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Apps to Use While Travelling in Korea

Hopefully Korea gets rid of its 7-day quarantine rule soon. Until then, here are some apps I used when I was in the country a few years ago.

Naver Map (네이버지도)

Naver Map has a pretty good English version and its the Google Maps of Korea. It shows the best routes for driving/using public transport/walking.
Google Maps still works pretty well for restaurant recommendations in Seoul, Busan and on Jeju.

Subway Korea (지하철)

This is the most up to date map of subways in South Korea. You can put in your starting station and destination; they’ll do the rest.
There are a few apps with this function, but Subway Korea is the highest rated.

Seoul Bus (서울버스)
Was once very necessary, but Naver Map now has the same function.
Check it out though if you want a more specialized bus app.

Kakao T (카카오택시)

For when you're too tired to take public transport, Kakao T lets you call taxis.

Visit Seoul

This has info from the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the best attractions to visit in the city.
It’s full of interesting places that you wouldn’t find like restaurants, ticketing and an event calendar.

Daily Hotel (데일리호텔)
Daily Hotel offers great deals on rooms the following day when there are vacancies. I found great deals on nice hotels while traveling in around in Korea.

Posted by
329 posts

Thank you, Brianna! These look very helpful, especially Kakao T.

Posted by
21 posts

Hi Rick ,

I recently visited South Korea along with my husband (he was on an official trip). So, he would be in office the whole day long which gave me lots of time on my hand to explore South Korea all alone.I would totally suggest you to opt for some free local apps (available on both Android & Apple) which made my life much easier and helped me to explore the country without any hassle.Apart from the apps mentioned by Brian, I'm listing some additional ones for you.(Don't want it to be repititive)

  1. Naver Dictionary and Translate: Provides you with number of of translated possibilities that lets you choose the right phrase for based on your context or situation. The app also has audio accompanying the results, it's great rfor someone who is trying to travel and communicate in Korea.

  2. KKday: Provides you tours and activities to fill in your itinerary. You can book well in advance with this app or even a last-minute from the airport can be done.Trust me I made my whole itinerary through this app and found some really great things to see & visit.

  3. Kakao Map: I swear by this app, just to let you know Google has not been allowed to map Korea since 2009, and Naver Map is far less detailed from my experience in comparison to Kakao Maps.

  4. VisitKorea: Official app of Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), is your all-in-one starter app for travelling around the country. Since it was developed by South Korea’s national tourism office, it provides all the updated information relating to popular destinations, festival schedules, and shopping centres, map, transportation guide, time difference tab, and currency and exchange info. It will even show you travel suggestions depending on the theme you choose: city tours, nightlife, ski and snow.

  5. Emergency Ready App: As I was travelling alone so thought this app made a lot of sense.South Korean government developed an emergency app for tourists who are exploring the country’s vast regions. Provides emergency information one would need in case of accidents and crises. Has contact details of fire stations, shelters, police precincts, medical facilities, and embassies. There’s even a safety guide that will remind you of dos and don’ts should emergencies arise during your stay.

  6. MangoPlate: Has 200,000 restaurants across South Korea. If you are a foodie like me then this app is a must (provides you with the best dining experiences).

  7. Coupang Eats I call it the Tomato of Korea. You can track your food. One thing it requires a Korean debit card, so unless you’re working or travelling long-term in South Korea, or have a friend who can lend you his or her card, currently they have no cash-on-delivery

Hope this helps