How much should a South Korea trip cost you? In this post, I’ll be writing about the costs needed to travel from Lagos to Seoul, Jeonju, Boesong, Namwon and Busan. I made this trip from Nairobi, and apart from the costs of flights, everything else is applicable when travelling from Nigeria.
This breakdown is based solely on my experience and is only intended for trip planning and presenting a fair idea of how much to budget. All prices stated here represent the cost per person and are either approximate or exact at the time of this writing.
Getting There: The Cost of a Visa from Nigeria to South Korea & Required Documents
Nigerians visiting South Korea for tourism require a visa. In this post, I have written an extensive breakdown of how to apply for one and the documents needed. At the time of this writing, a regular single-entry tourist visa costs $40.
One of the requirements for this visa is a travel insurance certificate to cover the duration of your stay. I always buy mine through SafetyWing, as I find them affordable and swift. My insurance for 12 days cost me $18.
stay safe while you travel
Protect yourself from the unexpected while you travel by purchasing insurance coverage. I use SafetyWing, which is affordable and covers several travel-related risks, such as unexpected illness or injury, eligible hospital expenses, lost luggage and more. Click here to purchase a cover for your travel and visa application needs.
South Korea Trip Cost: Flights from Nairobi or Lagos to Seoul
At the time of this writing, there are no direct flights from Nigeria to South Korea. Several airlines do make the trip, with stops at their various hubs. For my journey, I chose to fly with Qatar Airways. At $1,195, I found them to be the most affordable option to get to Seoul with the shortest overall layover time.
I also enjoy flying with Qatar Airways and thought the service from Nairobi to Seoul via Doha was excellent.
South Korea Trip Cost: Transportation Costs
My transportation bill came up to about $200. This included my taxi, bus and train tickets from Seoul to Jeonju, Jeonju to Boseong and Namwon, Namwon to Busan, and a ride on the First Class berth of the KTX train from Busan to Seoul.
Also included in this cost are the Sky Capsule and Beach train rides, as well as all the subway and bus rides I took in Busan and Seoul.
Cost-saving Tip: South Korea's public transportation system is excellent and affordable. Avoid taking taxis if you're looking to save costs on transportation
PS: if you’re booking a ride on the KTX train online, book directly from the official website – LetsKorail.com. Other sites come up when you search for train tickets. However, some of these websites have a markup of as much as $30 for a single trip.
South Korea Trip Cost: Accommodation Costs
I stayed in 4 accommodations in South Korea. My first place was at the 24 Guesthouse in Jeonju. I paid $67 for two nights in a double room. Next, I stayed at Namwonyechon Hanok Hotel in Namwon for one night and paid $117.
In Busan, I stayed at Arban Hotel for two nights and paid $97; in Seoul, I spent $212 for a four-night stay at the Centremark Hotel, Insadong.
All my accommodation prices were for two adults sharing a room. If you travel with a partner, these prices can be split between two people.
Feeding & Entertainment
Most places I went to were free to roam about. I usually just had to spend on food. My total food tab for 12 days came to $70, and I think I might have spent about $10 or so on entrance tickets to some of the attractions I visited.
Finally, I had a shopping bill of $150. I’ve grouped the costs for my SIM card, Hanbok Rental and photoshoot experience, as well as, the costs for souvenirs and K-Beauty products into this.
I have written several posts about I spent my time in South Korea. You can find them here. Here’s an overview of everything I spent. Again, this breakdown is based solely on my experience and is only intended for trip planning and to present a fair idea of how much to budget. All prices stated here are either approximate or exact at this time.
| Items, Activities | Prices | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Flights to Seoul and back to Nairobi | $1,195 | Flight on Qatar Airways |
| Visa fee | $40 | |
| Travel Insurance | $18 | SafetyWing |
| Travel from Incheon Airport to Jeonju by bus | $20 | |
| Accommodation in Jeonju | $67 | |
| Bus/Taxis and Trains from Jeonju to Boseong and Namwon | $44 | |
| Accommodation in Namwon | $117 | A Hanok Stay experience in Namwon |
| Bus from Namwon to Busan + Taxi to Hotel | $23 | |
| Accommodation in Busan | $97 | |
| Sky Capsule + Beach Train | $26 | Solo travellers on the Sky Capsule have to pay the same fare as two people travelling. |
| Train from Busan to Seoul | $58 | Seat on the first-class berth. I’ve read that there’s not much difference between the first and second-class coaches |
| Accommodation in Seoul | $212 | |
| City Transportation | $30 | |
| Feeding | $70 | |
| Entertainment and Sightseeing | $10 | |
| Shopping and Misc | $150 | |
| Total costs for one person | $2,180 | Rounded up |
South Korea Travel Resources
Getting a visa to South Korea
Solo Tripping in South Korea – The Beginning
A simple travel checklist for first-time visitors
Buy a SIM card online and pick it up at the airport or get an eSIM here.
Rent your Hanbok online
Hanok Stay Experience in Namwon
I hope you find this South Korea Trip Cost breakdown helpful. Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think / if you have any questions!
And don’t forget to share (on Twitter) and follow my adventures on Instagram.
How much does a Nigerian need to have in their bank account to show as financial evidence when traveling to South Korea for a visit? What is the minimum balance required?
The South Korean embassy does not mandate any minimum balance as far as I know. A good rule of thumb is to ensure that you have at least x2 or 3 your trip budget and healthy in and outflow.
This was so helpful, detailed and an easy read.
I don’t think I’ve read any blog that breaks prices, websites used etc. down like you did.
Thank you!
Thanks for your kind words, Bibi. Glad you found the post helpful!
A nice and detailed breakdown of the trip. Thanks for sharing and greetings!
Thank you, Blogoratti!
Beautiful photographs, Amarachi. I spend less and less money on souvenirs as I find that our own photos are really the best memory one can have. You wrote a very clear and well-organised cost-breakdown post. I was lucky to live in Asia for some years which saved me a lot of money on flights. I like Qatar Airways too, they are very professional. Was your layover in Doha long enough to take a city tour from the airport?
Thank you, Leighton! I agree with you about buying souvenirs and the amounts I allocate to these have greatly reduced over the years. I would also love to live or spend an extended period of time in a central location in Asia and travel regionally. Maybe Mark and I may be able to do that in the future. We’ll see. About the layover in Doha, I had a 12-hour layover on my return leg and it was in the daytime too. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a visa to leave the airport. The visa services were suspended at the time and still are as I write this. I’m hoping that they would resume services before my next trip to the region as all flights I have seen have long waits on the return leg.