The Newest South Korean King & Queen
There’s nothing I dread more than a really long layover. Everyone, at some point in their lives, has had the scour-the-airport-for-an-electrical-outlet try-to-sleep-on-the-floor wish-you-could-get-some-fresh-air experience of being in an airport for too long. So when we were faced with a 12-hour layover in Seoul at the Incheon International Airport, I was a little bit worried. Fortunately for us, Seoul’s Airport is ridiculously awesome! Read on for the reasons why it’s so wonderful.
Free City Tours
ICN Airport offers seven different types of tours for passengers with long layovers, varying from 1 to 5 hours in length. SEVEN TYPES OF TOURS! They have something for everyone – everything from a Seoul Shopping Tour to an Incheon Temple Tour. Heck, they will even help you plan your own self-guided tour in the city. The kicker? It’s 100% free of charge! Thank you, South Korean taxpayers, for making my stay so awesome.
Free Transit Tours! YES!
We chose to go on the Incheon City Tour – we originally wanted to do the Seoul City Tour, but the immigration lines were SO DARN LONG that we missed it. Lucky for us, the Incheon City Tour is considered “second best” according to the gal at the tour desk, and we think she was right.
UPDATE 2/21/2018: When I originally wrote this post, there was not much info online about how to sign up for transit tours. I vaguely recall signing up for a tour online, then missing it because the immigration process took longer than we anticipated! But the Incheon airport appears to have fixed their website! Visit their tours site for information on how to make reservations. I am unclear on whether or not the tours now cost money – if you have info on this, please leave a comment to help out other travelers!
Our guide, Mr. Bae, was great. His first name was “Sang Beom”, which he told us is essentially the Korean equivalent of “Bob”. Here he is telling us to hurry up and get on the bus:
Our ICN Transit Tour Bus
First stop was Wolmi Park, which has a nice cultural center we visited. That’s where we took the photo at the top of this post with us dressed up like Korean Royalty. We also snapped this gem:
Hopefully we can blame this one on jet lag?
We were SO EXCITED to see evergreen bushes and trees in South Korea:
OMG EVERGREENS!
Wolmi Park is pretty fabulous:
At Wolmi Park, they have great photo opportunities.
They have beautiful ponds and pagodas and bonsai trees.
Wolmi Park has butterfly-shaped flower exhibits.
They also have dinosaur-shaped flower exhibits.
One thing I thought was really amazing was the pumpkin and squash vines hanging from a trellis.
There were beautiful cosmos fields.
At Wolmi park, Mr. Bae even busted out his hacky sack skills!
There were also replicas of traditional Korean houses.
Next stop on our Incheon City Tour was Sinpo Market! Anything involving street food always gets us hyped up, so we were super excited. We read up a little bit using the free wifi at Incheon Airport before leaving, and knew we had to try the spicy fried chicken Sinpo market is known for.
Sinpo Market in Incheon, South Korea
Pro tip: take some South Koreon Won out of an ATM before leaving the airport! Otherwise you’ll just have to look at all the good food and won’t get to taste any of it. So sad.
Spicy Fried Chicken. You won’t believe how much you get for 8,000 Won, or $8.
The chicken was DELICIOUS.
We also got a monster sushi roll for 2,000 Won, or $2. It had ham, shrimp, AND egg!
The transit tour verdict? A MUST DO! I might even schedule in a super long layover next time we travel through South Korea solely for the purpose of taking another tour.
Free Showers
There are lots of travelers I dread sitting next to on an airplane. There’s the guy with the cold, who is coughing, sneezing and blowing his nose the entire flight. There’s the lady who wants to be your new bestie and won’t stop quizzing you on all your life details. There’s also the guy on his way to a bachelor party, who is determined to single-handedly drink all the beer stocked on the entire airplane. But there’s probably nothing worse than sitting next to the smelly person, who somehow doesn’t realize they need a shower and also prefers to fly with their shoes and socks taken off. Fun times.
The only thing worse than sitting next to the smelly person is being the smelly person. No one wants that. Lucky for all of us, there are free showers at ICN airport! And let me tell you, after a warm taxi ride to Chiang Mai Airport, followed by a red-eye flight, followed by a long transit tour, we needed a hot shower. I would’ve settled for a garden hose at this point.
This is the only photo of the showers I got! I assure you, they were really nice.
I expected a shower room that would evoke thoughts of prison; you know, the sterile white tile, the stained grout lines, the crappy shower head. Fortunately, I was way off. The shower rooms were each more like a nice hotel bathroom than a prison. They even had rainwater shower heads! When we walked in, we were greeted by the guy at the desk who cleans the rooms after each use. He handed us a towel along with organic shampoo and soap. Nice work, Seoul!
Free Cultural Experiences
ICN Airport scores high for being rich in cultural experiences. I don’t think I’ve ever been to an airport before where they have craft areas set up where you can make traditional Korean handiworks. There are also musical performances with traditional Korean musical instruments:
Traditional Musical Instrument performance at ICN Airport.
There was also a String Quartet performing with a piano accompanist! These were some talented ladies:
String Quartet in ICN Airport.
There is even a Royal Parade several times per day! A parade! In the airport! If that’s not enough for you, they also have “Traditional Cult Rehabilitation”:
Traditional Cult Rehabilitation? (See the last line on the sign.)
Ok, only kidding on that last one. Some smart ass scraped some letters off the sign so instead of saying “Traditional Culture Exhibition” I read it like “Traditional Cult Rehabilitation.” We can blame that one on jet lag!
Restaurants, Cafes and Duty Free Shopping, Oh My!
If the tours, showers, and cult rehabilitation doesn’t keep you busy, there are tons of places where you can spend some of that extra Won you’ve got in your pockets. ICN Airport is packed with duty free shopping for everything from rice cookers to liquor to fancy jewelry. If that doesn’t strike your fancy, there is no shortage of restaurants and cafes. There is even a Guinness cafe with Guinness on tap (for something like $14/pint)!
I liked the Charlie Brown Cafe:
ICN Airport’s Charlie Brown Cafe
I also got a kick out of the Hello Kitty Cafe.
Here I am, striking a pose at the Hello Kitty Cafe. Can you find me?
There are trees. INSIDE.
Someone at ICN Airport has a green thumb. The airport is absolutely filled with nature – there are huge beautiful trees, tons of Orchids, there’s even a huge plant wall inside the smoker’s room.
Trees. Inside!
Look at these gorgeous orchids.
We snagged some really comfortable leather lounge chairs in the relaxation area and napped. Nothing makes a nap better than being surrounded by beautiful orchids:
Napping at ICN Airport, surrounded by Orchids.
Transit Hotel
If you just want to hole up in a nice room and shut the world out, it’s easy to do! Rooms at the slightly pricey but luxurious Transit Hotel allow travelers to escape the airport madness and get some much needed rest.
We Want to Hear From You!
After having such a great time during our long layover in Seoul, I think it’d be nearly impossible to convince me to fly through Tokyo or Beijing ever again. (Especially after officials in Beijing almost put me into quarantine. That was fun.) Have you had any notable, absurd, or just plain awesome airport experiences? Please share ‘em – I could use a good laugh!
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This sounds really lovely! I was just looking at the guided tours online and then searching for an answer as to whether or not I could leave the airport. Not sure if you could help, but if I buy a ticket with Air Asiana I would have a ten hour layover. Can I leave? This post makes me want to stay in Korea a bit instead of transferring right away!
Looks fun!
Hi! YES, you can definitely leave the airport with a layover that long.
You’ll have to go out through Immigration, and they’ll stamp your passport on the way out. It took us about an hour to get through immigration when we were there because the lines were pretty long, but other than that it was super easy – you’ll just want to write “transit tour” on your immigration form as your reason for visiting.
We flew Korean Air, and we didn’t have to worry at all about our checked bags while we were out on our long layover – they checked clear through to our destination so there’s no picking them up and messing with them. (But you should double check with the Asiana folks to be sure!)
Just remember, if you DO go on a transit tour where you think you might want to buy anything, take some Korean Won out of the ATM in the terminal before going on the tour – ask the transit tour desk person and they can point you to a nearby ATM. A lot of people in our group were super disappointed they couldn’t buy food in the Incheon market because they didn’t take money out!
Have fun!!
i read on line that the tours cost money. what’s the difference between the free tours and the tours that cost money?
Hi Michelle. As far as I know, the tours are still free. Visit the Transit Tour Website to look at the types of free tours and book your reservation for one.
So I’ve got a 20hr layover in Seoul and was googling some ideas as to what to do and your blog came up. First, fantastic advice! I’ll definitely do the airport sponsored tour. That’s perfect. Also fantastic to know there is a hotel in the airport. Great info.
Secondly, I quit my job in April of this year to travel around the world as well! So far have been to Norway, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Egypt, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Thailand, Tokyo, Thailand, and next South Korea! A very difficult decision, but best I’ve ever made. Sounds like you share the same sentiments. Your blog is awesome. Thanks for putting dorth the effort. If you’re interested, I’ve got a ‘blog’ type of thing at the website below. Thanks again!
https://www.storehouse.co/rob_leslie
Best,
Rob
Hi Rob!
I’m so glad to hear that my Incheon post was helpful to you.
I LOVED that airport, so I hope you also have a great experience there.
YAY for you that you made the choice to quit your job and travel! It’s definitely a difficult and bold decision to make, but I have no regrets. My husband and I are back home now in Seattle and we both easily found work as software developers once we got back. (Collective sigh of relief goes here…)
I’ll check out your blog!
Safe and Happy travels to you,
-Melanie
I’m glad that I came across your blog, Melanie! I have a 10-hour layover at Incheon as part of my Kuala Lumpur-Eugene trip this September. I thought of getting a room at the airport’s transit hotel but it is way too pricey! I just made a reservation for a 5-hour Seoul City Tour, although I was contemplating whether I should choose Seoul Shopping Tour instead.
Anyway, do you mind to share a little bit on how did you get to the transit tour desk (or counter, gate, whatever) after disembarkation? What time did you arrive Incheon? I will arrive around 6:30 am and the city tour leaves at 8; I wonder if I could make it on time. Is it possible to switch to a later tour if we missed the one that we reserved for?
Sorry for asking too many questions!
Best,
Rudy
Hey Rudy!
Awesome! Layovers in Seoul are the best.
We looked into the transit hotels too, but rooms cost an arm and a leg.
To get to the transit tour desk, you have to go out through customs/immigration. You’ll get a stamp in your passport and everything. That line can take up to an hour. We actually were signed up to go on the Seoul City Tour – I think we were on your exact same time frame. The day we went, though, lines at immigration were especially long, so we missed the tour by just five minutes! I was really worried because we had made reservations online, but the gal at the transit tour desk was very happy to accommodate us on a different tour. It’s really not a biggie if you miss the tour you reserve – by all means, try to make it, but if immigration is slow and you miss it, don’t sweat it at all. I’d recommend reserving the 8am tour you want to go on, and just know that if you miss it you’ll go on a different one.
I seem to recall that there were plenty of signs pointing to the transit tour desk – if there aren’t, almost any airport employee should be able to point you in the right direction.
I can’t seem to find directions to it on the Incheon airport website – it’s terribly frustrating to navigate!
Don’t forget to take out some Korean money from an ATM before your tour departs if you are going to any of the markets – they’ll be cash only and it’s a bummer to see all the tasty food without being able to buy any!
Take care and safe travels!
-Melanie
Hi! I’m from the Philippines and i’ll be flying via JinAir from Clark to Incheon then Korean Airlines to Las Vegas with 16 hours layover in between. I already made a reservation for the 5 hour Seoul City Tour. Do you think my baggage will also be checked-in like yours while I’m on Transit Tour?
Also, upon registration for the tour I noticed that they now charge $10 which you need to pay at the Tour Desk. Does this include entrance fees or lunch? How much Korean Won would you recommend I should have with me while on transit tour. I’ll be travelling alone and i’ll be in Incheon from 5am-9pm. I was really dreading for this looong layover but got inspired when I read your blog.
Hope my experience in ICN will also be such a breeze like yours! Thanks for sharing this helpful blog!
Hi Ira. I’m sad to hear that it’s no longer 100% FREE! I’d be surprised if your bags weren’t checked clear through to your final destination like ours were. I’m sorry, but I’m not sure if the $10 includes entrance fees or lunch. If you find out, please visit us again and leave a comment so I can update the post!
The $10 would be for entrance fee tickets at the Gyeongbokgung Palace, and lunch with the Seoul city tour. Actually, the bus ride takes around a little less than an hour from the airport to the city, so it’s mostly a 3 hour city tour.
I might be facing a 16 hour layover again at Incheon soon, but it’s at night time so I’m looking at other things to do
Hello Melanie and Ira, 8 was reading up on these tours this morning and there are 2 different tour departure times they charge $10 for. One was for lunch and the other was during rush hour or something about getting intone the palace. You should be able to avoid this fee by scheduling a different time to start your tour.
Hi Ben, I hope you had a nice trip to Korea. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to respond to this comment! Do you recall if you ended up paying a fee for your tour? According to this site, tours should still be free except for meal costs and admission fees.
Just discovered this blog today and loving it. Do you have an RSS feed? I tried subscribing on feedly but couldn’t find you.
Hey, I have a 5 Hour layover in Seoul on my Way to Jakarta. Is the Time to Short to go out and see a bit of Seoul ? I would Love to – but not sure if thats enough Time…
Greetings from Germany, Volker
Hi Volker,
I’m afraid my response is probably too late for you! Apologies. Did you have time for a quick tour?
What if I don’t have a Korean Visa? Will they allow me to have the transit tour?
Hi Justine,
No previous preparation is required to get a Korean Visa – they stamp an approved entry right into your passport when you arrive and go through immigration. If I remember correctly, they allow you to stay for a couple of months! Though we were only there for half a day.
I have been to Seoul before but I never done a long +12 hrs worth of layovers. Do you have any idea where I can or should store my luggage? I would like to spend a few hours in Seoul rather than at the airport. Thank.
Hi there!
I hope I’m not too late in responding to your comment. We’re back home working now, so the blog has taken a back seat to actual work.
I tried looking up luggage storage on the Incheon website, but it appears that their website is currently down! I would be very very surprised if there wasn’t some sort of luggage storage available in the airport. I did find one forum discussing this that might be of some help.
Cheers!
-Melanie
Hi Guys!!!! Thanks so much for this!!! Was worried what i would do, i love to plan way ahead before i do anything. So i have a super long layover, From 12(13 December) to the next day 8pm. So at-least now i can chop some hours away from the delay and hopefully i will get a room that doesn’t ‘chop my leg and arm’
Just wanted to show some appreciation for your priceless information!!!!!
Thanks for letting me know this was helpful for you Mossy! Happy Travels.
Hi, i just want to ask if we get a 12 hours or so of layover can we do like a 2 five-hour tour? or is it that you can only do one free tour of your selection? thanks. So glad i found this blogpost btw!
Hi June!
I think doing 2 5-hour tours would definitely be pushing it. I’d either pick 2 shorter tours, or just select one 5-hour tour and spend the rest of your time relaxing on the recliner chairs near the showers.
-Melanie
I have a question. What did you do with your carry on luggage while on the tour or lounging around in the airport? No sleeping rooms in the airport?
Hi Katie!
We left our luggage in the locked van that drove us out onto the transit tour. We didn’t have any problems with it (most of our things weren’t valuable at that point anyway!).
Cheers!
-Melanie
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Hi,
Glad I ran into your site! We will be transiting in Seoul for about 12 hours and plan to do one of the tours but my wife and I will have a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old with us. In your opinion, do you think the tour you took would be suitable for young children?
Thanks,
-Marl
Hi Marl!
I don’t have kids yet myself, so I’m not sure I can speak for how enjoyable the tour we went on would be for them, but I certainly think it would be fine to bring your kids along. They might actually enjoy the noise and colors of the Incheon Market, and would probably benefit form running around outside at the cultural center.
My husband and I both vaguely remember there being a couple of kids on our tour (who were a little bit bored, perhaps?), so it’s definitely not unprecedented!
Anything beats sitting around in an airport though, right?! Just don’t forget to grab some Korean currency from an ATM at the airport before leaving so you can pick up a few souvenirs and snacks from the market.
Cheers!
-Melanie
This blog is amazing and helpful.
Now im excited to arrived in Icheon and gottcha the korean culture in my stopover instead of sad to wait 20 hours to return to my country.
Thanks Melanie!!!
hanks for reading, Michael! Happy travels.
HI THERE!, Thanks for such a fabulous account of the free transit tours in ICN. I will be there myself in April 2016.
If i may ask your opinion ….my flight departs ICN at 3pm, I like to know if you think I have enough time to take the 5 hour transit tour that runs from 8am to 1pm?
I’d love to hear what you have to say.
super like that I found your page.
Hi there!
I think you’d be fine with the tour ending at 1pm! Your luggage will stay checked in, so you don’t have to worry at all about re-checking it in Korea, so you don’t need a TON of time to get back through airport security. Double check with the transit tour desk when you check into your tour, and be sure your guide is aware, but I don’t foresee an issue. Happy travels!
-M
Hi. I have an 11-hour layover in Seoul ICN. I have to Korea before, but it’s my first time venturing out on my own. Can I buy cosmetics in Seoul for my gilrs and not have problems through security? They want the whole enchilada of make up, toners, moisturizers, etc.
Hi Ron,
I think you’ll be fine as long as you follow the carry-on liquid rules!
-M
Hello, Melanie. Your blog is so interesting! I intentionally booked a flight for March which has a long layover in Korea since I have heard of this free transit tour before. Now my concern is time. I want to get the 8am-1pm tour and our flight out of Korea s at 2:40pm. Did you really get back to the airport on time? I’m afraid I might miss my 2:40pm flight. Thanks and I hope to hear from you.
Hi Elaine!
I think you’ll be fine on the 8am-1pm tour! We had a family on our tour who was rushing to get back to a flight, and the guide made sure that we were back in time. You should double check with the transit desk, though!
Also, I’ve heard that these tours may now cost $10. If you learn that there’s a price now, please let me know and I’ll update my post.
Cheers!
-M
Thank you for the info. I will have 15 hours layover in ICN in May.
Hi Melanie! Our flight is in two weeks and I’m so excited to see Korea even for just 5 hours
I’ve inquired about the fee and yes they do collect $10 which will cover the cost of lunch ($7), and temple entrance ($3). Still, it really isn’t much. Can’t wait to share my experience with you and your followers! You’ll hear from me again next month.
Question for Elaine and Melanie: will you give me a link to the website for the free tours so that I can make my reservation for a five hour tour that starts at 8 or 9 am?
Hi John! Sorry I never responded to your comment! I have been on a long blog hiatus after returning from traveling and having a baby. I have searched a few times over the last year to see if I can find the reservations website again for the free tours, but I have had no luck! I found that has some helpful information on where to find the tour desks in Incheon airport, but I’m not sure they take reservations anymore. We missed the tour we had reserved seats on because immigration took longer than we anticipated! Maybe they decided that was happening too often and stopped allowing reservations?
Hello again! I just discovered that the Incheon airport website appears to be taking tour reservations: https://www.airport.kr/ap_cnt/en/trn/tour/trtour/trtour.do
Thanks for all the information!
My husband and I have a long layover (21 hours) coming up in June, but our plane won’t land until 3:25PM, which I think means we’d miss all of the tours…
We plan on checking into our hotel in Incheon (supposedly 10 minutes away and has a shuttle) once we get out of the airport, then come back to the airport to join a tour.
1. We’re not sure if there will be any available since by the time we return form the hotel it’s probably two hours later.
2. Is it easy to find the tour desk upon re-entering the airport from the outside?
This was a fantastic find — thanks for the post. We have a long layover coming up and I was about to book a very expensive private tour, thinking this might be the best option — lo and behold, I came across your post and much money saved! Thank you!
Hi…i was googling about layover in Incheon & found your blog..i have few questions to ask since this will be my first time layover & i will be alone. I will be fly using Korean Air from Washington to Kuala Lumpur & will be transit in Incheon. Flight from Washington will arrive in Incheon around 5.10pm & my flight to Kuala Lumpur is on the next day around 4.30pm. So, it is about 12 hour layove right. My questions are:
1. Can I go out & spent the night at the guesthouse in town & return back to the airport on the next day for next flight?
2. How about the checked in baggage? Do I need to bring it with me?
3. Do I need to check in again for the next flight to Kuala Lumpur?
Basically I want to know the process regarding layover as this is my first time & will be alone..so, quite worried & a lil bit scares at the same time..hope you can help..thanks a lot =)
Hi, I will have 16 hours layover in ICN in December, I will land in ICN around 5pm. By the time I go thru custom, will there be a tour left. Is the airport open 24 hours? Can I come back late into the airport after I finish sight-seeing Seoul.
How can I book the transit tour? Do I have to call to talk to a representative or can I book it online
Maybe the ICN Airport’s site about transit tours will help! I think this webpage was down for a long time – I was just able to find this last week. It looks like you can still reserve online.
Hi Melanie, Flying tomorrow back to home in Texas after a week in Bali. I will have a 9 hours layover in Incheon and definitely all what I read in this blog is very helpful. Thanks for sharing your experience. Will add more after my layover in Incheon.
I’m having trouble finding the free transit tours in Seoul. Can someone tell me how to find them? I’m flying Korean airlines and they say they no longer offer them.
Hi Tobie,
Maybe the ICN Airport’s site about transit tours will help! I think this webpage was down for a long time – I was just able to find this last week.
I have a 12 hour layover.
Thanks so much Melanie for your post!! Am a holder of Philippine passport and choosing between ANA and Asiana Airlines for my planned flight to Los Angeles, CA in March 2017. Have to book now since they have promo rates. I will definitely choose Asiana Airlines now. Will have a 14 hours layover in Incheon going back to Manila sometime April. Will definitely take this free transit tour.
Just for clarification: Everything has to be done at Incheon Airport from signing up in their transit tourism program, paying the USD10 fee to choosing /taking the actual tour itself, right? No need to go to an online site days before the trip to register? Please advise.
Thanks again and best regards,
Hi Perlita! It looks like it might be possible to make reservations before you travel. Check out this site for more info.
Sorry this response comes so late! I’ve been on a blog hiatus.
Hi Melanie, your blog is extremely helpful. We’ll be travelling to San Francisco next year with a connecting flight via Incheon. May I know how we can make an online reservation to the free tours offered by the airport? Many thanks!
Hi Madeline. Thanks for reading! Sorry I didn’t respond until now – I’m sure that almost 2 years later you don’t need any additional info.
Were you able to find a place online to make a tour reservation? I’ve searched a few times over the last year and haven’t been able to find anything!
Happy travels!
-Melanie
Hi again! I just discovered this site – it looks like they take reservations again! https://www.airport.kr/ap_cnt/en/trn/tour/trtour/trtour.do
I’m so glad I found your blog! I hope you can help haha, I just booked a transit tour (Seoul City Tour 2) from 9am to 2pm. Our layover in total is 20 hours, we will be departing from Incheon at 1:30am the next day.
My question is, after the city tour, is it possible to go on our own to visit other tourist spots (Gyeongbok Palace & Myeongdong) then go back to the airport by ourselves in time to catch our flight? Or do you think it’s better if we just do a self tour (if that’s even possible)? Many many thanks!
Hi Romila! I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your comment until now! It has been over a year since you posted, and I’ve been ignoring my blog after starting a family. I am curious to know if you went on your own to visit other tourist spots after your tour! I don’t see why they would refuse to let you do that, but there may be some rules or regulations I’m not aware of that would prevent your guide from letting you depart from your tour group.
i got 20 hours layover.in korea to phils. i wanna do the city tour. are my check in luggage remain check in…will i pick it up in the phils? or i need to re checkin in korea. how about my carry on..is there any lockers
Hi Mel! Sorry for a YEARLONG delay in responding. I’ve been on a hiatus from my blog! How was your travel? I can’t remember what happened to my luggage during my layover! Did your bags stay checked in or were you able to find lockers to store your carry on?
Hi . Thank you for your awesome help .
I’m departing from Singapore to Seoul and Seoul to Mongolia on the first Feb. On the website it stated that I need to have visa to enter korea . However , I’m just going to layover in korea for 8 hours . Do u think I still need a visa to go out of the country for few hours ?
Much loves . Thank you very much . Hope to hear from you very soon
Hi there! I’m back from a blog hiatus and just responding to comments on my posts. Did you have any problems entering Korea? When we arrived, we were able to get our passports stamped with what I vaguely remember was at least a 30-day admission. We didn’t make any prior arrangements in order to do this. I know that some countries require that you make arrangements prior to arriving (for example, we had to visit a consulate before taking an extended months-long trip to Thailand, and had to make special arrangements to visit Vietnam), but as far as I know you don’t have to do anything like this to visit South Korea.
Hi! I’m gonna arrive at south korea for a layover to the US. Do i need to have a south korean visa to leave the airport? And also, the flight that I will be having is 5:08pm arrival to south korea and will board the next day at the morning, some say that if I have this timeline, they will just escort me to a hotel. But I have a plan to take dance classes at the evening and rent a cheap hotel room instead. Is that possible? Thanks!
Hi Roel! Back from a blog hiatus.
How was your trip in Incheon/Seoul? I’d love to know if you were able to leave the airport for your dance classes! I don’t see why they would prevent you from doing that – we had no problem leaving through immigration and getting our US passports stamped. We did not make any prior arrangements to be able to do this. I hope your travel went smoothly! Cheers!
Hi Melanie, I will have a 7,5 hour layover in Seoul so I was searching for what to do, and really glad to find your website! Only thing is I will arrive around 16:20 local time and as far as I can see on the airports website the last tour departs at 16:00h….
What are your thoughts on leaving the airport by yourself (without a tour)? Would 7,5 hours be long enough to get back in time?
Ps. I like your writing style!
Hi Bascha! I’m responding late to your comment after going on a long blog hiatus! Sorry I wasn’t able to provide any help. I’d love to know if you were able to leave the airport for a self guided tour!
Thank you for sharing detailed information, really helpful. Need one suggestion, I would have only 1 hour after my tour end to board my departing flight. Would that time be enough.
Tour ending at 15:00 and my flight is at 16:00.
Hi Ram, I’m sure that this response is coming too late! Sorry about that – I’ve been on a long blog hiatus! Were you able to go on the tour ending at 1500 and still make your 1600 flight?
Hi! How can I sign up to one of the seven tours that you mentioned above? Thank you
Hi Stephanie! I am certain I’m responding too late (I’ve been on a blog hiatus after returning from traveling and starting a family), but I was able to find this Visit Korea tourist website with info on where the tour desks are located throughout the Incheon airport. We originally signed up for our tour online (a tour we missed because immigration took longer than expected!), so I think it may be easiest to sign up once you reach the airport. I haven’t been able to find any sign-up info online recently anyway.
Another update – it looks like Incheon fixed their website! They appear to be taking tour reservations: https://www.airport.kr/ap_cnt/en/trn/tour/trtour/trtour.do
ohhh my GOD…. I was very frustrated and mood since Monday. Today is Friday 11.10pm Malaysia time. I feel GOOOOOOD now. Trillions Millions thanks for this blog. Whoever come across this blog are really blessed. Now I can make peace with my stingy wife. 7 hours layover???? hah! has been changed to 5 hours + 2 hours FREE tours. yeeeeha,.
thanks for updating your blog over the years.. my daughter and I leave tomorrow and will be in ICN at 430 am for a 12 hour layover. I’ve booked a trip to the temples which begin at 830 from the website.. (supposed to be free).. we shall see if it indeed is free..
Thanks again for providing valuable tips!
Excellent that you’ve pointed travelers in the right direction for Seoul/Incheon. A couple of discoveries: the tours are a minimum of 2 hours, the latest start time is 1600(4pm). In my case, I arrive at 4pm, so it’s a no-go… however… the airport “Activities” (the craft sessions, etc.) are now all on this page: https://www.airport.kr/ap/en/svc/attractionMain.do# (kinda-sorta bi-lingual pages, and can be sorted by Terminal (the most are in T2) and include sculptures and architectural elements for wandering at any hour.
Just one question – with a 16-hour layover, am I allowed to take back-to-back tours in one day, or can i only do one? Thank you for your blog!
Thank you so much for this post. I am having a 12 hr layover in ICN and so excited to experience Korean culture. I love your pictures, too. Reading the last part about your experience in Beijing, I had a horrible experience that I missed seeing the city on our our 25 hr layover. I kinda regretted it until now. I would love to go back though.