flights, links from the rest being limited to nearby major Japanese and Chinese cities.

Korean Air and Asiana are the principal carriers to and from South Korea.

United Airlines and Northwest Airlines serve Seoul Incheon (ICN), principally through their connecting hub in Tokyo Narita (NRT).

Also, United Airlines flies non-stop to Seoul from San Francisco and Delta operates a non-stop flight from Atlanta.

Northwest also flies from Busan to North America via Tokyo.

By train

Travel from North Korea (and hence anywhere else in Asia) to South Korea by train remains impossible in practice. There have been a few test runs on the newly rebuilt railroad connecting the two, but it will likely remain more of a political statement than travel option for some time to come. However, for travelers coming from or continuing on to Japan, special through tickets are available, giving discounts of 30% on KTX services and 9-30% on Busan-Fukuoka ferries as well as Japanese trains.

By boat

There are fairly frequent ferry connections from Busan to Japan. JR's Beetle hydrofoil service from Busan to Fukuoka manages the trip in just under three hours with up to five connections a day, but all other links are overnight slow ferries, such as Pukwan Ferry Company's services to Shimonoseki from cost from $US60 (one-way). A Busan-Osaka ferry is operated by Panstar Line Co., Ltd. [3].

Towards China, there are ferry links between Incheon and Weihai, Qingdao and Tianjin in China. The largest operator is Jinchon [4], but Incheon Port has full listings on their website [5]. These ferries are similar to miniature cruise lines and are complete with karaoke rooms, Playstation games (for a fee), DVD rentals (private rooms only), and a nightly grill on the back deck. Inside, accommodations are a hit and miss. If you have an economy ticket, which will set you back approximately €180 (roundtrip), you can request a sleeper bunk where you have a considerable amount of privacy. If these are all taken however, the other option for an economy ticket is the sleeping deck where everyone who is crammed on the floor like sardines in a can. To avoid being relegated to the sardine room, get to the terminal early, 2 or 3 hours should be sufficient. This is definitely worth it as the ferry can take as much as 24 hours depending where you go. To make the most of this ferry ride, take a good book, work, and/or a laptop to pass the time.

There are also weekly departures from Sokcho (Gangwon-do) to Vladivostok from $US270 operated by Dong Chun Ferry Co. Ltd. [6].

By land

Due both to its location at the end of the Korean peninsula and the political situation with North Korea, entering South Korea overland is practically not possible. The border between North and South Korea is considered the most heavily fortified border in the world, and while some crossings have occurred at the truce village of Panmunjeom, one of the cases (a Soviet defector in 1984) was shot at by both sides and, although he survived, you might not be so lucky. In the 80's and the early 90's most of those who crossed the border either way would be arrested and prosecuted for reasons mostly referred to as 'threatening national security'. These days it is possible to do limited trips into North Korea from the South (see details under North Korea), but not vice versa.

South Korea Temple Stay

Jogye, Korea's largest Buddhist sect, runs a popular Temple Stay program where visitors get to spend 24 hours living at a Buddhist temple. Korean ability helps but is not necessary at some temples, but you will be expected to work at the temple and get up at 3 or 4 AM to participate in morning prayer. In exchange for three meals and a basic bed for the night, a "donation" of W50,000-80,000 is expected. Reservations are necessary and can be made at the Temple Stay site or via Korea Travel Phone, tel. +82-2-1330.

South Korea Jjimjilbang

For the budget traveller public bath houses known as jjimjilbang can offer a great way to sleep. Entrance costs around W5000 to get in, and includes a robe to wear. Inside there are public baths, a restaurant, computer lab, a room with movies, and places to sleep, although this often means little more than a quiet, warm room with maybe some wooden blocks to rest your head on. These places are more often meant for families coming in for a day and as such are not perfectly catered to travelers. When you leave you have to take everything with you, and pay to get back in. There is no secure place to leave your things except a single locker. Aside from these drawbacks, jjimjilbang offer a very relaxing place to sleep and bathe.

South Korea Homestay

Very similar in concept to a Minbak, these aren't limited to just rural areas or near national parks. Since the World Cup in 2002, many families around the country have opened their doors and hearts to foreigners looking for a good place to sleep and a breakfast included in the price. These can run between 30,000 and 35,000 won per night based on the website booking agency you use (there are several).

South Korea Minbak

In rural areas in and near national parks, you can find a minbak. Most of these are just a room or two in someone's home - others are quite fancy and may be similar to yeogwans (motels) or hotels. Generally, they have ondol rooms with maybe a TV and that's about it. You don't usually get your own bathroom in your room, although some of the fancier ones do have an en suite. Minbaks usually run around 20,000 won off-season though the price may go up quite a bit during high season.

South Korea Hotels

Full-service hotels can be found in all larger towns in Korea. Cheaper hotels blend into motels with rooms from W40,000, while three-four star hotels are closer to W100,000 and five-star luxury hotels can easily top W200,000. Outside peak season you can often get steep discounts from the rack rates, so be sure to ask when reserving.

South Korea Motels

Some of the cheapest accommodation in South Korea are in what are locally termed motels or yeogwan, but these are rather different from motels in the West and closer to Japan's "love hotels". Motels in South Korea are generally very cheap hotels targeted at young couples aiming to spend 'time' together away from their elders, complete with plastic beds, occasionally vibrating, with strategically placed mirrors on the ceiling, as well as a VCR and a variety of appropriate videos. However for the budget traveller, they can simply be inexpensive lodging, with rates as low as W25,000/night. Gaudy architecture, particularly near stations or highway exits. These are also popular with single female travellers.

In some motels picking your room is very easy, as there will be room numbers, lit pictures and prices on the wall. The lower price is for a "rest" of a few hours, while the higher price is the overnight rate. Press the button for the one you like, which will go dark, and proceed to check-in. You'll usually be expected to pay in advance, often to just a pair of hands behind a frosted glass window. English is rarely spoken, but the only word you need to know is sukbak (overnight). You may or may not receive a key, but even if you don't, the staff can usually let you in and out on request — just don't lose your receipt!

South Korea Map

Map of South Korea

hotels websites of South Korea

Here are some of the hotels websites of South Korea

• Busan Guest House - backpacker's abode, located in Gwangalli Beach.


• Central Hotel - business hotel.


• Crowne Plaza - offers restaurants, fitness centre, and conference facilities.


• Cyber Tour & Culture in Daegu City - offering history, tourist attractions, culture and festival information, and hotel services.


• Grand Hyatt Seoul - hotel is located at the foot of Nam San Hill, 10 minutes to downtown and Itaewon shopping district.


• Grand InterContinental Seoul - features meeting facilities, restaurants, fitness club, and Clarins Institute.


• GT Hotel International - includes searchable database of accommodations in Japan and South Korea. Also offers limousine, Keisei line, and Skyliner timetables.


• Guest House Sinavrow - offers affordable accommodations for backpackers visiting Korea.


• Han Suites Serviced Residences - offers luxury serviced apartments in Central Seoul close to the major financial districts of Sogongno and Toegyeno.


• Hanbee Homestay - provides housing for foreign students and travellers.


• Homestay Korea - matches visitors with families for short and long term placements.


• Hotel Amiga


• Hotel Crystal - located in downtown, facilities include banquet rooms, a business centre, a sauna, and turkish bath. Newly refurbished 1998.


• Hotel Hyundai - offering rooms and suites with reataurants, banquet facilities, and business centres.


• Hotel Kukje - featuring a wedding hall, business centre, restaurant, and Internet access.


• Hotel Lotte - luxurious 5 star chain hotels with locations in Seoul, Pusan, Taedok And Cheju in Korea. Information about guest rooms, banquets, restaurants and special facilities.


• Hotel M-Village - online reservations with golf and Mt. Kumo cultural journeys.


• Hotel Queen - offering online reservations, free pick-up and drop-off service for Incheon International Airport, and more.


• Hotel Shilla - business hotel with office, conference, and Internet facilities.


• Hotel Sorabol - offers rooms and suites with restaurants, business and fitness centre.

south korea hotels

information and reservation sites for south korea hotels.