9 Must Have Apps for Your Trip to South Korea

Essentials Apps for Your South Korea Adventure

South Korea ticks every box, from incredible street food and late-night shopping to vibrant markets, stunning landscapes, and centuries-old palaces set amongst skyscrapers. But what many travellers don’t realise until they land is that the digital landscape is a little different. The apps you rely on at home don’t always function the same way in South Korea, and that can make navigating, booking or even ordering dinner harder than it needs to be. A few simple downloads before departing Sydney Airport can make your trip seamless from touchdown to take-off.

Here are a few essential apps to install before your flight.

1. Naver Map

Best for: Navigation and public transport

Often considered the gold standard for maps in South Korea, Naver Map offers accurate walking directions, real-time bus and subway updates, and easy-to-view information about nearby restaurants, cafes, convenience stores, pharmacies, and more.

2. Kakao Map

Best for: Local-friendly navigation

Kakao Map is another excellent alternative to Google Maps. It’s particularly helpful for discovering cafés, restaurants, local hot spots, and hidden gems. When you’re navigating public transport, it can send alerts telling you exactly when to hop on or off, which is a lifesaver if you’re juggling luggage or trying not to miss your stop.

3. Papago

Best for: Translation on the go

Powered by Naver, Papago is one of the most accurate Korean-English translation apps available. It supports text, image and voice translation, making it easy to navigate conversations, menus, and street signs with confidence, even when you don’t speak a word of Korean.

4. Kakao T

Best for: Booking taxis

Need a lift after a late-night shopping spree or a long day of palace-hopping? Kakao T makes booking taxis simple and reliable. It’s widely used across Korea and helps smooth over language barriers, whether you’re booking a cab, checking public transport routes, or even renting a bike for a quick spin through the city.

5. Catch Table

Best for: Restaurant reservations

From Michelin-starred dining to Korean BBQ favourites and trending Seoul hotspots, Catch Table takes the stress out of getting a table. With just a few taps, you can book ahead or even grab a queue number before you arrive, saving you precious time in a country where the most popular venues fill up quickly.

6. Wise or Revolut

Best for: Multi-currency spending

Using a multi-currency card like Wise or Revolut can simplify payments from the moment you touch down. You can load and convert Korean won ahead of time, keep an eye on the exchange rate, and avoid international transaction fees that pop up with regular bank cards.

7. Klook or Pelago

Best for: Booking tours and attractions

Planning to visit Lotte World, explore Gyeongbokgung Palace, join a DMZ tour or hop on a street food crawl through Seoul? Klook and Pelago let you line up everything from theme park tickets and guided city tours to rail passes, dining experiences and day trips to places like Nami Island or Busan. You can also organise airport transfers, city passes, and eSIMs in advance, so you can step off the plane and get straight into your itinerary.

8. Shuttle

Best for: Food delivery in English

Shuttle makes ordering food in South Korea simple, especially if you don’t speak the language. Designed with international visitors in mind, the app lets you browse menus, place orders and pay entirely in English. From fried chicken and Korean comfort food to groceries and everyday essentials, Shuttle connects you with popular local restaurants and shops in just a few taps.

9. TripSim

Best for: eSIM connectivity before departure

With TripSim, you can purchase and activate your eSIM before you fly, choosing from unlimited or fixed data bundles to suit your trip. Setup takes just a few minutes, and your plan is ready to go the moment you land. Check out the plans for South Korea here.

Escape to South Korea

Did you know there are 26 nonstop flights from Sydney Airport to Seoul each week? With T’way, Jetstar and Korean Air, there are plenty of options to suit your travel needs. Whether you’re heading to South Korea for the street food, snow season, hiking trails or skincare hauls, your Korean adventure starts at Sydney Airport.