Enjoy Korea to the fullest at Incheon Airport!
meru
2 days ago
If you’re traveling to Korea and heading to Seoul, you’ve probably often heard that Gimpo Airport is more convenient for getting into the city, but I’m definitely team Incheon Airport.
It’s true that Incheon Airport takes about an hour to reach Seoul, but the airport has plenty of shops and there’s a lot you can enjoy about the airport itself, so if you’ve been avoiding it just because “it’s far to access”, I want to share some of the great points.
There are Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and this time I’ll mainly introduce Terminal 2.
The first thing I recommend when you arrive at Incheon Airport is registering for SES!
If you do this, you won’t need to do the electronic declaration when entering Korea after you’ve registered,
and you can also use the Korean nationals lane for immigration, with automated gates that only require face recognition and fingerprint verification,
so you can enter the country in no time!
The line for SES registration is different from the regular immigration line, so make sure to check the signs carefully, and if you haven’t registered for SES yet, definitely give it a try!
With SES registration, you can enter Korea quickly,
so if you’re hungry when you land, I also recommend grabbing a bite before heading out.
There are all kinds of food courts and specialty restaurants, but my particular favorite is this one, you can enjoy Michelin-level eats!
Hwangsaengga Kalguksu also has locations around the city in Korea,
and it’s a popular Michelin Bib Gourmand spot.
A place that’s usually crowded was easy to use at the airport with basically no waiting.
It may depend on timing, but when I arrived at 3 p.m., suitcases were lined up at the front, yet there were plenty of seats and I was seated right away.
There were more Koreans than Japanese around, and I especially saw lots of people in uniforms, like flight attendants.
Seeing Koreans eating there too made me even more excited, it felt like it would be authentic, not just for tourists.
I ordered kalguksu, kongguksu, and mandu.
Kimchi is served at first, and after that you can freely take more from the self-serve bar.
The broth flavor really came through, it was a super tasty kalguksu with a gentle taste but plenty of depth.
The kongguksu was very rich.
It’s cold soy milk noodles, and if you change up the flavor with kimchi as you eat, you won’t get bored.
It’s delicious as-is too, of course, but the portion is big and you might get a little tired of it, so it might be just right if you share.
Right nearby, there’s also Olive Young, a famous Korea must-know.
They have not only Korean cosmetics you often see in Japan, but also lots of brands that haven’t launched there, so it really gets you excited, but since it was right after arrival, I only took a quick look.
It’s also great if you realize you forgot to buy something before heading home.
There are lots of ways to get to your destination from the airport, like regular trains, AREX, taxis, and buses, so choose what fits your travel style.
Personally, on the way in, I recommend the regular train if you’re heading around Seoul Station, there are lots of departures and it’s quick.
Buses are convenient if they drop you right in front of your hotel, but if there’s traffic, the timing can be unpredictable, so if you can get there by train, I think the train is the most reliable.
Knowing a fun trip is about to start makes you so excited, doesn’t it?
And then, after your fun trip ends, you’ll come back to the airport again,
and at that time, regular trains are fine too, but if your airline is eligible, I also recommend using the pre-check-in at Seoul Station.
Even without checking in at the airport, you can check your baggage at Seoul Station, so you can enjoy your last day hands-free.
You can’t use it without an AREX ticket, so when I’m heading home, I often take AREX.
Once you arrive at the airport, there are plenty of places to eat on the public floors, and there are also lots of options in the restricted area after you pass security, but I also recommend relaxing a bit in a lounge.
This time I flew home in Asiana Airlines business class so I could use it for free, but there are also lounge access tickets available, so using those is another option.
You can eat a proper meal and relax until boarding, so you can enjoy the airport to the very end.
By the way, I only looked around the Ramen Library because I was already full,
but they have all kinds of ramen and you can make it yourself, so it’s highly recommended for Korean ramen lovers!
Well, of course I was full, after eating so much in the lounge, there’s no way I could eat ramen too.
The make-your-own bibimbap was delicious as well!
And besides Korean food, they also have bread, ham, and more, of course.
And one of the charms of Incheon Airport is that you can keep enjoying Korean culture right up to the end.
The Korean Traditional Culture Center is located in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2,
and it’s a facility where you can experience Korean culture inside the airport, like trying on hanbok and making traditional crafts.
Another great point is that it’s free to use.
On this day, they were doing a craft activity kind of like coloring.
The content varies by day, so be sure to check it out!
There are samples, and you can work while viewing instructions on a tablet (you can choose the language too), so it’s basically set up for you to make it yourself without relying on staff.
Of course, if you have questions, you can ask the staff, so it’s reassuring.
Before boarding, you can buy Dunkin’ Donuts, which you can’t really find in Japan anymore, and enjoy some last-minute souvenir shopping too.
They also sell Korea-like snacks, making them perfect as last souvenirs.
From the day you arrive to the day you leave, Incheon Airport is a spot where you can enjoy Korea all the way to the end, so even though it’s a bit farther from Seoul, there are so many facilities worth using, so why not give it a try, along with SES registration (once you register, it’s valid until your passport expires, and you can also use it when entering via Gimpo Airport.)?
