Asia/Pacific, South Korea

Incheon Airport: Why it is one of the best in the world!

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Incheon International Airport modern terminal interior

I wanted to write about the Incheon Airport because our experiences in the Philippines, as well as in China, it has really made me appreciate what we have here. I was curious and looked up the best airports in the world, and was pleasantly surprised to see that according to this Business Insider article, Incheon ranks 3rd out of the top 15. We have also been to Singapore’s Changi Airport and have to agree that it definitely belongs on the list of best airports in the world.

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“Why it’s awesome: Incheon maintains its place as once of the world’s elite airports with a third-place finish. Located on an island just outside of the South Korean capital, Incheon is home base to Korean Air and is the 24th-busiest airport in the world. It opened in 2001. Incheon’s highly regarded facilities feature an array of shopping and dining options, in addition to a bevy of cultural performances. The airport even has a Korean culture museum.”

– Business Insider

Here are my reasons why I think Incheon Airport is awesome:

Very Family friendly

Anyone traveling with kids knows the importance of trying to keep them entertained especially after a long, and exhausting trip. South Korea is a very family-friendly place with parks and plays areas (Kid’s cafes) everywhere. You just need to know where to look. Incheon Airport is no different.

There are 6 kids’ soft play areas around the airport, but the best thing that I liked over here is the kid’s skating area called the Ice Forest! There were children rollerblading here, while the younger ones had little tricycles that they were able to use in a separate area. I am sure there are many more things for kids to do here, but I wanted to make sure that you at least knew about this spot.

kids soft play area and Ice Forest skating zone at Incheon Airport

transit hotel sleeping pods available inside Incheon Airport

Oh yeah, did I mention that not far from the skating rink is a theater? With lots of restaurants, and coffee shops around just in case you get hungry or thirsty. There are also mini hotel rooms to rent on the floor above the theater, and a skating rink if you wanted/needed to catch some shut-eye too. If you don’t really look for it, it is pretty easy to pass by. I know we have a few times!

Traveler friendly

One of the biggest things that I am very appreciative of in Incheon is the amount of charging stations they have throughout the airport. I mean everywhere! Considering that everyone has a smartphone, tablet, game console, etc. this makes everyone happy that they have someplace to charge their toys before going onto the next leg of their trip. I mention this because, in Cebu, there was no convenient charging station in the terminal waiting area. If you were lucky, you MIGHT find a plug that worked. Might.

charging kiosk stations throughout Incheon International Airport

comfortable seating and free massage chairs at Incheon Airport

Temperature control. This is incredibly important! When we got stuck in Beijing for hours, we were very miserable. This was supposed to be a quick layover that turned into a torturous 6-hour stay in a freezing terminal. David had been able to scrounge up 3 thin, short blankets from an agent, but even with body heat, this was not enough! Cebu airport was the same way. We didn’t stay there too long, but the airport was freezing. I am happy to say that there are plenty of seats to be found at this airport. Some more comfortable than others. If you like massage chairs, you can find these around the airport as well, and they are free to use. You will really appreciate the comfortable seats while you can considering how uncomfortable airplane seats can be especially during long flights.

Experience Korean Culture

free Korean cultural experience at the KTO cultural center inside Incheon Airport

traditional Korean Hanbok performers at the Incheon Airport cultural center

Want to experience a little of the Korean culture but don’t really have time to leave the airport? No problem. There is the Korean Culture center not far from where you go through the security checkpoint. Here they play traditional music on unique instruments while these presenters are wearing the traditional Hanbok. Sometimes there are processions of people walking around in vibrant and beautiful traditional outfits. Very nice experience for everyone.

There are also two programs that you can participate in free of charge here. One is making a jewelry box using traditional hanji paper or making a cellphone strap using the traditional sewing techniques to make clothing and accessories. There could be more programs that they are implementing, these just happen to be the 2 that I am aware of. They really made this spot tourist/traveler-friendly because they have translators there to help maximize everyone’s experience.

Just about anything you could possibly want or need and more are available here at Incheon Airport. This includes:

Consul Public Service Center
Business Centers
4 Internet cafes at Incheon Airport, 2 on the 2nd and 3rd floor.
spas
postal services
on-site hospital/pharmacy
laundry services
Optometry
Coat keeping
Prayer room etc.

Just for smokers. There are 9 smoking rooms located throughout the airport. Just follow the link and it will show you what floor and where, as well as times.

Multiple modes of transportation to Incheon Airport.

Whether you live in or around Seoul, and need to make your way to the airport, getting there can happen a few different ways.

Go by train. Trains are an integral part of life in South Korea, making it easy, and affordable for people to get from point A to point B. When making your way to the airport via train, you simply have to choose whether you want to get there with minimal stops or not. Another great thing about traveling by train to Incheon is if you are flying through Korean Air, you can go through immigration and check your bags in before you get on the train to the airport! The Non-stop train to the airport is about $8 a person. This last time we used it, we paid about $24 for Gabe, David & I, while Lily was free. Seating is fairly comfortable and I don’t have to succumb to motion sickness due to constant stops and goes like on a bus or taxi.

Airport Limousine bus service between Seoul and Incheon Airport

AREX train line map showing routes from Seoul Station to Incheon Airport

Go by bus. This is another incredibly easy way to get to the airport. There are bus stops everywhere in the city, with a bus you cannot miss dedicated solely to taking you to the airport. It is called the Airport Limousine and costs about 15,000 won or about $15. There is also a digital bar on the upper right-hand spot of the bus stop that lets you know where the bus currently is and the ETA to you.

Go by taxi. There are tons of taxis here in South Korea. At least in Seoul. There are grey, black & orange, white, and yellow ones. I have even seen pink, & blue ones! The rates are actually not too bad. If you have a family or a lot of luggage you can even hire a taxi ‘limo’ which is just a van for about $80 from Seoul. Also called the jumbo taxi.

facilities and amenities map inside Incheon International Airport

Lastly, there is always driving there yourself. On our recent trip to the Philippines, I had been contemplating just parking there and paying the fee for 6 days. Nope! It was way too expensive! It was so much better and just easier to use public transportation.

Making the Most of a Layover at Incheon

Incheon is one of the best airports in the world for a long layover. If you have a connection of 5 hours or more, South Korea offers something most countries do not: free guided city tours for transit passengers, run by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). These tours depart from Incheon multiple times per day and take groups to landmarks like Gyeongbokgung Palace and Insadong. You pay nothing for the tour itself, only meals and personal shopping. Check the Visit Korea website before your trip to confirm current schedules.

Terminal 1 vs Terminal 2: Know Before You Go

Incheon has two terminals and they are not connected by walking path. Terminal 2 opened in January 2018 and is used exclusively by Korean Air, Delta, and SkyTeam alliance carriers. Everyone else uses Terminal 1. A free shuttle bus runs between terminals but takes about 20 minutes, so if you are transferring between the two, factor in extra time. Many transit passengers have missed flights by not knowing this.

Transit Visa and Entry Requirements

For US, EU, Canadian, Australian, and most Western passport holders, no transit visa is required. You can stay in South Korea for up to 90 days without a visa, so leaving the airport during a layover is straightforward. Just bring your onward ticket and passport. Chinese and some other nationalities need a transit visa to leave the airport. Check the Korean Immigration Service website before you travel if you are unsure.

Even if you stay airside, there is more than enough to do. Inside the secure zone you will find traditional craft workshops, live cultural performances, the Ice Forest kids skating area, multiple restaurants spanning Korean bibimbap to international fast food, and a full spa. Transit hotels operate inside the terminal for passengers who need a few hours of real sleep between flights.

Quick Tips for First-Time Visitors

Get a T-money card at the airport convenience store. It works on the AREX train, Seoul Metro, and most buses.
The AREX Express to Seoul Station takes exactly 43 minutes and runs every 30 minutes. The All Stop line takes about 60 minutes but costs less.
Currency exchange in the airport is convenient for a small amount, but ATMs in the city generally give better rates.
Download Naver Maps or Kakao Maps before you leave the airport. Google Maps works for transit but local apps are better in the city.
Incheon is very family-friendly: wide corridors, elevators throughout, and dedicated family lanes at immigration.

Our Personal Experience: What Kept Bringing Us Back

We have passed through Incheon Airport many times over our years living in South Korea, and the experience genuinely never gets old. The first thing that strikes you when you arrive, especially coming from some of the more chaotic airports we have transited through in Southeast Asia, is how organized and calm it feels. Even when the terminal is busy, there is a sense of space and flow that most airports struggle to achieve.

The cultural performances in the central area of Terminal 1 are one of the things we always slow down for. It is genuinely unusual to find world-class traditional music and dance performances available for free inside an international airport. The performers in full hanbok dress, playing instruments like the gayageum and haegeum, make for one of those moments where you think: this is what a country’s airport should feel like. It is a small thing, but it says a lot about how South Korea thinks about the first impression it makes on visitors.

The kids’ area — particularly the Ice Forest skating zone — has saved us on multiple layovers when we needed to burn off energy before a long flight. Between the skating, the soft play areas, and the free craft workshops near the cultural center, Incheon is one of the few airports where the kids have actually asked if they could stay longer. For anyone traveling through Seoul with children, Incheon is not something to just survive. It is worth arriving a little early to enjoy.

After years of living in South Korea and passing through Incheon Airport more times than we can count, it consistently delivers. If your travel plans take you through Seoul, you could do much worse than a long layover here.

I hope that this information was useful to you or someone you know who might come to South Korea. If you did like this, please like our page and subscribe for more. If there is anything that you would like to know about South Korea or any place that you have wanted to see here, please let us know.

Here are some useful links with more information about Incheon Airport.

http://www.businessinsider.sg/incheon-international-airport-best-airport-layover-2015-11/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/8-reasons-celebrate-layover-south-koreas-incheon-airport-sarkis

http://www.airport.kr/pa/en/d/2/3/3/index.jsp