I love South Korea and it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular destinations to visit in Asia. But having visited three times (4th trip is booked for this year!) I know one of the trickiest parts of travelling in South Korea is staying connected.
Google Maps doesn’t work in South Korea, making navigation tricky and I’ve found that free wifi locations in the country are far less common than other countries in Asia.
But that definitely shouldn’t put you off visit!
South Korea uses Naver Map or Kakao Maps for their navigation apps and they’re actually really great, very detailed and very accurate for using the city’s transport network and have very detailed reviews for restaurants, shops and cafes.
These apps are available in the App Store or Play Store and as long as you have an internet connection, you can use them just as you would usually use Google Maps.
But to make sure you have an internet connection in South Korea and don’t just rely on irregular wifi spots, I would highly recommend getting an eSIM for your phone.
Here I’m going to share the best eSIM for travelling but specifically for travelling in South Korea to make sure that you never run out of data.
A quick note: This article is sponsored by Holafly eSIM. However I am a frequent Holafly eSIM user during my travels and all views, experiences and opinions are my own.
Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something. While clicking these links won't cost you anything, they will help me to keep this site up and running! Check out the full disclosure policy for more details. Thank you so much!
Why use an eSIM?
I recently had to help my parents install and use their first eSIM for an overseas trip so I understand that it can feel like a bit of a confusing concept for some people at first.
And like my parents you might just be thinking, “I don’t need it, I’ll just use the wifi at the hotel”.
The problem with this is that you’re only in the hotel for sleeping.
You’re spending the whole day out and about, exploring a new place, probably using maps to walk around or navigate the transport network, finding places to eat for lunch, trying to find a good coffee spot, maybe taking a day trip and you need to liaise with your tour guide via WhatsApp. Perhaps you’re travelling with friends or family and need to arrange a time to meet up later in the day. Or even just to send a message to your family or friends back home to let them know you’re okay.
All those things require data. And if you’re out and about all day without an eSIM then you can’t do those things.
So my hope is that by sharing this eSIM with you, like my parents, you’ll see how easy it is to set this up and I promise that travelling will be a whole lot easier with it!
What’s the best eSIM for visiting South Korea?
Obviously there are heaps of eSIM options out there but being in a new country and new culture, combined with the language barrier and the need to navigate major cities like Seoul or Busan, means that ensuring you never run out of data is vital.
That’s why I’d recommend Holafly eSIMs because they have several additional features that most other eSIMs don’t offer that I think makes them the best choice for travelling in Korea — besides the unlimited data, which is a must-have for peace of mind in your trips.
Their standout offer is their Always On benefit, which gives you 1GB of backup data per month in 70+ destinations so even if you run out of data, they make sure you’re still covered - such a lifesaver!
Not only do they cover over 200 destinations with their unlimited data packages, but this also means you have hotspot capabilities, so you can share your data with others devices.
I’m also aware that many people visit South Korea on a multi-stop trip to Asia, perhaps you're combining your trip to South Korea with Japan or China or perhaps somewhere in Southeast Asia. The great news is that you don’t need to buy individual eSIMs for each of these destinations because Holafly offers regional eSIMs for Asia. So once you’ve installed your eSIM, you’re good to go for the whole trip!
Stay connected on your trip to South Korea with a Holafly eSIM and use my promo code HELENABRADBURY for 5% off on any Holafly eSIM and 10% off on Holafly Plans for 12 months.
Benefits of a Holafly eSIM in South Korea
I know it can feel super overwhelming to make these decisions and figure out how to use eSIMs, especially if you’ve never used one before. So I just want to quickly lay out the benefits of a Holafly eSIM for your trip to South Korea, then below I’ll give you a quick overview of how easy it is to install.
1. 200+ destinations are covered with unlimited data so you’ll always be connected
2. With 15+ regional eSIM options means you can get coverage for the whole of Asia, not just one country (same for Europe, North America and even cruising eSIMs!)
3. The eSIMs are totally customisable based on your data needs, from 1 to 90 days
4. Always On features means you have 1GB of backup data for emergencies as long as your eSIM is installed
5. No hidden costs, just buy your eSIM, install on your phone and go
6. No need to faff around and waste time finding and buying a local physical SIM card in your destination
7. They have a 24/7 support team that’s actual human beings (we love that!)
8. 6 month refund policy for extra peace of mind
9. It takes 2 minutes to set up your eSIM, no faffing around with a pin and that sim card drawer on your phone!
10. They even have a handy data calculator to help you estimate how many GB of data you might need based on your travel style. So you can buy the right amount from the get-go. (try the calculator here)
And don’t worry, you still keep your regular SIM and all your contacts, current WhatsApp number etc - nothing about your current set up will change, you just have the handy bonus addition of an eSIM for connectivity in your destination!
Use my Holafly link to get your Holafly eSIM and use my promo code HELENABRADBURY for 5% off on any Holafly eSIM and 10% off on Holafly Plans for 12 months.
Changing of the guards in Seoul, South Korea
How to use a Holafly eSIM on your phone
If you’re still feeling a bit confused, Holafly also makes the installation process really easy.
Remember, an eSIM is a digital SIM card that gets installed directly onto your phone, so you don’t need a physical SIM card like the one you probably already have in your device.
This is a great thing because you can get it all installed and ready to go before your trip to South Korea.
So here’s the super easy steps for installing a Holafly eSIM:
1. Download the Holafly app from the App Store on iOS or Play Store on Android
2. Browse the app for the eSIM you need and make your purchase
3. Go to “My eSIMs” on the app to find your South Korea eSIM
4. Tap “Install eSIM” and follow the instructions on the screen
That’s literally it.
If you follow these steps then your data will automatically activate once you arrive in your destination!
Get your Holafly eSIM here and use my promo code HELENABRADBURY for 5% off on any Holafly eSIM and 10% off on Holafly Plans for 12 months.
Top tips for visiting South Korea
Seoraksan National Park in Korea
Download Naver Map and Kakao Maps for navigating in South Korea
Use these apps to look up restaurants, cafes and shops for reviews and recommendations. Google is not widely used so I would recommend looking up places on Google Maps and reviews will only be from tourists.
Use Google Translate to converse with locals and use the Google Translate camera feature to instantly translate things like menus and signage
Purchase a T-Money card from one of the convenience stores as soon as you arrive in South Korea. This is the national transit card used like a contactless payment card to pay for public transport all over Korea.
Even if you are a country which is visa exempt for travel to Korea, you will most likely still need a K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorisation) - make sure to check this before you travel.
South Korean currency is the Korean Won
You will likely receive emergency alerts on your phone during your visit, these scared us at first but this is also their national messaging system that sends out alerts about localised disruption such as large events happening or missing person alerts - so don’t panic, these alerts are in Korean but you can copy and paste these alerts into Google Translate to see what they say.
Domestic flights are pretty affordable in South Korea, making it easy to combine Seoul, Busan, Jeju Island and other places around the country into one trip.
Summary: Why do I recommend a Holafly eSIM for visiting South Korea
I really believe that Holafly eSIMs are the best eSIM for travelling to South Korea because of their ease of use, unlimited data and flexibility.
eSIMs have made travelling so much easier and staying connected is more vital than ever, so with Holafly you truly have the peace of mind both before and during your trip that you’ll have access to the data and services you need for your travels.
Plus with regional and global eSIMs, you don’t need to worry about swapping and installing multiple eSIMs on your trip through multiple destinations.
And with their Always On feature, the backup of 1GB of data basically means that using Holafly is a set-it-and-forget-it setup. Leaving you more time to actually enjoy your trip!
Buy your Holafly eSIM here and use my promo code HELENABRADBURY for 5% off on any Holafly eSIM and 10% off on Holafly Plans for 12 months.