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Voykit pocket guide · South Korea
Asan
아산
Give Asan one night for Onyang's hot springs and Hyeonchungsa Shrine; skip it if you are not here for a soak or a spa hotel.
Asan is a small city in South Chungcheong, about 1.5 hours from Seoul by train, built around Onyang Hot Springs, the oldest spa site in Korea, and Hyeonchungsa, the shrine of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Sights are spread across a wide area and the city is quiet after dark. Most travellers come for a spa night or as a stop between Cheonan and Daejeon; two nights is the ceiling unless you are hiking.
- Country
- South Korea
- Local name
- 아산
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (monsoon rain and heat), Jan–Feb (cold)
- Stay
- 1–2 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 · Korea Travel Hotline (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 | ₩4,000–7,000 |
| Noodle soup or sujebi | ₩8,000–13,000 |
| Walnut cakes (box) | ₩5,000–10,000 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ₩8,000–12,000 |
| Subway or city bus ride | ₩1,400–1,800 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₩10,000–25,000 |
| Museum or shrine entry | ₩500–5,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ICN · Incheon International
- AREX to Seoul then KTX or Line 1 south; about 2.5–3 h total
- CJJ · Cheongju International
- Closest airport to Asan; bus or taxi to Cheonan-Asan, then train (check times)
Typical fares
- Seoul (Yongsan) → Onyangoncheon, Line 1
- about ₩2,500–3,000, about 2 h (check)
- Taxi Onyangoncheon → Hyeonchungsa
- about ₩8,000–12,000, 15 min (check)
- Asan Spavis adult spa and sauna
- about ₩33,000–40,000 (check)
Get around
Seoul Subway Line 1 runs through five Asan stations (Asan, Tangjeong, Baebang, Onyangoncheon, Sinchang), so the rail spine is easy. Between sights, use city buses or taxis; buses are infrequent and many temples and mountains need a taxi from the nearest stop. Public bicycles rent at Gokgyocheon and Sinjeongho lake for ₩1,000–2,000 for two hours (closed Mondays).
See and do
Known for
- Onyang Hot Springs
- Hyeonchungsa Shrine
- Oeam-ri Folk Village
- Walnut cakes and Asan pears
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cheonan | Line 1 or a local train from Onyangoncheon or Cheonan-Asan | About 30–45 min |
| Gongju | Train or bus via Cheonan, then local bus | About 1.5–2 h |
| Buyeo | Bus from Cheonan or Gongju | About 2 h |
| Daejeon | KTX or SRT from Cheonan-Asan station | About 30–40 min |
| Seoul | KTX from Cheonan-Asan, or Line 1 from Onyangoncheon | About 1–2 h |
Sleep
- Onyang-oncheon
- Around Onyangoncheon station: hot-spring hotels, the market and most restaurants within a 10-minute walk.
- Cheonan-Asan station area
- KTX and SRT stop; practical for one night with bags, but few sights on foot.
- Baebang
- Suburb south of Asan station with cafés and cheaper rooms; needs a bus or taxi for the springs.
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? | 카드로 돼요?kadeuro 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
- Hyeonchungsa Shrine closes on Tuesdays; check the official site before you go.
- Temple and mountain entries are often unstaffed and unsigned in English: save the Korean name to show a driver.
- Summer downpours in July–August can flood low roads and trails; check the forecast.
- Some spa and hotel prices are quoted per person, not per room: confirm before booking.
Asan is a low-crime city and walking at night is fine in Onyang. The real risks are summer heat and flooding, unlit mountain trails, and spa or hotel prices quoted per person: confirm the total before you commit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Asan yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Onyang Hot Springs
- Hyeonchungsa Shrine
- Oeam-ri Folk Village
- Walnut cakes and Asan pears
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Korea Tourism Organization — Visit Korea: english.visitkorea.or.kr/
- Korail: www.letskorail.com/
- Wikivoyage: Asan, revision 5284646 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5284646
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Asan아산
이 주소로 가주세요
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Asan; most are in Seoul. US: Embassy Seoul. UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland: embassies in Seoul (check addresses).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/asan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.