Seoul Travel Guide: Modern Seoul, Subway Tips and Mobile Data

2026-09-26

Photo: Ox1997cow, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

Seoul combines some of the fastest internet on the planet with palaces, K-culture and neighbourhoods that stay awake all night. Here is how to enjoy the modern city and get around like a local.

Why Seoul is one of the world's most connected cities

Seoul is the heart of a metropolitan area of more than 25 million people and one of the most technologically advanced cities anywhere. Mobile internet is fast even deep in the subway, payments are almost entirely contactless and K-pop, K-dramas and Korean beauty brands draw visitors from all over the world. Direct flights from Tashkent take around six to seven hours, and Korea already has a large Uzbek community.

April–May (spring blossoms) and September–November (clear skies and autumn leaves) are the best times to visit. Summer brings a monsoon season; winter is cold and dry.

Top modern places to see

• Lotte World Tower — at 555 metres it is Korea's tallest building. The Seoul Sky observatory near the top has a glass floor and views across the city and the Han River.
• Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) — Zaha Hadid's curving silver building hosts exhibitions and design markets and lights up beautifully at night.
• Starfield Library at COEX — a huge atrium lined with 13-metre bookshelves in the COEX Mall in Gangnam, free to visit.
• Gangnam and Seongsu — Gangnam for flagship stores and nightlife; Seongsu, a former industrial district, for cafés, pop-up shops and galleries in old warehouses.
• N Seoul Tower — take the cable car up Namsan mountain for sunset views of the city lights.
• Palaces and Bukchon — balance the modern with Gyeongbokgung Palace and the hanok houses of Bukchon; visitors in hanbok get free palace entry.

Getting around

Seoul's subway is huge, cheap and easy to use, with signs and announcements in English. Buy a T-money card at convenience stores or station machines and top it up with cash; it works on subways, buses and in many taxis and shops. From Incheon Airport, the AREX train reaches Seoul Station in under an hour.

Taxis are affordable. The Kakao T app is the most common way to call one, and Uber also operates in Seoul. Buses are fast thanks to dedicated lanes, but routes are easiest to follow with a map app.

Mobile data and eSIM tips for Seoul

Korea's networks are among the fastest in the world, so a travel eSIM gives you excellent speeds from the moment you land at Incheon. One important difference from other countries: Google Maps does not give full walking or driving directions in Korea.

• Use Naver Map or KakaoMap for navigation — both have English interfaces and accurate transit, walking and driving routes. Download one before you fly.
• How much data? A week of navigation, messaging and social media usually needs 5–10 GB. Korea's fast network makes it easy to use more on video.
• Other useful apps: Kakao T for taxis, Papago for translation (strong for Korean), and Subway Korea for route planning.
• Phone number verification: some Korean apps and websites require a local phone number. A data eSIM doesn't provide one, so for these services use the English versions or ask your hotel for help.

Practical notes for travellers from Uzbekistan

• Visa: Uzbek citizens need a visa for South Korea. Apply through the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Tashkent or its visa application centre, and check the current requirements in advance.
• Payments: cards are accepted almost everywhere, and many places are cashless. Visa and Mastercard cards from Uzbek banks usually work; keep some won for markets and T-money top-ups.
• Halal food: Itaewon, around the Seoul Central Mosque, has the largest choice of halal restaurants. Near Dongdaemun History & Culture Park station there is a street with Uzbek and other Central Asian cafés and shops.
• Prayer: the Seoul Central Mosque in Itaewon is the main mosque in the city. Incheon Airport and some tourist sites have prayer rooms.