Getting around Korea

Every guide on this site links each place to Kakao Map, Naver Map and an official route planner. This page explains why, and where to book the longer legs.

Map apps: Naver Map and Kakao Map

Korea has long restricted the export of detailed map data, so Google Maps has not offered walking or driving directions in the country (Wikipedia; The Diplomat, 2025). In February 2026 the government said it would let Google export map data under security conditions (TechCrunch). Until directions work in your Google Maps app, use Naver Map or Kakao Map, Korea's main local map services (Wikipedia).

On each place card, "Directions in Kakao Map" opens a route to the place's sourced coordinates; "Open in Kakao Map" and "Open in Naver Map" search the place name when we have no sourced coordinates.

Using the apps for filming locations

Both apps offer an English interface — find the language option in the settings or profile menu. For filming-location trips, three habits make the biggest difference:

  1. Search with the Korean name. Every place on this site lists its Korean name; paste it into the map search for the most accurate result. Romanized spellings vary, but the Korean name is unambiguous.
  2. Start from our place cards. The "Directions" links on each card open the map app at the exact coordinates we verified — no need to guess which of several same-named places is the right one.
  3. Check transit inside the app on the day. Both apps give bus and subway routes with live departures. Rural filming locations (Pohang's coast, Gangwon's valleys) often need a bus-taxi combination; the app will show it, but confirm the last bus time before you head out.

For multi-stop drama routes, save each place to the app's favorites or a custom list before the trip, then work through the list in order. Our route pages suggest day-by-day orders you can follow.

Local buses and taxis

Bus numbers, stops and times change. We list a bus only with an official source (the city's bus information system or the operator's timetable) and the date we checked it. Everywhere else the place card says so: check the local bus app, or the Kakao Map and Naver Map routes, on the day you travel. Taxi distances and times appear only as a Kakao Map or Naver Map route result with its date.

Transit cards

VisitKorea's guide to transportation cards covers the cards visitors can use on subways and buses, including T-money and WOWPASS: VisitKorea: transportation cards.

Trains and the subway

Numbers such as trips per day are marked with the date they were published (for example "at opening, 2024-11-30"). Check the official timetable for today's service.