South Korea Travel Guide

Travel guide · By Frank Adam Burns · Updated 5 September 2026

South Korea went from stopover to destination in five years. This guide is the foundation: where to go, when, what it costs, how the trains and apps work, what to eat, how to behave at the table, and how we turn it into one booking.

South Korea has gone from stopover to destination faster than any country in Asia. Ten years ago Australians changed planes at Incheon on the way to Europe; now they fly direct from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne for a fortnight of Seoul, Busan and Jeju, drawn by a food culture that arrived through television before anyone booked a ticket, by a won that has been kind to the Australian dollar, and by a country that turns out to be as easy to travel in as Japan and noticeably cheaper. This guide is the practical foundation: what the country is like, where to go, when, what it costs, how to get around, what to eat, and how we build a Korean itinerary from Brisbane.

South Korea at a glance

Where to go

Seoul

A city of ten million that functions with a precision Sydney would envy, built on both banks of the Han River and surrounded by granite mountains you can hike before breakfast. The five Joseon palaces — Gyeongbokgung is the great one, Changdeokgung the beautiful one with its Secret Garden — sit in the old north of the city near the hanok village of Bukchon and the galleries and tea houses of Insadong and Samcheong-dong. Myeongdong is the cosmetics-and-street-food crush; Hongdae the student nightlife; Itaewon the international quarter; Gangnam the glass towers south of the river, with COEX and the Bongeunsa temple facing each other across a road. Namsan tower for the view, Gwangjang Market for the bindaetteok pancakes and mayak gimbap, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza for the architecture and the all-night fashion markets, and the DMZ ninety minutes north for the strangest day trip in Asia. Four nights is the minimum; a week is not too many.

Busan

Korea’s second city and its beach town, two hours fifteen minutes from Seoul by KTX high-speed rail. Haeundae and Gwangalli beaches with the bridge lit at night, the Jagalchi fish market where you pick your dinner from the tank, Gamcheon Culture Village’s painted houses on the hillside, the Haedong Yonggungsa temple on the rocks above the sea, and a street-food scene (ssiat hotteok, eomuk fish cake) that Busan people will tell you beats Seoul’s. Two or three nights. The Busan International Film Festival in early October fills the city.

Gyeongju

The capital of the Silla kingdom for a thousand years and the historic counterweight to modern Korea: royal burial mounds like green hills in the middle of town, the Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram grotto Buddha in the hills, the Cheomseongdae observatory from the seventh century, Anapji pond at night, and the Gyeongju National Museum. Thirty minutes from Busan by KTX. One or two nights; it is the place older travellers and history-minded ones rank first.

Jeju Island

Korea’s holiday island, an hour by air from Seoul on the world’s busiest air route, and a UNESCO World Heritage volcanic landscape: Hallasan, the country’s highest mountain, at the centre; the Seongsan Ilchulbong sunrise crater on the east coast; lava tubes; the Olle walking trails around the coast; black-sand beaches, tangerine groves and the haenyeo women divers who still free-dive for abalone into their seventies. A car is genuinely useful here. Three nights, and best in spring and autumn.

Elsewhere

Jeonju, three hours south of Seoul, for the hanok village and the bibimbap it invented. Andong for the Hahoe folk village and the mask dance. Sokcho and Seoraksan on the east coast for the country’s best mountain hiking and autumn colour. Suwon for the Hwaseong fortress walls, a day trip from Seoul. Gangneung for the beaches and coffee street. Daegu and Gwangju for food and a Korea with no tourists in it. And the DMZ — Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area when it is open, the Third Tunnel and the Dora Observatory when it is not — which requires a guided tour booked ahead and a passport on the day.

When to go

Korea has four sharp seasons and two of them are the answer. Spring (April to May) brings cherry blossom in the first week of April (Jinhae near Busan has the country’s biggest festival, Seoul’s Yeouido park the capital’s), then azaleas and warm, dry days of 15–24°C. Autumn (late September to early November) is the best season of all: clear skies, 12–22°C, ginkgo trees turning Seoul’s streets gold in late October, maples in Seoraksan and the palace grounds in early November, and the Chuseok harvest holiday in September or October, when the country travels for three days. Summer (June to August) is the monsoon — the jangma rains through late June and July, then 30°C-plus humidity into August, with typhoon risk to September; Busan and Jeju are the summer escapes and the beaches are full. Winter (December to February) is cold and dry, regularly below zero in Seoul, with skiing at Pyeongchang and Yongpyong two hours east, the Hwacheon ice-fishing festival in January, and the cheapest flights and hotels of the year; the cities are clear, bright and perfectly workable with a coat.

For Australians, the late-September school holidays land in the best fortnight of the Korean year, and the April holidays catch the blossom. December–January suits skiers and bargain-hunters and nobody else.

Entry requirements

Australian passport holders enter South Korea visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism or business meetings. The K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization), introduced in 2021, has been temporarily waived for Australians and 21 other nationalities since April 2023 to encourage tourism; the waiver has been extended more than once and at the time of writing runs to the end of 2026. Check the official K-ETA website (k-eta.go.kr) before you fly — if the waiver has lapsed, the application is online, costs about AUD 12, takes a day or two and is valid for three years. Travellers who hold a valid K-ETA skip the arrival card. Passports need to be valid for the length of stay; six months is the safe convention. There is no departure tax and no arrival card if you have a K-ETA; otherwise a short paper or electronic arrival card. Korea also runs an electronic customs declaration for anything to declare. Duty-free allowance is one litre of alcohol, 200 cigarettes and US$800 of goods. As with Japan, some medications are controlled — carry prescriptions, keep medicines in original packaging, and check the Korea Customs Service list for anything containing amphetamines or narcotics. Smartraveller is the Australian source.

Getting there

Korean Air and Asiana fly Sydney–Seoul and Brisbane–Seoul; Jetstar flies Sydney and Brisbane to Seoul at lower fares; Qantas flies Sydney–Seoul. Melbourne has direct services with Korean Air. Flight time is ten to eleven hours northbound, a little less coming home, with overnight departures from Australia landing in Seoul in the early morning. Return economy fares run AUD 900–1,400 in low season and AUD 1,400–2,000 in the peaks; one-stop fares via Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo or Taipei are often cheaper and add three to six hours. Incheon International Airport, consistently rated among the world’s best, is 50 km west of the city: the AREX express train to Seoul Station takes 43 minutes (about AUD 13), the all-stop train an hour, the airport limousine buses drop at hotel districts, and a taxi is AUD 70–90. Gimpo, the domestic airport, is closer to the city and the departure point for Jeju.

Getting around

KTX high-speed rail

Seoul to Busan in 2 h 15 min, Seoul to Gyeongju (Singyeongju station) in 2 hours, to Gangneung in 2 hours, to Jeonju in 1 h 40 min. Fares are lower than Japan’s Shinkansen — Seoul–Busan about AUD 65 — and the Korail Pass (2, 3, 4 or 5 days of unlimited travel for foreigners) is good value if you make more than one long journey. Book on the Korail app or website; peak weekends and the Chuseok and Lunar New Year holidays sell out.

City transport

Seoul’s subway is one of the world’s largest, clean, cheap (about AUD 2 a ride), signed in English and runs to 1 am. A T-money card, bought at any convenience store, covers subway, bus and taxi in every Korean city and can be topped up with cash. Taxis are plentiful and cheap by Australian standards (AUD 5 flagfall, AUD 15–25 across town); Uber does not operate in the usual way — download Kakao T, the Korean ride app, which works for foreigners with a card. Google Maps is hobbled in Korea by mapping-export restrictions; Naver Map or Kakao Map are what everyone uses and both have English modes.

Domestic flights

Seoul (Gimpo) to Jeju takes an hour, runs every fifteen minutes and costs AUD 50–120. Busan to Jeju is 55 minutes. Jeju Air, T’way, Jin Air, Korean Air and Asiana all fly it.

Driving

An International Driving Permit (either 1949 or 1968 convention) plus your Australian licence lets you hire a car. Driving is on the right. Seoul is not worth driving in; Jeju is, and the east coast is pleasant. Hire cars come with Korean-language satnav; Naver Map on your phone is the fix.

Where to stay

Seoul’s hotel districts each suit a different trip. Myeongdong and Jung-gu for first-timers: central, walkable to the palaces, the shopping, the airport bus. Insadong and Jongno for the old city and the hanok guesthouses (a night in a traditional courtyard house with ondol floor heating is the Korean ryokan equivalent). Hongdae for nightlife and a younger crowd. Gangnam for business hotels and the south of the river. Mid-range hotels (Lotte City, Shilla Stay, L7, the international chains) run AUD 150–280 a night for two; the five-stars (Four Seasons, Shilla, Signiel in the Lotte Tower) AUD 450–900. Busan: Haeundae for the beach, Seomyeon for the centre. Jeju: Seogwipo on the south coast for the resorts and the warm side of the island, Jeju City for the flights. Korean hotels are larger than Japanese ones for the money, and the jjimjilbang — the 24-hour bathhouse with saunas, sleeping rooms and restaurants — is both a cultural experience and, at AUD 15, the cheapest bed in the country.

Food

Korean food is communal, spicy, fermented and built around the table rather than the plate: the main dish arrives with banchan, a spread of small side dishes (kimchi, pickles, greens, egg, whatever the kitchen has) that are refilled free. The dishes to know: Korean barbecue (samgyeopsal pork belly, galbi beef ribs) grilled at the table and wrapped in lettuce with garlic and ssamjang; bibimbap, rice with vegetables, egg and gochujang, best in Jeonju; kimchi jjigae and sundubu stews; naengmyeon cold buckwheat noodles for summer; tteokbokki rice cakes in chilli sauce from every street stall; Korean fried chicken with beer (chimaek), a national institution; jjajangmyeon black-bean noodles; samgyetang ginseng chicken soup; hoe (raw fish) at Busan’s Jagalchi; hotteok sweet pancakes and bungeoppang fish-shaped waffles in winter. Gwangjang Market in Seoul and Jagalchi in Busan are the market meals; the pojangmacha tent bars are late-night Korea; and the cafe culture — Korea drinks more coffee per head than almost any country — means a good flat white is never far.

Spice is real but manageable: most stews come mild on request, barbecue is not spicy at all, and the banchan gives you control. Vegetarians manage with bibimbap without egg, temple food (Korea’s Buddhist cuisine is superb and there are dedicated restaurants in Seoul), tofu stews and the ubiquitous gimbap. Meals cost AUD 8–15 at ordinary restaurants, AUD 25–45 for barbecue with drinks, and the fine-dining scene in Seoul (Mingles, Jungsik) is AUD 200–400 and Michelin-starred. No tipping.

Experiences worth booking

Hanbok rental near Gyeongbokgung: AUD 20–40 for a few hours in traditional dress, free palace entry, and the photographs of the trip. A temple stay at Jogyesa in Seoul or Haeinsa in the south: one night of meditation, monastic meals and the 4 am bell, AUD 60–100. The DMZ, as above. A Korean cooking class making kimchi and bulgogi. A K-pop experience — dance classes, the HYBE Insight museum when open, a recording-studio session — for the fans in the family. A baseball game at Jamsil or Busan’s Sajik stadium, where the cheering is choreographed and the beer comes to your seat. Jjimjilbang: Dragon Hill Spa in Seoul or Spa Land in Busan, an afternoon in saunas of varying temperatures, a scrub if you dare, and a bowl of noodles. Hiking Bukhansan, the national park inside Seoul’s city limits, on a weekday morning. The Jinhae blossom festival in early April, the Boryeong Mud Festival in July, the Busan fireworks festival in early November and the Seoul Lantern Festival in November are the events to plan around.

Shopping

Korean cosmetics and skincare (Olive Young is the chain, Myeongdong the street), fashion in Hongdae and the Dongdaemun night markets, stationery and homewares at Daiso and the design shops of Seongsu-dong, ginseng from the Namdaemun and Gyeongdong markets, celadon pottery in Insadong, and the duty-free floors of the Lotte and Shilla department stores. Instant tax refund applies in-store on purchases between ₩30,000 and ₩1,000,000 with your passport; larger amounts are refunded at the airport. Prices are lower than Australia across the board and the quality of the mid-market is high. Leave room in the suitcase; almost everyone does, and almost everyone needs it.

What it costs

Korea is 15–25 per cent cheaper than Japan on the ground and roughly on par for flights. Mid-range, two sharing, per person per day: hotel AUD 90–140, food AUD 50–80, transport AUD 10–20, entries and experiences AUD 20–40 — call it AUD 180–280. Palace entry is AUD 4 (free in hanbok); the N Seoul Tower observatory AUD 22; a DMZ tour AUD 90–150; a full-day private guide AUD 400–600 for the group; a K-pop dance class or a cooking class AUD 60–120; a jjimjilbang AUD 15; a KTX Seoul–Busan AUD 65. A ten-day mid-range trip including a shoulder-season airfare comes to roughly AUD 3,800–5,200 per person. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including markets and taxis; cash is needed only for the smallest stalls. ATMs marked “Global” accept Australian cards. Tax refunds on shopping over ₩30,000 are available at the airport and, for smaller amounts, instantly in-store.

Culture and etiquette

Korea is Confucian at its foundations: age and status matter, elders are served first and addressed with respect, and a two-handed pass of a business card, a glass or money is noticed and appreciated. Bow slightly on greeting. Shoes come off in homes, hanok stays, temples and many traditional restaurants with floor seating. At the table, wait for the eldest to start, pour drinks for others and let them pour yours (holding the glass with two hands), never pour your own, and turn slightly away from an elder when you drink. Tipping is not done. Queue for everything. Public transport has priority seats for the elderly that younger people leave empty even on a full train; do the same. Korean is written in Hangul, one of the world’s most logical alphabets, learnable in an afternoon and worth it for reading menus and station names. Three phrases: annyeonghaseyo (hello), gamsahamnida (thank you), and juseyo (please give me, the word that orders everything).

Health and safety

South Korea is one of the safest countries in the world for visitors, with very low street crime and a strong culture of returning lost property. Tap water is treated to a safe standard, though most Koreans drink filtered or bottled. Healthcare is excellent and hospitals in Seoul have international clinics; costs are lower than Japan but insurance is still essential. The air quality issue is real: spring (March to May) brings yellow dust from the Gobi and fine-particle days, and an app (AirVisual or the Korean Air Korea app) and a mask on bad days are what locals do. Summer has mosquitoes but no malaria in the tourist areas. The North Korean situation is a permanent background and, for visitors, a non-issue day to day; Smartraveller rates Korea at its lowest advisory level. Earthquakes are rare. Typhoons brush the south coast in August and September.

Itineraries

Eight days: the classic

1. Days 1–4 Seoul: palaces and Bukchon, Insadong tea, Gwangjang Market, Namsan at dusk, Hongdae night, DMZ day trip, Gangnam and Bongeunsa.
2. Day 5 KTX to Gyeongju: tumuli park, Bulguksa, Anapji at night.
3. Days 6–7 Busan: Gamcheon, Jagalchi dinner, Haeundae, Haedong Yonggungsa, Gwangalli bridge at night.
4. Day 8 KTX to Seoul and fly home, or fly out of Busan (Gimhae) via a hub.

Twelve days: with Jeju

The eight-day route, then fly Busan–Jeju for three nights: Seongsan sunrise, the Olle trail, Jeongbang waterfall, Hallasan if fit, black-pork barbecue and a haenyeo diving show. Fly Jeju–Seoul for the last night and the flight home.

Korea and Japan together

Two hours by air between Seoul and Osaka or Tokyo, and the Busan–Fukuoka ferry takes three hours. A week in each is the most popular combined trip we build; our Japan vs South Korea comparison sets out how they differ and the order that works.

How Cooee plans South Korea

As one itinerary: international flights, KTX seats reserved, hotels chosen for the district rather than the star count, the DMZ tour and any restaurants that need booking, private transfers where luggage or late arrivals make them worth it, and a guide for the first Seoul day if you want one. Quoted in Australian dollars under Australian consumer law, with a person in Brisbane on the phone. The Korea journal has the articles that come before this page, and the Asia things-to-do and Tours pages are where the plan becomes a booking.

Frequently asked questions