How much does a vacation in South Korea cost? We have compiled prices in 2021 in Seoul for everything: tickets, food and groceries, transportation, lodging and attractions. We advise how to organize a trip to South Korea on your own and how to spend less.
We liked the distinctive South Korea very much, only the prices saddened. They are measured in thousands in Korea, which is misleading after Bali and Vietnam. It seems that you are giving some 10 thousand won for a dish, and this is almost $ 10! You won't be able to save a lot on vacation, in this the country is similar to Hong Kong.
We visited the glorious Seoul and, using the example of the capital, we will tell you about prices in South Korea in 2021, as well as how to save money.
Exchange rate: 1000 South Korean won (KRW) ≈ 62 RUB.
1 k = 1000
Visa for South Korea
You will not spend a dime on it - Russians can stay in the country for 2 months without a visa. Passport control is super fast. We were not asked any questions, they just took our fingerprints, photographed and gave us a piece of paper - it must be kept. The passport is not stamped.
Find out: Why we love Korea >>
Flights
Where to find cheap tickets? Use the search engines Aviasales and Skyscanner to compare prices of all airlines. Find out the secrets of finding cheap flights.
Prices from Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2021:
- to Seoul - with transfers from 23,000 rubles, direct flights from Aeroflot - from 37,000.
- in Jeju - from 33,000.
- to Busan - from 37,000 rubles with transfers (for example, in Beijing).
The cheapest flight to South Korea is from the Far East:
- from Vladivostok - from 11,000.
- from Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk - from 24,000.
How to save money? Monitor ticket prices, catch promotions and buy in advance. You can fly to Korea cheaply if you are already traveling: for example, tickets from Japan cost only 5,000 rubles! It is slightly more expensive to fly from China and some countries of Southeast Asia - the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia - about 10-12 thousand rubles.
The Marco Polo experience. We flew from Bali on AirAsia flights, and tickets with luggage cost 14,000 rubles per person. We flew from Seoul to Novosibirsk on S7 for 18,000 rubles per person.
Current prices for air tickets to Korea
Food and grocery prices in South Korea - 2021
Korea is drowning in food! There is no such food cult in any country in Southeast Asia. In all this abundance, one thing confuses - the prices. Here they are not at all Asian, and the appetite immediately disappears when you translate prices into rubles or dollars. You know, it is psychologically difficult to pay $ 7 for a simple noodle soup, when the same soup in Vietnam costs $ 1-2.
But the devil is not so terrible as he is painted! We were able to enjoy Korean food for quite a bit: 164K ₩ ($ 140) for two in 5 days. In other words, only $ 14 (900 rubles) per person per day - is that a lot?
Prices for hotels in Seoul - 2021
During an independent trip to South Korea, a lot of money will be spent on hotels or renting an apartment - be mentally prepared.
Where to live. Stay closer to the center near the metro station - this way you will save on transport. It makes no sense to live on the outskirts if you have arrived for only a few days - you will spend more time and money on the road. We chose Anguk Station - it is strategically located!
Where is it profitable to book accommodation
- Roomguru.ru - compares hotel prices, looking for discounts.
- Booking is the world's most popular hotel booking site.
- Airbnb - a huge selection of rooms, apartments, houses from the owners. Cozy, beautiful and economical for a large company!
The Marco Polo experience. We stayed at the wonderful City Park Hotel for $ 36 per night in the Jongno-Gu area near the Anguk subway station, between two royal palaces - a very convenient location. There are many cafes in the alley. Book in advance - with a discount it costs $ 28 per day. The hotel is comfortable, there are various nice little things: bathrobes, hairdryer, toiletries, free noodles once a day and coffee.
If you want to make yourself feel at home, rent an apartment on Airbnb. In the summer of 2021, there are many options in the center of Seoul for $ 40-70 per night for two. Private rooms cost $ 30-50 for two.
Here are the prices for hotels and hostels in South Korea in 2021:
| Housing type | Price for two per day | Example |
| Hostel not in the center | from $ 8 / person | Birdsnest Hostel Hongdae |
| Hostel in the center | from $ 9 / person | Kimchee Downtown Guesthouse |
| Budget hotel not in the center | from 24 $ | Korstay Hotel |
| Budget hotel in the center (Jongno-gu) | from 27 $ | Jongro Alice Residence |
| Hotel 3 * | from 35 $ | Myeongdong Merlin Hotel |
| Hotel 5 * | from 115 $ | Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan |
The highest prices in South Korea are for hotels in July-August and for the New Year - good and inexpensive housing is quickly dismantled. Book in advance!
If you want to get a special experience on your vacation in South Korea, choose unique accommodation:
- traditional yogwanwhere you need to sleep on the floor on a mat.
- Hanok Is a traditional house. They cost from $ 170 to $ 300 per day. Located in the traditional Bukchon village next to the royal palace. Found an inexpensive Airbnb hanok with good reviews.
- Chimchilban - sauna. Entrance for 12 hours: at night - 15k ₩, during the day - 12k ₩. There you can not only bathe and wash, but also sleep. Instead of beds - mats. There is a safe. The most popular sauna in the center is Dragon Hill Spa, but there are many others that are cheaper.
Transportation prices in South Korea
The price of a public transport ticket in South Korea depends on the distance you need to travel and starts at 1,250. You can buy a one-time ticket, but you can get off with it strictly at the station to which you bought it. When you return the ticket to the machine, you will be given a deposit of 500 ₩.
If you plan to travel a lot, buy T-Money card (costs 3k ₩) - it works in the metro and buses. With it, each trip is 100 ₩ cheaper, and transfers are free. And you can also get off with it at any station, as opposed to a one-time ticket. You can buy a card in minimarkets or a terminal, replenished in vending machines.
Useful Metro Links:
- Cyber Station - build a route on your computer.
- Subway Korea is a subway route planner app (here for iOS).
- Seoul Metro - how to buy a one-time ticket (in English, with pictures).
There are a lot of buses, you can go to the suburbs of Seoul. The bus stops have detailed routes and timetables.
Taxis in South Korea are not cheap: the first 2 km - about 1600 ₩, then for each km - 650 ₩, an hour of waiting - about 13.5k ₩.
A liter of gasoline costs about 1700 ₩.
Get from the airport it is possible by train and bus (there are also night ones). We went by bus - 10k ₩ per person to Anguk station. They paid the driver in cash.
You can get around the country by buses, trains and planes. There are low-cost airlines: Air Busan (from Busan), Jin Air (across South Korea and neighboring countries) and T'way Airlines (across the country).
The Marco Polo experience. How to save money? Walk! We wound 15-20 km a day. The city is colorful, interesting, and it would be a sin to go down to the subway when there is such beauty around. In general, take T-money if you need to travel. For transport, we spent only 40k ₩ for two for a bus from the airport and back.
Attraction prices
In Seoul, you can see almost everything for free or inexpensively. Many museums in South Korea are free or offer a purely nominal admission fee. For example, a ticket to the royal palace costs only 3k ₩. But the prices for entrance to amusement parks and observation decks are exorbitant, see below for yourself.
What to see in Seoul for free:
- Dongdaemun Design Plaza - Zaha Hadid Building
- Bukchon Hanok Village
- Changing of the guard at Gyeongbokgung Royal Palace at 10:00 and 14:00
- Outdoor Terrace and N-Seoul TV Tower Park
- Namsangol Village - Open Air Museum
- Cheonggyecheon Park - a stream park on the site of a former highway
- Rainbow Bridge (Banpo Bridge)
- Seoul City Hall
- Jeongdong Observation Deck on Floor 13 of the Seosomun Building
- Seoullo 7017 is a park on the site of the former flyover over Seoul Station. The views are mesmerizing!
