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Voykit pocket guide · South Korea
Goseong
고성
Go only if you want dinosaur footprints and coastal walks: 1 night with a car, or skip it and stay in Jinju or Tongyeong instead.
Goseong is a rural county on South Gyeongsang's south coast, known for the dinosaur footprints at Sangjokam and for scallops. Sights are spread across several townships, buses are thin, and most travellers see it as a half-day detour from Jinju, Tongyeong or Geoje rather than a base. One night is enough; two if you want the coast and the gardens without rushing.
- Country
- South Korea
- Local name
- 고성
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (rain and heat), mid-winter for coastal walks
- 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 ₩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 | ₩4,000–6,000 |
| Korean set meal | ₩9,000–13,000 |
| Jajangmyeon or jjamppong | ₩9,000–11,000 |
| Grilled shellfish or scallop meal | ₩17,000–30,000 |
| Local bus ride | ₩1,500 (₩1,450 with card) |
| Taxi flagfall | ₩5,000 |
| Garden or theme-park entry | ₩4,000–10,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PUS · Busan Gimhae
- About 1 h 30 min–2 h by bus or car via Masan; check connections
- CJU · Jeju
- Ferries and flights link the south coast; check seasonal routes
Typical fares
- Local bus, one ride
- ₩1,500 cash, ₩1,450 with a transit card; free transfer within 30 min
- Taxi flagfall
- ₩5,000, late-night surcharge 22:00–04:00₩5,000, late-night surcharge 10:00 PM–4:00 AM
- Goseong → Jinju intercity bus
- about 1 h; fare check at the terminal
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Local buses cost ₩1,500 (₩1,450 with a transit card) and give one free transfer within 30 minutes of getting off, card only. Routes are few and slow; a car or taxi is the practical way to link Sangjokam, Danghangpo and the gardens. Taxis start at ₩5,000 with a late-night surcharge from 22:00 to 04:00.Local buses cost ₩1,500 (₩1,450 with a transit card) and give one free transfer within 30 minutes of getting off, card only. Routes are few and slow; a car or taxi is the practical way to link Sangjokam, Danghangpo and the gardens. Taxis start at ₩5,000 with a late-night surcharge from 10:00 PM to 4:00 AM.
See and do
Known for
- Sangjokam dinosaur footprints
- Goseong Dinosaur Museum
- Scallops and sea squirts
- Danghangpo and the Dinosaur Expo
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jinju | Intercity bus from Goseong Bus Terminal, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Tongyeong | Intercity bus, the most frequent route from Goseong | About 1 h |
| Changwon and Masan | Bus via Masan, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 45 min |
| Geoje | Bus via Tongyeong or the coastal road | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Goseong-eup
- County town with the bus terminal, motels and most restaurants; best if you have no car.
- Danghangpo / Hwahae-ro
- Marina, pensions, glamping and camping by the water; needs a car or taxi.
- Ha-myeon (Sangjokam)
- Closest to the dinosaur footprints and the museum; pensions and a beach.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo |
| Thank you | 감사합니다gamsahamnida |
| How much is it? | 얼마예요?eolmayeyo |
| Can I pay by card? | 카드로 돼요?kadeuro dwaeyo |
| Where is the bus terminal? | 버스터미널이 어디예요?beoseu teomineori eodiyeyo |
| Please take me to this address | 이 주소로 가 주세요i jusoro ga juseyo |
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
- Sights are 20–40 min apart by car; without one, plan around Goseong-eup and one coastal stop.
- The Dinosaur Expo runs in set years only: check dates before booking around it.
- Beach and tidal-flat walks: check tide times, the rocks are slippery.
- English is limited outside hotels; have addresses in Korean for taxi drivers.
Very safe. The real risks are rural roads with no footpath, slippery tidal rocks, and buses that stop early: check the last departure before you go out.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Goseong yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sangjokam dinosaur footprints
- Goseong Dinosaur Museum
- Scallops and sea squirts
- Danghangpo and the Dinosaur Expo
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Goseong County tourism: www.goseong.go.kr/tour/index.goseong
- Wikivoyage: Goseong (South Gyeongsang), revision 5204881 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5204881
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Goseong고성
이 주소로 가 주세요
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Goseong; most are in Seoul, with consulates in Busan. US citizens: check the US Embassy Seoul page.
Save the Korean spelling of your hotel name for taxi drivers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/goseong-south-gyeongsang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.