From traveller-now

Incheon [1] (인천, 仁川), also Inchon, is a city in South Korea on the coast directly to the west of Seoul.

Understand

Incheon is metropolitan city of about 2.8 million, politically independent from Seoul. In 1950, the city was the site of the Inchon Landing by American forces, a decisive battle in the Korean War. Incheon serves as a transportation hub by both air and sea, with a massive harbor and Korea's main international airport. Several nearby islands, notably Yeongjong Island and Ganghwa Island, are also within city limits.

Incheon will incorporate New Songdo City, the most expensive planned real estate development in world history, which will be finished in 2015. The world's tallest twin tower building, 151 Incheon tower, is under early construction, whilst Korea's current tallest building, Northeast Asia Trade Tower, is already located here. Other newer neighborhoods built on land reclaimed from the sea are practically independent mini-cities with shopping, schools, housing, and industry. These newer areas compete for foreign investment and pride themselves on being clean, modern, and safe.

Whilst many tourists bypass Incheon in favour of heading directly to Seoul, there are a number of interesting areas to visit. One may find the city has been developing so rapidly that tourist guides pre-dating 2000 offer only minimal advice. Areas such as the Arts Centre district (Guwol-Dong) are excellent for eating and shopping, but do not cater very well for those who do not speak Korean. The majority of bars aimed at Westerners are to be found in Bupyeong, itself one of the Incheon districts closest to Seoul.

Get in

By plane

Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main international gateway, is on Yeongjong Island, a part of Incheon; see that article for details. The AREX [2] train connects the airport to Gyeyang (20 min, 2600 won), where you can connect to the Incheon subway line. Alternatively, the limousine bus line to Songdo passes through central Incheon, or you can take a taxi for about 41,000 won.

By boat

Incheon Port International Ferry Terminal 1 (Yeonan Budu, 연안부두) [3] has services to several cities in China, such as Weihai, Dandong, Qingdao and Tianjin.

The largest operator is Jinchon [4], but Incheon Port has full listings on their website [5]. These ferries are similar to miniature cruise lines and are complete with karaoke rooms, Playstation games (for a fee), DVD rentals (private rooms only), and a nightly grill on the back deck. Inside, accommodations are a hit and miss. If you have an economy ticket, which will set you back approximately €180 (roundtrip), you can request a sleeper bunk where you have a considerable amount of privacy. If these are all taken however, the other option for an economy ticket is the sleeping deck where everyone who is crammed on the floor like sardines in a can. To avoid being relegated to the sardine room, get to the terminal early, 2 or 3 hours should be sufficient. This is definitely worth it as the ferry can take as much as 24 hours depending where you go. To make the most of this ferry ride, take a good book, work, and/or a laptop to pass the time.

Locally, there are ferries from Yeongjong Island to Wolmido Marina every 30 minutes. There is also a ferry to Jeju island.

By subway

Kyeong-in line (Metropolitan Line 1) links Seoul to Incheon. It has rapid trains that skip some minor stops between Dong-incheon and Yongsan. There is also an Incheon line which crosses line one at the Bupyeong.

Get around

In addition to the Kyeong-in line(Metropolitan Line 1), the Incheon Rapid Transit Corporation [6] operates a single subway line of its own. The Incheon line runs north-south, and the Kyeong-in line east-west. Wolmido is not on the subway network, but there are buses from Incheon Station every 3~5 minutes.

The number 45 bus is more or less an effective city tour: it moves from Bupyeong, through Arts Centre, towards Sinpo-Dong and Chinatown, eventually finishing up at the Wolmido resort.

See

• Bupyeong is perhaps the most vibrant zone in the city, frequented by a larger number of foreigners. The district is excellent for both shopping and eating, whilst its bars are perpetually packed at the weekends. Visitors are likely to get lost in the maze of the underground market at the station. The best areas for entertainment are located directly opposite the main station building, albeit down a number of side-streets.

• Arts Centre is an arts and entertainment venue, which refers also to a subway station and area in Guwol-dong. Located here are many large department stores, cinemas, designer shops, and a central square full of restaurants (Rodeo Street). Sporting events are sometimes shown on a screen in this square. Whilst the area is vibrant and busy, there are fewer Westerners to be found here than in Bupyeong.

• Chinatown. The only official Chinatown in South Korea. Orignally home to the Chinese merchants in Korea, today it is nothing more than a tourist trap as most of the Chinese fled the country in the 1960's and 1970's due to persecution by then president Park Chung-hee, while those that remain are largely scattered and assimilated into Korean society. The area is located at the end of the main subway line (1 or dark blue) that connects Incheon with nearby Seoul. The main entrance to Chinatown is directly in front of the Incheon Subway Station. The Chinatown is three or four square blocks, the restaurants are squarely aimed at Korean tourists and offer extremely Koreanized takes on Chinese food and most of these restaurants are owned by ethnic Koreans instead of Chinese.

• Jayu Park (자유공원) Jayu (Freedom) Park is located adjacent to Chinatown. It is most famous as the location of General MacArthur's statue, as well as a memorial to the centennial anniversary of U.S. and South Korea relations. Nearby one can find Sinpo-Dong (outside , a decent shopping district with a tradional market.

• Songdo (송도) Not to be confused with Songdo International City. Songdo is the small town near to Incheon airport.

• SongDo Doklipkinymkan (송도 독립기념관) This is Korea's independence memorial. You can see a monument of General MacArthur. He fought for Korea's peace and many Koreans thank him for that. An unnamed mountain is nearby where you're free to use its nature trail.

• SongDo Yuwonji (송도 유원지) This is small amusement park in Songdo.

• Songdo International City ('New Songdo City') is an entirely planned multi-billion dollar city. Whilst Korea's tallest building, the North Asia Trade Tower, is already complete, the area is still essentially a ghost town. The world's tallest twin tower buildings, 151 Incheon Tower, is in the early stages of construction. As part of the Free Economic Zone, Songdo represents the future of Incheon as an international destination in its own right. For the time being, however, it remains unworthy of a visit for all but the most curious.

• Incheon Islands There are several islands off the coast of Incheon that are easily accessible by ferry. The islands provide a breath of fresh air from the busy Korean city life. Every island has great hiking, some with beaches and some with views of North Korea. The islands include Baengnyeondo, Daecheongdo, Yeonpyeongdo, Gyodongdo, Ganghwado, Yeongjongdo, Muuido, and Deokjeokdo among others.

• Songdo Resort (송도리조트). Has a large ferris wheel which gives good views of the surrounding area. As well as other rides, a swimming lake and a water slide which doubles as a snow sledding slope in winter.

• Wolmido (월미도). Past a harbor and a plywood factory, Wolmido contains a small but popular park, dominated by a nature walk up a hill, with scientific names have been listed for all of the flowers donated to this area that was decimated by the Incheon landing of UN forces. Past the park is a fairground with several amusement-park rides and numerous food vendors. The harbor area immediately past this makes for a pleasant stroll, with a wide pedestrian sidewalk lined with cafes. From Incheon station, take the #15 bus (2000 won), or it's a 20 minute walk.

• Also Incheon's official city flower, the rose, is abundant in the summer, climbing over walls and fences. Even the subway route into Seoul from Incheon is lined with roses and beautifully-tended shrubbery.

Buy

Bupyeong Station (부평역) Metropolitan Line 1 and Incheon subway line intersect here. There is a large under ground shopping mall. It is a popular place for Korean students to shop and hang out. Above ground, there are additional shops, many Korean restaurants, western restaurants such as McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Outback Steakhouse, Starbucks, Baskin Robbins, and Dunkin Donuts, and a Lotte Mart. There are two Citibanks located here, one in the Arcade, and one several above ground near the far end of the underground mall.

Incheon Bus Terminal Station (인천버스터미널) Incheon's subway line has a the stop for Incheon bus Terminal. This station connects to Shinsaegae department store. The food court many kinds of cuisines and also has a Burger King. The upper two floors are women's clothes, and there is an E-mart attached to the mall.

Eat

Incheon offers a ludicrously large number of quality restaurants, but do not expect waiting staff to be able to speak any English, or indeed to translate what is printed on the menu. A few bars have 'Recommended for International Visitor' signs and will present English-language menu's. Similarly, be wary of attempting to eat solo; it's a highly unusual thing to do in Korea, and many menus are organised around combo meals.

Bupyeong and Arts Centre (Guwol-Dong) are two of the main areas for restaurant food in Incheon. A variety of genres are available. Korean food generally offers a delightful and exciting experience. Street food is worth delving into. For those sick of spices and seaweed, however, the many Italian restaurants are a safe bet for something more wholesome. Chinatown offers many quality Chinese restaurants (which offer highly Korean takes on the genre). There are also a few raw fish restaurants around the port area in nearby Wolmido.

SongDo (near to SongDo Doklipkinyamkyan) also has many great restaurants (original Korea's Rib stake, and sushi etc) A favorite resaurant is "Nagoya" (sushi) and "Kyungbokung" (Rib). and you can walk down "hiltop hotel street" (힐탑호텔골목) than you can see many cheap & natural sushi food restaurants there.

Drink

Incheon has plenty of watering holes, mostly in Bupyeong, where the area behind the Starbuck's Coffee gets more densely packed with drunk youth than anywhere else in the city. Another popular area is "Arts Center", the name often used to refer to the area between Arts Center Station (예술회관역) and Incheon Bus Terminal/Shinsegae Department Store. This is perhaps the most attractive area of the city, but remains strangely off the radar for most tourists.

• Goose Goose, Bupyeong. Innocuous enough from the outside, Goose Goose is perhaps the largest and busiest westerner zone in town on a Saturday night. The "pub jukebox" is an open desktop computer running Itunes. Excuse the Canadian's playing Celine Dion.
• Who's Bar, Bupyeong. A cosy western bar great for catching up on English football. The owner is a very friendly young fellow who'll offer a free drink to new ESL teachers.
• G7 Pub, Bupyeong. A western-style pub with a stage. Previously hosted trivia night every Thursday, but that has been canceled. Beers are 2,500 won for 500cc and 12,000 for a 3000cc, and they serve excellent fresh kiwi Soju.
• Rock Bar, Bupyeong. Very cheap beer, 6,000 won for 2000CC. Watch out for rats in the toilets.
• Woodstock, Bupyeong. The original Woodstock is small (about 2 dozen seats) but is comfy and has nice bartenders. The newly opened second location (also in Bupyeong) is much bigger.
• 66, Yeonsu.
• Chunnyue Sarang(천년의 사랑), Songdo hiltop hotel street. Korea's original tea & wine, snack. The master's dress is oriental korea costum and interier is Oriental Calture style.
• N's Pub, Bupyeong. Small but good atmosphere. Very cheap drinks and beer (but no soju); a recent favorite for both foreigners and koreans.  
• The Shine, Bupyeong. A high-class atmosphere for budget prices, The Shine is a traditional bar in that you have to buy anju (안주, appetizer or meal) with your drinks, but the food is quite good. Drinks are reasonably priced and beer can be purchased in towering disperners which shoot dry ice through a tube and out a chimney on top.  
• Mad Max, Yeonsu Dong. Western Style bar, serves a good rum/coke  
• Rio's Western Bar, Guwol-Dong Square (Arts Center). Perhaps the only 'Western-style' bar outside of Bupyeong regularly packed with foreigners. The pub is quite well hidden and therefore tends to attract the same local English teachers rather than wandering tourists. Located on the 3rd floor in the same building is the massive (and rather infamous) King Kong Hof, also frequented by Westerners on weekends"

Sleep

See Yeongjong Island for airport hotel listings.

• Hong Kong Motel - is immediately next to the Chinatown, and several minute's walk east of the Incheon subway station. Rooms are 25000 Won for a single, or 40000 Won for a double. Rooms are slightly old and small, but clean, and include a PC with Internet.

Get out

• Ganghwa Island - temples, a few mountains and views to North Korea
• Yeongjong Island - beaches, hot springs and fish markets
• Deokjeok Island - beaches, hiking, and camping