Before you go

Jay · lives in Seoul · How I choose places

A few real ones, from someone who lives there.

Getting around

Use Naver Map, not Google. Google still can't do walking or driving directions in Korea — Naver (or Kakao Map) is what works, and every card here hands off to it. Papago, Naver's translator, is the one Koreans use, and it reads menus and signs from a photo.

From the airport, take the train or a bus. The AREX train or a limousine bus runs into the city — far cheaper than a taxi, and the train skips the traffic.

One landmark and a neighborhood a day; two neighborhoods at most. Seoul is big. Pick areas that sit near each other and take them slowly.

Avoid rush hour on the road. Mornings and evenings jam. Take the subway, and build each day around neighborhoods that are close together.

Taxis: k.ride, Kakao T or Uber. k.ride is Kakao's taxi app for visitors and takes a foreign number and card; Kakao T is the local app; Uber works well too.

Grab a transit card at any convenience store. A T-money card (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) covers subway and buses. Bring cash: some stores sell the card itself for cash only, and top-ups are cash.

Trains and buses stop around midnight. After that, look for 'N' night buses, and check what's running right now on Naver Map.

Eating & booking

Learn CatchTable before you need it. It's the booking-and-waitlist app the good places run on, and the good places have lines. Work out how to use it as a foreigner in advance — it saves you at the door.

Keep one Korean SIM in your group. More useful than roaming: some restaurant waitlists text you when it's your turn, and a foreign number may not get the message. (Naver bookings no longer need a Korean number; a foreign passport now verifies you.) Many travel eSIMs are data-only, so get one that includes a Korean number. Buy it before you fly: the data works as you land, and the number takes calls and texts after a passport check in Korea (online, or at the airport counter).

Meal times run tight. Lunch about 11–2; many places then break from about 3 to 5; dinner about 5–8 (9 at the latest); most restaurants close between 8 and 10. Places built around drinking, and bars, often run past midnight.

Mornings are quiet. Few restaurants open before 11. Cafes vary: plenty open by 8 or 9, many not until 10 or later.

Press the bell. Staff won't hover; many tables have a call button, and water and side dishes are often self-serve at a corner station. Neither is bad service. It's just how it works, and refills of the side dishes are free.

Good to know

You'll barely need cash. Foreign Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere. Keep a little cash for T-money top-ups, street food, and old market stalls.

Bring a physical card. Apple Pay and Google Pay are patchy here, especially with foreign cards, and Kakao Pay needs a Korean bank account or card. A real Visa or Mastercard works almost everywhere, though you'll usually insert it rather than tap.

Change money in town, not at the airport. Licensed exchange shops (Myeongdong is full of them) usually give a better rate than banks. Bring your passport.

No tipping. It isn't expected. If someone went out of their way, you can offer — they'll usually wave it off.

The water is safe. Restaurants serve filtered water, not straight tap. It's fine.

Seoul is safe, day or night. Walking around late is normal and fine.

Few trash cans on the street. Carry it, or leave it at a cafe or a convenience store.

Need a toilet? Find a subway station. Station restrooms are clean and reliable.

Emergency numbers

119 Medical, ambulance, fire.

112 Police.

1330 Tourist helpline and interpreter, 7am to midnight Korean time, in English.