Seoul map apps: start with the address, not just the pin
When finding your way around Seoul, use the Korean place name and address to choose the right destination, then check bus directions and subway exits. For a taxi pickup, match your waiting location and the assigned vehicle number too.
Seoul map apps: start with the address, not just the pin
Once you have chosen somewhere to go in Seoul, save both its Korean name and its road-name address from the hotel or restaurant's official information. You can use them to search a map or show a taxi driver where you want to go.
Search by name, then use the address to find the right branch
If an English name does not bring up the place you want, try pasting in the Korean name. Searching the road-name address can also help you find a destination that was hard to locate by name alone. Match the branch name and address in the results to your reservation or the venue's information. If you are looking for a restaurant but the result is a similarly named station or building, do not start directions from that result without checking it.
For example, to find the National Museum of Korea, you can use 국립중앙박물관 and 서울시 용산구 서빙고로 137. This is the address on the museum's official directions page. Once you have selected the destination, look for the visitor entrance too. A building address may route you toward a parking area or another entrance, so it helps to keep the venue's own directions open as well.
Open the app that gives you the route you need
Naver Map advertises maps in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, along with navigation in English. Its public transport features include real-time departure and arrival information and boarding and alighting alerts. Even if you change the app's language, keep the destination's Korean name separately so you can match it to signs or show it to a driver.
KakaoMap advertises driving, public transport, walking and cycling directions, real-time bus and traffic information, and a subway map. If a place search gives you a different address or misses the branch you want, try the same Korean name and address in Naver Map.
You can also collect places in Seoul using shared lists in Google Maps, or browse lists made by other people. When opening directions to a saved place, check the destination's address and whether the app provides a route for your intended mode of travel. If that mode or route is unavailable, continue the search in Naver Map or KakaoMap. Do not follow a driving route as a substitute for walking directions: it may take you onto roads closed to pedestrians.
For buses, check the direction and stop; for the subway, save the exit
Before boarding a bus, look at the destination shown beside the route number and the name and number of your boarding stop. Matching the stop sign to the app's boarding location can help you avoid waiting on the wrong side of the road. Even if an arrival estimate is displayed, read the service information at the stop if you are relying on the last bus. Follow local notices when service changes.
For the subway, use the line and train destination to find your platform. Once you know where to get off, save the exit number as well so it is easier to continue above ground. Look on the map for any roads you will need to cross after leaving the exit and for the entrance to your destination.
If you need an elevator, consult the station's facilities information when choosing an exit. The nearest exit may have stairs, requiring a detour to the elevator. Check station notices to see whether the elevator you need is operating. If a breakdown or construction blocks it, ask station staff which exit you can use.
The station name and exit number at Seoul National University Station Exit 3.
If your location looks wrong, start with nearby signs
Google Maps notes that GPS location can be inaccurate indoors or underground. If the location marker is in the wrong place, use a nearby station exit number or a large building sign to work out where you are first. Then look at your phone's location settings and the app's location permissions.
When walking, use actual pedestrian paths and crosswalks. A line on the map does not give you access through a passage that is closed on the ground; find another way around. While following directions, give the surrounding traffic signs and signals priority over the screen.
When calling a taxi, choose where to wait
Show the driver the Korean place name and road-name address in large text. Use the address of the branch you booked so you do not end up at another place with the same name.
When choosing a pickup point in a ride-hailing app, look at which side of the road you will wait on. If the car arrives on the opposite side, agree on a meeting point with the driver rather than cutting across the road. Before getting in, compare the vehicle number in the app with the actual license plate. If the car is different or you cannot identify the assigned vehicle, check the booking details before boarding.
Before setting out, take screenshots of your accommodation's address and the exits or stops you need. They can help if your data connection drops. If you share a screenshot, hide personal information such as your accommodation's address and your current location.
Compare your options from the airport in the Incheon Airport to Seoul transport guide. For the journey from the airport to accommodation in Myeongdong, Hongdae or Gangnam, continue with the relevant area's airport transfer guide.
Official information
• Naver Map official app listing
• KakaoMap official app listing
• Directions to the National Museum of Korea
• Google: using shared lists in Seoul
• Google Maps location accuracy help
Photo credits
• Cover — Bukchon-ro 11da-gil street sign · Bgag · CC0 1.0 · Resized
• Inline — Seoul National University Station Exit 3 · Wrexhamfans123 · CC0 1.0 · Cropped