Before you go
Entry requirements, the etiquette locals actually notice, what a week really costs, and the phrases worth learning. Verify visa rules for your own passport — they change, and they differ by nationality.
Check the official entry requirements for your passport, residence and travel dates.
Type C/F · 220V
Tap water safe
No tipping — it can cause confusion
eSIM widely available
Always confirm entry rules with the official consulate for your passport before booking.
6 rules
Two hands, small bow
Give and receive anything — cash, cards, drinks — with both hands, paired with a slight bow.
Pouring rules
Never pour your own drink — fill others’ glasses (two hands) and turn slightly away from elders when you sip.
Chopsticks & spoons
Rice is eaten with the spoon, and chopsticks never stand upright in a bowl — it echoes funeral rites.
Shoes off indoors
Homes, hanok stays, temples and some restaurants — if you see a shoe shelf or raised floor, shoes come off.
No tipping
Tipping isn’t done in restaurants or taxis — great service is simply the standard.
Priority seats stay empty
The marked seats on the subway are left free for elders even in rush hour — and eating on the metro is frowned on.
₩1,680,000 · ≈ $1,200 USD · at ₩1,400 = $1
₩520,000
₩590,000
₩340,000
₩230,000
A planning estimate from a real Ryoko trip, not a quote. Your dates, pace and standard will move it.
안녕하세요
Hello (annyeonghaseyo)
감사합니다
Thank you (gamsahamnida)
주세요
Please give me… (juseyo)
얼마예요?
How much is it? (eolmayeyo)
맛있어요!
It’s delicious! (masisseoyo)
화장실 어디예요?
Where is the bathroom? (hwajangsil eodiyeyo)
Describe your South Korea trip in one sentence — Ryoko builds a walkable, day-by-day itinerary with named places and real times.