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Voykit pocket guide · South Korea
Goyang
고양
Base in Ilsan for 2 nights if you want KINTEX, the lake park and the flower festival; otherwise day-trip from Seoul on GTX-A, about 17 min from Kintex to Seoul Station.
Goyang is a planned satellite city of over 1 million people north-west of Seoul, split between Ilsan (lake park, KINTEX, Lafesta) and Deogyang (Haengju Sanseong, Starfield). It is not a sightseeing city: it works as a cheap, quiet base with fast GTX-A links to Seoul, or as a day trip for the lake park and the May flower festival. Two nights is enough; most visitors pass through in a day.
- Country
- South Korea
- Local name
- 고양
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (monsoon rain and heat), late Jan–Feb (cold)
- Stay
- 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 · 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 in a café | ₩4,000–7,000 |
| Korean BBQ per person | ₩15,000–30,000 |
| Convenience-store lunch | ₩4,000–8,000 |
| Metro or bus ride | ₩1,400–1,800 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ₩8,000–11,000 |
| Aquarium entry (Aqua Planet Ilsan) | ₩39,000 |
| Flower festival single ticket | ₩8,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GMP · Gimpo International
- One stop from Goyang on the Seohae line metro; about 20–30 min to Ilsan by metro with a transfer (check).
- ICN · Incheon International
- AREX to Gimpo then the Seohae line, or an airport bus; allow 1.5–2 h to Ilsan and check the last connection if you land late.
Typical fares
- GTX-A Kintex → Seoul Station
- about 17 min
- Metro Ilsan → central Seoul
- about 40–60 min, ₩1,500–2,000
- Taxi Jeongbalsan → KINTEX
- ₩8,000–12,000, about 15 min
Get around
Metro Line 3, the Gyeongui-Jungang line and the Seohae line cross the city, with GTX-A (from Kintex) reaching Seoul Station in about 17 min. Local buses stop roughly every 500 m, so buses beat the metro for short hops inside Ilsan. Taxis are metered and cheap for 5–10 min rides.
See and do
Known for
- Ilsan Lake Park
- KINTEX exhibition centre
- Goyang International Flower Festival
- Haengju Sanseong fortress
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul | GTX-A from Kintex to Seoul Station, or Line 3 to central Seoul | About 30–50 min |
| Incheon | Metro to Gimpo then the Seohae line or AREX, or a direct bus (check the route) | About 1–1.5 h |
| Suwon | Metro to Seoul then Line 1 or KTX from Haengsin | About 1.5–2 h |
| Anyang | Metro via Seoul, two or three changes | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Ilsan / Jeongbalsan
- Around Jeongbalsan station (Line 3): lake park, Lafesta, Western Dom and most hotels within a 10-min walk.
- KINTEX / Daehwa
- Best if you are attending a trade show; Daehwa station and the GTX-A stop at Kintex put Seoul 20–30 min away.
- Hwajeong / Deogyang
- Cheaper, more local; Line 3 and the Gyeongui-Jungang line serve Deogyang-gu, 30–40 min to central Seoul (check which station is nearest).
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 station? | 역이 어디예요?yeogi eodiyeyo |
| Please give me this | 이거 주세요igeo 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
- Goyang is spread out and low-rise: budget 30–50 min door to door between Ilsan and Deogyang.
- The lake park is open all day but most lighting goes off around 01:00.
- Aquarium and theme-park tickets are cheaper online than at the gate; check the official site before you go.
- Summer downpours in July–August can flood underpasses and cancel outdoor events.
Very safe by any standard: violent crime is rare and the streets are busy late. The real issues are traffic, bicycles on shared paths, and summer heat or monsoon flooding.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Goyang yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ilsan Lake Park
- KINTEX exhibition centre
- Goyang International Flower Festival
- Haengju Sanseong fortress
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ilsan Lake Park (city parks site): www.goyang.go.kr/park/index.do
- Wikivoyage: Goyang, revision 5218573 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5218573
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Goyang고양
이 주소로 가 주세요
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Seoul; the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all keep their missions there, about 40–60 min by metro.
Tipping is not expected. Emergency numbers are free from any phone.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/goyang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.