Before You Go
What to Pack
The plug you need, what the season will actually do to you, and the short list of things you can't easily buy here.
The short answer
Pack light. Almost everything is available here, cheaply and at all hours. Bring the plug adapter, comfortable shoes, and the few personal things listed below — buy the rest when you arrive.
Electricity
- Korea runs on 220V, 60Hz, with the round two-pin plug used across most of Europe (types C and F).
- Coming from the UK, the US, Japan or Australia? You need an adapter. Buy it before you fly; airport prices are unkind.
- Check the label on your charger. Anything reading '100–240V' — phones, laptops, cameras — is fine with just an adapter.
- A hairdryer or straightener from a 110V country is the exception. It needs a converter, not an adapter, and most hotels supply a hairdryer anyway.
What the seasons actually feel like
| Season | What to expect | Bring |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar–May) | Mild and lovely, but mornings stay cold into April. Fine dust can be bad on some days. | Layers, a light jacket. |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | Hot and very humid. A rainy spell in late June and July, and typhoons possible in late summer. | Light clothing, an umbrella, and something for aggressive indoor air conditioning. |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | The best weather of the year — clear, dry, comfortable. | Layers. Not much else. |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Cold and dry, and it can drop well below freezing. The wind is what gets you. | A proper coat, gloves, a hat. Indoor heating is excellent, so layers you can shed. |
Whatever the season, you will walk much further than you expect, often uphill and on stairs. Comfortable shoes matter more than any other thing in your bag.
Bring these — they're hard to find here
- Deodorant. Genuinely difficult to buy, and expensive when you find it. This is the one everybody wishes they'd been told.
- Prescription medication, in its original packaging, with a copy of the prescription.
- Larger shoe sizes and clothing. Ranges are narrower than you may be used to.
- Tampons, if you use them — pads are far more common in ordinary shops.
- Any specific over-the-counter medicine you rely on. Local equivalents exist, but explaining what you want is harder than carrying it.
Don't bother packing — buy it here
- Toiletries and cosmetics. Cheap, excellent, and on every corner.
- Umbrellas. Every convenience store sells them the moment it rains.
- Socks, basic t-shirts, phone cables — all cheap and everywhere.
- Snacks. Obviously.
Two small things worth having
- Slip-on shoes. You'll take them off at temples, at some traditional restaurants, and at guesthouses. Laces get old fast.
- A power bank. You'll be navigating, translating and photographing all day on one phone.