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Voykit pocket guide · South Korea
Ansan
안산
Skip Ansan as a base: it is a Seoul suburb on Line 4, 1 h 10 min from Seoul Station. Go only for Daebudo island or the multicultural food streets.
Ansan is a planned industrial city of about 630,000 people on the West Sea coast, 1 h 10 min from Seoul Station on Subway Line 4. It has South Korea's largest immigrant community, so the eating is more interesting than the sightseeing. Most travellers use it as a half-day or a Daebudo island trip from Seoul, not as a place to sleep.
- Country
- South Korea
- Local name
- 안산
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (humid, heavy rain), Jan–Feb (cold)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- KRW
- Money
- Cards work almost everywhere, including taxis, convenience stores and many market stalls; carry ₩30,000–50,000 in cash for street food, small markets and temple donations.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₩60,000–90,000 excl. bed · Mid ₩90,000–150,000 excl. bed · High ₩150,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at airport arrivals; a passport is required, and data-only plans are cheapest.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Travel helpline (24 h, English) 1330
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 60 Hz · Round two-pin European plugs fit; US and UK plugs need an adapter, and US-only appliances need a converter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and cafés: No tip; a service charge appears only in top hotels.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Hotel porter: Not expected; ₩1,000–2,000 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not expected; ₩10,000–20,000 or a meal is a thank-you.
- Water
- Officially safe from the tap; most people drink filtered water, and restaurants serve it free. Bottles cost ₩800–1,500 at convenience stores.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in every subway station; paper goes in the toilet in new buildings, in the bin where a sign asks. Bidets are common.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ₩3,000–5,500 |
| Noodle soup or rice bowl | ₩7,000–12,000 |
| Beer: draught / convenience-store can | ₩4,000–6,000 / ₩2,000–3,500 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ₩7,000–9,000 |
| Subway ride | ₩1,400–2,000 |
| Museum entry (Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art) | ₩4,000 adult |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ICN · Incheon International
- Express bus from Ansan Bus Terminal, about 55–70 min (check)
- GMP · Gimpo International
- Bus about 90 min; also Line 4/9 via Gimpo airport station
Typical fares
- Subway Ansan → Seoul Station
- about ₩2,000, 1 h 10 min
- Taxi Jungang → Ansan station
- ₩6,000–8,000
- Bus to Daebudo
- about ₩1,500, 1 h
Get around
Subway Line 4 and the Suin–Bundang Line run through the city; the Seohae Line serves the western stations. Buses cover the rest. Shared bikes (Everybike, Kakao Bike) work for short hops. Taxis are cheap: basic fare about ₩4,800, ₩5,800 at night (check).
See and do
Known for
- Daebudo island and Tando Port
- Multicultural food streets near Ansan station
- Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art
- Byeolmangseong fortress site
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Daebudo island | Bus 123 from Ansan or Jungang station, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Seoul | Subway Line 4 to Seoul Station | About 1 h 10 min |
| Suwon | Bus 7070, 9090 or red bus 110 from Suwon station side | About 30 min |
| Incheon | Suin–Bundang Line or bus from Ansan Bus Terminal | About 30–60 min |
Sleep
- Jungang station area
- Central commercial district, closest to the bus terminal; best for a one-night stop with bags.
- Gojan / City Hall
- Quieter, near Ansan Arts Center and the hospital; mid-range hotels.
- Ansan station (west)
- The multicultural quarter: cheap eats and shops, rougher edges at night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo |
| Thank you | 감사합니다gamsahamnida |
| This one, please | 이거 주세요igeo juseyo |
| How much is it? | 얼마예요?eolmayeyo |
| Can I pay by card? | 카드 돼요?kadeu dwaeyo |
| Where is the toilet? | 화장실이 어디예요?hwajangsiri eodiyeyo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A slight bow with a 'annyeonghaseyo'; handshake with the right hand, left hand touching the right forearm; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses with people you have just met
- Age and rank: Expect to be asked your age; it sets how people speak to you. Let the eldest sit and start first; avoid: Calling older people by their given name
- Handing things: Two hands for money, cards, gifts and drinks; avoid: Passing things with one hand to older people
- Subway: Quiet voices, bags off seats, queue at the marked lines; avoid: Priority and pink pregnancy seats, even when empty
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or a boxed gift; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Writing names in red ink — it is used for the dead
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees; bow at the main hall; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; loud talk; pointing at Buddha statues
- Numbers: Know that 4 is unlucky; buildings may show F instead of a fourth floor; avoid: Giving gifts in sets of four
- Sensitive topics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Comparing Korea with Japan or China casually; jokes about the North, the Japanese colonial era, or plastic surgery
Scams and watch-outs
- Daebudo and the lighthouse causeway flood at high tide: check tide times before you go.
- Ansan station's multicultural quarter is fine by day; keep to lit main streets after dark.
- Summer humidity tops 90% on many days; carry water.
- Some sights close Mondays or weekends: check before travelling out.
Safe by day and on the subway; the real risks are summer heat and humidity, the Daebudo causeway at high tide, and unlit side streets around Ansan station after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ansan yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Daebudo island and Tando Port
- Multicultural food streets near Ansan station
- Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art
- Byeolmangseong fortress site
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ansan City Hall: www.ansan.go.kr/www/main/main.do
- Wikivoyage: Ansan, revision 5339962 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5339962
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ansan안산
이 주소로 가 주세요
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Ansan; most are in Seoul. The US embassy is in Seoul.
Tipping is not expected. Emergency numbers are the same nationwide.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ansan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.