Korea Travel Essentials: What to Prepare Before You Land

Updated July 2026 · Written by a local team in Daegu, Korea

Korea is one of the easiest countries in Asia to travel — fast trains, safe streets, convenience stores on every corner. But a few things work differently here, and knowing them before you land saves real money and frustration. Here's the practical checklist.

1. Google Maps barely works — install Naver Map

Because of national mapping regulations, Google Maps in Korea can't do walking or driving navigation properly. Everyone here uses Naver Map or Kakao Map — both have full English interfaces and accurate transit directions. Download one before your trip and you'll navigate like a local. For subway-only trips, "Subway Korea" style apps also work offline.

2. Get a T-money card at any convenience store

T-money is the rechargeable transit card that works on subways, buses and most taxis in every major city. Buy one at the airport or any convenience store (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven) for about ₩3,000, top it up with cash, and tap in/out. It's also accepted for small purchases at convenience stores. Transfers between bus and subway are discounted automatically — something single tickets don't give you.

3. SIM, eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi

Korea has no free-roaming culture — you'll want data from day one since maps, translation and taxi apps all need it. Options, roughly cheapest first:

eSIM (buy online before you fly) — activates on landing, no counter queues
Prepaid tourist SIM — airport counters and convenience stores sell 5/10/30-day unlimited-data SIMs
Pocket Wi-Fi — worth it only for groups sharing one device

4. Cards work almost everywhere — but carry some cash

Visa and Mastercard are accepted at virtually all restaurants, cafes and shops. Exceptions: traditional markets, street food stalls and some small restaurants are cash-only. ₩100,000–200,000 in cash is plenty for a week. Check the current rate with our KRW exchange rate converter.

💳 If a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency (called DCC), always choose KRW instead — the "convenient" home-currency option hides a 3–8% markup.

5. Power plugs: 220V, Type C/F (round two-pin)

Korea uses the European-style round two-pin plug at 220V/60Hz. Travelers from the US, UK, Japan and Australia need a plug adapter — modern phone and laptop chargers handle the voltage automatically, so a simple shape adapter is enough.

6. Check the air quality, not just the weather

Korea's weather app habit that surprises visitors: locals check fine dust (PM2.5) as often as rain. Spring in particular can bring hazy, high-dust days when locals wear KF94 masks (sold everywhere). Bookmark our real-time air quality page and the weather & UV index page — both use official government monitoring data.

7. Know the holidays before you book

During Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) — both 3-day holidays — half the country travels to their hometowns. Trains sell out weeks ahead, highways jam, and many family-run restaurants close. Check dates on our Korean public holidays calendar before booking.

Quick pre-flight checklist

✅ Naver Map or Kakao Map installed (+ Papago for translation)
✅ eSIM purchased or SIM plan chosen
✅ Type C/F plug adapter packed
✅ Some KRW cash planned (airport ATMs beat exchange booths)
✅ Holiday dates checked · air quality page bookmarked

Next up: 10 things to know before visiting Korea — tipping, taxis, convenience-store culture and more.