Solo Travel in South Korea: Best Places & Tips!

Is South Korea good for solo travel?

Yes, I had a blast travelling alone in South Korea because it’s safe and easy to navigate (thanks to the good public transport) plus there are great hostels and organised activities to meet others.

I would say there are easier places for solo travel because the language and alphabet can be confusing, plus certain things can be expensive for one.

However, these small things shouldn’t get in the way of what has all the makings of an amazing trip. So, I’d say, yes, South Korea is a good place to travel solo as long as you can get past certain minor issues.

Is South Korea safe for solo female travel travellers?

South Korea is fine for first-time solo travellers. I even met one in my dorm room. She was having a ball!

However, I suspect that, statistically, few people come for the first solo travel experience in South Korea. I’d say there are easier places for solo travel in Asia, for example Thailand and Vietnam where it’s easier to get by with English, more affordable and more sociable with more of a backpacking culture and clear route.

However, if there’s something specific about South Korean culture that entices you, there’s no reason not to take a first solo trip to Korea.

Good things about solo travel in South Korea

• Positive safety rating – knowing there’s almost no crime really sets your mind at ease and reduces any logistical worries about getting around, especially at night
• Lots of hostels – especially in Seoul there are great hostels where you can meet other travellers to explore with (if that’s important to you)
• Efficient public transport – from the metro and buses in Seoul to cross-country trains that are spotless and almost always on time, it’s easy to navigate intercity and intercountry travel.

Bad things about solo travel in South Korea

• Not the most openly friendly culture – locals tend to stick together with people they already know so it’s unlikely you’ll be invited out with them. Generally, people here are a little more reserved than some places
• Some meals are hard to have for one – Korean barbeques and dak galbi meals are delicious but served for groups. In Seoul, I found a few places that would let me have a BBQ for one but there was always a solo surcharge
• Not the cheapest place to travel alone – if you want to get a private room rather than stay in hostels, you’ll need to stretch the purse strings. The cost of travel in South Korea is closer to other East Asian countries like Japan than cheaper Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

Best places to travel alone in South Korea

Here’s where not to miss!

WHERE and HOW do I even begin to describe this varied, wonderland of a city?

I think the thing I most love about Seoul is how it blends history and modernity. Yes, you can visit historic palaces dating back centuries, but across the road will be a funky modern art gallery. And don’t get me started on all the quirky cafes!

Also, Seoul is a fantastic destination for all budgets. There’s fine dining and fancy bars but there’s also world-class street food and amazing local markets. So, whether you’re fascinated by flashy skyscrapers or hundred-year-old teahouses, you’ll fill your Seoul itinerary, no problem!

As a solo traveller, I always vibe with places with loads to see and do. Especially if you’re a beginner solo traveller, you may feel restless in smaller towns. In Seoul, you’ll never get bored or need someone else to distract you.

Some top things to do in Seoul include:

• Gyeongbokgung Palace – the most impressive of Seoul’s five palaces is known for the changing of the guard at 10am or 2pm (closed Tuesdays)
• Bukchon Hanok Village – this cluster of traditional hanok houses dating from the Joseon Dynasty is ripe for photoshoots and scenic walks. Local and foreign tourists alike dress in traditional hanbok outfits to take photos!
• Bukhansan National Park – a great place to go hiking! Solo female travellers in Korea may want to join a hiking group
• Ihwa Mural Village – this colourful mural village is well worth a wander
• Food markets – I was excited to see the Netflix Street Food lady at Gwangjang and try her knife-cut noodles. Don’t miss other Seoul street food markets like Namdaemun and Tongin
• Seoul City Walls – there are several walks you can do along these walls from the Joseon Dynasty period, all offering spectacular city views
• Day trip to the DMZ – the buffer zone separating South and North Korea is a fascinating place to learn about the tragic history of the Korean War that split the country in two. You need to go as part of a DMZ tour
• Museums – don’t miss the National Folk Museum of Korea, the Museum of Korean Contemporary History and the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum
• Cheonggyecheon Stream – escape the bustling city beside this peaceful river walk.

Seoul neighbourhoods:

• Gangnam – see the Instagrammable Starfield Library and historical Bongeunsa Temple and pose with the gold hand statue dedicated to the Gangnam Style dance
• Insa-dong – this historic hood is known for traditional teahouses; Old Shin shouldn’t be missed!
• Myeongdong – the beauty district is worth a wander especially since many stores give out freebies to entice you in. Stay for the nighttime street food market!
• Hongdae – Seoul’s vibey hipster hood filled with boutiques and quirky cafes. I liked staying here at Bunk Hostel.

Getting around Seoul: the subway is clean, efficient and affordable with 20 lines. There’s also an expansive bus network. Make sure to get a Tmoney card to save money and avoid queuing. If you get the Discover Seoul Pass, you can ride around on the Yellow Bus and the Seoul City Tour Bus connecting all the main tourist attractions.

Getting to Seoul from the airport(s):

• Incheon International Airport – get the AREX Express train (from T1 and T2 direct to Seoul Station), the All Stop Train (from T2, making 13 subway stops to Seoul Station) or the Incheon Airport Bus. 
• Gimpo Airport – get the AREX All Stop Train (20 mins) for 1,450 won or the 6021 bus (45 mins) for 7,000 won.

More challenging places to travel alone in South Korea – but don’t rule them out!

Okay, I often include this section in my solo blogs, however most places on South Korea’s mainland are appropriate for solo travel because almost everywhere is well-connected. However, there’s one place where I struggled but managed to make it work. This was…

Jeju Island is undeniably a fantastic destination but it’s not the best for solo travellers in Korea mainly because it’s best explored by car which is never a viable budget option for one person. There’s public transport but it isn’t great (especially if you want to do and see a lot).

I wrote a guide to exploring Jeju Island without a car; the jist is to stay in Jeju City which is the transport hub of the island, as well as the place with the best budget accommodation including hostels. The one I stayed at seems to have closed down but Slow Citi and Ttottot Backpackers have fantastic reviews.

Even though it requires loosening the purse strings a little, I recommend organised tours for getting the best of Jeju Island. These are well organised with set tours of the East Coast and West Coast (click to see and book the tours) reducing your daily travel time. I did both on two consecutive days, departing and returning to Jeju City.

Both GetYourGuide and Viator are competitively priced with lots of options for South Korea excursions.

Getting to South Korea

Most travellers fly into Seoul; there are two international airports but Incheon has far more overseas flights. You can fly direct between Seoul and China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand (click the pink text for solo travel guides to these places).

If you’re coming from outside these Asian countries, a change is usually required.

Busan also has an international airport. Coming from Taiwan, I got a cheap flight from Taipei to Busan so started my solo South Korea trip here.

Cost of solo Korea travel

Here are some average prices to help you plan your trip…

Bunk in a hostel: 30,000 KRW ($20/£17).

Budget private room: prices start from 50,000 KRW ($40/£30).

Street food meal: from 2,000 KRW, just a couple of dollars!

Restaurant meal: prices start from 7,000 KRW ($5/£4).

An intercountry train ride: from 8,000-35,000 KRW ($6-25) on regular trains and double on the speedy KRX.

Tips for budget travel:

• Eat street food – Seoul has SO many affordable street food markets! Smaller cities and towns don’t have as much.
• Stay in hostels – these are great in South Korea; very clean and friendly. Again, the best options are in Seoul.
• Use free Wi-Fi in metro stations rather than getting a SIM card (more about these to come).
• Get a Tmoney card to get cheaper metro tickets.

Spring (April to June): this is a good time to visit before it gets too hot and the monsoon arrives. Average daily temperatures are around 18 degrees.

Summer (June to August) is the hottest season (up to 35°C and humid) AND monsoon season so it’s one of the worst times to visit.

Autumn (September to November) is another great time to visit with pleasant temperatures of around 20°C and beautiful fall colours.

Winter (December to March): although the snow can be atmospheric and winter sports can be practised, the average traveller will want to avoid the freezing winter temperatures (lows of -20°C have been recorded)!

How to make friends and meet people

• Stay in hostels – some of my faves are Bunk in Seoul and Kimchee Guesthouse in Busan. Hostelworld have a new social feature where you can chat with other guests before arrival.
• Take group tours for example guided city walks, hiking trips and cooking classes (this Seoul cooking class looks fun with great reviews). The DMZ is well worth visiting and can only be done as part of a tour so this doubles up as a way to meet other travellers. I like Viator and GetYourGuide for Korea tours and activities.
• Try Facebook groups like Girls Love Travel to see if other women are travelling alone in Korea at the same time as you.
• Many more! Read my guide to making friends while travelling alone.

Must-do experiences

Things to tick off your South Korea bucket list include…

• Visiting the DMZ from Seoul – this is so important to learn about key events in contemporary Korean history
• Experience a jjimjilbang (nude spa) – once you get over the initial feelings of awkwardness, you’ll hopefully find these a mix of liberating and relaxing. Spa Land in Busan is a popular opinion.
• Shop for beauty products in Myeongdong – not just because many stores give you free samples to tempt you in! Korean beauty culture is iconic and this is the place to experience it.
• Find the Netflix Street Food lady in Gwangjang market – and try her famous knife-cut noodles with kimchi
• Meet the Haenyeo women on Jeju Island – up to 80 years in age, these women make their livelihood by deep-diving for shellfish without any diving apparatus. Since young people no longer want to take on the trade, it’s protected by UNESCO.
• Do some hiking – I was amazed by how well-connected the hikes are to cities by public transport. For a look into Korean nature, don’t overlook the hike opportunities. The Igidae Coastal Walk trail near Busan is easy with great views.
• Have any kind of K-pop experience – from attending a show to a dance lesson, experience the genre that has taken the world by storm!
• Stay in a temple – for an unusual accommodation option, templestay experiences based on Buddhist principles often include guided meditation, veggie meals and more. Perfect for reflection while travelling alone in Korea. Geumsunsa and Golgulsa are popular options.
• Enjoy the teahouses and coffee culture – from elegant historic teahouses to cool coffee shops with themes such as 3D, poop and cat/racoon/sheep.

Do you need travel insurance for visiting South Korea?

Of course! It may be very safe but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t get sick or have an accident.

I recommend True Traveller which I use myself. I pay around £30 (€40) a month when getting a year’s plan. They cover pre-existing health conditions and will cover you if you’re already travelling and/or don’t yet have your flight home booked. The claim process is really easy; I’ve claimed twice and they’ve paid out within days. Click to get a quote.

True Traveller is just for European residents (including the UK) so, for other nationalities, I recommend Hey Mundo and for long-term digital nomad travellers, I suggest Safety Wing.

I became obsessed with Korean food during my trip! These are the best Korean dishes to try in my humble, hungry opinion…

• Kimchi – fermented foods are great for you; in fact, many Koreans attribute their great eyesight to this spicy cabbage condiment
• Bibimbap – this yummy mixed rice dish usually comes with meat, veggies, a fried egg and gochujang (hot pepper paste)
• Gimbap – veggie rice rolls are a popular snack and street food dish
• Haemul pajeon – squid pancakes with green onion
• Bingsu – this shaved ice dish is a tasty dessert, although solo travellers in Korea may be defeated because portions are huge!
• Korean fried chicken – yum! Cool modern restaurants serve it with beer under the name chimaek
• Tteokbokki – rice cakes, fish cakes and boiled eggs are served in hot chilli sauce. This dish is an acquired taste due to the usual textures and fiery flavour but one I came to love!
• Korean BBQs – providing you can get a restaurant to serve you a meal for one without too heavy a surcharge. Alternatively, get a group together in a hostel. Similarly, dak galbi is a shared meal comprising chicken, cheese, veggies, rice cakes and gochujang on a hot plate in the middle of a table.

Getting a SIM card

I learned the hard way that most shops won’t sell you a SIM without a residency card. I asked the staff at my first hostel on check-in and was told the best place to get a SIM is at the airport… Not the news I wanted since I’d just come from there and didn’t have plans to go back ’til leaving the country!  

So be organised and sort your solution before arriving by reserving a SIM card to collect at the airport (any Seoul airport, Busan airport and now a new city collection point of Myeongdong). There are packages available depending on the amount of data and days you require.

Alternatively, rent a pocket Wi-Fi device and share data with other devices such as your laptop.

However, one thing to note is that there’s free Wi-Fi in all the metro stations. It’s easy to pop into one even if you’re not catching a train. So, you may not need your own internet connection at all, especially since solo female travel in Korea is very safe meaning you don’t need to stay connected for security reasons.

Update – there’s a great new option in the e-SIM world. Airalo is the world’s first eSIM network covering 200+ countries and regions. It allows you to purchase a package online and use mobile data as soon as you arrive. A real game-changer! Browse their Korea SIM packages.