In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · South Korea
Daebudo
대부도
Go as a day trip from Seoul or Incheon if you have a car; without one, budget 2.5–3 h each way by bus and stay one night.
Daebudo is the largest island on South Korea's west coast, now joined to the mainland by the 12.6 km Sihwa Seawall, so you drive onto it rather than sail. It is part of Ansan in Gyeonggi province, about 1.5–2 h from central Seoul. The draw is mudflats at low tide, clam-noodle and grilled-shellfish restaurants, sunset viewpoints, and a chain of road bridges to Seonjaedo and Yeongheungdo. Sights are spread across a big island with thin bus service, so a car changes the trip completely.
- Country
- South Korea
- Local name
- 대부도
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, crowds, rain), Jan–Feb (cold wind)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 ₩40,000–70,000 excl. bed · Mid ₩70,000–130,000 excl. bed · High ₩130,000+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Bajirak kalguksu (clam noodle soup) | ₩9,000–14,000 |
| Grilled clams for two | ₩30,000–50,000 |
| Coffee | ₩4,000–6,000 |
| Bus fare within the Seoul metro integrated zone | ₩1,400–2,500 |
| Museum entry (Fishing Village Folk Museum) | ₩1,000–2,000 |
| Glass Island entry | ₩8,000–10,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ICN · Incheon International
- Bus 790 runs from Incheon city toward Daebudo; from ICN take AREX or a bus into Incheon first, then transfer. Check current connections.
- GMP · Gimpo International
- Cross Seoul by subway to Ansan or Oido, then bus 123 or 790. Check.
Typical fares
- Bus 123, Ansan Station → Daebudo
- about ₩1,400, 1–1.5 h
- Bus 790, Incheon → Daebudo
- about ₩2,500, 1.5–2 h
- Taxi within Daebudo
- metered; ask the driver for the fare before a long cross-island run
Get around
No subway reaches the island. Buses 123, 727, 727-1, 790 and 1004-1 link Ansan, Incheon, Suwon and Hwaseong to Daebudo, but they are infrequent and the island is large, so a car or taxi is the practical way to move between sights. Ansan's public bike scheme, Pedalro, has only two stops on the island. Daebudo Taxi Association: 032-886-8883.
See and do
Known for
- Sihwa Seawall road
- Mudflat experiences
- Bajirak kalguksu (clam noodle soup)
- Gubongdo sunset
- Seonjaedo and Yeongheungdo bridges
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Seonjaedo | Drive or taxi across Seonjaedaegyo Bridge from Daebudo | About 20–30 min from north Daebudo |
| Yeongheungdo | Cross Yeongheungdaegyo Bridge from Seonjaedo | About 40–50 min from north Daebudo |
| Incheon | Bus 790 toward Incheon, or drive via the Sihwa Seawall | About 1.5–2 h by bus |
| Ansan | Bus 123 to Ansan Station | About 1–1.5 h |
Sleep
- Bangameori / north Daebudo
- Near the tourist office, food street and Sihwa Seawall entrance; best for a first night and for buses.
- Seonjaedo and Yeongheungdo
- Across the bridges; quieter, closer to Jindoo Pier seafood and Simnipo Beach. Needs a car or taxi.
- Gubongdo area
- West side near the sunset observatory and camping; good for sunsets, thin on services.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo |
| Thank you | 감사합니다gamsahamnida |
| How much is it? | 얼마예요?eolmayeyo |
| This one, please | 이거 주세요igeo juseyo |
| Where is the bus stop? | 버스 정류장이 어디예요?beoseu jeongnyujangi eodiyeyo |
| Can I pay by card? | 카드로 될까요?kadeuro doelkkayo |
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
- Bus service is sparse and stops are far apart: check the last return bus before you commit to a day trip.
- Mudflat walking is only safe at the right tide; go with a guided experience and never walk out alone.
- The southern seawall road is narrow and slow; allow extra time.
- Some attraction sites and phone numbers listed in older guides are out of date: check before travelling.
Daebudo is a low-crime area and safe for tourists. The real risks are tidal mudflats, thin bus service that can strand you after dark, and narrow seawall roads; carry cash for small restaurants and check the tide before any mudflat walk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Daebudo yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sihwa Seawall road
- Mudflat experiences
- Bajirak kalguksu (clam noodle soup)
- Gubongdo sunset
- Seonjaedo and Yeongheungdo bridges
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 Fishing Village Folk Museum: www.ansanuc.net/museum/index.do
- Wikivoyage: Daebudo, revision 5329671 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5329671
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Daebudo대부도
이 주소로 가 주세요
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on the island; most are in Seoul. The US Embassy is in Seoul (check the address).
Tipping is not expected in South Korea.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/daebudo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.