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Everything to sort for a first Seoul trip, in the order you'll need it: entry paperwork, data, the airport train, a transit card, maps, cash, palaces, day trips and where to stay. Each part links to our full guide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book, Seoulful earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list what's in our own guides.

1 · Before you fly

1. ENTRYK-ETA or e-Arrival card: check which one you need →

   Travelers from 22 countries and regions, including the US, Canada, Japan and the UK, can skip the K-ETA until Dec 31, 2026; as of Oct 29, 2026 no extension had been announced for 2027. Flying in before then without a K-ETA? Submit the free e-Arrival card at e-arrivalcard.go.kr up to 3 days before you land. If you need a K-ETA, apply at k-eta.go.kr at least 72 hours before you board (₩10,000, valid 3 years). Only use the official .go.kr sites: look-alike sites charge fees.

2. DATAPhone data: eSIM, SIM or pocket Wi-Fi →

   A data-only eSIM is the easiest: you set it up before you land, so maps and chats work from the airport, but there's no Korean phone number. Need calls and texts? Short-term visitors can open a prepaid SIM with a 010 number using just a passport. A group that stays together all day can share one pocket Wi-Fi router.

3. PACKPack for the season →

   November in Seoul averages about 12°C in the afternoon and about 4°C at night (KMA 1991–2020 normals), so bring layers and a padded jacket or wool coat. Wear sneakers with grip: palace courtyards have gravel and Bukchon and Namsan are steep.

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2 · Landing day: airport to the city

1. AREXAREX train: the cheapest way in →

   The all-stop train is ₩4,750 from Terminal 1 and ₩5,350 from Terminal 2 to Seoul Station by T-money (59 and 66 minutes), stopping at Hongik Univ. and Gongdeok on the way. The non-stop Express is ₩13,000 with a ticket (T-money doesn't work on it), 43 minutes from T1 and 51 from T2. Both leave from the Transportation Center, B1, in both terminals.

2. BUS · TAXIAirport bus or taxi →

   Limousine bus 6001 (₩17,000) stops at Seoul Station, Myeongdong and Dongdaemun, about 60–80 minutes with traffic. A daytime meter taxi to central Seoul is about ₩60,000–70,000, tolls included; use the taxi stand outside arrivals.

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2 · Landing day: your transit card

1. T-MONEYGet a T-money card at the airport →

   T-money cards are sold at convenience stores and subway station machines. The card is sold empty; top it up with won cash. A subway ride starts at ₩1,550 and a blue or green city bus is ₩1,500. Tap in and tap out, on buses too. Our tip: buy one at a convenience store in the terminal before you head to the train.

2. CLIMATE CARDRiding a lot? The Climate Card pass →

   Seoul's short-term Climate Card gives unlimited Seoul subway and Seoul city bus rides: ₩5,000 for 1 day up to ₩20,000 for 7, plus ₩3,000 for the card. You can't start a ride at Incheon Airport with it, so pay with T-money on arrival day and start the pass once you're in Seoul.

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3 · In the city: maps and money

1. MAPSUse Naver Map for walking directions →

   Google Maps in Korea still has no turn-by-turn walking directions (Oct 2026). Naver Map is free; switch it to English under MY → gear icon → Language. Subway routes show live arrivals, which way to board and the exit number.

2. CASHCash or card: carry a little won →

   183 Seoul bus routes take no cash, while T-money top-ups still need won notes. New ticket machines on subway Lines 1–8 take Visa and Mastercard (about 3.7% fee). Our tip: keep about ₩10,000 in notes for top-ups.

3 · In the city: palaces in hanbok

1. PALACEGyeongbokgung: free if you wear hanbok →

   Adult tickets are ₩3,000 (foreigners 19–64), and anyone in hanbok enters free. Closed on Tuesdays. November–February hours are 9 AM – 5 PM, last entry 4 PM. Guard changing ceremony at 10 AM and 2 PM. Gyeongbokgung Station, Line 3, Exit 5. Many hanbok rental shops are near the palace and the station (our tip).

2. TO NOV 15Free for everyone until Nov 15, 2026 →

   During the Korea Grand Festival (Oct 29 – Nov 15, 2026), Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo are free to enter, hanbok or not. Changdeokgung's Secret Garden tour isn't included.

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3 · In the city: N Seoul Tower

1. NAMSANN Seoul Tower, at the top of Namsan

   The observatory is a paid ticket. Myeongdong sits at the foot of Namsan. Namsan shuttle buses 01A and 01B take only transit cards or mobile pay, so have your T-money ready. Our tip: go up around sunset, when the city lights come on.

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4 · Day trip: the DMZ

1. HOWEasiest: a guided day tour from Seoul →

   Paju's DMZ tour runs from Imjingak to the 3rd Tunnel, Dora Observatory and Unification Village, about 3 hours. A group tour from Seoul bundles the guide, transport and entry paperwork. Closed on Mondays, and tours can stop with no notice for security or weather.

2. PASSPORTBring your original passport

   Photos, screenshots, copies and expired passports aren't accepted. No ID, no entry.

3. NO JSANo public JSA (Panmunjom) tours →

   General tours to the Joint Security Area have been halted since 2023. If a tour lists the JSA, ask how before you pay. Dora Observatory is also closed Nov 23–30, 2026 for road works.

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4 · Day trip: Nami Island

1. GET THERETrain or the direct shuttle →

   The ITX-Cheongchun to Gapyeong Station takes about 60 minutes from Yongsan or 42 from Cheongnyangni (reserved seats, book on Korail). Then bus 10-4 or a 5-minute taxi to the ferry wharf. Or take the round-trip shuttle bus from Hongdae, Myeongdong or Dongdaemun.

2. ₩19,000Adult ticket, round-trip ferry included →

   ₩13,000 at the early-bird rate if you buy and board before 8 am. The ferry ride is about 5 minutes.

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5 · Theme parks: Lotte World and Everland

1. IN SEOULLotte World, in Jamsil

   Jamsil Station (Line 2 / Line 8), exit 4 connects to Lotte World Adventure. From Gyeongbokgung Station it's Line 3, then Line 2 from Euljiro 3-ga, about 40 minutes in total.

2. YONGINEverland, a full day out →

   Bus 4105 runs from the Seoul Station Bus Transfer Center to Everland in about 1 hour, also stopping at Myeongdong and Itaewon. The twin pandas Rui Bao and Hui Bao are on view at Panda 2nd House until Dec 11, 2026 (the date can change).

Affiliate link: if you book, Seoulful earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Affiliate link: if you book, Seoulful earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.

6 · Where to stay

1. 1ST TRIPMyeongdong or Jongno →

   Both sit in the old centre, so palaces, markets and Namsan are a short ride or a walk away. Myeongdong is busier with more hotels; Jongno is quieter at night (our take).

2. NIGHTSHongdae

   Street music, bars, late food and lots of guesthouses, and the AREX all-stop train from the airport stops right at Hongik Univ. Station (our take).

3. REPEATSeongsu

   Cafés, pop-ups and brand flagships, fewer big hotels, on Line 2 (our take).

4. COMFORTGangnam →

   Bigger hotels and wide avenues south of the river, further from the palaces (our take).

Local tips

• Our tip: star your hotel in Naver Map and save its Korean address on your phone before you fly; show it at the bus booth or to the taxi driver.
• Our tip: on arrival day, use T-money for the ride into Seoul, then start a Climate Card the next morning if you'll ride a lot.
• Prices, times and rules change. Each part links to our full guide, and the official sites are listed below; check them before you go.

FAQ

Sources: K-ETA official site: exemption extended to Dec 31, 2026 · Korea Immigration Service: K-ETA (fee, validity, when to apply) · Ministry of Justice: e-Arrival card notice · Incheon Airport: e-Arrival card guide · Seoul Economic TV: passport prepaid SIMs for visitors (Jul 15, 2026) · E-Roun: Korean 010 numbers for foreigners (Jul 30, 2026) · Wikipedia: Climate of Seoul (KMA 1991–2020 normals) · AREX: Express train (fare ₩13,000, 43/51 min) · AREX: all-stop train fares by station · Airport Limousine: fares · Incheon International Airport: taxi guide · Seoul Metropolitan Government: Climate Card guide · Seoul Metropolitan Government: fares and transfer rules · Etoday: subway base fare ₩1,550 from June 28, 2025 · BizWatch: Google map export conditions and service timing (Oct 21, 2026) · NAVER press release: NAVER Map for foreign visitors (Dec 30, 2024) · Seoul Metropolitan Government: cashless bus routes (Jan 2026) · Seoul Metropolitan Government: foreign cards at subway machines (Mar 2026) · Korea Heritage Service, Royal Palaces: admission fees and free entry · Korea Heritage Service, Royal Palaces: Gyeongbokgung opening hours and closed days · Yonhap: Korea Grand Festival from Oct 29, palaces free (Oct 27, 2026) · Financial News: palaces free Oct 29 – Nov 15, Gyeongbokgung closes at 5 PM from November (Oct 27, 2026) · Yonhap: Gyeongbokgung guard ceremony at 10 AM and 2 PM (Aug 7, 2026) · Paju City DMZ Peace Tour: visitor guide and ID rules · Paju City DMZ Peace Tour: Dora Observatory road closure (Oct 23, 2026) · Kyunghyang Shinmun: Panmunjom tours (Oct 22, 2026) · Korea Herald: Panmunjom special tours (May 15, 2025) · Nami Island: admission fees (2026) · Nami Island: how to get here (train, bus, shuttle) · Segye Ilbo: Lotte World and Seoul Sky (Oct 19, 2026) · Everland official: Panda 2nd House facility info · Yonhap: twin pandas on view until Dec 11 (Oct 19, 2026) · Dailian: bus 4105 Seoul Station to Everland in 1 hour (Jul 2026) · Airport Limousine: Seoul city routes · Seoul Tourism Guide (seoultourism.org): where to stay in Seoul

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