South Korea

Gyeongbokgung Palace: The first thing to see in Seoul, and if you rent a hanbok you get in free. Go early, before the changing-of-the-guard crowds build, and the courtyards are almost empty.

The DMZ: Worth a trip to the border, but remember you can only get there on an organised tour with a licensed guide. Book ahead, because tours fill and access can be suspended at short notice.

Templestay: For quiet, Buddhist monasteries run the Templestay programme, where you live as a monk for a couple of days up in the mountains. It's genuine rather than performative, and the early starts are real.

Gamcheon Culture Village: In Busan, head up to this hillside of painted houses, but arrive before ten in the morning, before the crowds fill the coloured lanes.

Hahoe Village: Near Andong, this is an honest piece of old Korea with people still living in the houses, rather than a reconstruction built for visitors.

Hwaseong Fortress: In Suwon, overrated unless you enjoy long walks along walls, though it's easy to reach on the ordinary metro from central Seoul.

Namsan: The mountain gives a fine panorama, but going up N Seoul Tower itself often isn't worth the lift queue or the ticket price. Walk up instead of taking the cable car.

Currency: The Korean won is the only currency in use. Bring US dollars or euros in clean recent notes if you want to change cash, and use the small exchange booths in Myeongdong, which beat the airport rate by a wide margin.

Cards: Korea is close to cashless and Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere, including buses and market stalls. American Express is spottier. Not every foreign card works in every terminal, so carry a second card and some cash as backup.

ATMs: Look for machines marked "Global ATM" at convenience stores and subway stations, since many domestic machines reject foreign cards. Withdrawal fees are modest.

Tipping: Nobody tips in Korea, and leaving money on the table can cause confusion or mild offence. The price on the bill is the price you pay.

Prepaid cards: Wowpass and Hanpass are prepaid cards you top up with cash, and they work in ordinary shops and cafes as well as on transport.

Item	Price (USD)
Street kimbap	3
Cafe lunch	8
Barbecue for two	40
Bottle of soju	2
Coffee at Starbucks	5
Subway ride	1.2
Taxi (5 km)	6
KTX ticket to Busan	45
Hanbok rental	15
Palace entry	2
Tower observation deck	14
Museum ticket	5
eSIM for a week	18
Guesthouse night	45
Bottle of water	1

KTX: The high-speed trains are the best way to cross the country, linking Seoul and Busan in two and a half comfortable hours. Book online and reserve a seat in advance at busy times.

Express buses: If you're not in a hurry, express coaches cost roughly half the train fare and the service is genuinely good, with reclining seats and regular rest stops.

Mugunghwa trains: The slowest services stop at every village and suit only a leisurely trip through the provinces. They're cheap and scenic if time doesn't matter.

T-money: Buy a T-money card at any convenience store. It works on the subway, buses and taxis across the whole country and saves you fumbling for change.

Transfers: Tap your card as you get off a bus and the next ride within thirty minutes is free or nearly free. Most visitors miss this and overpay all trip.

Taxis and maps: Use the KakaoT app to call a car, and Naver Map for routes, because Google Maps works poorly in Korea due to data restrictions.

Airport link: The AREX express train runs from Incheon into central Seoul in forty-three minutes, straight to Seoul Station with no traffic. Incheon itself has direct long-haul flights from London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Los Angeles and most Asian hubs.

Hanok guesthouses: Staying in a traditional house with underfloor ondol heating means sleeping on a futon mat on the floor. It's a distinctive experience, though a firm one.

Motels and love hotels: A great way to save money, since a small budget gets you a huge television, a jacuzzi and a spotlessly clean room. They're used by everyone and carry no stigma.

City hotels: Myeongdong and Hongdae have the widest choice aimed at independent travellers and younger visitors. Both are well connected by subway.

Capsules: A modern way to sleep in the centre for around twenty-five dollars if all you need is a bed and a clean shower. Luggage storage is usually included.

Templestay: Staying at a temple means keeping to a strict schedule, including a three in the morning start and taking part in prayers and ceremonies.

Choosing an area: Book Hongdae for nightlife and a young crowd, Myeongdong for shopping and easy central logistics. Insadong suits anyone here for the palaces.

Booking: International sites work fine, but always check whether the property takes cash won on arrival, as some small places still prefer it.

Samgyeopsal: Grilling pork belly on a burner set into the middle of the table is a whole ritual, and it works best shared with a loud group of friends.

Banchan: Your main course arrives surrounded by small dishes of side plates. They're free and refillable, and it's poor form to order more than you'll finish.

Bibimbap: Rice with vegetables and chilli paste, which you mix thoroughly before eating. It's the quickest and healthiest Korean lunch going.

Markets: At Gwangjang market in Seoul or Jagalchi in Busan you can eat everything from live octopus to hot sweet hotteok pancakes.

Heat: Korean food is genuinely fiery, so learn to say "an maepge" if you aren't ready for chilli that makes your eyes water.

Chimaek: Crispy fried chicken with cold beer has become close to a religion here, and it's what an evening out is built around.

Convenience store ramyeon: The 24-hour shops have hot water dispensers where you brew a pot of noodles and eat it standing at the window counter. It costs almost nothing.

Overall: Korea is one of the safest countries in the world, and walking through back streets alone at night is unremarkable here.

Belongings: Leaving a laptop or wallet on a cafe table to reserve a seat is normal local behaviour, though there's no reason for you to test it.

North Korea: The proximity of the border has no bearing on daily life. Military rhetoric is background noise that locals barely register.

Weather: Summer brings serious typhoons and flooding rain, so check forecasts if you're planning mountain hikes. Trails close when conditions turn.

Cameras: Surveillance is everywhere, which is a large part of why street crime and petty theft are close to nonexistent.

Traffic: Drivers can be aggressive and delivery scooters routinely use the pavement, so pay attention at crossings even on a green light.

Lost property: If you leave something on the subway or in a taxi, there's a very good chance it ends up in a lost property office or comes back to you through the police.

Age and hierarchy: Age governs how people speak to each other. Pass objects and money with two hands as a mark of respect.

Shoes off: Take your shoes off and leave them at the entrance when you enter a Buddhist temple, a traditional restaurant or a private home.

Table manners: Don't start eating until the oldest person at the table has begun, and never stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice.

Drinking: Pouring your own drink is bad form. Fill your neighbours' glasses and they'll fill yours, and turn slightly away when drinking with someone older.

Quiet in transit: Loud phone conversations on the subway or city buses are frowned on. Koreans take personal space in public seriously.

Chopsticks: Unlike the rest of Asia, Korea uses flat steel chopsticks, which take a couple of days to get used to.

Temples: Keep quiet inside, don't photograph people praying and dress with shoulders and knees covered when visiting shrines.

Data: Skip expensive roaming and buy an eSIM before you leave, from Airalo, Yesim or a similar provider, activated by QR code at home. Unlimited-data tourist plans are cheap by global standards.

Maps: Forget Google Maps, which is close to useless for navigation here because of national data rules. Download Naver Map for accurate walking and transit directions.

Translation: English isn't universal, so install Papago, which handles Korean better than anything else and translates text straight from photographs.

Messaging: The whole country runs on KakaoTalk, and it's what you'll use to contact hosts and local guides.

Free wi-fi: Open networks are in the subway, on buses and on every Seoul street corner, but for maps you'll want your own reliable data.

Taxis: The KakaoT app calls a car and shows the fare up front, which removes the language barrier entirely.

Buying a SIM: Tourist SIMs are sold in the arrivals hall at Incheon, but buying an eSIM profile online in advance works out significantly cheaper.

English	Korean	Pronunciation
Hello	안녕하세요	an-nyong-ha-SE-yo
Thank you	감사합니다	kam-sa-ham-NI-da
Yes / No	네 / 아니요	ne / a-NI-yo
Sorry	죄송합니다	chway-song-ham-NI-da
How much is it?	얼마예요?	ol-ma-YE-yo
Delicious!	맛있어요!	ma-SI-sso-yo
Where's the toilet?	화장실 어디예요?	hwa-jang-shil o-di-YE-yo
Help!	도와주세요!	to-wa-ju-SE-yo
The bill, please	계산해주세요	kye-san-hae-ju-SE-yo
Not spicy	안 맵게	an MAEP-ke
Water	물	mul
Beer	맥주	MAEK-ju
Please give me	주세요	ju-SE-yo
I don't understand	모르겠어요	mo-ru-GE-sso-yo
Do you speak English?	영어 하세요?	yong-o ha-SE-yo
Amazing! (slang)	대박!	TAE-bak
No way! (slang)	헐!	hol
Older brother/sister (slang)	오빠 / 언니	OP-pa / ON-ni
Cheers!	건배!	kon-BAE
Goodbye	안녕히 가세요	an-nyong-hi ka-SE-yo
One more, please	하나 더 주세요	ha-na do ju-SE-yo
Excuse me	저기요	cho-GI-yo

Entry permit: Anything to do with electronic travel authorisation is handled only at k-eta.go.kr. Don't use other sites, which charge fees for a form you can fill in yourself.

Rail booking: Book high-speed train tickets on the official letskorail.com, which also sells the Korail Pass for visitors.

Tourist helpline: Dial 1330 for a round-the-clock English-language helpline that handles anything from directions to complaints.

Official guide: visitkorea.or.kr carries current information on festivals, museum opening times and seasonal discounts in each city.

Emergencies: Police are on 112, fire and ambulance on 119, and operators generally manage basic English.

Translation: Papago from Naver is the best tool for Korean, since it handles cultural context and slang far better than general translators.

Etiquette to pack: Bring slip-on shoes, given how often you'll be taking them off, and a small bag for rubbish, since public bins are surprisingly rare on the street.