How do I get to Seoul?

Incheon International (ICN), 52 km west of central Seoul, handles nearly all international traffic. You land on a reclaimed island in the Yellow Sea. The arrivals hall smells like polished granite and pine: the place is kept immaculate. Korean Air and Asiana both hub here, so you get direct service from LAX, SFO, JFK, Dulles, O'Hare, Heathrow, CDG, Frankfurt, Sydney, and Toronto. From the US west coast, figure 11-12 hours nonstop. From JFK or Dulles, closer to 14. London runs about 11 hours direct on Korean Air or BA. Gimpo (GMP), just 15 km from downtown, covers domestic routes and short-haul international: Tokyo Haneda, Shanghai Hongqiao, Osaka Kansai, Taipei Songshan. Coming from Tokyo? A Gimpo-bound flight puts you 40 minutes closer to the city than Incheon would.

Round-trip fares from North America tend to land between $800 and $1,400. Korean Air and Asiana sit at the top of that range but include checked bags, hot meals, and the kind of legroom that Delta economy has quietly given up on. Delta codeshares with Korean Air on transpacific routes; United partners with Asiana: frequent flyer miles play here either way. From the UK, expect £500-850 direct, or £400-650 if you route through Istanbul on Turkish or Dubai on Emirates. Both add 4-6 hours but shave £200. The cheapest window runs November through mid-March, minus the Lunar New Year spike in late January or February. Cherry blossom season (late March into early April) and the October foliage both push prices up 30-50%. Book those 3-4 months ahead.

From elsewhere in Asia, budget carriers change the math. Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way, and Peach run frequent routes from Tokyo Narita (2.5 hours, $80-200), Osaka (2 hours, $70-180), Bangkok (5.5 hours, $150-350), and Manila (4 hours, $100-250). No frills (you pay for bags and the lukewarm cup noodles) but savings run 40-60% over full-service on short legs. Mind you, if you're already in Japan, the Tokyo Haneda to Gimpo route on ANA or Korean Air drops you 15 km from Myeongdong instead of 52 km out on an island. That difference matters at 10 PM: cool night air on the walkway, empty stomach, and all you want is a hot bowl of seolleongtang before collapsing into bed.

One timing trap that catches people: Chuseok, Korea's harvest holiday, usually falls in September or early October. Domestic flights sell out weeks ahead and international fares spike from the diaspora heading home. Same story with Lunar New Year. If your dates overlap, book early or shift by a week. May tends to be the sweet spot: dry warmth around 20-25°C, the scent of blooming acacias drifting off Namsan, reasonable fares, and the city still carries that spring looseness before the heavy, sticky humidity rolls in from late June. That said, Seoul in winter has its own pull if cold doesn't bother you: clear skies, thin crowds, and fares sitting at their annual floor.