How to Plan a Trip to China and South Korea

Planning a trip to China and South Korea could be both thrilling and daunting as it involves navigating a wealth of options and logistics. These challenges sometimes make the prospect of exploring these fascinating destinations feel a bit overwhelming. However, with the right guidance and preparation, you could plan a smooth and splendid adventure.

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  • How Long to Spend

Itinerary Suggestions

  • How to Travel between China and South Korea

Visa Requirements

How long to spend in china and south korea.

A typical trip to China and South Korea usually takes 2–3 weeks , with 1–2 weeks in China and 1 week in South Korea. The vastness of China means that you have more to explore there.

In China, a 1-week itinerary allows you to explore the classic route , including Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. This is the most popular choice for first-time visitors to China. In these three cities, you would gain insights into Chinese culture, history, and modernity while admiring the famous landmarks.

If you have an additional week, you could delve deeper into the diversity of China . If you love nature, you could visit Zhangjiajie or Huangshan. If you want to see adorable pandas up close, head to Chengdu. If you wish to experience Chinese rural life and stunning landscapes, Guilin is a great option.

In South Korea, 1 week is sufficient to explore the classic route , including Seoul, Gyeongju, and Busan. These cities would meet your needs for experiencing Korean culture, history, food, and entertainment. If you have extra time, you could allocate 2–3 more days to explore Jeju Island for its magnificent natural scenery.

We have provided you with two itinerary suggestions, one is a more extensive 3-week itinerary and the other is a 2-week essence itinerary.

1. A 3-Week Itinerary in China and South Korea

  • Days 1‒3: Seoul with nearby cities (palaces, street walking, folk villages, markets...)
  • Day 4: Gyeongju (historical sites)
  • Days 5‒6: Busan (temples, beaches, markets...)
  • Day 7: Fly to Beijing
  • Days 8‒11: Beijing (the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, hutongs...)
  • Days 12‒13: Xi'an (the Terracotta Army, a food tour...)
  • Days 14‒15: Zhangjiajie (Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the glass bridge)
  • Days 16‒19: Guilin (a cruise, cycling, bamboo rafting...)
  • Day 20: Shanghai (the Bund and some free time)
  • Day 21: Departure

If you are visiting China and Korea for the first time and want to gain a deeper understanding of the cultures of both countries, you could refer to this itinerary.

This three-week itinerary not only includes iconic landmarks such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City but also provides a more in-depth insight into the cultures of Korea and China.

For instance, you could visit the must-see Changdeokgung Palace in South Korea, the last palace of the Joseon Dynasty, where you could even try on traditional Hanbok clothing. You could also explore traditional Korean houses and learn about their folk culture.

In China, to better understand and engage with the authentic culture, we could arrange a home visit for you, where you can learn to write Chinese or paint Peking Opera facial masks, learn about the life philosophy of Beijing people, and see the traditional residential architecture of Beijing ( hutongs ).

2. 2-Week China and South Korea Itinerary

  • Days 1‒4: Beijing
  • Days 5‒6: Xi'an
  • Day 7: Shanghai
  • Day 8: Fly to South Korea
  • Days 9‒10: Seoul
  • Days 11‒13: Jeju Island
  • Day 14: Back to Seoul for departure

While this itinerary is relatively short, you could still have some in-depth cultural or culinary experiences that showcase the local essence.

In the Beijing itinerary, in addition to visiting classic landmarks, if you want to know more about the local lifestyle or traditional culture, we could arrange a walking tour of Beijing's old neighborhoods. Guided by our local experts, you would explore local communities, markets, and parks that are off the beaten path, providing you with the best insight into the daily lives of the people of Beijing.

During your stay in South Korea, the itinerary would include a visit to Jeju Island. If you enjoy hiking, climb Mount Halla, and don't miss the sunrise at Sunrise Peak (Seongsan Ilchulbong). You could also explore Dongmun Market and savor a variety of local delicacies.

We Can Tailor-Make Your Itinerary

The itineraries above are just two options for reference. We offer totally personalized tour services . Contact us to share your specific preferences and requirements, and we would tailor a customized itinerary that suits your needs.

How to Travel Between China and South Korea

Flying is the most convenient and quick way. The main cities that usually link the two countries are Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong in China and Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island in South Korea.

The journey is about 1 to 2½ hours. We would manage the transportation between China and South Korea and also the domestic transfers in each country.

When planning a trip to China and South Korea, we suggest starting with a visit to South Korea before heading to China. This suggestion is rooted in the idea that South Korea offers a relatively relaxed cultural exploration, while China provides a deeper cultural experience. This sequence of travel allows you to gradually delve into East Asian culture and gain a more nuanced understanding of its cultural development.

Private touring in China costs about US$220–350 per day per person, and the cost in South Korea is about US$400–500 per day per person, including 4- or 5-star hotels, flights/train journeys within China and South Korea, tickets for attractions, private cars, and private guides.

We recommend booking 3 months in advance to ensure that you have more options and opportunities for comparison.

When booking with us, you'll receive a 100% refund of any payments made to China Highlights if you cancel up to 3 weeks before departure (see more details here ).

Best Times to Visit China and South Korea

China and South Korea share similar weather conditions. Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the best times to visit both of them with warm-to-cool weather and less rainfall.

For a less-crowded month among the best times, you could choose from March, April, September, and November.

Although summer (June to August) is the rainy season, it is the peak season for traveling because of schools' summer vacations (Booking 3 months in advance is recommended). The rainy season won't be a big activity-affecting factor for a well-prepared and flexible journey.

Winter also has its charms. Both China and South Korea have beautiful snow scenes, such as in Harbin and Jeju Island. If you want something a little different in winter, go to southern areas in China, such as Yunnan, Hainan, and Hong Kong. They offer sunny days with warm and active outdoor sports.

The Christmas and New Year holidays would see an increase in travelers. Be sure to book 3 months in advance.

For South Korea : South Korea requires visitors from visa-exempted countries to obtain a K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorization) before their trip to South Korea.

But to encourage tourism, from April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, a K-ETA is not required for 27 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and Singapore, for short-term business or tourism purposes.

For China : Normally, a tourist visa (L visa) is needed to visit China. We recommend that you apply for the visa 1 or 2 months before the intended travel date. You could refer to the requirements for visa applications here .

Tour China and South Korea with Us

All of our tours can be adjusted or customized based on your requirements. Just contact us if you have a good idea about what you want to do or if you need some help to start planning.

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How to travel from China to Korea by Boat – A Complete Guide

Table of Contents

How to travel from China to Korea by Boat

Getting to qingdao.

The first step in travelling from China to Korea starts in Qingdao. Qingdao is a major port city in north-eastern China and is serviced by air and rail links to the rest of China and beyond. The city can be reached from Beijing and Shanghai in 5 or 6 hours by fast train:

You can book tickets on Trip.com . Read my guide on how to buy train tickets in China for more info (including how to get the new e-tickets).

Qingdao – More than just a beer!

Catholic Cathedral of St Michael Earl

Qingdao is a pleasant seaside city with a very European feel to it due to its German colonial past and if you have time to explore before your departure then you won’t be disappointed.

Getting to the port

Port

The port building is located a few kilometres north of the train station. From the centre of town, a taxi will take ten minutes and cost around ¥20, or you can take bus number 6 for ¥1 (takes 15 minutes).

We arrived at the port around 09:00 and went straight to buy our tickets which was a quick and easy process. We deposited our bags at the left luggage (¥10 per bag) and went off to explore Qingdao for a few hours before returning for customs and border checks at 15:00.

Facilities at the port

  • Convenience Store (water, instant noodles etc)
  • Currency Exchange
  • Left Luggage
  • Toilets (including western style)

The company that operates the route is Weidong Ferry. 

Buying a ticket for the China to Korea Ferry

It is not possible to buy tickets in advance online for this sailing and you must go to the port to buy your ticket.

We arrived early the day we wanted to sail and there were plenty of tickets. If you or someone you know speaks Chinese, it is possible to call the office in advance and reserve tickets. Contact number for the Incheon office is (+86) 0532 82803574 or see the booking guide for more information.

However, if you would rather secure a ticket in advance, then it is possible to book online with our partners at Direct Ferries for the services from Lianyungang, Dalian and Yingkou.

China to Korea Ferry Sailing Times

China to South Korea

The Qingdao to Incheon sailing leaves China every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The ferry departs Qingdao Port at 17:00 and is due to arrive at Incheon Port near Seoul at 10:00 the next day, HOWEVER, we didn’t dock until after 13:00 and it was after 14:00 by the time we were on Korean soil and through customs, so better to be a little flexible with your onward travel.

NB: If you are going to be spending any time in South Korea’s bustling capital, check out this great Seoul itinerary from Hoponworld.com!

Important: Ensure you are at the port by 15:00 to do the necessary customs and border checks before embarking.

Ticket Prices

Note 1: The prices do not include port tax (¥30) and fuel surcharge, both payable at the port. A 5% discount is applied if you book a return journey.

Note 2: Economy and Business class rooms are segregated into male and female-only rooms.

We opted for the business class which was more than comfortable with two sets of bunk beds and one mattress on the floor. The room was on the 3rd floor, above deck and with a porthole window, television, power supply (Korean), sink and fridge with free bottled water.

China to Korea Ferry – The Vessel

New golden bridge v.

Sailing into South Korea

Facilities on board

The vessel is large and comfortable with seating areas in the main lounge, a small restaurant selling Korean food, a small convenience store selling drinks, snacks and travel accessories and a duty-free shop. There is also a bar and cinema and seating up on deck.

China to Korea – The Sailing

We arrived back at the port at 15:00 and were led through to the customs area. I queued for 20 minutes or so at passport control (make sure to fill out the Chinese exit slip first) and we were soon through.

After making our way through the small terminal we were told to wait for a bus to take us the 20 metres or so from the terminal building to the ferry across the tarmac as large trucks were loading the vessel of cargo.

We entered the ship and ascended two escalators up to the main concourse where we were directed to the reception desk to sign in and collect the key to our room. I deposited my bags and went to have a look around the ship.

A blast of the horn dead on 17:00 indicated our departure and I went up on deck as the tug led us out of the harbour, past China’s fleet of shiny black nuclear submarines and coast guard ships. The sun had started to set casting a golden glow from the skyscrapers along the shoreline I was headed out into the open ocean.

Being February it was windy and bitterly cold, but the sunset over the Yellow Sea was spectacular. I started to feel a little queasy with the swaying which I think had more to do with the beers I had the previous night as I rarely get seasick.

Overnight on the Ferry from China to Korea

For dinner, we went to the small restaurant on the top deck and I opted for a seafood carbonara and my girlfriend had the ramen noodles (both tasty).

After dinner, we seated ourselves in the main lounge and settled down in front of a film playing on one of the television screens. The boat was eerily quiet as it was Chinese New Year and most people were at home with families rather than sailing the seven seas!

I was sharing a room with four other people, but my girlfriend’s room was empty so I settled on the mattress next to the window in her room and tried to get some sleep, though the swaying of the ship was still making me feel a little uncomfortable. I think I snatched a few hours sleep and awoke around 07:00.

We breakfasted on pot noodles bought before the journey and had a wash in the sink. We already knew that the boat would not be arriving until 13:00 and spent the morning idly resting in the cabin and wandering around on deck.

When we finally docked and were ready to disembark our temperatures were taken as we left the vessel to ensure we were not suffering any sort of fever before entering South Korea.

Incheon Port Building

The customs process was straightforward (make sure you have filled out the entry card and customs declaration provided when boarding).

Arrival in Korea – Incheon to Busan

Our plan was to simply get to Busan in the South of the country and pick up a ferry to Japan. We would have time to explore South Korea on the return journey a week or so later.

You might like: Complete guide on travel from Seoul to Busan .

We made our way via metro to Incheon Exchange Terminus where conveniently there was a bus to Busan within a few minutes (16:02) and arrived there 4.5 hours later at 22:30. We booked into the Kimchee Hostel for the night before taking the JR Beetle ferry to Fukuoka in Japan the next day which you can read about in my Korea to Japan Ferry article.

Incheon is very close to the capital of South Korea, and if you will be staying there for a few days check out this guide on day trips from Seoul .

Kagoshima and Sakurajima, Japan

About the author: Steve Rohan is a writer from Essex, England. He has traveled to over 60 countries, lived in Armenia, China and Hong Kong, and is now living the digital nomad life on the road.

Steve prefers “slow travel” and has covered much of the world by train, bus and boat. He has been interviewed multiple times by the BBC and recently featured in the documentary Scariest Places in the World . See the About page for more info.

Where I am now: Yerevan, Armenia 🇦🇲

6 thoughts on “ How to travel from China to Korea by Boat – A Complete Guide ”

What are the things the customs officials will require from a tourist, before allowing me to enter south Korea from the ship? If I does not have a return ticket to China, will I be allowed in?

Hi Augustine, All they required was the customs declaration form which was given to us when we boarded the ship, and of course our passports. They didn’t ask to see a return ticket (we traveled on to Japan after and didn’t buy they ticket until we were in South Korea). Hope this helps. Steve

Will the custom officials demand to see who invited me for the tour. I mean a letter of invitation from me before they can stamp me in. What are the documents thy will require from me? Also does the officials speak English both at the Chinese and the Korean ports?

Hi Augustine, no, the customs official will at most just want details of your hotel. They will only require your passport and an entry card you will be given on the ship. The officials are unlikely to speak English (on the Chinese side more so than the Korean), but you could get lucky. Hope this helps. Steve

Is the ferry service from Qingdao to Incheon still sailing? I could not find this information anywhere else on the internet.

hello good sir, how to get to the Qingdao port? which location it is on the Google map?

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  • Travel Planning Guide

A Travel Comparison for Vacations, Honeymoons, and Tours South Korea vs. China

Should you visit south korea or china, which country is cheaper, china or south korea.

Should I visit South Korea or China? This is a popular question for many travelers. By figuring out which country is more expensive, you'll understand where you'll get more bang for your buck. A week in China can cost you about $555 (per person), while a week in South Korea may cost you around $0.00. These differences become even more noticable if you plan to spend a longer time in the country. 10 days , two weeks , or even one month of travel to China or South Korea can really add to your travel budget.

Accommodation is often cheaper in South Korea compared to China ($0.00 vs. $34). Budget travelers often stay in cheaper hostels and guest houses, while nicer hotels usually appeal to families and upscale travelers.

Or, compare hostel and guesthouse prices between China and South Korea to find the cheapest accommodation here: China hostels and South Korea hostels .

When comparing food in South Korea vs. China they are not just different in cuisine, but also in price. Meal and restaurant costs in South Korea ($0.00) are often cheaper than China ($23).

  • South Korea Prices China Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day South Korea $ 0.00 China $ 79
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person South Korea $ 0.00 China $ 34
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room South Korea $ 0.00 China $ 68
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc. South Korea $ 0.00 China $ 16
  • Food Meals for one day South Korea $ 0.00 China $ 23
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc. South Korea $ 0.00 China $ 17
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day South Korea $ 11 China $ 11
  • Water Bottled water for one day South Korea $ 2.14 China $ 0.99

How much are flights to South Korea and China?

The price of a plane ticket may help you decide which country you should visit.

Find a Hostel in South Korea or China

Hostels, guest houses, and locally owned B&B's are often the cheapest form of accommodation.

Related Articles for South Korea

Related articles for china, when is the best time to visit south korea and china.

Waterfall on Jeju-do, South Korea

Why is South Korea more expensive than China?

What are the most expensive and cheapest cities and regions in south korea and china.

Longsheng, China

How you can save money when visiting South Korea and China?

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4corners7seas

Overland travel blog

How to Take the Ferry from China to Korea

Note: all ferries were suspended throughout the pandemic. While most of the ferries below do seem to be operating again now, the info on this page describes how it was pre-covid. Be aware that things may have changed and be sure to double check locally or with the operators if you can

There’s something about arriving by ship that you just don’t get with air travel; the excitement of first seeing your destination coming into view over the horizon as you take in the sea air on deck, the morning sun on your face, captures the romance of travel in a way an airport never will. Well… unless it’s subzero temperatures outside, or pissing rain as you dock; that’s not so nice. And the time I found myself peering through a heavy blanket of smog to make out the skyscrapers of Qingdao materialising through the brown smudge as the ferry chugged through the green carpet of Qingdao’s annual chemically-enhanced algal blooms wasn’t that nice either! But you get the idea. There’s no better way to arrive in Korea than sailing in under the majestic harbour bridges of Incheon (or Busan, if you’re overlanding between Korea and Japan ).

China and South Korea are two countries very well-connected by sea – due to North Korea being North Korea, the land route between China and South Korea is completely cut off, which means extra cargo, vehicles, and people wanting to go by ship. More than a dozen overnight ferry routes connect ports on the northern half of China’s coastline with Korea’s west coast, providing a (usually) cheaper, more interesting alternative to flying, which takes you on overland routes through cities you might otherwise not see.

Specifically, China – Korea ferries go from the Chinese ports of Tianjin (near Beijing); Qinhuangdao, Yingkou, Dalian, and Dandong (northeast China); and Yantai, Weihai, Rongcheng, Shidao, Qingdao, Rizhou, and Lianyungang (located around the Shandong Peninsula).

On the Korean side, the port of Incheon (next to Seoul) handles the majority of ferries, though a number of services use Pyeongtaek or Gunsan further south.

The crossings are overnight jobs, taking anything from 12 to 26 hours depending on the distance and how shitty the ferry is. The routes most likely to be of interest to overlanders are the Dandong, Dalian, Tianjin, and Qingdao routes to / from Incheon.

I’ve personally done the crossings from Dalian and Dandong to Incheon, and both ways between Qingdao and Incheon. Of the three, I’d recommend the Qingdao crossing; Qingdao is probably the most interesting city to visit of the three, the ferry itself is actually better, and the Qingdao port is convenient. If however you’re definitely going to or from Northeast China, Dalian is preferable to Dandong; the terminal in Dalian is conveniently located, whereas in Dandong it’s right out of town and involves a long bus transfer. Also the Dandong – Incheon ferry is a floating piece of junk, very cramped indeed, and for whatever reason the passengers were a lot more rough and ready than on the other routes I did; my bunk was constantly invaded by my fellow passengers unless I was physically occupying it, and the legion of smokers on deck sent a constant rain of glowing cigarette butts flying over the railings. If you’re keen to visit Dandong for the chance to glimpse into North Korea , time permitting I’d still recommend taking the Dalian ferry, and visiting Dandong by train (Dalian – Dandong is a 2-hour train ride).

If you’re looking for the most direct option from Beijing, that would be the bullet train to Tianjin and the 26-hour ferry crossing from there.

The Weidong Ferry company which does Qingdao – Incheon also runs the Weihai – Incheon route; Weihai’s about 2 hours from Qingdao by train, so that route could be useful if the sailing schedule suits you better.

I’m not sure I’d fancy the rest of the ferry routes other than these five; the ports aren’t of much interest or any more convenient (in fact they tend to be industrial ports a long way out of town), and looking at the sailing times I reckon a few of those ferries are rustbuckets. An exception might be the Yantai routes, with Yantai’s centrally located port and its proximity to Qingdao making it a convenient alternative if the schedule suits you better.

Recommended routes from Beijing to Korea overland : Beijing – Qingdao – Incheon (train 5 hours, ferry 17 hours) Beijing – Tianjin – Incheon (train & subway 2 hours, ferry 26 hours) Beijing – Dalian – Incheon (train 6 hours, ferry 15 hours)

Recommended route from Shanghai to Korea overland : Shanghai – Qingdao – Incheon (train 6 hours, ferry 17 hours)

A few things to note when travelling by ferry between China and Korea:

Checkin & boarding times

You should always arrive at the port at least two hours before sailing time to deal with check in and immigration before boarding, and preferaby a little earlier than that (especially if you still need to buy a ticket – if you turn up one hour before departure, you may find the ticket counter is already closed).

Terminal fees & fuel surcharges

Also, be aware that there’ll be a port charge / terminal fee to pay in cash when you check in; it’s usually 30 to 40 RMB in China, and it ranges from 2,500 to 4,300 KRW in Korea. Under each listing below I’ve noted the port fee as per the ferry company websites, but in some cases the port fees for China aren’t given – you should still expect a fee of 30 or 40 RMB. Also, of course these fees are likely to increase over time; I’ll try to keep this page updated, but don’t be surprised if it’s gone up.

Additionally, there may or may not be a fuel surcharge added to the ticket fare; as of late 2018 most of the routes listed here have fuel surcharges of either 10,000 or 20,000 KRW (or 60 / 120 RMB from China). This can also be expected to change over time, again I endeavour to keep the information on this page up to date but be prepared for surprises.

When leaving China it’s probably a good idea to have at least an extra 200 RMB in cash (per person) to cover the port fee and any fuel surcharge; don’t worry about having Chinese money left over, as you can easily change it at one of the many money changers in Seoul’s Myeongdong shopping district (rates are decent, but walk around and check a few to find the best rate that day – best rate is usually at the places immediately in front of the Chinese embassy’s front gate). They won’t change small bills though, so make sure to use up all your crappy 1 and 5 kuai notes before reaching Korea.

Food & drink

All of the ferries have some sort of food available – at the very least, you’ll be able to buy snacks and instant noodles (with free hot water dispensers so you can make them) and cans of beer, and most of them have a restaurant doing buffet dinner & breakfast. I usually try to grab a bag of pastries, snacks, drinks, instant noodles etc from the shop before boarding.

Reservations

Three of the routes listed here can be booked online using Direct Ferries: Lianyungang-Incheon , Yingkou-Incheon , and Dalian-Incheon . For the others you can try calling or emailing (or in a couple of cases using the reservation forms on their websites); see the details under each listing. Buying your ticket in person at the terminal should also usually be fine, though of course it can’t be 100% guaranteed.

Contact numbers

Under each listing below I’ve given the contact number(s), usually for offices in Korea, sometimes China. Area codes are given in brackets; if calling from overseas, it’s +86 for China and +82 for Korea, and drop the initial 0. If calling domestically, include the area code if in a different province, drop it if calling from the same province.

Train schedules & tickets

I’ve given example train times from nearby major cities for each of the ports listed, but if you want to check them out in more detail, use Korail for Korean trains (excluding the SRT – see Pyeongtaek below ) and Chinatrainguide for China.

China train tickets : buying train tickets in China used to be a complete pain in the ass, but thankfully it’s become easier in recent years. You still have to line up to show your ID and collect your tickets, but at least now you can search, book, and pay for the tickets online; you’re given a booking code which you just need to show at the ticket widow (along with all passengers’ IDs) in order to collect your tickets. Obviously it’s a good idea (if you know your dates) to book a bunch of journeys in advance and collect all the tickets at once. Without a Chinese ID you can’t use the official booking site, but 12go Asia is a foreigner-friendly alternative.

Korea train tickets : in Korea there’s no need for ID checks, you can just buy a ticket at the station from a machine or ticket window, or book online with  12go Asia . There’s actually not even any ticket barrier to pass through, you just go to the platform and get on the train; all very user-friendly (pretty much the opposite of China). Occasionally the staff on the train ask to see tickets (only happened to me twice in dozens of Korean rail journeys), so if you book online just have the e-ticket ready show on your phone or tablet if needed.

All information below is correct at time of writing. I will strive to keep this page up to date, but you must assume that things may have changed and be sure to double check as best you can to avoid any inconvenient surprises; be prepared to be flexible in the event that you encounter something unforeseen (don’t plan to catch a ferry on the very last night of your Chinese visa – that’s just asking for trouble!), and please let me know via comments or my contact form so I can update this information for future overlanders.

Read on for details of the main routes outlined above; see here for the other routes through Incheon, and here for routes through Pyeongtaek & Gunsan.

Most Useful China – Korea Ferries for Overlanders

Incheon – qingdao & incheon – weihai.

Weidong Ferry is the only ferry operator between China & Korea with an English website, and the only one offering their own  online reservation in English  (albeit via Facebook which is kinda weird). I once made a reservation with them by email as I needed to show it when applying for my Chinese visa at the embassy in Tokyo, and then cancelled the reservation once I had the visa (the email address I used back then is no longer valid, but thanks to this reader report we have the updated address of [email protected], correct as of early 2019). I did then take the ferry, but just bought the ticket at the ferry terminal in Incheon on the day. When I went the other way, I also bought the ticket at the terminal in Qingdao on the day.

The New Golden Bridge V is a comfortable ship, sailing time is 17 or 18 hours, and I had a pleasant journey on both occasions (definitely the best of the three China-Korea ships I’ve been on). Listed price for cheapest tickets at time of writing is 120,000 KRW from Incheon, 750 RMB from Qingdao. She sails from Qingdao on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and from Incheon on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; departure time is 17:30 from both ports (fares here , schedule here ; double check on the Incheon Port site  here (Korean), see below for help with reading the Incheon Port site)

Qingdao port details: The ferry terminal is just a couple of km from central Qingdao’s main strip on Zhongshan Road. Address is Qingdao Port Passenger Terminal, 6 Xinjiang Road (青岛港客运站, 新疆路6号, Qingdao Gang Keyunzhan, Xinjiang Lu Liuhao ). When arriving in Qingdao you can take a taxi or bus to Qingdao Station ( Qingdao Huochezhan , 青島火車站) or Zhongshan Road ( Zhongshan Lu , 中山路); there’s a bus stop in front of the ferry terminal (same side).

Terminal charge is 30 RMB (double check at bottom of fare screen ), with a fuel surcharge of 120 RMB (correct as of Sep 1st 2018, double check  here )

Bullet train times from Qingdao: Beijing 5 hrs, Shanghai 7hrs, Tai’an 3 hrs (for Taishan  mountain)

For Incheon Port details, see below . Her sister ship the New Golden Bridge VII  does three round trips per week between Incheon and Weihai, sailing from Incheon on Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday, and from Weihai on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Sailing time is 15 or 16 hours, cheapest fare is 110,000 KRW from Incheon, 750 RMB from Qingdao (details listed on the same pages linked to above for Incheon-Qingdao).

Weihai port details: head to Weidong’s check-in lobby located at Weihai Port, 288 Haibu Road (威海港, 海埠路288号, Weihai Gang, Haibu Lu Liangbaibashiba Hao ), see here  (bottom of page, the map pin appears to be incorrect though). It’s about 6km east of Weihai Station so a 10-minute taxi ride or so, or you can take bus #53 or 24 from Qingdao North Road / Huaxia Road.

Terminal charge is 38 RMB (double check at bottom of fare screen ), with a fuel surcharge of 120 RMB (correct as of Sep 1st 2018, double check  here ) update : no fuel surcharge at time of this reader report (Oct 2019)

Bullet train times from Weihai: Qingdao 2 hrs, Beijing 6 hrs, Shanghai 8.5 hrs

Incheon – Tianjin

Jinchon Ferry’s Tian Ren  ( website , Korean only) does two round trips per week; it’s fairly easy to read the  schedule  as the weekday names are given in English, so you just need to know that 인천 is Incheon and 천진 is Tianjin, (발) indicates departure and (착) indicates arrival; crossing time is 26 or 27 hours.

For fares see  here ; cheapest tickets at time of writing are 115,000 KRW from Incheon, 888 RMB from Tianjin. You can also double check the information on the Incheon Port website here (see below for help with reading it – also ignore the map on that page, as they’ve accidentally included the wrong one)

If you’re not happy with just rocking up and buying tickets at the port, you can try making a reservation by telephone; even if calling from China, I would call the Korean number as it’s a Korean company, and you’re more likely to be able to get an English speaker. The number is (032)777-8260; it’s listed here , so check it hasn’t changed before calling.

Tianjin port details: don’t go to the cruise ship terminal! The correct port is Tianjin Xingang Port Passenger Terminal, 35 Xingang 2nd Road (天津新港客运站, 新港二号路35号, Tianjin Xingang Keyunzhan, Xingang Erhao Lu Sanshiwu Hao )

This port is located in the Tanggu District of Tianjin City, some 40km from central Tianjin; Tanggu has a bullet train station with direct connections to Beijing, and subway access to central Tianjin. From the main Tianjin Station you can take the Tianjin Metro to Citizen Square Station on Line 9, and from there take a taxi or catch bus number 513 (double check here ) to the terminal (6km). If coming from Beijing, you can take the bullet train to Tianjin (35 minutes, very frequent departures) and proceed via Tianjin Metro as above, or take a direct bullet train to Tanggu Station (55 minutes, less frequent) and from there take a taxi or bus number 102 to the terminal (11km).

For Incheon port details, see below

Incheon – Dalian

Dain Ferry’s Biryong ( website , in Korean only) does three round trips per week, sailing from Incheon on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and sailing from Dalian on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Departure is 5pm from Incheon, 6pm from Dalian; to see the schedule & fares on their website, click the ‘passenger info’ button then 여객운임 for fares and 운항스게쥴 for the schedule (you can double check the information on the Incheon Port website here ; Korean only, see below for help with reading it).

This ferry can be booked online through Direct Ferries here , so that’s your best option. They usually have it for around 120 USD, so pretty much the same price as when you buy in person at the port.

Dalian port information: the termial’s a few km east of Dalian Station, easily walkable depending on luggage and weather – walk east along Changjiang Road (长江路) and Renmin East Road (人民东路). Otherwise just show or tell a taxi driver 大连港客运站, Dalian Gang Keyun Zhan . International and domestic (for Yantai) ferries go from different (but neighbouring) terminals, so you might want to clarify to your driver that you’re going to Hanguo , 韩国. Expect a terminal fee when leaving Dalian of around 50 RMB (I think it was 40 when I did it), and a fuel surcharge of 60 RMB (correct as of late 2018).

Bullet train times from Dalian: Beijing 6 hrs, Shenyang 2 hrs, Harbin 4 hrs, Dandong 2 hrs

Incheon – Dandong

The Oriental Pearl VI , operated by Dandong Ferry, does three round trips per week between Incheon and Dandong. This one is a Chinese ship & company, with a Chinese-only website (which is pretty useless even if you can read a bit of Chinese). It’s easier to check the schedules & fares on the Incheon Port website here  (Korean only; see below for details on using it).

Sailing time is 14 or 16 hours, departing Incheon at 6pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and departing Dandong at 6pm on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Cheapest fare is 1,110 RMB from Dandong, or 126,000 KRW from Incheon.

I had no trouble just turning up and buying my ticket on the day from their counter at Incheon International Ferry Terminal, but if you do want to try and make a reservation their numbers are listed here . The Korean number is (032)891-3322, the Chinese number is (0415)315-2666 (if you can’t speak Chinese, I’d probably try the Korean number even if calling from China if possible, as you’ve probably got a better chance of getting hold of an English speaker).

To be completely honest, I didn’t enjoy the ferry from Incheon to Dandong; it’s a bit of a floating piece of junk, the cheap berths are in a very cramped structure that looks like it was bolted on to the top deck some time after she left the yard, and my fellow passengers on that particular night were constantly invading my bunk, and sending a constant rain of glowing fag ends (cigarette butts, for my American readers!) into the ocean. The Dain Ferry to Dalian is a better ship, and Dalian is a more convenient port, so I’d recommend Dalian over Dandong if you’re heading to Northeast China (if you want to visit Dandong from Dalian to see the North Korean border, it’s only 2 hours on the new bullet train line).

Dandong port information: the port is actually located in the neighbouring city of Donggang at the mouth of the Yalu River (Dandong is an hour’s drive upstream), but is called the Port of Dandong, 丹东港, Dandong Gang .

This isn’t a passenger terminal, it’s an industrial port; immigration is done in the customs building some distance from the dock itself. When getting off the ferry in Dandong there’s a ridiculous scene as all the passengers compete to pile into the waiting shuttle buses to the customs building, where you have another scrum to get through immigration and another at the bag scanners. This all takes quite a while, and was really not what I wanted after a fairly lousy night’s sleep on that crappy boat. Once you finally get through, various buses are waiting; ask the ticket desk for tickets to Dandong. The price is 15 RMB (likely to increase over time, of course), and there is absolutely nowhere to change or withdraw money anywhere near the port; MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CHINESE MONEY BEFORE LEAVING KOREA! Sorry for shouting, but if you only remember one thing it needs to be that – oh, but if you want to buy food on the boat, make sure you also still have some Korean won too! The bus ride is quite cool though actually; as you drive through an utterly grim industrial landscape you catch glimpses of North Korea across the river and pass the infamous Bridge to Nowhere ; after an hour or so the bus drops you in front of Dandong Station.

When leaving Dandong, be prepared for the port charge of 30 RMB and a fuel surcharge of 90 RMB (these are subject to change over time, so try to have a bit more just in case). Also, try to get some Korean won before heading for the ferry as they only accept won onboard, and the onboard exchange rate is brutal. Buses to the port leave from in front of the station, and I would advise you investigate and confirm the bus departure time at the earliest opportunity after arrival in Dandong. Bullet train times from Dandong: Dalian 2 hrs, Shenyang 90 minutes, Harbin 4 hrs, Beijing 6 hrs

Incheon Port Details

Incheon Port is a massive facility, and international passenger services are split between two seperate ferry terminals (there’s also a domestic terminal).

International Ferry Terminal 2 (제2국제여객터미널) is conveniently located near Sinpo Station on the Seoul Metro’s Suin Line, which is one stop from Incheon Station on Line 1 (Incheon Station is the terminus of line 1, with direct trains from Seoul Station); Seoul Station to Sinpo changing at Incheon takes about 90 minutes. When you come out of the station, the entrance to the terminal is a few hundred metres east over on the right (south) side of the main road. (Map & directions in Korean here )

International Ferry Terminal 1 is less convenient, requiring a bus or taxi ride from the subway. If taking a taxi, you can catch one from Sinpo Station, just show / tell the driver 제1국제여객터미널 / Je-il Gugje Yeogaeg Teomineol ; alternatively (if you’re in a rush), get off the Metro at Dongincheon Station (penultimate stop on Line 1) and take a taxi from there – this will cost an extra 2,000 won or so, but will get you there 10 or 15 minutes earlier. For the bus, you can catch number 12 from the stop near exit 2 of Dongincheon Station (the stop is just south of the exit on the main road in front of McDonalds, or at least it was last time I did it), and it takes about 30 minutes. If you’re not confident about finding the stop at Dongincheon, I’d suggest going to Terminal 2 and asking them how to get to Terminal 1 by bus; they’ll give you directions to the nearest bus stop, from where you can take number 12 or number 24 (15 minutes), but be aware this stop is about a 10-minute walk from Terminal 2. (Map & directions in Korean here )

There’s a big supermarket & McDonalds near the entrance to Terminal 2, a few minutes’ walk east on the other side of the main road; this is a good place to stock up for the journey. There isn’t much of that sort near Terminal 1, though last time I arrived in Incheon (from Dalian) I wandered along the harbour from Terminal 1 and scored some decent waffles & coffee in a cafe there before jumping in a cab to Dongincheon Station.

If you have some time to kill in Incheon before sailing, Incheon Chinatown is located near Terminal 2 (the main entrance is outside exit 3 of Incheon Station); naturally, lots of tasty Chinese food is available and it’s a good place for a pre-ferry meal. On the hill behind Chinatown you’ll find Freedom Park , with some nice harbour views and a memorial to General MacArthur (Incheon was the site of the American landing in the Korean War). The terminal fee when leaving Incheon is 4,300 won, so make sure you have enough cash to cover that; from Sep 1st 2018 there’s also a fuel surcharge (which can be tacked on to the ticket price if you want to pay it by card) of 20,000 won.

Incheon Port Website

Incheon Port has a pretty thorough website, but unfortunately it doesn’t have an English version ( Korean & Chinese only). It’s also terribly unreliable; if you get a server offline message, just wait 5 minutes and try again.

Fares are summarised here

The daily schedule is summarised here – you have to select arrival / departure at the top, and you can select a specific destination from the drop-down menu (the default setting, 전체, shows all destinations; see below for translations)

Services from Terminal 1 are shown here , and Terminal 2 here ; I’ve also linked to the individual pages for each ferry service under the relevant sections above & below.

Although it’s all in Korean, you can check the information with the following words:

칭다오 Qingdao 웨이하이 Weihai 텐진 Tianjin 렌원강 Lianyungang 잉커우 Yingkou 친황다오 Qinhuangdao 엔타이 Yantai 다렌 Dalian 시다오 Shidao 단동 Dandong

Departure: 출발 or 출항 Arrival: 도착 or 입항

월 Monday 회 Tuesday 수 Wednesday 목 Thursday 금 Friday 토 Saturday 일 Sunday

Other Ferry Routes Between Incheon and China

In addition to the 5 routes with the above 4 companies, there are another 5 routes connecting Incheon with ports in China. All 5 have websites in Korean & Chinese, or Korean only; the Incheon Port website also has the fare & shedule details. I haven’t taken any of these ferries, and as explained above I wouldn’t unless they happened to be exactly where I wanted to go (one exception would be Yantai, as it has a proper ferry passenger terminal very close to its central train station, and is under 2 hours by train from Qingdao)

For each of these routes I’ve linked to the Korean homepage, and the relevant page on the Incheon Port website (see above for details on reading the Incheon Port website):

Incheon – Yingkou

Yingkou is the nearest port to Shenyang; however, due to the sailing time and the location of the ports, Dalian is more convenient for Shenyang – Korea overland travel (this goes for other northeastern cities like Harbin, Jilin, etc)

Yingkou Ferry: website here

Incheon Port page here

Sailing time: 26 hours

Departs Incheon: Saturday 12:00, Tuesday 24:00 (midnight Tuesday night)

Departs Yingkou: Monday 12:00, Thursday 12:00

The times given on the Incheon Port page and the Yingkou Ferry page are slightly different (1 hour discrepancies in 3 out of 4 cases); I’ve listed the earlier of the two to be safe. To check these yourself, it’s a little confusing; on the Incheon Port page it shows 출발/도착시간 (departure/arrival time) in the same column, but on the Yingkou Ferry page it show 입항 (enter port) in the first column and 출항 (leave port) in the second column (see above for a key on reading the weekday names)

Cheapest fare: 115,000 KRW (check here )

Reservations: fortunately you can book this ferry online with Direct Ferries but only from Korea to China for some reason. If you’re going the other way you can try booking online here (Korean only), or call them on the reservation numbers given here  (Korea: (032)891 5858, China: (0417)626-9202)

Port information for Yingkou: the port is actually in Bayuquan (鲅鱼圈), around 50km south of Yingkou proper. Bayuquan has its own train station (on the Dalian – Harbin high speed line) and long-distance bus station, so there’s no need to go through Yingkou itself. At time of writing, terminal charge is 40 RMB and from September 1st 2018 there’s a fuel surcharge of 120 RMB (these are shown at the bottom of this page , below the fares)

Bullet train times from Bayuquan Station: Yingkou Station 20 minutes, Shenyang 1 hour, Dalian 1 hour, Harbin 3.5 hrs, Beijing 5.5 hrs

For Incheon Port information, see above

Incheon – Qinhuangdao

Qinhuangdao isn’t likely to be useful to most travellers, as Tianjin is more convenient for Beijing and Dalian is more convenient for Northeast China. The exception would be if you want to visit Chengde as your first or last destination in China, as it’s just a few hours by bus from Qinhuangdao, or if you want to visit Qinhuangdao itself (it does see some tourism, as it’s where the Great Wall meets the sea)

Qinin Ferry: website here

Sailing time: 23 – 25 hours (schedule here , see above for help with reading it)

Departs Incheon: Monday 19:00, Friday 13:00

Departs Qinhuangdao: Sunday 13:00, Wednesday 13:00

Reservations: their reservation page is here , in Korean only. It explains that reservations can be made by telephone, up to 2 days before departure, and must be paid at the terminal by 16:00 the day before. The number (Korean) is (032)891-9600; no Chinese number listed. Otherwise, just rock up at the terminal on the day.

Qinhuangdao port information: you need to get to the Qinhuangdao-Incheon International Passenger Terminal (秦皇岛-仁川国际客运站, Qinhuangdao-Renchuan Guoji Keyun Zhan ). It’s located around 6km south of Qinhuangdao Station, at 28 Haibin Road (海滨路28号, Haibin Lu Ershiba Hao ) .  Be prepared to pay a port tax in the region of 30 to 40 RMB and a fuel surcharge of 120 RMB, so to be on the safe side I’d aim to have 200 RMB ready to cover them both; don’t worry if this leaves you with unused Chinese money, as you can easily change it at one of the many money changers in Seoul’s Myeongdong district (just make sure to use up any small notes i.e. the 1s and 5s, as they won’t change them)

Bullet train times from Qinhuangdao: Beijing 2 hrs. (Bus to Chengde approx. 3 hrs)

Incheon – Yantai

Yantai is located on the other side of the Shandong Peninsula from Qingdao, and is a convenient alternative; the port is right next to the train station, and there are bullet trains to Qingdao (1.5 hours) and beyond.

Hanjoong Ferry: website here

Sailing time: 17 or 18 hours (schedule & fares here , see above for help reading the schedule)

Departs Incheon: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, all at 19:00

Departs Yantai: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, all at 18:30

Cheapest fare: 120,000 KRW Reservations: If you’re not happy with just rocking up and buying tickets at the port, you can try making a reservation by telephone; the number for their Incheon office is (032)891 8880~4.

Yantai port information: Yantai Harbour is directly behind Yantai Station. There are two ferry terminals in the harbour, about a mile apart. The correct one for Incheon is the Yantai Port Passenger Terminal (烟台港客运站, Yantai Gang Keyun Zhan ) a few hundred metres east of the station at 155 Beima Road (北马路155号, Beima Lu Yibai Wushiwu Hao ), as shown here (bottom of page). Be prepared to pay a port tax in the region of 30 to 40 RMB and a fuel surcharge of 120 RMB, so to be on the safe side I’d aim to have 200 RMB ready to cover them both; don’t worry if this leaves you with unused Chinese money, as you can easily change it at one of the many money changers in Seoul’s Myeongdong district (just make sure to use up any small notes i.e. the 1s and 5s, as they won’t change them)

Bullet train times from Yantai: Qingdao 1.5 hrs, Beijing 6 hrs, Shanghai 8 hrs

For Incheon Port information see above

Incheon – Shidao

Located in Rongcheng at the tip of the Shandong Peninsula, Shidao is the closest Chinese port to South Korea; this means shorter ferry crossings, but longer train rides on the Chinese side. As the Shidao port is also quite far from the bullet trains at Rongcheng Station, it’s more convenient to travel via Qingdao, Yantai, or Weihai.

Huadong Ferry: website here

Sailing time: 14 hours

Departs Incheon: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 18:30

Departs Yantai: Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, at 19:00

Cheapest fare: 113,000 KRW Reservations: If you’re not happy with just rocking up and buying tickets at the port, you can try making a reservation by telephone; the number for their Incheon office is (032)880 3210

Shidao port information: Shidao is actually part of Rongcheng City (which also has China – Korea ferries docking at Rongcheng Port, sailing from Pyeongtaek, see below ), which is the terminus of the Shandong Peninsula high speed railway; Shidao is 30km south of central Rongcheng. When leaving Shidao, the port fee is 30 RMB and from September 1st 2018 there’s a fuel surcharge of 120 RMB.

Bullet train times from Rongcheng: Qingdao 2.5 hrs, Beijing 6.5 hrs, Shanghai 9 hrs

Incheon – Lianyungang

Lianyungang is the nearest port to Shanghai with ferries to Korea, with sailings to Incheon and Pyeongtaek (the Pyeongtaek ferry, see below , may be preferable for certain destinations in Korea other than Seoul e.g. Pyeongtaek, Daejon, and southwest South Korea).

Lianyungang Ferry: website here  (you can toggle the schedule between the vessels Harmony Yungang  for Incheon – Lianyungang, and Ziyulan for Pyeongtaek – Lianyungang. 인천 is Incheon, 평택 is Pyeongtaek, and 연운항 is Lianyungang – you may spot that it’s 렌원강 on the Incheon Port site but 연운항 on the Huadong Ferry site; 렌원강 is a phonetic rendering of Lianyungang, whereas 연운항 ( “Yeonunhang” ) is the Korean reading of the Chinese characters (连云港) for Lianyungang)

Sailing time: 24 or 25 hours

Departs Incheon: midnight Tuesday night, Saturday 15:30

Departs Lianyungang: Monday and Thursday at 14:00

Cheapest fare: 110,000 KRW / 780 RMB as per here (make sure it’s toggled to Harmony Yungang ) Reservations: fortunately you can book this ferry online with Direct Ferries , and they usually have it for under 100 USD so this is by far the best option. Alternatively you can try making a reservation by telephone; the number for their Incheon office is (032)770 3700

Lianyungang port information: Lianyungang Port (连云港港, Lianyungang Gang ), also known as Miaoling Port (庙岭港, Miaoling Gang ), is located about 30km from the bus and train stations in central Lianyungang. Be prepared to pay a port tax in the region of 30 to 40 RMB and a fuel surcharge of 120 RMB, so to be on the safe side I’d aim to have 200 RMB ready to cover them both; don’t worry if this leaves you with unused Chinese money, as you can easily change it at one of the many money changers in Seoul’s Myeongdong district (just make sure to use up any small notes i.e. the 1s and 5s, as they won’t change them)

Train times from Lianyungang: the recent completion of the bullet train lines mean it’s just an hour to Xuzhou, and there are direct trains to Beijing (4.5 hours), Shanghai (3.5 hrs), Xi’an (5 hrs), Qingdao (2 hours), and Nanjing (2.5 hrs).

Bus times from Lianyungang: Shanghai 5 hrs, Nanjing 4 hrs, Qingdao 3 hrs (see here for bus station locations) For Incheon Port information see above

China – Korea Ferries using Pyeongtaek and Gunsan  (instead of Incheon)

In addition to the routes from Incheon, there are a handful of routes from Pyeongtaek to the Shandong ports, plus one from Gunsan. If you’re in central or southern parts of South Korea, Pyeongtaek or Gunsan may be more convenient than Incheon.

Pyeongtaek – Weihai

Jiaodong Ferry: Chinese website here , Korean website here

Sailing time: 13 to 16 hours (schedule  here  in Chinese; 威海 is Weihai, 平泽 is Pyeongtaek, 离港 is departure, 靠港 is mooring time)

Departs Pyeongtaek: Tuesday 20:00, Thursday 22:00, Sunday 18:00

Departs Wehai: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 19:30

Cheapest fare: 115,000 KRW / 740 RMB (check here &  here )

Reservations: If you’re not happy with just rocking up and buying tickets at the port, you can try making a reservation by telephone; the number for their Pyeongtaek office is (031)684 5999, Weihai office is (0631)522-0639

For Weihai port information, see above

For Pyeongtaek port information see below

Pyeongtaek – Yantai

Yantai Ferry: website here

Sailing time: 16 hours (schedule here )

Departs Pyeongtaek: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 19:00

Departs Yantai: Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 18:30

Cheapest fare: 150,000 KRW (check here )

Reservations: If you’re not happy with just rocking up and buying tickets at the port, you can try making a reservation by telephone; the number for their Pyeongtaek office is (031)684 8827

For Yantai port information see above

Pyeongtaek – Lianyungang

Lianyungang Ferry: website here  (you can toggle the schedule between the vessels Harmony Yungang  for Incheon – Lianyungang, and  Ziyulan for Pyeongtaek – Lianyungang. 인천 is Incheon, 평택 is Pyeongtaek, and 연운항 is Lianyungang – you may spot that it’s 연운항 on the Huadong Ferry site, but 렌원강 elsewhere; 렌원강 is a phonetic rendering of Lianyungang, whereas 연운항 ( “Yeonunhang” ) is the Korean reading of the Chinese characters (连云港) for Lianyungang)

Sailing time: 24 hours

Departs Pyeongtaek: Monday 22:00, Friday 19:00

Departs Lianyungang: Sunday and Wednesday at 15:00

Cheapest fare: 130,000 KRW / 780 RMB as per here  (make sure it’s toggled to Ziyulan )

Reservations: fortunately you can book this ferry with Direct Ferries , but unfortunately they don’t seem to have the cheapest fares – it’s usually around 200 dollars on there, so if you want the cheaper berths you’ll have to either just rock up and buy at the port, or you can try making a reservation by telephone; the number for their Incheon office is (032)770 3700

For Lianyungang port information see above

Pyeongtaek – Rizhao

Rizhao is the second-closest port to Shanghai with ferries to Korea, about 4 hours from shanghai on the new (2020) bullet train line.

Rizhao Ferry: website here

Sailing time: 20 hours

Departs Pyeongtaek: Monday 15:00, Wednesday 19:00, Friday 20:00

Departs Rizhao: Tuesday 16:00, Thursday 18:00, Sunday 11:00

Cheapest fare: 110,000 KRW (check here )

Reservations: you can call their Incheon office on (031)686 5894

Rizhao port information: Rizhao Port (日照港, Rizhao Gang ) is about 7km from Rizhao Station. Be prepared to pay a port tax in the region of 30 to 40 RMB. There’s also the possibility of a fuel surcharge, so to be on the safe side I’d aim to have 200 RMB ready to cover them both; don’t worry if this leaves you with unused Chinese money, as you can easily change it at one of the many money changers in Seoul’s Myeongdong district (best rates usually at the shops right in front of the Chinese embassy’s main gate; just make sure to use up any small notes i.e. the crappy blue 1 kuai bills, also the 5s, as they won’t change them)

Train times from Rizhao: it’s around 90 minutes to Qingdao, 2 hours to Tai’an (Shandong), 4 hours to Beijing, Nanjing, or Shanghai.

Bus times from Rizhao: Qingdao 2 hrs, Nanjing 5 hrs, Shanghai 6 hrs. See here for bus station information.

Pyeongtaek – Rongcheng

Note: I’m not sure if this route is operating anymore, their website’s down and I’m in the UK at the moment so it’s not easy to check what’s going on.

Rongcheng’s location at the tip of the Shandong Peninsula means a short ferry crossing, but longer train rides on the Chinese side. The port is also quite a long way from either Rongcheng Station or Weihai Station, so sailing through Qingdao, Yantai, or Weihai will be more convenient.

Dalong Ferry: website here

Sailing time: 13 hours

Departs Pyeongtaek: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 20:00

Departs Rongcheng: Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 19:30

Cheapest fare: 105,000 KRW / 580 RMB (check here )

Reservations: you can try booking online here (Korean only), or call them on (031)683 9300

Rongcheng port information: the port is Longyan Port (龙眼港, Longyan Gang ), 45km north of central Rongcheng. It’s a similar distance from Weihai; Rongcheng is the terminus of the Shandong high speed rail line and Weihai is the penultimate stop, so if you’re going to take a taxi it’s probably best to travel through Weihai Station rather than Rongcheng Station. If you’re intending to take a local bus… good luck! (and let me know how it works out, so I can update this page for future overlanders)

When leaving Rongcheng, the port fee is 30 RMB and there may or may not be a fuel surcharge, so to be on the safe side I’d aim to have 200 RMB ready to cover them both. Don’t worry if this leaves you with unused Chinese money, as you can easily change it at one of the many money changers in Seoul’s Myeongdong district (best rates usually at the shops right in front of the Chinese embassy’s main gate; just make sure to use up any small notes i.e. the crappy blue 1 kuai bills, also the 5s, as they won’t change them) Bullet train times from Weihai Station: Qingdao 2 hrs, Beijing 6 hrs, Shanghai 8.5 hrs (times from Rongcheng Station are the same, plus 20 minutes)

Pyeongtaek Port Information

Pyeongtaek is a city in Gyeongi-do province, about 70km south of Seoul, and may be more convenient than Incheon if you’re travelling to / from Daejeon or southern South Korea rather than Seoul (or even from certain parts of Seoul i.e. those near the SRT station (see below) at Suseo, such as Gangnam). It’s actually served by Seoul Metro Line 1 (but that isn’t the best way to get there); the port is 20km west of central Pyeongtaek.

This Pyeongtaek City website summarises ferry departures from Pyeongtaek Port (double check the times on the ferry companies’ pages against the times on the Pyeongtaek City site; if they differ, I’d plan around the earlier of the two if you can’t confirm the correct one directly with the company).

To get there, the fastest way is on the new SRT bullet train line which departs Suseo Station in southern Seoul and takes just 20 minutes to reach Jije Station in Pyeongtaek – it goes in a straight line through a tunnel for 50km, no messing about! From Jije Station, ride Metro Line 1 one stop south to Pyeongtaek Station, then take bus number 80 to Pyeongtaek Port International Ferry Terminal (평택항국제여객터미널, Pyeongtaek-hang Gugje Yeogaeg Teomineol ) bus stop. The bus takes an hour, and goes from the bus stop near exit 1 of Pyeongtaek Station (this is correct at time of writing and I’ll try to keep this information up-to-date, but you should absolutely double-check locally both the correct bus number and the bus stop location)

Pyeongtaek Station can also be reached from Seoul by highway bus, regular train (Korail), or subway; this may be preferable if you’re staying in northern or western Seoul (as Suseo Station for the SRT won’t be convenient), or if you just don’t want to pay the extra for the bullet train. The regular trains take about an hour from Seoul Station (departures generally one or two per hour, check on Korail ), highway buses take about an hour from Express Bus Terminal (departures every 20 minutes or so, check here  (if the language is set to Korean, hit the 한국어 button at top right to switch it), when you arrive at Express Bus Terminal follow the signs for Gyeongbu Line), and the subway takes about 90 minutes. Approximate fares to Pyeongtaek: 2,500 won by Metro from Seoul Station; 4,500 won by bus from Seoul Express Bus Terminal; 5,000 won by Korail from Seoul Station; 8,000 won by SRT from Suseo Station.

From Daejeon or points further south, again you can choose between highway bus or regular Korail train to Pyeongtaek, or SRT to Jije (there’s no KTX).

(The SRT is operated by a separate company, so you can’t check the schedule on the Korail website; you can check the schedule  here , language tab at top right if it’s in Korean)

When leaving Pyeongtaek, the port fee is 3,300 KRW and be ready for a fuel surcharge of 20,000 KRW.

Gunsan – Shidao

Note: I’m not sure if this route is operating anymore, the Shidao Ferry website is down and I’m not in Korea at the moment so it’s not easy to check what’s going on. Will try and get confirmation either way from someone in Korea, but until then don’t head to Gunsan or Shidao without checking! (and if you do manage to confirm if it’s running or not, please let me know)

Gunsan is the southernmost Korean port with ferries to China, and therefore convenient for travel to / from southwest South Korea. However, as Gunsan only offers ferries to Shidao while Pyeongtaek offers multiple routes and is better connected by public transport, the ferries from Pyeongtaek (see above ) will better suit the purposes of most travellers.

Shidao Ferry: website here  (Korean)

Schedule here . Use this key to check it:

석도 Shidao 군산 Gunsan 입항 arrive 출항 depart 월요일 Monday 화요일 Tuesday 수요일 Wednesday 목요일 Thursday 금요일 Friday 토요일 Saturday 일요일 Sunday

Departs Gunsan: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday at 18:00

Departs Shidao: Saturday, Monday, Wednesday at 18:00

Cheapest fare: 96,000 KRW / 700 RMB (check here )

Reservations: you can try booking online here (Korean only), or call them on (063)441 1200 (Gunsan) or (0631)728-6666 (Shidao)

For Shidao port information see above

Gunsan Port International Ferry Terminal (군산항국제여객터미날, Gunsan-hang Gugje Yeogaeg Teomineol ) is located around 10km west of central Gunsan city in Jeonbuk Province.

Gunsan can be reached by direct bus or train from Seoul; highway buses go from Seoul’s Nambu Bus Terminal and Express Bus Terminal, and direct trains go from Yongsan Station. It takes about 3 hours either way, with fares in the 12,000 to 18,000 range depending on class of train / bus. If going from Express Bus Terminal, it’s subdivided into three terminals; follow signs to the Honnam Line Terminal. Alternatively you can take the KTX to Iksan Station and transfer there to a regular train to Gunsan; this is faster, taking around 2 hours (depending on the waiting time in Iksan), but clocks in at over 30,000 won.

From Daejeon and points further south, again either take a highway bus, or KTX to Iksan followed by regular train to Gunsan.

Once at Gunsan, you can take a bus or taxi to the port. Bus number 7 takes around 50 minutes from Gunsan Station or 30 minutes from Gunsan Bus Terminal, and runs hourly.

When leaving Gunsan, the port fee is 2,500 KRW and there may or may not be a fuel surcharge of up to 20,000 won.

See also: Korea overland travel guide China overland travel guide How to take the ferry from Korea to Japan How to take the ferry from China to Taiwan

Have you taken the ferry between China and Korea? Any updates you can share for future travellers? Do you have any questions about China – Korea ferries? Leave me a comment below and I’ll get back to you.

The links to  Direct Ferries  and  12go Asia  on this page are affiliate links. If you use these links, 4corners7seas gets commission from them (at no extra cost to you); thanks in advance should you choose to support the site using these links.

Reader Interactions

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September 27, 2017 at 5:34 am

Are there conditions to enter the port of Dalian and take the ferry to incheon korea port for Foreigners?

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September 27, 2017 at 9:20 am

Hi Ahmed, there aren’t any special conditions for Dalian’s port… you can just walk into the terminal building and buy a ticket. Obviously if you need a visa for Korea make sure you already have it, as you won’t be able to get it in Dalian

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June 24, 2018 at 2:43 pm

Are there any ro-ro vessels between China and Korea to transport motorcycle.

June 26, 2018 at 3:13 am

Hi, I believe all the ferries on this list are fine for taking motorcycles. Certainly the ones I’ve used were, and I’d recommend the Qingdao-Incheon route

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September 22, 2018 at 4:03 pm

Hey thank you very much for this page it is very helpfull 🙂 best

September 23, 2018 at 5:24 am

Cheers Raphi, glad to hear it!

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January 11, 2019 at 7:15 pm

Hi Simon, Thanks for your extensive information on your website! Do you by chance know if the ticket-reservation via weidong company really works? They suggest facebook-messenger but don’t answer… I need the ticket to get my visa for China 🙁

January 12, 2019 at 4:06 am

I understand your frustration, I once had to do the same thing. I was able to make a reservation by email to be paid in cash at the terminal, and they were happy to send me an itinerary for that which I could then use to apply for the visa. Once I’d applied I cancelled the reservation, and did then later sail to Qingdao but just bought my ticket at the terminal in Incheon. Unfortunately when I wrote this page I checked that old email and it’s no good any more, you could try emailing [email protected] though I’m not very confident that’ll work. I think your best bet is to call them – numbers are given on their site, call the Incheon passenger number, if the person who answers doesn’t speak English they should be able to get someone for you who does.

Are you already in Korea?

January 14, 2019 at 8:12 am

after quite a few spelling-complications (…) it worked via phone/email! And I have an updated email-address: “[email protected]” Thanks a lot! I’m still in Europe – do you have good experience in obtaining visa for China from a neighbouring country (just in case it doesn’t work today)?

January 16, 2019 at 3:39 pm

Awesome glad to hear it! And thanks for that email address, helps keep the page updated for other readers.

In terms of neighbouring countries, I’ve twice got a Chinese visa in Tokyo but I had Japanese residency on both occasions – I couldn’t have done it there as a tourist (that’s with a UK passport, may be different for you, not sure).

The best solution is actually Hong Kong, it has separate immigration procedures from the rest of China and it’s an easy place to get a visa for the mainland (without needing proof of travel and all the other hassle), you can fly to HK and get a visa in 2 days from an agency there. Have written about doing that here

Did you get the visa ok in the end?

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August 4, 2019 at 3:19 pm

You can get a Chinese visa in Tokyo while only having a tourist stamp, I’ve done it twice, but the visa for UK changed in 2019, so I’m not sure if that did too…. Thanks for the great info Simon!!!

August 5, 2019 at 4:53 am

That’s useful to know – I got my Chinese visas at the Tokyo embassy (actually from the travel agent right next to it, which the embassy told me I had to use) in 2012 and 2015, at which times they told me you definitely couldn’t do it as a tourist. It’s always changing, hard to keep up so thanks for the update!

January 29, 2019 at 8:29 pm

Hello Simon,

everything went well in the end – thanks again for all of the good information. Next time we might consider the solution via Hong Kong!

Cheers, Dora

January 31, 2019 at 1:01 pm

Brilliant, glad to hear it, thanks for the update. Cheers and enjoy your trip!

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August 9, 2019 at 1:54 am

what a fantastic post. thank you!

August 9, 2019 at 4:13 am

Thanks Damon. It’s quite hard keeping this page up to date so if you’re going to take one of these ferries please let me know how it goes and if any of my information needs updating for future readers. Cheers!

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October 2, 2019 at 4:11 am

There is a new ferry terminal in Weihai located at:

No.288, Shugang Road(Haibu Road), Weihai

The Weidong ferry website has complete info under the Locations tab.

Bus 53 or 24 will take you there from Qingdao North Rd/ Huaxia Rd.

There are ferries to both Incheon and Pyeongtaek. I took the ferry to Incheon and paid 788yuan (750 + 38 tax), no fuel surcharge.

Hope you can update your site to reflect the address change.

October 3, 2019 at 7:19 am

Awesome, thanks so much for taking the time to let me know – I’ve updated the page, so your info will help future readers.

Hope you had a good ferry crossing & hope you have a great time in Korea. Cheers!

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October 24, 2019 at 10:06 am

Thanks for the great guide!

I’m on the New Golden Bridge VII from Weihai to Incheon now (Oct. 19), so perhaps it’s a new ship?

In any case, this site is super helpful! ☺️

October 25, 2019 at 6:59 am

Cheers Lars!

Hope you had a good crossing, and are enjoying Korea!

Thanks for the update about the ship – I just checked the marine traffic sites, and it appears the New Golden Bridge II is now sailing back and forth across the Mediterranean between Melila (one of Spain’s enclaves on the African coast) and mainland Spain! So Weidong obviously commissioned a new ship and sold the old one. I’ll update the page accordingly.

Did you have any issues finding the port in Weihai? I was also tipped off to update that info recently (see the comment above yours), would be great to have confirmation it’s correct.

October 26, 2019 at 1:46 am

The port was easy enough to find. Bus routes mentioned above still run and take you almost right to the doorstep. But the map pin is placed sl8ghtly wrong (wrong side of the street), so once you get off the bus you need to cross the road, and then it’s quite obvious which building is the terminal.

I arrived there at the terminal at 16.00 (train arrival at 15.15) and it seemed as if even that was rather late. I was one of the last to board and check-in closed already at 16.30 – 3 hours prior to departure. I made it through though, so no problems.

October 27, 2019 at 9:58 am

Brilliant, thanks for the info Lars, very useful for future travellers. Cheers!

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March 28, 2020 at 2:07 am

Is it possible to travel by Car to China via the ferry from Inchoen

March 28, 2020 at 6:40 am

Hi Usman, in theory you can import a car to China on the ferry, but it’s almost impossible for a foreign tourist to actually drive it in China. You need a Chinese driving licence (written test is in Chinese only), import licence for the car, and a visa with more than 90 days remaining.

It’s different for bikes, I know a couple of guys who’ve driven their bikes in/out from Kazakhstan and Pakistan.

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April 29, 2020 at 2:21 pm

Hi Simon, great page there.. I know I haven’t taken it personall but just as an input monitoring marinetraffic it seems that NEW SHIDAO PEARL and GUNSAN PEARL do still make the overnightly back and forth between Shidao and Gunsan

Cheers for the page I hope to make one of these journey once the travel situation improves

April 30, 2020 at 5:42 am

Hi adit, thanks for the input. My guess would be those are cargo runs without passengers

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February 18, 2021 at 2:46 pm

Hello, and thank you very much for all the details. We are Costel and Suzana from Romania and we travel with an Adria 8×3.1 m caravan. We want to travel from Romania to South Korea on the route Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, China, South Korea and then to Japan. I have a few questions and thank you in advance for the answers. 1. What is the best ferry option for crossing from China to Korea for our vehicle 8m long and 3.1m high. 2. Do you have information about ferry from Korea to Japan? 3. Is there a farry variant from Japan to Canada or the USA? 4. Do you have an idea about a better route from Romania (Europe) to Korea?

I hope I didn’t ask too many questions and thank you very much for the answers.

We wish you health, with respect

Costel and Suzana Caras

February 21, 2021 at 2:56 pm

Hey Costel & Suzana,

Sounds like an awesome trip you’re planning! There might be some problems though.

Taking your questions in order:

1. I think Qingdao-Incheon would be best. However, you might have to completely skip Korea and take the ferry direct to Japan from Shanghai or Suzhou. Reasons below

2. Sure, I have a page with full details here . Basically you’d need to drive down to Busan, then from there take one of the vehicle ferries to Fukuoka, Shimonoseki, or Osaka. But again, you might have to skip Korea.

3. Unfortunately not. There used to be Japan-Russia ferries but those don’t run any more, so Japan’s only international ferries now are the multiple Korea routes plus weekly ferries to China (Shanghai and Suzhou), which I think you might have to take. See my Japan page here for more details on the China-Japan ferries.

4. I did Europe to Japan by train/bus/ferry via Russia, Mongolia, China & Korea. I have a friend (American) who did it a few years ago by motorcycle via Russia & Korea, he avoided China using the Vladivostok-Korea-Japan ferry but as already mentioned that doesn’t run anymore so it’s no longer an option. You’re definitely going to need to go through China.

And that could be your biggest problem – I know motorcycles are ok, but I have no idea if China will even let you in with a caravan. You’ll have to check that. But even if they do, you’ll be crossing the border from Kazakh into Xinjiang which is a really sensitive area right now. The Chinese government seriously sucks, and they’re super jumpy about any foreigners in Xinjiang these days – even if you’re allowed to take a caravan into China, they might not let you cross into Xinjiang. I do know another guy (British) who went by motorcycle from UK to Thailand, he crossed Kazakh-Xinjiang-Pakistan and that was ok, but that was also 8 years ago. Another friend (Korean) was trying to go the other way but denied entry into Xinjiang at the border from Pakistan even though she had a valid visa. You need to carefully research the general vehicle rules for China, and also the local situation in Xinjiang.

If you haven’t already found them, I recommend the sites Caravanistan for Central Asia, and Far West China for Xinjiang. Maybe try contacting Josh who runs Far West China for up to date local advice.

As for Korea, again you’ll need to research this properly but I don’t think you can just take your own car into Korea as a tourist (when my friend did it by bike he was only in Korea for 1 night and his motorcycle stayed on the ship). I know you can import one if you live there, but obviously that wouldn’t help you.

If Korea isn’t possible, you’ll need to take the ferry direct to Japan from Shanghai or Suzhou, those take about 2 days and get you to the Kansai region (Kobe/Osaka).

If Xinjiang isn’t possible or you want to avoid potential problems, you’d have to take a longer route around to China through Russia, either all the way round via Vladivostok or via Russia then Mongolia.

Finally, you also need to be careful with the vehicle rules for Japan. You can take your own vehicle there as a tourist, but I think the rules are strict with regards size, emissions and so on.

So, I think you’ll probably have to take a route skipping Korea, and China (especially Xinjiang) could be a problem, but anyway hope this helps!

February 22, 2021 at 7:45 am

Hi Simon! We are very grateful for the answers to the questions. It is a real support for us. We now have a more precise direction of travel planning. We wish you health and growth in everything you do. Sincerely, Costel and Suzana

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April 28, 2021 at 12:57 pm

Thank you very much for for your detailed infotmation. It is very useful.

April 28, 2021 at 2:50 pm

Cheers Bulga!

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February 8, 2022 at 9:25 pm

Hey Simon, I’m a Liberian studying in China sanming city and I will love to go to South Korean for visit . Which agency do you think is the best in China that can help me do my South Korean tourist visa process?

February 10, 2022 at 3:00 pm

Hi Rudolph, sorry I don’t have any information on Korean visa agencies in China. Also I don’t think Korea is issuing tourist visas at the moment. Might be best to contact the nearest Korean consulate and see what they say

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September 7, 2023 at 5:22 am

I just want to say thank you for this useful website and the work you have done ! Thank you !

September 17, 2023 at 6:32 am

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korea to china travel time

South Korea

South Korea to China By Air freight, Cargo ship or Road

See the best way to ship your freight from South Korea to China by various transport modes including Air, Sea and Road. Compare transit times, emissions, route options and much more.

korea to china travel time

Air Freight

Departs 1-2 times a day

Departs 2-4 times a week

Road / Truck

No options available

More useful links

South korea to china by air freight.

The quickest way to get from South Korea to China by plane will take about 1h 21m and departs from Incheon International Airport (ICN) and arrives into Weihai Dashuibo Airport (WEH). There are flights departing 1-2 times a day on this route. China Eastern Airlines is one of the carriers that operates regular services on this route with flights departing every 1-2 days.

Quickest air route

Incheon international airport to weihai dashuibo airport.

Departs from

1-2 times a day

Estimated emissions

21kg CO₂ (per 100kg)

Most frequent

Incheon international airport to qingdao jiaodong international airport.

Every 1-2 hours

34kg - 69kg CO₂ (per 100kg)

More air routes from South Korea to China

Explore more shipment routes including schedules and transit times.

South Korea to China by Container ship

The quickest way to get from South Korea to China by ship will take about 15h 52m and departs from Incheon (KRINC) and arrives into Weihai (CNWEI). There are vessels departing 2-4 times a week on this route. Sinokor is one of the carriers that operates regular services on this route with vessels departing 2-4 times a week.

Quickest ocean route

Incheon to weihai.

Port of loading

2-4 times a week

39kg CO₂ (per TEU)

Busan to Shanghai

57kg - 81kg CO₂ (per TEU)

More ocean routes from South Korea to China

More about shipping cargo and freight from South Korea to China by Air, Ocean and Road

The shortest shipping time by sea between South Korea and China is 15h 52m. Ships depart from Incheon (KRINC) and arrive at Weihai (CNWEI) with scheduled departures 2-4 times a week.

There are scheduled container ships that depart 2-4 times a week from Incheon (KRINC) and arrive into Weihai (CNWEI) around 15h 52m later. These services are operated by Sinokor.

The quickest flight from South Korea to China takes around 1h 21m. Flights depart from Incheon International Airport (ICN) and arrive at Weihai Dashuibo Airport (WEH).

Scheduled flights between Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Weihai Dashuibo Airport (WEH) depart 1-2 times a day. These flights are serviced by China Eastern Airlines and Jeju Air and the typical transit time is around 1h 21m.

Yes there are dedicated cargo planes that fly regular scheduled services between South Korea and China. Cargo flights depart from Incheon International Airport (ICN) and arrive at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (TAO) with departures 2-4 times a day and a average flight time of around 19h 53m. China Eastern Airlines and Asiana Airlines operates Airbus A330 Freighter and Boeing 747 Freighter on this route.

The distance between South Korea and China by cargo ship is 212 Nautical Miles (393 Kilometres / 244 Miles). This distance is measured by sea between Incheon (KRINC) and Weihai (CNWEI).

The distance between South Korea and China by air is around 375 Kilometres (233 Miles). This distance is measured following typical flight paths between Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Weihai Dashuibo Airport (WEH).

39kg CO₂ (per TEU) is the estimated emissions output (CO2e) when transporting a typical shipping container (1 TEU) from South Korea to China. This is calculated using the overall historical emissions of the average container ship on this trade lane and dividing it by the total projected capacity.

21kg CO₂ (per 100kg) is the estimated emissions output (CO2e) when sending cargo by air from South Korea to China. This is calculated by determining the total fuel burn output of various aircraft that typically fly this route and dividing it by the total available cargo capacity in KGs.

Shipping from South Korea

  • Busan to Taipei
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Shipping to China

  • Lyon to Beijing
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korea to china travel time

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How to Plan a 2-Week Itinerary in Japan and South Korea

Japan and South Korea are becoming bucket list destinations for many travelers, especially families with teenagers and couples. They are neighboring countries in East Asia, and it only takes about two hours to fly from Osaka in Japan to Seoul in South Korea. It is possible to spend 2 weeks visiting both countries: 7–10 days in Japan and around 7 days in South Korea.

In Japan you could see spectacular Mount Fuji and breathtaking cherry blossoms, experience traditional ryokan accommodation, have an afternoon tea ceremony in kimonos with a geisha... South Korea is famous for its full-city Seoul views from Namsan, sandy beaches of Haeundae, great sea views from Jeju Island, and tasty Korean BBQ...

  • 1. Do I Need a Visa to Visit Japan and South Korea?
  • 2. Where to Go in Your 2 Weeks?
  • 3. The Best 2 Itineraries Lasting 2 Weeks
  • 4. How Much Does 2 Weeks Cost?
  • 5. Best Times to Travel

Do I Need a Visa to Visit Japan and South Korea?

Nationals of many countries are exempt from needing a visa to enter Japan, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Most travelers can stay in Japan without a visa for 90 days.

To encourage tourism in Visit Korea Year (2023–2024), from April 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024, K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) will be temporarily waived for 22 countries including the U.S., the UK, Canada, and Australia.

Where to Go in Your 2 Weeks in Japan and South Korea?

Touring Japan and South Korea is suitable for a family or couple's vacation, due to this combo's plentiful experiences and charming attractions.

Top Destinations in Japan:

  • Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka are top cities in Japan you shouldn't miss.

1) Appreciate the blend of history and modernity in Tokyo: view the magnificent Mount Fuji, feel the old vibe of Meiji Shrine and Sensoji Temple, make sushi at a local home, try on samurai armor, shop anime products to satisfy your kid's interest, and have a day tour in Hakone for onsen bathing.

2) Discover the tradition-filled city of Kyoto: watch geishas perform in Gion District, immerse yourself in a classical tea ceremony, stay at a ryokan to enjoy Japan's old-style accommodation, try on kimonos for a memorable family photo, and have a close encounter with friendly deer in Nara.

3) Experience the prosperous trade city of Osaka: sample street food in Dotonbori District, make cup noodles based on your preference at Cup Noodle Museum, and spend a great time in the movie atmosphere of Universal Studios.

Top Destinations in South Korea

  • Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island are well-known cities in South Korea.

1) Immerse yourself in the vibrant capital of South Korea: view Seoul's oldest palace — Gyeongbok, admire the sunset from Namsan, visit the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) to appreciate a cherished and guarded peace, and enjoy the lively nightlife in Hongdae.

2) Revel in the bustling seaside city of Busan: feed seagulls on Haeundae Beach, stroll through Gamcheon Cultural Village with its colorful houses, and sample the freshest seafood.

3) Feel the relaxed pace of Jeju Island: enjoy brilliant sea views, stroll on sandy beaches, and visit the natural landscapes created by volcanic activity.

Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family 's best-rated service across trusted platforms.

Contact us for more suggestions based on your interests.

Suggested reading: How to Plan a Trip to South Korea >>>

2-Week Japan and South Korea Itineraries: The Best 2 Options

Here are two itinerary options matching families' and couples' needs and covering the major attractions in Japan and South Korea.

1) A Classical Route (For Families)

This itinerary would be nice for a first family time in Japan and South Korea. It includes experiencing kid-favored animation elements, trying on kimonos, feeding deer in Nara, and, on the last 3 days, relaxing on the sandy beaches of Busan.

Here is a well-organized itinerary for your inspiration:

  • Days 1–3: Tokyo, Japan

Days 4–5: Hakone

Days 6–8: Kyoto

  • Day 9: Osaka and fly to Seoul in South Korea

Days 10–12: Seoul

Days 13–15: Busan

Days 1–3: Tokyo

Tokyo is the top city for entry into Japan, and international flights offer many options. Visit the historical Meiji Shrine, feel the Edo vibe and take a manpower rickshaw in Asakusa, and make sushi at a local home. For anime lovers, you can buy your favorite anime products in Akihabara and have a happy time in the Pokémon Center or J-World.

Spending a day in Disneyland or Disney Sea would be a good choice as well.

Hakone is the home of onsens (hot spring baths). Stay at a ryokan with an onsen to enjoy an incredibly relaxing time with your family, and visit Lake Ashi on a replica pirate ship.

Kyoto is an impressive medieval capital of Japan where geisha, sake, tea ceremonies, and ryokan stays are the essence of the city.

  • Visit the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine and orange-red torii gates to understand the history of Japanese shrines.
  • Have an afternoon tea with geishas in Gion District, and try on kimonos for memorable photos.
  • Sleep on a tatami at a ryokan to experience the best of traditional Japanese accommodation.
  • Participate in an authentic tea ceremony in a tea house.
  • Spending a day in Nara. Feeding the friendly deer at Nara Park could be a great family moment.

Day 9: Osaka

Sample delicious street food like takoyaki (octopus balls) in Dotonbori. Depart from Kansai International Airport and fly to Seoul, Korea.

Seoul is the energetic capital city of South Korea. Its Korean food and K-Pop are famous around the world.

Visit Seoul's biggest and oldest palace — Gyeongbok Palace, try on Hanbok and meander around the quiet Korean traditional village of Bukchon Hanok, have a full view of the city from Namsan, and sample delicious Korean rice cakes, bibimbap ('mixing rice'), or kimchi (Korean pickles).

Busan is the second-largest city in South Korea and a flourishing port city. Enjoy the comfortable sea breeze and feed seagulls in Haeundae, take a leisurely walk around Gamcheon Cultural Village with its multicolored houses, and visit Haedong Yonggung Temple — a Buddhist temple with stunning sea views.

Suggested reading: 12-Day Trip in Japan and South Korea >>>

Let us help you plan your trip! Contact us and we will create a trip based on your group size, time, budget, interests, and other requirements.

2) A Route Full of Natural Beauty (For Couples)

For a couple (or family) who want to discover the deeper rural life in Japan and South Korea, this itinerary allows you to travel at a laid-back pace. Visit traditional villages in both countries, interact with locals, and see the World Natural Heritage on Jeju Island.

Here is a hand-picked itinerary summary with more detail following:

Days 4–6: Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa

Days 7–9: Kyoto

  • Day 10: Osaka, fly to Seoul in South Korea

Days 11–13: Seoul

Days 14–15: Jeju Island

Tokyo has perfect blend of history and modernization. Try on samurai armor at Samurai Museum for a cool photo, sample freshly-prepared sashimi at Tsukiji Market, and visit a Japanese garden with amazing scenery.

Suggested day trips from Tokyo:

  • Spend a day at Fuji Five Lakes to see the spectacular Mount Fuji perfectly framed.
  • Relax in an onsen with your partner in Hakone.
  • Nagano is 200 km (130 miles) from Tokyo. You can see monkeys bathing in hot springs, and ski in winter (December to February).

Explore Japan's picturesque countryside away from the crowded cities.

  • Takayama: wander around the well-preserved townhouses and taste delicious Hida beef.
  • Shirakawa-go: View traditional Gassho-zukuri farmhouses. If you go in January or February, you can see their beautiful winter lighting.
  • Kanazawa: Purchase gold-leaf products and sample Japanese sake at a brewery.

To experience traditional history and culture in depth in Kyoto, the best ways are to see its shrines, meet its geishas, and stay at an authentic ryokan.

Appreciate the ancient atmosphere in Nijo Castle and Kinkaku Temple, meander around the Gion district to see the beautiful geishas in kimonos and enjoy a high-class Kaiseki at a ryokan.

Suggested day tours from Kyoto:

  • Arashiyama is definitely a good place to relax: medieval Tenryu Temple, lush bamboo groves, and the sightseeing train will make your trip worth it.
  • Nara is popular with travelers because you can feed the lovely deer at Nara Park.

Day 10: Osaka

Visit outstanding Osaka Castle, and leave from Kansai International Airport on a short flight to Seoul, Korea.

As the capital, Seoul contains all the essence of South Korea. Hike in scenic Bukhansan National Park, taste authentic Korean street food at local Gwangjang Market, and take a slow walk at Cheonggyecheon, which is quiet-but-huge recreation space in the downtown area.

Jeju Island, an island formed by volcanic activity, is a good place to relax. Enjoy a wonderful sunrise or sunset on Seongsan Ilchulbong ('Sunrise Peak') — a World Natural Heritage tuff cone, visit the Manjanggul lava cave, and walk on the sandy beaches to appreciate stunning sea views.

The above represents popular choice of attractions, but you can simply tell us your preferences and requirements , and we will customize a tour for you.

How Much Does 2 Weeks in Japan and South Korea Cost?

A 2-week tour of Japan and South Korea costs around US$9,000–10,000 per person based on a group of 2-4 people.

  • Private touring in Japan costs about US$350–500 per day per person, and the cost in South Korea is about US$400–500 per day per person, including 4-star hotels, full-day itinerary, tickets for attractions, private cars, and private guides.
  • Direct flights from Osaka to Seoul are about US$100–150.
  • Travel costs in peak times can be double, especially airfares and hotels. Thus, we recommend you plan ahead and book flights and hotels at least 6 months in advance.
  • It's worthwhile to try a night's stay in a traditional Japanese ryokan. They cost around US$300–450 per night.

We promise you a 100% refund of any payments made to Asia Highlights up to 3 weeks before departure ( details⇒ ).

Best Times to Travel to Japan and South Korea

Japan and South Korea have similar climates with four distinct seasons.

The best times to travel to both countries are in spring (April and May) and in autumn (September to October) , when you would enjoy pleasant temperatures, less rain, and the best scenery. In spring, you could appreciate blooming cherry blossom, and autumn is the time to enjoy red maples and golden gingkoes.

Summer (June to August) is hot, humid, and sometimes there are typhoons. But this won't affect a well-prepared and flexible journey too much, and prices are lower and attractions less crowded. Summer is the festival season in Japan, so you can experience a variety of lively festivals and fireworks shows.

November to March is cold and dry in most of Japan and South Korea. It's a good time to ski and soak in hot springs in northern Japan. Christmas and New Year is extremely busy in both countries; flights and hotels are easily booked up. So, we suggest you make reservations at least 6 months in advance for a festive-season stay. The weather is OK in November and March compared to summer and winter months, and prices are relatively cheap.

Suggested reading: 

  • Best (and Worst) Time to Visit Japan
  • Best (and Worst) Time to Visit South Korea

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First scientist to publish Covid sequence in China protests over lab ‘eviction’

Zhang Yongzhen stages sit-in protest, as government attempts to avoid scrutiny over handling of outbreak

The first Chinese scientist to publish a genomic sequence of the Covid-19 virus, in defiance of government orders, staged a sit-in protest after claiming he was locked out of his laboratory over the weekend.

Zhang Yongzhen, a virologist, said in an online post on Monday that he and his team had been given a sudden eviction notice from their lab, and guards had barred him from entering it over the weekend. The post, published on Weibo, was later deleted, Associated Press (AP) reported.

After extensive media and social media coverage, on Wednesday Zhang said he and his team had been “tentatively” allowed to resume work inside the lab.

“I would like to sincerely thank all the netizens and people from all walks of life who have supported me and my team for a long time,” he said on Weibo.

Zhang had been sitting outside the lab since Sunday. Photos posted online show a man purported to be Zhang sleeping on the ground.

The dispute between Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center and Dr. Zhang Yongzhen's team continues. Dr. Zhang allegedly shared photos of himself sleeping on the floor at the entrance of the laboratory. https://t.co/K5ztBAv6yE pic.twitter.com/6wBkkLLQnB — Yanzhong Huang (@YanzhongHuang) April 29, 2024

Zhang published his scientific findings about Covid-19 without government approval in January 2020. He and his team have since been subject to a series of setbacks, demotions and oustings, of which the eviction appears to be the latest.

The Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center said in a statement that Zhang’s lab was closed for “safety reasons” and renovations. It said Zhang’s team had been given alternative lab space.

However, Zhang said the offer was not made until after his team was evicted, and that the new lab did not meet the team’s required safety standards.

“I won’t leave, I won’t quit, I am pursuing science and the truth!” he said in the since-deleted Weibo post. “The Public Health Center are refusing to let me and my students go inside the laboratory office to take shelter.”

Teacher Li, who runs an information-sharing and activism-monitoring account on X, said students had protested against the closure and clashed with security guards.

Zhang, when reached by phone on Tuesday, said it was “inconvenient” for him to speak, but a colleague confirmed to AP on Monday the protest was taking place.

The move shows how the Chinese government continues to pressure and control scientists, seeking to avoid scrutiny of its handling of the coronavirus outbreak .

After sequencing the virus on 5 January 2020, Zhang and his team initially sent a notice to Chinese authorities warning of its potential to spread. The next day his lab was temporarily shut down by China’s top health official.

Foreign scientists called for Zhang and other Chinese scientists to be allowed to publish the sequencing. The following week Zhang published his sequence – without authority – allowing global health authorities to begin testing for Covid-19, finding that it was spreading outside China. It also kickstarted the development of tests, vaccinations and other pandemic measures.

Internationally Zhang was lauded, receiving prizes in recognition of his work, but domestically he came under pressure. He was barred from collaborating with some former research partners and removed from his post at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the pandemic, the government also arrested citizen journalists who sought to report on the impact of the outbreak on people and hospitals.

In 2021 Zhang told the New York Times he did not regret his actions. “I trusted myself. I have so much experience, my team has made so many discoveries over the years, that we were able to make accurate judgments,” he said.

Zhang’s team appeared to receive a lot of public support on Weibo, where related hashtags were viewed by tens of millions of Chinese. “How can the country develop if we treat scientific researchers like this?” one said.

Some article links appeared to have been removed since they were posted but extensive discussion of Zhang’s dispute with the Shanghai health authority remained online on Tuesday afternoon.

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russian fighter-bomber 'shot down over Donetsk'; Ukraine faces another wave of Russian drones

A Russian Su-25 fighter-bomber jet has been shot down over the eastern region of Donetsk, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Elsewhere, Ukraine's air force said it downed 23 out of 24 Russian drones overnight.

Sunday 5 May 2024 15:20, UK

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  • Russia claims complete control over another village  
  • Analysis: Ukraine looks to trade territory for time
  • Ukraine retreating in attempt to avoid being outflanked, ISW says
  • Russian fighter-bomber 'downed by Ukraine'
  • Moscow lashes out at Baltic states
  • Analysis:  UN undermined as North Korea appears to defy arms embargo
  • Analysis: Will US aid help turn tide on Russia?
  • Your questions answered:  Why can't Ukraine destroy key Crimean bridge?
  • Listen to the Sky News Daily above and  tap here  to follow wherever you get your podcasts

We're pausing our live coverage of the war in Ukraine for the time being - thanks for tuning in. 

This footage shows Russian troops preparing for a Victory Day parade in the Red Square in Moscow. 

The event comes just days after Vladimir Putin's fifth inauguration as president of Russia. 

By  Sean Bell , military analyst 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Su-25 fighter-bomber jet over the Donetsk region yesterday.   

The Russian fighter - codenamed Frogfoot by NATO - is primarily used to provide close air support for Russian frontline troops. 

Pre-war the Russians had between 70 and 80 serviceable Su-25s, but Ukraine claims to have shot down around six of these to date.

But is this loss important in the broader scheme of the war?

Fresh Western supplies of weapons are starting to arrive in Ukraine, and the expectation is that air defence missiles would probably be the first priority. 

Ukraine's claim that it has shot down 23 of 24 Russian drones last night and the successful targeting of one of its fighter jets also suggests that Ukraine is stabilising its defensive posture.  

However, on the frontline, reports suggest that Russian forces have made further advances, taking several more communities - including Ocheretyne.  

Military experts believe that Ukraine is making a "managed withdrawal" from key sites to trade territory for time - in anticipation of the arrival of fresh supplies of Western military aid.

Military offensives generally incur significantly greater losses for the attacking force than that defending. 

The UK's Ministry of Defence has reported that Russia's April offensive action has resulted in 899 Russian casualties per day, which is higher than at the peak of the attritional battle for Bakhmut. 

However, it has proven very difficult to secure reliable figures for the Ukraine war, with Russia playing down the scale of its losses, and Kyiv avoiding reporting specific numbers.

Regardless, it seems likely that Vladimir Putin will be keen to avoid another round of Russian mobilisation for fear of highlighting the growing numbers of Russian casualties.  

Instead,  Russia is reported to be recruiting foreign nationals to bolster its army, with the latest target being Cuba.  

It is reported that Cuban recruits have been offered monthly salaries of up to £1600 per month, when their average salary in Cuba is around £20 per month. 

The package naturally appears attractive, particularly if recruits are initially told that they will not serve on the frontline.

Until the resupply of Western weapons and ammunition arrives, it looks likely that Russia will continue to capitalise on Ukraine's shortage of weapons to push forward and secure as much territory as possible in the Donbas.  

And Ukraine will seek to ensure Russia pays a high price for every metre of ground ceded.  

These images show members of the 93rd Kholodnyi war separate mechanised brigade celebrating Orthodox Easter on the frontlines of Russia's war against Ukraine. 

The Ukrainian troops are fighting in Donetsk, where much of Russia's military focus is. 

This footage shows firefighters battling a blaze in Kharkiv in the early hours of yesterday morning. 

The region was consistently targeted yesterday, with several drone and shelling attacks across the area.

Russia's targeting of Ukrainian energy infrastructure with drones and missiles has cost Kyiv some £1bn (£796m), the country's energy minister has claimed. 

German Galushchenko said that, since mid-March, Russian forces have been attacking Ukrainian thermal and hydropower stations - as well as main networks - on an almost daily basis.

This has led to blackouts in many regions.

"Today, we are talking about the amounts of losses for more than a billion dollars," he said.

"But the attacks continue, and it is obvious that the losses will grow," he added. 

By Sean Bell , military analyst 

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted nine major sanctions on North Korea in response to the country's nuclear and missile activities since 2006.  

In June of that year, the UNSC established an embargo on exports of major arms to and imports from North Korea. 

In June 2009, it widened the embargo to all arms, except for the export small arms and light weapons to the country, before eventually banning those too in 2015.

Russia was a signatory to those embargoes.

Yet, late last year, a series of Russian senior leadership visits to North Korea were focused on solving Russia's growing demand for weapons, artillery shells and missiles to support its war in Ukraine.  

Although Russia has denied that it imports North Korean weapons, the Royal United Service Institute (RUSI) has been tracking ships transporting weapons to Russia.  

It has tracked four Russian cargo ships, each transporting hundreds of containers.

Estimates suggest that over 7,000 containers carrying over one million ammunition shells, rockets and missiles have been sold to Russia by North Korea since a deal was struck last year.

Russia denies that it is importing any North Korean weapons.

However, an inspector from the Conflict Arms Research team based in Ukraine has been studying the remains of a series of missiles fired at Ukrainian targets this year and has made a series of important discoveries.  

According to reports, parts of the missile remains included characters only used in the Korean alphabet, and the number '112' was stamped into parts of the missile - '2023' in the Korean calendar.

Closer investigation of hundreds of electronic components revealed that the missiles were "bursting" with Western technology.  

Most of the electronics were manufactured in the US or Europe, and were sourced over the past few years.  

Despite supposedly significant sanctions, North Korea has managed to illicitly procure large quantities of Western technology, assemble missiles and sell them to Russia to be used in its war in Ukraine.

Although the North Korean weapons might not be very effective, they are cheap, so can be procured in large quantities and used to degrade Ukrainian air defence systems.

Quantity has a quality all of its own - so what is the point of sanctions if they can so easily be bypassed?  

North Korea is evidently profiting from its arms export arrangement with Russia, which will create further opportunities for Pyongyang to expand arms exports as a vital source of revenue - to grow its economy and military capability.  

Not to mention it undermines the authority of the UN - given that Russia is a signatory to the ban on North Korean arms exports, yet is flagrantly ignoring this ban to meet its wartime needs.

Yet, the UN appears powerless to enforce its own sanctions.

Russia claims it has taken complete control of the village of Ocheretyne in eastern Ukraine. 

The village, which lies northwest of the former Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka, which Russia captured in February, had a pre-war population of around 3,000. 

Russia has made steady advances since taking Avdiivka, and this would mark the latest in a string of villages in the area to fall into Moscow's grasp. 

These images show Russian servicemen and women preparing for the annual Victory Day parade in Moscow. 

On the 9 May, the military will march through the Red Square in front of Vladimir Putin - who will have been sworn in once again as president days earlier (see 9.04am post).

The parade will showcase Russian military hardware with vehicles, aircraft and soldiers all taking the stage.

Russian forces are continuing to advance west of Avdiivka, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The US-based thinktank said it had geolocated footage showing Russian soldiers advancing near Arkhanhelske, which is just northwest of the Russian-held city. 

Fighting has intensified in villages like Arkhanhelske near Avdiivka, and further north around Chasiv Yar in recent weeks. 

"ISW assesses that the Russian seizure of Arkhanhelske also indicates that Russian forces likely control Keramik and Novokalynove (both southeast of Arkhanhelske)," it said. 

It also said it had noted Ukrainian forces withdrawing from northern Arkhanhelske. 

"Ukrainian forces may have decided to trade space for time as they wait for the arrival of US aid to the frontline at scale in the coming weeks - an appropriate decision for an under-resourced force at risk of being outflanked," it said. 

"Russian forces appear to be choosing to exploit the tactical situation northwest of Avdiivka - a sound military undertaking - but their ultimate objective in this frontline sector remains unclear."

Here's the latest battlefield situation on the ground...

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COMMENTS

  1. Flight Time from South Korea to China

    Flying time from South Korea to China. The total flight duration from South Korea to China is 3 hours, 2 minutes. This assumes an average flight speed for a commercial airliner of 500 mph, which is equivalent to 805 km/h or 434 knots. It also adds an extra 30 minutes for take-off and landing. Your exact time may vary depending on wind speeds.

  2. Flight Time Calculator

    Flying time between cities. Travelmath provides an online flight time calculator for all types of travel routes. You can enter airports, cities, states, countries, or zip codes to find the flying time between any two points. The database uses the great circle distance and the average airspeed of a commercial airliner to figure out how long a ...

  3. Korea to China

    The cheapest way to get from Korea to China costs only ¥982, and the quickest way takes just 5½ hours. Find the travel option that best suits you. ... You may opt out of personalised ads at any time. OK. How to get from Korea to China by subway, plane, train, ferry, ... Top China Travel. Bus operators. Ko Bus Phone +82 1644 9030 Website

  4. How to Plan a Trip to China and South Korea

    A typical trip to China and South Korea usually takes 2-3 weeks, with 1-2 weeks in China and 1 week in South Korea. The vastness of China means that you have more to explore there. In China, a 1-week itinerary allows you to explore the classic route, including Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. This is the most popular choice for first-time ...

  5. South Korea to China

    The cheapest way to get from South Korea to China costs only ¥1329, and the quickest way takes just 2½ hours. Find the travel option that best suits you. Rome2Rio uses cookies to help personalize content and show you personalised ads.

  6. Seoul to China

    Train to Incheon, fly to Sunan Shuofang, train • 6h 13m. Take the train from Seoul Station to Incheon Int'l Airport T1. Fly from Incheon (ICN) to Sunan Shuofang (WUX) ICN - WUX. Take the train from Wuxi to Suzhou. ¥535 - ¥1477.

  7. Flight Time from Seoul, South Korea to Shanghai, China

    Flying time from Seoul, South Korea to Shanghai, China. The total flight duration from Seoul, South Korea to Shanghai, China is 1 hour, 35 minutes. This assumes an average flight speed for a commercial airliner of 500 mph, which is equivalent to 805 km/h or 434 knots. It also adds an extra 30 minutes for take-off and landing.

  8. Cheap flights from South Korea to China from $95

    The cheapest flight deals from South Korea to China. Dalian.$95 per passenger.Departing Mon, May 20, returning Tue, May 21.Round-trip flight with China Eastern.Outbound indirect flight with China Eastern, departing from Incheon International Airport on Mon, May 20, arriving in Dalian.Inbound indirect flight with China Eastern, departing from ...

  9. Cheap flights from Seoul to China from $95

    Flight tickets to China start from $37 one-way. Flex your dates to secure the best fares for your Seoul to China ticket. If your travel dates are flexible, use Skyscanner's "Whole month" tool to find the cheapest month, and even day to fly from Seoul to China. Set up a Price Alert. We price-check with over 1,000 travel companies so you don't ...

  10. Traveling to China from South Korea in 2024: Passport, Visa Requirements

    Is it safe to travel to China? China has a current risk level of 3.40 (out of 5). We advise to use some caution when travelling to China. The safety index is based on travel advisories from independent 8 sources. Safety index is provided by www.travel-advisory.info: 04/29/2024.

  11. How to travel from China to Korea by Boat

    China to Korea Ferry Sailing Times. China to South Korea. The Qingdao to Incheon sailing leaves China every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The ferry departs Qingdao Port at 17:00 and is due to arrive at Incheon Port near Seoul at 10:00 the next day, HOWEVER, we didn't dock until after 13:00 and it was after 14:00 by the time we were on Korean ...

  12. Should I go to South Korea or China? Which is Cheaper? Which is Better

    These differences become even more noticable if you plan to spend a longer time in the country. 10 days, two weeks, or even one month of travel to China or South Korea can really add to your travel budget. Accommodation is often cheaper in South Korea compared to China ($0.00 vs. $34). Budget travelers often stay in cheaper hostels and guest ...

  13. Seoul to Beijing

    Subway, ferry, bus • 39h 48m. Take the subway from City Hall Station to Incheon Station 1. Take the ferry from Incheon Int'l Ferry terminal to Weihai. Take the ferry from Weihai Harbour to Dalian Harbour. Take the bus from Gang Wan Qiao Bus Station to Beijing. ¥1191 - ¥1359.

  14. Best (and Worst) Times to Visit South Korea in 2024/2025

    June is a better time to travel compared to July and August as it's cooler and has fewer crowds, with an average daily temperature range of 18-27°C (64-81°F). Autumn (September to November): This is another one of the best times to visit South Korea. Cooler temperatures and decreased rainfall are the main features of this season.

  15. How to Take the Ferry from China to Korea

    Rizhao is the second-closest port to Shanghai with ferries to Korea, about 4 hours from shanghai on the new (2020) bullet train line. Rizhao Ferry: website here. Sailing time: 20 hours. Departs Pyeongtaek: Monday 15:00, Wednesday 19:00, Friday 20:00. Departs Rizhao: Tuesday 16:00, Thursday 18:00, Sunday 11:00.

  16. Transit & Shipping Time Calculator

    Freight shipping transit time is impacted by factors including distance, shipping mode, route, and season. In very rough estimates: express can take as little as 1-3 days, air freight is typically 5-10 days, and sea shipping can range anywhere from 20-45 days or more. The complexity of customs procedures and potential delays at border crossings ...

  17. South Korea to China By Air freight, Cargo ship or Road

    South Korea to China by Road. It is also possible to transport goods by road from South Korea to China. The total distance is around 3,003 km and will usually takes around 1 day 7h by road. Note: This time estimate is based on typical traffic conditions and does not take into consideration delays or congestion. Quickest road route.

  18. Korea Time to China Time Converter -- TimeBie

    Korea Time and China Time Converter Calculator, Korea Time and China Time Conversion Table. TIMEBIE · US Time Zones · Canada · Europe · Asia · Middle East · Australia · Africa · Latin America · Russia · Search Time Zone · Multiple Time Zones · Sun Rise Set · Moon Rise Set · Time Calculation · Unit Conversions.

  19. Travel Time Calculator

    Travelmath provides an online travel time calculator to help you figure out flight and driving times. You can compare the results to see the effect on the total duration of your trip. Usually, the flight time will be shorter, but if the destination is close, the driving time can still be reasonable. Another popular tool is the time difference ...

  20. How to Plan a 2-Week Itinerary in Japan and South Korea

    It includes experiencing kid-favored animation elements, trying on kimonos, feeding deer in Nara, and, on the last 3 days, relaxing on the sandy beaches of Busan. Here is a well-organized itinerary for your inspiration: Days 1-3: Tokyo, Japan. Days 4-5: Hakone. Days 6-8: Kyoto. Day 9: Osaka and fly to Seoul in South Korea.

  21. China to Korea

    The cheapest way to get from China to Korea costs only ₩185,224, and the quickest way takes just 5¼ hours. Find the travel option that best suits you. Rome2Rio uses cookies to help personalize content and show you personalised ads.

  22. 7. The 8 Show

    Exciting K-drama releases in May include Disney+'s Uncle Samsik, in which Song Kang-ho plays a 1960s fixer, Netflix's The 8 Show, and Frankly Speaking, about a TV host with no filter.

  23. First scientist to publish Covid sequence in China protests over lab

    Tue 30 Apr 2024 03.58 EDT. The first scientist to publish a sequence of the Covid-19 virus in China was staging a sit-in protest after authorities locked him out of his laboratory. Zhang Yongzhen ...

  24. Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russian fighter-bomber 'shot down over

    A Russian Su-25 fighter-bomber jet has been shot down over the eastern region of Donetsk, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Elsewhere, Ukraine's air force said it downed 23 out of 24 Russian ...

  25. China to South Korea

    Take the line 1 subway from Tian'anmen East Station to Gongzhufen Station. Take the line 10 subway from Gongzhufen to Caoqiao. Take the train from Caoqiao to Beijing Daxing International Airport. Fly from Beijing Daxing (PKX) to Incheon (ICN) PKX - ICN. Take the subway from Geomam Station to Incheon City Hall Station. ₩171,530 - ₩393,025.