Incheon

Incheon is the port city around Korea's main international airport, an hour west of Seoul. For most travellers it is a layover stop or a spare-day trip, not a destination in itself. Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) are the pleasant seasons, same as Seoul.

• Eat jajangmyeon in Korea's oldest Chinatown, where the dish was invented — a bowl at the famous old houses costs around ₩8,000 ($5)
• Walk the Fairy Tale Village's painted lanes next door — free, and good for photos
• Kayak or pedal a moon boat through Songdo Central Park, a futuristic seawater park ringed by glass towers
• Head to the Wolmido waterfront for old-school fair rides and seafood with harbour views, with the Wolmi Sea Train looping above

Nearly every visitor to Korea lands at Incheon Airport, but the airport sits on an island well outside the city itself. The AREX express train reaches Seoul Station in about 45 minutes for around ₩11,000 ($7); the all-stop train costs about ₩5,000 ($3.50) and takes an hour. Chinatown and Wolmido are roughly 40 minutes from the airport by taxi, or reachable by subway with one change.

Treat Incheon as an add-on, not a base. Land, head straight to Seoul, and come back only for a long layover or a spare day — Chinatown plus Songdo fills an easy half day. If your trip continues south, the KTX runs from Seoul to Busan in under 3 hours. See our full South Korea guide for route ideas.