Getting around Seoul for a beauty trip: maps, cards and transit
Two things surprise first-time visitors: Google Maps is weak for walking and transit directions in Korea, and almost everything else is card-friendly.
What to set up before you land
- Directions
- Use
- Naver Map or KakaoMap
- Why
- Accurate walking/transit routes, English UI
- Subway & bus
- Use
- T-money card
- Why
- Top up at convenience stores, tap in/out
- Payments
- Use
- Your credit card
- Why
- Widely accepted, even for small amounts
- Taxis
- Use
- Kakao T app
- Why
- Works with foreign numbers in many cases
- Translation
- Use
- Papago
- Why
- Handy for product labels (camera mode)
| Need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Directions | Naver Map or KakaoMap | Accurate walking/transit routes, English UI |
| Subway & bus | T-money card | Top up at convenience stores, tap in/out |
| Payments | Your credit card | Widely accepted, even for small amounts |
| Taxis | Kakao T app | Works with foreign numbers in many cases |
| Translation | Papago | Handy for product labels (camera mode) |
Poll
What stressed you most on your first Korea trip?
Sign in to vote
0
For Seoul, I’d install Naver MaporKakaoMap before you land; both handle local walking and transit routes much better than Google Maps. Search the exact Korean name or paste a place’s Korean address if an English listing won’t show up. For subway trips, check the exit number too—Seoul stations can have a lot of them, and the right exit saves a surprising amount of walking.
For transit, pick up a T-money card at a convenience store or transit-station kiosk and top it up with cash. It works on buses and the subway, and often for small purchases too. Don’t assume you can reload it with a foreign bank card; the easy fallback is cash. Regular cards are widely accepted at shops, cafés and beauty stores, though a few smaller places may be cash-only. Keep a little won on hand.
I’d download an offline translation app and save your hotel address in Korean as well. Which part caught you off guard most on your first trip?
Poll
What stressed you most on your first Korea trip?
Sign in to vote
Tip from the desk: in Naver Map, switching the language to English in settings makes transit directions much easier to follow.