Based on experience, it can be a little intimidating to travel around on your own if you are not familiar with Korea. The situation is, of course, made worse if you can hardly speak or understand a word of Korean.

Thankfully, my friends (& the helpful folks on the Internet!) recommended a few mobile apps to help me out.

Here are some that I’ve found useful if you are a foreigner travelling around Korea, and which I have constantly used on my subsequent trips to Korea!

I’ve added links to the apps for Apple users, but you should be able to find them on Android as well.

Subway

This is SO. USEFUL!

If you live in a country or city that doesn’t have a very complicated metro network, Seoul’s one will surely throw you off. With more lines and stations than I had ever seen in my life, I honestly did not know how I was going to survive travelling around Seoul if I didn’t get any help.

My friend had recommended this app to me, and I swear it’s a lifesaver. You can easily check the fastest or easiest route to get from one station to another, and it will show you how long the ride will take, when the trains arrive etc.

See what I mean when I say it’s convenient? It even tells you which side of the door to exit from!

I cannot go out without checking this app to see how long my journey takes, and I always rely on this to navigate my way around the metro. Trust me, you’ll definitely love this app.

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KakaoMetro

KakaoMetro is another useful app that can help you to navigate Seoul’s metro. I didn’t use this as often, but it works in a similar manner.

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Naver Map

I found out the hard way that Google Maps does not work well in Korea. According to an answer on Quora:

According to Korean Spatial Information Management act, Korean domestic geographical information can not be exported to the other country. Google did not promise to obey this regulation. So, Korea Government refusing to provide detail domestic geographic information to Google.

So if you are planning to use Google or Apple Maps in Korea, be prepared that some places may not exist / exact location may be a little off!

Of course there are solutions for it, and my favourite one is Naver Map. I’m actually not sure why it has received such negative reviews, because I think it works fine. The reviews are quite old though, so maybe things improved after their recent updates.

Let’s say I want to find a place: all I need to do is input the locations accordingly and it will plot out the route for you.

Don’t worry if you can’t read maps, because there are directions for you to follow. It’s kind of like Google Maps, but tailored for Korea – definitely something you need if you can’t find some of the less touristy places.

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Creatrip

Creatrip has been on the rise recently as a go-to for finding the most trendy things to do in Korea, but I also found out that you can use the platform to book services and restaurants in Korea!

They actually specialise in booking of trendy beauty activities like hair salons & personal colour consulting, which is something a lot of people would love to try out in Korea.

You can also try out exclusive experiences not typically available on Klook or Kkday—especially in Seongsu and other less-explored neighbourhoods.

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Visit Korea: Official Guide

I have planned many last-minute itineraries and searched for travelling directions on the KTO website, and then I found this app – which literally does the same thing!

Of course, besides downloading your planned destinations and finding detailed travel information, it is also a great app that you can use to find interesting activities and places to go to.

Related Posts:

• My Guide to Korea’s Café & Beverage Chains
• BUY & TRY: Korea’s Convenience Store F&B
• BUY & TRY: Korea Street Food Guide
• HOW TO: ship parcels back home by Korea Post
• Best Things to Buy at Olive Young: The Ultimate K-Beauty Shopping Guide
• My guide to best places to buy beauty products in Seoul

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