Practical info South Korea

South Korea enjoys a temperate climate with four clearly defined seasons that closely resemble those in the UK, occurring at roughly the same times of the year. 

South Korea’s four seasons:

• Spring lasts from March through May and is one of the most pleasant times to visit South Korea. Temperatures typically range between 10 and 20 degrees, and nature bursts to life with blossoming cherry trees, azaleas, and other spring flowers. The cherry blossom season, known as beotkkot, usually takes place from late March to mid-April and draws both locals and visitors to parks and streets across the country.
• Summer runs from June through to August and is hot, humid, and influenced by the East Asian monsoon (jangma), which typically occurs from late June to mid-July. Daytime temperatures often range between 25 and 32 degrees with high humidity. After the monsoon season, the weather turns warm and sunny, while late summer may bring occasional typhoons, mainly affecting the southern and eastern parts of the country.
• Autumn stretches from September through November and is considered by many to be the most beautiful season in South Korea. Temperatures usually range between 15 and 25 degrees, the humidity drops, and the weather is often clear and sunny. From October, parks, mountains, and forests are cloaked in spectacular shades of red, orange, and gold, making this time of year perfect for hiking and nature experiences.
• Winter lasts from December to February and brings cold, dry, and often sunny days. Daytime temperatures typically range from ‑5 to 8 degrees but can drop significantly further north and in the mountain areas. Snow falls regularly, especially in the northern regions and along the east coast. In the southern parts of the country, winters are generally milder, though frost and occasional snowfall still occur.

The southern regions and Jeju Island enjoy a milder climate all year round, while the northern areas and mountain regions experience colder winters and heavier snowfall. As a result, the weather can vary between destinations, as shown in the climate statistics below.

As a British citizen, you must hold a valid UK passport. Your passport must remain valid for the entire duration of your stay – in other words, your passport much have an expiration date after the date you are set to leave South Korea.

South Korea is visa-free for British citizens. From 1 April 2023 until 31 December 2026, the UK is also exempt from the usual K-ETA procedure. Therefore, British citizens are not required to apply for a K-ETA before entering South Korea during this period. If your tour is scheduled after this date, you can wait until around a week before departure to check the applicable regulations.

You can check the visa regulations on the website of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

To reduce waiting times at immigration upon arrival, we recommend completing the electronic entry form, the e-Arrival Card, no earlier than 72 hours before arrival via this link.

Prior to your departure, you can download our App here to find your travel documents and your contact details for TourCompass and our local partners.

We recommend that you download the WhatsApp app to your smartphone and add the phone numbers of our business partners. You can send messages and call them for free using the app when you have a Wi-Fi connection.

We recommend that you contact your GP or an authorised private vaccination clinic for information about vaccinations. You can also read more about the rules regarding travel vaccinations here.

Please be aware of the rules about yellow fever – especially if you are entering via another country where yellow fever is present. Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry. Your vaccination certificate should therefore always be carried with you in your hand luggage when you travel.

Please read our general travel terms and conditions carefully, as these are part of the agreement terms for tours purchased at TourCompass. Tours purchased from us are covered under the “Package Travel Act”.

Click here to read our travel terms and conditions.

All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay, you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels, and other services) is listed on it.

Please see our booking conditions for further information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate, click here.

We always advise you to obtain comprehensive travel insurance when heading off on your dream holiday. It is also highly recommended to acquire cancellation insurance for extra protection.

Click here to proceed to our page on insurance, where you can read more about our recommendations.

The South Korean currency is called the won (KRW). You can find the current exchange rate for the won here.

International credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are now widely accepted, especially in hotels, international shops, and restaurants in the major cities. However, during your tour, you may find it useful to have some cash on hand for small markets, street food stalls, or when adding extra credit to your T-Money card at a metro station. We therefore recommend exchanging a small amount for won.

To withdraw money with an international credit card, you can use the ATMs found at convenience store chains such as CU, GS25, or 7-Eleven, which are available in almost every city.

If you are bringing US dollars or euros, you can visit the tourist information centre, where exchange machines are available in most areas.

During your tour in South Korea, you will receive a T-Money card as part of your welcome pack. This card can be used as payment on almost all metro lines, regional trains, and buses. In addition, it can be used for purchases in many major supermarkets, as well as in convenience store chains such as CU, GS25, and 7-Eleven, where you can also easily top up the card with extra credit. 

Tipping should generally be avoided in South Korea, as good service is considered a natural part of the culture and is driven by pride rather than by money. 

At the vast majority of our destinations, we are able to take allergies, as well as allergens or preferences, into account when it comes to food; however, it is important that you inform us of this when you book the tour.

Telephone & Wi-Fi:

Making calls, sending text messages, and using mobile data abroad can be expensive if it’s not already included in your mobile plan. We therefore recommend that you contact your mobile provider to check which services are included in your plan and what the rates are for international use.

Regardless of your mobile coverage, you can use Wi-Fi freely at hotels and most restaurants during your tour. This allows you to call or message home using apps such as FaceTime, Messenger, or WhatsApp. Alternatively, you can purchase an eSIM before departure or buy a local SIM card with data upon arrival.

Read more about how to get online while travelling on our blog here.

Electricity: 

South Korea uses 220 volts. The European two-pin plug is the most common type.

Make sure you pack all your important and indispensable things in your hand luggage. This applies to items such as passports, visas, vaccination cards, travel documents, insurance documents, credit cards, money, computers, mobile phones and cameras, as well as information about your health and vital medicines.

Visitors are not permitted to bring plants, seeds, fruit, and other plant products into the UK from their travels outside the UK, unless they are accompanied by a plant health (phytosanitary) certificate. These rules also apply to smaller quantities of plants and plant products.

Read more about the rules here.

Please note that our tours are not generally suitable for people with impaired mobility. Please contact us for information about your options in relation to your specific needs.

Most airlines have electronic tickets (e-tickets).

It is essential that you check the names provided. We only use Surname/First given name for each traveller. These must match the Surname/First given name as shown in your passport. Any middle name(s) are omitted from your booking, as these are not required. If there is a hyphen in your name, it will be removed and the names joined together.

Please check the attached itinerary, along with all name details, and you must reply to us within one working day with any comments. Changes to flight itineraries at a later date will be subject to extra charges. 

The airline will assign you a seat on the plane at check-in. If you have specific wishes regarding where you sit on the plane, you can make a seat reservation yourself on the airline’s website or in their app. Please note that most airlines require payment for a seat reservation.

It varies when airlines open for seat reservations, but as a general rule, you can book seats from the time of booking and up to 48 hours before departure.

We also point out that the airline has complete control over all seats on the plane and that they are therefore entitled to make changes to the reservation at any time. If you do not make a seat reservation before departure, the airline will assign you a seat at check-in.

Your passport and your booking reference, which appears on your itinerary, are required to check in.

We recommend that you download the airline’s app on your phone. In the app, there is an option for online check-in, which typically opens 24 to 48 hours before departure. The app also allows you to stay informed of any flight changes and other important information about your flight.

Please note that the flight times may have changed in relation to those listed on the travel itinerary you received when you booked your holiday. It is always the flight times in the airline’s app or on the airline’s website that apply.

For your outbound journey, we recommend arriving at the airport no later than 2 hours before departure. On your return journey, you will usually be dropped off at the airport approximately 3 hours before your flight’s departure.

It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the airport’s website for the latest updates and information.

We work with a range of different airlines for our destinations. You can check the exact rules for hand luggage and checked luggage on the airline’s website or in their app.

If your baggage is delayed, please contact the staff in the baggage reclaim area to report your missing baggage.

It is important that you have your baggage receipt when completing your PIR (Property Irregularity Report).

Please note that you must not leave the baggage area at the airport until you have completed the report.

In the event of delayed baggage, we ask you to contact our partner, who will ensure that your guide/driver waits for you.

Should any changes occur in connection with your flight reservation before departure, we will of course contact you to let you know.

Should your flight be delayed after check-in, the airline is responsible for rebooking your flight. They will typically book the next possible flight and arrange any meals and accommodation if necessary.

Our partner checks for any changes in arrival times and will naturally still wait for you, even if your flight is delayed.

If, due to a delay or cancellation, the airline books you on another flight number after you have arrived at the airport, please contact us on TourCompass’ emergency number.

Immigration:

When you arrive at your final destination, you will go through immigration control, where your passport and any required entry documents or visas will be checked. In many places, you’ll be asked to provide fingerprints, and a facial photo will be taken for biometric identification. You may also be asked questions about your travel plans in the country and the address of your accommodation.

We recommend completing the electronic entry form, the e-Arrival Card, no earlier than 72 hours before your arrival via the following link. Doing so will help reduce your waiting time at immigration when entering the country.

Customs:

Once you’ve passed through immigration and collected your luggage, you’ll need to go through customs. If you’ve got nothing to declare, proceed through the “nothing to declare” channel. However, if you have items to declare, it’s important that you go through the “declare” channel. It is your own responsibility to check the customs regulations that apply in the country you’re travelling to.

After arriving in Seoul, collect your luggage and proceed to the arrivals hall. Here, you’ll be met by your driver, who will be holding a sign displaying your name.

Should you, contrary to expectations, be unable to find your driver, please contact our local partner on the emergency number provided in your travel documents.

Standard check-in is usually available from 3:00 p.m., so you should not expect to access your room before this time. If you would like to check in earlier, this can be arranged for an additional fee when booking your tour.

At check-in, you’ll receive a welcome pack containing your daily itinerary, a T-Money card, and the relevant train tickets for your tour. These documents will be reviewed by your guide the following day during the welcome meeting.

The receptionist will usually register your credit card and may reserve an amount. This is not an additional expense but standard practice in hotels to guarantee payment for any use of the minibar or similar services. Upon check-out, the reserved amount is automatically released if nothing has been charged.

It is quite common for hotels to take a copy of your passport. In some places, this is required by the local authorities.

Check-out is usually around 11:00 a.m. If your onward journey isn’t until the afternoon or evening, you can store your luggage until it’s time to leave. If you prefer a late check-out, you can book this for an additional fee when making your tour reservation.

Our tours to South Korea are individual tours; however, excursions take place in international groups of 1–14 people and with TourCompass’ own guests only.

Some of our optional tours are arranged exclusively for TourCompass guests, while others include participants from outside TourCompass. This will be stated in the description.

In the event of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, blocked roads, or other issues, it may be necessary to change the order of sightseeing tours and attractions in the daily programmes.

Train travel in South Korea

Your tour in South Korea includes one or more journeys on the KTX high-speed train, which you will undertake independently. Tickets for these journeys, along with your T‑Money card, are included in your welcome pack and will be reviewed by your guide the following day during the welcome meeting. If needed, your guide will also be happy to show you how to use the T‑Money card on public transport.

Travelling by train in South Korea is not only quick and efficient but also surprisingly straightforward. All train and metro stations feature clear English signage with information about departure times, platforms, and station exits. If you have mobile data on your phone, it’s a good idea to use the local navigation app NAVER Maps, which works very well and is a huge help when finding your way around cities, including checking the departure times for the next train, metro, or bus.

Please note that when travelling by public transport in South Korea, space is limited. However, there are no specific rules regarding the size of luggage you may bring with you.

We have a 24-hour emergency hotline so that you can always get in touch with us should anything unforeseen occur during your tour. You will also be sent the telephone numbers and emergency telephone numbers of our partners at the destination. In some cases, it may be easiest and fastest to contact our partners due to time differences, if, for example, you find yourself in a situation where your pick-up for an excursion or transfer is more than 15 minutes delayed.

We rely on happy travellers, and we would therefore very much like to hear from you after your return home. Send us an email at info@tourcompass.com or call us on tel.: 01279 704 135.