Travel Korea: Top Mobile Apps to Download
When you are traveling to a new country, if you’re like me, you look for apps that can help your travel smooth and easier to manage. I am not really afraid to get lost, but when you’re traveling in a group, you tend to worry about them, and make sure that they don’t feel anxious in an unfamiliar territory.
To help ease your worries, I will list down the best apps that I used while I was traveling in South Korea.
Subway App 지하철 (Jihacheol)
The fastest way to travel is by train. Seoul can be really crowded, especially the streets. Although cabs are actually quite cheaper if you’re traveling in a group, if you get stuck in traffic, you waste time. The best thing about this app? It works without the internet! This app does ask you to download the latest timetable from time to time, so you’re assured that you are loading the latest train schedules. You can also add bookmarks, so you can load the train routes any time. It’s really easy to use, so here’s a quick instruction.
Android Download | iOS Download
Korea Tour
Having this app definitely saved us a lot of times. This offline map allows you to locate the majority of the tourist spots in the map. Add it to your favorites, it will turn into a heart. Not only does it show you where you are, it also calculates how long it takes for you to walk to and from places that are near each other. When you tap “Information”, it gives you additional details, such as the attraction’s contact details, description, operating hours, and if it’s a restaurant, it also provides their best seller from the menu and how much it costs. The best thing that I love about this app is it works as an instant GPS. It shows you exactly where you are with a blue marker on the map, and it updates while you’re walking. It works without internet!
Android Download | iOS Download
TourMateKorea
TourMateKorea is a nice app to “Travel South Korea with Local Friends”. It definitely helps you to find Korean locals that can show you around South Korea. They are not professional tour guides, that point is a really good one. Any Korean locals such as university students, businessmen, or artists could be a host that can show you around Korea, between the ages of 20s and 30s.
MYTM (Make Your Tour Mate / MyTourmate) is focusing on meetup and travel with Korean friends, not a dating app. With them, you’ll get access to special venues, hear their stories of growing up in the city, and get personalized recommendations.
Because you experience their true local life, you have more excitement and fun, more than the common OTA (Online Travel Agency). It shows the cities like Seoul, Incheon, Busan, and more from the perspective of insiders. Most meetups are one on one experiences, so it’s intimate, and you’ll really get to know true Korean locals.
The number of Korean tourmates is over 250, and the local tours are 300. Click here to find a local Korean friend.
Android Download | iOS Download
Learn Korean Pro
While I was learning Korean, this app really helped me a lot. It has different categories to help you learn how to communicate with the locals during your travel. You can read the romanized spellings of the words and phrases, and you can hear how they are pronounced, too.
Android Download | iOS Download
Google Translate
Another app that helped me is Google Translate. Sometimes I do forget how to say words in Korean, so I downloaded the Korean language package so that I can translate words without connecting to the internet.
Android Download | iOS Download
Some apps that are worth mentioning are Seoul Bus, Korean Food, and HelloTalk.
There are so many mobile apps out there than can help your traveling smooth and hassle-free. I only mentioned those that I used frequently during my recent travel to South Korea. Do you have any mobile apps that helped you during your travel? Let us know from the comments below!
We’ve tried Learn Korean Pro, it’s not accurate but somehow helpful.
That’s true. It’s not as accurate, but it will help you get by 🙂
If it’s not as accurate, what else can i download for korean language? Thanks
Try going to TTMIK website, and read up on their basic lessons.
Thanks po! Your blog’s really helpful especially when i apply for visa.
Welcome!