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China drops PCR test requirement for travelers from Korea

A traveller to China waits in a check-in line at the Incheon International Airport on Feb. 23. [NEWS1]

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China Travel Restrictions & Travel Advisory (Updated March 7, 2024)

Updates March 7th, 2024 : Travelers from the following countries could enjoy visa-free entry to China for tourism, business, transit, or visiting friends and relatives. 

• From December 1st, 2023, to November 30th, 2024: France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Spain.
• From March 14th to November 30th, 2024: Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
• Singapore, Brunei
• Malaysia (from December 1st, 2023 to November 30th, 2024)

If you want to arrange a private tour, even tentatively, simply contact us . 

Content Preview

• What Ways to Enter China
• Do I Still Need a PCR Test to Enter China
• Hong Kong/Macau Travel Restriction

International Flights to China

What to expect when traveling in china, best times to travel to china, 8 ways to enter china: all open now.

Since China has fully permitted visa applications, there are now several ways to enter the country.

If you still hold a valid Chinese visa (any type including a tourist visa, 10-year visa, etc.), you can use it to enter China.

If you don't have a Chinese visa or your visa has expired, you can apply for a new one. All visas can now be applied for, including tourist visas, business visas, work visas, and so on. (International visitors can apply for a tourist visa to the Chinese Mainland in Hong Kong.)

For the documents required for a visa application, you can refer to the information given by a Chinese embassy/consulate . Please submit your application at least two months in advance.

To apply for a tourist visa (L visa), you will be asked to provide an invitation letter issued by a Chinese travel agency or individual or round-trip air tickets and hotel bookings.

When booking a private tour with us, we can provide you with an invitation letter, which is one more thing we do to make your travel more convenient, giving you more flexibility with your air tickets and hotel bookings.

Now it is very easy to apply for a visa . You can easily apply by yourself without an intermediary. The following is how one of our clients successfully applied for a Chinese tourist visa:

• First, fill out the form at the China Online Visa Application website ;
• Second, make an appointment on this website to submit your visa materials on Appointment for Visa Application Submission website ;
• Third, take the required documents to the embassy to submit;
• Finally, you will get a return receipt if your documents are qualified.

Usually, you will get your visa after 7 working days. The application fee is about USD185 for US citizens.

Q: What if my passport expires but my visa doesn't?

A: You can travel to China on the expired passport containing valid Chinese visa in combination with the new passport, provided that the identity information (name, date of birth, gender, nationality) on both passport identical.

If there is a change to any of the above details, you must apply for a new visa.

2. 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy

If you do not apply for a Chinese visa, you may still have the opportunity to visit these areas of China visa free: the Shanghai area (including Suzhou, Hangzhou, etc.), the Beijing area (with Tianjin and Hebei), the Guangzhou area (Shenzhen, Zhuhai, etc.), and more. Take advantage of the 6-day visa-free entitlements.

Find out if you could use the 144-hour visa-free transit policy with our information on China's 144-hour Visa-Free Policy (Eligible Entry/Exit Ports, Applicable Countries, Documents to be Prepared...)

You can also obtain entry and exit control policies through the 24-hour hotline of the National Immigration Administration:

• Beijing: 0086 (+86)-10-12367
• Shanghai: 0086 (+86)-21-12367
• Guangzhou: 0086 (+86)-20-12367

Quick Test: Will My Route Qualify for China 72/144-Hour Visa-Free Transit?

1. I will depart from (only applies to direct or connected flight):

2. I will arrive in China at [city], [airport / railway station / port].

3. My arrival date is...

4. I will leave for [country/region] from China (the bounding destination on the air ticket):

5. My departure date is...

6. My nationality is...

8. I have Chinese visa refusal stamps in my passport.

You qualify to enjoy China's 72-hour visa-free policy.

You qualify to enjoy China's 144-hour visa-free policy.

You don't qualify to enjoy China's 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free policy.

Reason you don't qualify:

• You must be in transit to a third country or region.
• You must leave the city area (prefecture or municipality) after the 72/144 hours (the 72/144-hour limit is calculated starting from 00:00 on the day after arrival, i.e. 24:00 on the arrival date).
• Your passport must be valid for more than 3 months at the time of entry into China.
• Your passport nationality is not eligible for the 72/144-hour visa exemption program.
• You have Chinese visa refusal stamps in your passport.

3. Port Visas (Landing Visas)

If you don't have time to get a visa, or if you find it cumbersome to apply for a tourist visa, you could consider traveling to China through a port visa.

Port visas can be applied for a group at least including 2 people. You need to enter the country within 15 days after you get your entry permit. The port visa allows a stay period of 1 to 2 months.

Applicable ports include Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Guilin, Xi'an, Chengdu, etc.

Note: Tourists from America are not granted a port visa in Shanghai.

Book your China trip with us and we can help you apply for a port visa.

4. Visa Exemption for ASEAN Tour Groups to Guilin

In addition, tour groups from ASEAN member countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei, and the Philippines, can visit Guilin for 144 hours without visas as long as they meet the visa-free transit policy requirements.

5. Shanghai Visa-Free Policy for Cruise Groups

Shanghai has a 15-day visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups entering China via a cruise. You must arrive and depart on the same cruise and be received by a Chinese travel agent at the Shanghai Cruise Terminal (or Wusong Passenger Center).

6. Hainan Visa-Free Access

No visa is required for staying on Hainan Island for up to 30 days for ordinary passport holders from 59 countries. Groups and individual tourists must book a tour through an accredited travel agency.

Find out whether you qualify for the policy here .

7. Visa Exemption for the Pearl River Delta Area

International travelers from Hong Kong or Macau are able to visit the Pearl River Delta area (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, etc.) visa-free as long as they go with a registered tour provider, such as us.

8. APEC Cards

If you hold a valid APEC business travel card, you can simply enter China with the card without applying for a visa.

Travelers who hold a valid APEC business travel card can stay in China for up to 60 days.

• 4-Day Beijing Private Tour - Essence of Beijing
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Do I Still Need a PCR Test or Antigen Self-Test to Enter China

No. Starting from August 30, all travelers entering China will no longer need to undergo any COVID-19 testing. You do not need to submit any test results for COVID-19 before departure.

• 8-Day Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai Private Tour - China Golden Triangle
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Hong Kong / Macau Travel Restriction

Hong kong entry requirements.

Travelers from any region bound for Hong Kong will no longer need to take pre-flight COVID-19 tests (no PCR test, no RAT test) from April 1.

There is also no need for any tests when traveling from Hong Kong to the Chinese Mainland. Hong Kong could be a good gateway for your China trip. See suggestions on China Itineraries from Hong Kong (from 1 Week to 3 Weeks).

Direct high-speed trains from Guangzhou and Shenzhen to Hong Kong are available now. In preparation for the Canton Fair, it is expected that direct high-speed ferries will be launched from Guangzhou Pazhou Port to Hong Kong's airport in mid-April.

• 10 Top China Tours from Hong Kong

Macau Entry Requirement

From August 30, travelers from any region bound for Macau will no longer need to take pre-flight COVID-19 tests (no PCR test, no RAT test).

There is also no need for any tests when traveling from Macau to the Chinese Mainland.

Inbound and outbound international flights in the week beginning March 6th rose by more than 350% compared with a year earlier, to nearly 2,500 flights, according to Chinese flight tracking data from APP Flight Master.

At present, there are one or two direct flights a week from New York to Shanghai, Los Angeles to Beijing, Seattle to Shanghai, London to Guangzhou, etc.

There are also many flight options with stopovers that are more frequent and affordable. Testing at transit airports is now not required!

The Coronavirus outbreak in China has subsided. China looks like it did in 2019 again. No special measures (like PCR tests or health codes) are required when traveling around China. All attractions are open as normal.

Wearing a mask is not mandatory when traveling. In hotels, masks are off for the most part. But in some crowded places, such as airports or subway stations, many people still wear masks.

Weather-wise, the best times to visit China are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October), when most of the popular places have their most tourism-friendly weather, except for the "golden weeks" — the first week of May and of October — when most attractions are flooded with Chinese tourists.

If you are looking for smaller crowds, favorable prices, and still good weather, you should consider March and April or September.

Tourism in cultural and historical destinations like Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an is hardly affected by weather conditions. They are suitable to be visited all year round.

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Tour China with Us

We've been building our team for over 20 years. Even over the past three years we have continued, serving over 10,000 expats with China tours and getting a lot of praise (see TripAdvisor ).

We are based in China and can show you the characteristics and charm of China from a unique perspective. Just contact us to create your China trip .

Our consultants will listen to and answer your inquiries carefully and prepare the best plan for you.

• 8-Day Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai Highlights Tour — the classic Golden Triangle
• 11-Day Beijing–Xi'an–Guilin–Shanghai — our top itinerary for families
• 2-Week Beijing – Xi'an – Chengdu – Yangtze Cruise – Shanghai Tour — the best choice for panda fans
• 11-Day China Classic Tour
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South Korea lifts visa curbs on Chinese travellers, Beijing considers similar move

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South Korea extends restrictions on travellers from China

South Korea says it will continue to restrict the entry of short-term travellers from China through the end of February over concerns that the spread of COVID-19 in that country may worsen following the Lunar New Year's holidays.

South Korea in early January stopped issuing most short-term visas at its consulates in China, citing concerns about a virus surge in the country that abruptly eased coronavirus restrictions in December and the potential for new mutations.

• COVID-19 Brief newsletter: Sign up for an informed guide on the pandemic

South Korea has also required all passengers from China, Hong Kong and Macao to submit proofs of negative tests taken with 48 hours before their arrival and put them through tests again once they arrive.

The steps, which originally were imposed for the month of January, prompted China to retaliate by suspending South Korean short-term visa applications, raising concerns about disrupted business activities in a country that heavily depends on exports to China.

Following a meeting on South Korea's COVID-19 response on Friday, health authorities decided to extend the coronavirus measures on short-term travellers from China for another month. While there had been some indications COVID-19 outbreaks in major Chinese cities were slowing, South Korean officials remain concerned about a viral resurgence following the massive gatherings and cross-country travel during the Lunar New Year's holidays that ended this week.

South Korean officials during the meeting left open the possibility of easing the restrictions earlier if it becomes clearer that China's COVID-19 situation is improving, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in a statement.

When asked about concerns that China may take further retaliatory steps toward South Korea over the extension of the virus measures, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was closely communicating with Beijing and maintaining that all pandemic responses should be based "only on anti-virus reasons."

According to South Korea's Disease Control and Prevention Agency, around 10% of the 6,900 short-term travellers from China who arrived in the country from Jan. 2 to Thursday tested positive after being tested at the airport.

While allowing the extension of existing visas, South Korea has stopped issuing most short-term visas as its consulates in China, except for essential government, diplomatic and business activities and humanitarian reasons.

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WARNING: Please be aware that some details of this story are upsetting. An animal cruelty investigation is underway in northern Ontario after a box of dead puppies was found at a landfill site, police say.

Body of missing man found, northern Ontario police say

The body of a missing man has been found after his vehicle was pulled into a northern creek on Saturday morning, Ontario Provincial Police say.

Major spike in the price of gas overnight

Drivers were faced with some big numbers at the pumps Thursday morning. The price of gas shot up over night by about 15 cents to around $1.79 per litre.

Fentanyl and 'cutting agent' seized in Sarnia drug bust

Just before 9 p.m., officers used a search warrant at a home in the 300 block of Wellington St. near Stuart Street where three people were arrested.

London police officer charged with impaired

According to the London Police Service (LPS), a 35-year-old Constable who lives in Woodstock was arrested and charged with impaired driving.

Quick-thinking vehicle seller foils buyer's scam attempt

Police advise vehicle owners to be cautious about selling privately after a recent incident where the seller did everything right when faced with a scammer.

Death investigation launched after body washes onto Lake Couchiching shore

Provincial police are investigating after a man's body washed up on the shores of Lake Couchiching in Severn Township.

Here's when to keep your car off the road for the spring street cleanup

Residents across Barrie are asked to keep their vehicles off the roads starting Monday for spring clean-up crews.

Three people displaced after fire in Fontainebleau area

Damage is estimated at $300,000 after a house fire in the Fontainebleau area.

Illegal drugs seized from downtown Windsor business

Windsor police have seized nearly $42,000 in illegal drugs after raiding a psilocybin dispensary. Around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, police used a search warrant at the business in the 300 block of Ouellette Ave. near University Avenue.

Family saved by organ donors encourages registration

Morgan Hurt shares a birthday with her grandfather, Bruce Rand – but it’s the fact both have received life-saving organ donations that has really solidified their special bond.

Vancouver Island

B.C. asks anglers to help eradicate this sport fish common in the rest of Canada

The British Columbia government is encouraging anglers to pack their tackle boxes and head out to a remote lake on Vancouver Island as the province attempts to eradicate an invasive population of sport fish.

B.C. premier to make announcement on short-term rental rules

The B.C. government will be making an announcement Thursday about incoming short-term rental rules.

Parents fighting to save unique Mill Bay school from returning to catchment pool

Evan Jamieson’s nine-year-old son Oliver has thrived at Mill Bay Nature School in Mill Bay, B.C., despite all of his challenges.

Stolen snake named Milkshake returned to Kelowna pet store

A banana ball python that was stolen from a Kelowna pet store on Saturday has been returned unharmed, Mounties said.

Nurses rally at B.C. Interior hospital over security, staffing concerns

Nurses held a rally Wednesday at a hospital in the B.C. Interior that closed its emergency department more than a dozen times last year due to insufficient staff.

B.C. to add 240 complex-care housing units throughout province

British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.

Deterrent sentence possible, expert says, after trio convicted in connection to Coutts border blockade

Three men who helped lead and co-ordinate the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., have been found guilty of public mischief.

Central Alberta man arrested in connection with grandparent scam

Lethbridge police have arrested a Vermilion, Alta., man in connection with a 'grandparent scam' that took aim at a local senior.

Woman, 61, killed in crash north of Coaldale, Alta.: RCMP

An Alberta woman was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on a highway north of Coaldale, Alta., on Wednesday morning.

Sault Ste. Marie

Northern Ont. woman wins big with gifted lottery scratch ticket

A 65-year-old northern Ontario woman says her winning lottery scratch ticket is the best present she has ever received.

Small northern Ont. town loses access to mobile cancer screening

A northern Ont. city councillor says she fears many women will go without the proper health care after town loses access to mobile cancer screening.

Sault cracking down on people who misuse accessible parking spots

For the next several months, the City of Sault Ste. Marie will be cracking down on people who improperly use accessible parking spaces.

Protest averted as Newfoundland and Labrador premier helps reach pricing deal on crab

A pricing agreement has been reached between crab fishers and seafood processors that will allow for Newfoundland and Labrador's annual crab fishery to get started.

A fish harvester's protest threatens Newfoundland and Labrador's crab season -- again

Longliners across Newfoundland and Labrador are tied up once again, as a new protest by the province's fish harvesters threatens to derail the crab fishery for a second straight year.

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South Korea

Travel Advisory July 24, 2023

South korea - level 1: exercise normal precautions.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Exercise normal precautions in South Korea.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to South Korea.

If you decide to travel to South Korea:

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.   
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .   
• Review the  Country Security Report  for South Korea.   
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.   
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .    

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Quick Facts

Must be valid at time of entry

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No – From April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, the Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) is not required for US citizens traveling for short-term business or tourism purposes.

Embassies and Consulates

U.s. embassy seoul.

188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03141, Korea Telephone: +(82) (2) 397-4114 (from within Korea, dial 02-397-4114)  DSN:721-4114 Fax: +(82) (2) 397-4101 Email:  [email protected]

U.S. Consulate in Busan

Lotte Gold Rose Building #612, Jungang-daero 993, Jin-gu Busan 47209, Korea Telephone: (+82) 51-863-0731 Email:  [email protected]

The Embassy and Consulate are closed on weekends and on  American and Korean holidays .  Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +82 (2) 397-4114.

Destination Description

Learn about the U.S. relationship to countries around the world.

Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements

• You must have a valid U.S. passport to enter Korea. From April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, the  Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA)  is not required for US citizens for stays of 90 days or less that are for tourism or business purposes.
• Visa required for all other purposes, including employment, teaching English, and for stays longer than 90 days.

Exceeding your authorized stay or not possessing a valid visa may result in detention and fines.

• In the event of an overstay, apply for a visa extension from the  Korea Immigration Service (KIS)  before attempting to leave the country. Also consult with KIS regarding changes in visa category.

Military Personnel/DOD and their families on orders:

• Consult  DOD Foreign Clearance Guide , and follow all instructions.
• Enter Korea with DOD identification and travel orders.
• Do not transit other countries such as China without a passport and appropriate visas.
• Family Members/Dependents of Military Personnel/DOD on orders must present upon arrival passports valid for at least six months .

U.S. Government Executive Branch personnel on official business and DOD personnel assigned to the U.S. Embassy  (Including family members/dependents):

• Employes assigned to Mission Korea should enter Korea with a diplomatic or official passport and a diplomatic or official Korean visa obtained through their sponsoring agency.  Check with your sponsoring agency about other requirements. 
• TDY visitors traveling to Korea for up to 90 days on diplomatic or official passports do  not  require Korean visas and do  not  require a K-ETA. TDY visitors must obtain country clearance using  Department of State's eCC system  or  DOD APACS system .

HIV/AIDS Restriction:  The Department of State is unaware of any such entry restrictions for visitors or foreign residents in Korea.

• Visit the  Embassy of Korea  website for current visa information. Please read our  Customs Information page .

COVID-19 Requirements :

• There are no COVID-related entry requirements for U.S. citizens.
• Travel regulations and restrictions are subject to change, sometimes with little notice. You should review the information available on your nearest Korean Embassy or Consulate’s webpage before traveling.

Safety and Security

Public Demonstrations:  Demonstrations and rallies are common in South Korea, particularly near the U.S. Embassy, Seoul City Hall, and areas surrounding military installations. You should avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or rallies. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.

North Korea (The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK):  An armistice agreement, monitored by the United Nations, has maintained general peace on the Korean peninsula since 1953. Tensions occasionally flare up because of provocative acts by North Korea, including ballistic missile and nuclear tests and limited armed incursions into ROK-held territory. Some provocations have escalated into geographically limited skirmishes. South Korea routinely conducts military training exercises and civil defense drills. North Korea often issues strongly-worded and threatening messages, frequently in connection with these exercises. Please see our  Fact Sheet on North Korea .

Weather-related Events:  Heavy rains and flooding may occur during the June - August monsoon season or the May - November typhoon season. See general information about natural disaster preparedness at the U.S.  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)  website.

Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program  ( STEP ):  To receive security messages by email and make it easier to locate you in an emergency, register in STEP. 

If the Embassy becomes aware of any specific and credible threat to the safety and security of U.S. citizens, we will inform you through our website, social media, and email.

Crime:  For most visitors, South Korea remains a very safe country. Common crimes occur more frequently in major metropolitan areas, tourist sites, and crowded markets.

• Take routine safety precautions.
• Pay attention to your surroundings.
• Report any concerns to local police.

Violent crime is not common; however, remain vigilant:

• Exercise caution in crowded entertainment, nightlife, and shopping districts.
• If traveling at night, consider traveling in groups.
• Use legitimate taxis or public transportation only.

Victims of Crime:  Call 112 for emergency assistance or to report a crime to local authorities. Call 02-397-4114 to contact the U.S. Embassy. We can:

• Help you find appropriate medical care;
• Assist you in reporting a crime to police;
• Contact relatives or friends on your behalf;
• Explain Korean judicial procedures in general terms;
• Provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical support in cases of destitution;
• Help you find accommodations and flight arrangements to the United States;
• Replace a lost or stolen passport.

Sexual Assault:   The Embassy regularly receives reports of sexual assault from U.S. citizens. Most cases involved young women assaulted by acquaintances they met on social media, dating, or messaging apps. Alcohol is often involved, and Korea’s low overall crime can create a false sense of security.  Specialized hospital units and police are available in South Korea to assist victims, however services in English and responsiveness to the crime are not always consistent. In general, sex crimes are not punished as harshly in South Korea as in the United States and the road to prosecution is a challenging one for victims.

Domestic Violence:  Victim’s assistance resources or battered women’s shelters exist in Seoul and other urban areas but may be limited in rural areas. Most are government administered and require a police referral. Call 112 for emergency assistance or 1366 to reach Korea’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline. Victims may also contact the Embassy, tel. (+82) 2-397-4114.

Lost or Stolen Passports:  If your passport is stolen, file a report at the nearest police station.

Don't buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if widely available.  It is against South Korean law to purchase these goods and against U.S. law to bring them into the United States. The  Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Division in the U.S. Department of Justice  has more information.

Avoid fraud and scams:  See  Department of State  and  FBI  websites for more information.

Tourism:  The tourism industry is generally regulated and rules with regard to best practices and safety inspections are regularly enforced. Hazardous areas/activities are identified with appropriate signage and professional staff is typically on hand in support of organized activities. In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is widely available throughout the country. Outside of a major metropolitan center, it may take more time for first responders and medical professionals to stabilize a patient and provide life-saving assistance. U.S. citizens are encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance. See our webpage for more information on  insurance providers for overseas coverage .

Local Laws & Special Circumstances

Criminal Penalties:  While in Korea, you are subject to local laws. If you violate Korean laws, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Be aware that:

• Immigration violations can lead to arrest, fines, and deportation.
• There is little tolerance for illegal drugs.
• If you mail illegal drugs to/ from Korea, you will be prosecuted.
• Commercial disputes may lead to criminal charges being filed under local laws.

Be aware that some crimes are prosecutable in the United States, regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on  crimes against minors abroad  and the  Department of Justice  website.

Arrest Notification:  If you are arrested or detained, ask officials to notify the Embassy. See our  webpage  for further information.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Dual Nationality and Military Conscription:  Dual national males (including U.S. service members) may be subject to compulsory military service. If you have family ties to South Korea, consult the nearest Korean Embassy or Consulate or the  Korean Military Manpower Administration  regarding potential citizenship obligations  before entering South Korea .

Passport Seizures and Exit Bans:  If you are involved in a criminal investigation or commercial dispute, authorities may seize your passport and/or block your departure. While we may reissue a passport, we cannot lift an exit ban.

Exit Permits:  Exit permits are not generally required. However, if a parent requests a travel restriction on his/her child, Korean authorities may prevent that child from departing even when traveling with the other parent. As of June 1, 2020, foreigners who are long-term residents of the ROK are required to obtain a re-entry permit four business days prior to departure from Korea. The permits are available online through an e-application at the  www.hikorea.go.kr  website.

International Child Abduction:  See our website for information related to the  prevention of international child abduction . 

Working in South Korea:  If working, including teaching or modeling, you must enter with the appropriate work visa. It is not possible to change your visa status without leaving the country. If you begin work without the appropriate visa, you may be arrested, fined, and/or deported. If you are working without a valid work permit and get into a contractual dispute with your employer, you have little legal recourse.

Students:  See our  Students Abroad  page and  FBI travel tips .

Women Travelers:  See our travel tips for  Women Travelers .

ROK National Security Law:  Authorities may detain, arrest, and imprison persons believed to have committed acts intended to endanger the “security of the state,” including statements deemed to praise the political system and/or officials of the DPRK. 

Customs Regulations: There is strict enforcement of regulations on importing and exporting items such as firearms, narcotics and prescription drugs, non-prescription health supplements, radio equipment, and gold. Importation of materials deemed to be obscene, subversive, or harmful to the public peace is also restricted.

• Amphetamines are illegal in Korea. Do not bring amphetamines or other prescription narcotics into the country without obtaining advance permission in writing from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. See the  U.S. Embassy Seoul, Health Information page .
• Traveling with Pets: See  Korea’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency  website.

See the  Korean Customs Regulations website for complete information.

LGBTI Travelers:  Consensual same-sex sexual activity is not criminalized. Korea is a conservative country in regards to LGBTI issues. However, there are an increasing number of LGBTI-oriented clubs, festivals and NGOs advocating for LGBTI issues. The ROK National Human Rights Commission Act prohibits discrimination against individuals because of their sexual orientation, but there are no laws specifying punishment for persons found to have discriminated on this basis. Same-sex marriages are not recognized. Korean citizens can legally change their gender identity.

See   our  LGBTI Travel Information  page and section 6 of the  Department of State's Human Rights report  for further details.

Mobility Issues:  Korean law mandates access to transportation, communication, and public buildings. Cross walks typically have audio and visual signals. Older buildings and streets are generally less accessible than modern ones. Metro cars and buses in Seoul offer priority seating for the disabled and most metro stations have elevators. Metro platforms include Korean Braille information. Contact individual bus companies and subway associations for specific information. Foreign residents are eligible for disability assistance from local ward offices; assistance varies by ward.

Quality of Care : Western-style medical facilities are available in most large cities. However, not all doctors and staff, are proficient in English. A  list of hospitals  and medical specialists who speak English is available on our website. For emergency ambulance service dial 119. Ambulance services are widely available. For information on medical evacuation from South Korea, please see the State Department’s brochure on  Air Ambulance/MedEvac/Medical Escort Providers . 

We do not pay medical bills.  Be aware that U.S. Medicare does not apply overseas. Verify your health insurance coverage before traveling overseas. See our webpage for information on  insurance providers for overseas coverage . In most cases, health care providers will require payment in advance of treatment or will not release a patient until hospital bills are paid. We strongly recommend supplemental insurance to include coverage for medical evacuation.

Medication:  Carry prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor’s prescription. Most prescription medications, except psychotropic types, can be obtained at Korean pharmacies (brand names often differ). Local pharmacies will require a prescription from a Korean doctor.

Update  vaccinations  recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

For further health information go to:

• World Health Organization
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC)

Travel and Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:  Roads are well-paved, traffic signals functional, and most drivers comply with basic traffic laws. South Korea has a significantly higher traffic fatality rate than the United States. Causes of accidents include excessive speed, frequent lane changes without signaling, running red lights, aggressive bus drivers, and weaving motorcyclists. It is recommended that you photo document any traffic accidents.

Be aware that motorcyclists may drive on sidewalks, and drivers do not always yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks.

Traffic Laws include:

• International driving permit (or ROK license) is required for all drivers.
• Left-hand turns prohibited except with green arrow.
• Seat belts and car seats are mandatory.
• Motorcycle passengers must wear helmets.
• Automobile drivers are presumed to have some fault in accidents involving pedestrians.
• Expect long waits at police stations while police investigate any incidents.
• Police may take your passport or detain you during an investigation.
• Even if negligence is not proven, criminal charges may be filed.
• Blood-alcohol content of 0.03% or higher is considered legally intoxicated.
• Police regularly set up DUI checkpoints. Drivers are required to submit to breathalyzer tests; refusal can result in cancellation of your license.

For information about driver's permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, refer to our  Road Safety page . You may also visit the  Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) website.

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT:  The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of the Republic of Korea's Civil Aviation Authority as being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of the ROK's air carrier operations. Further information may be found on the  FAA's Safety Assessment Page .

Maritime Travel:  Mariners planning travel to South Korea should check for U.S. maritime advisories and alerts at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s  Maritime Security Communications with Industry Web Portal . Information may also be posted to the  U.S. Coast Guard homeport website  and as a broadcast warning on the  National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s website .

For additional travel information

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Call us in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• See the  State Department’s travel website  for the  Worldwide Caution  and  Travel Advisories .
• Follow us on  Twitter  and  Facebook .
• See  traveling safely abroad  for useful travel tips.

South Korea was cited in the State Department’s 2022 Annual Report to Congress on International Child Abduction for demonstrating a pattern of non-compliance with respect to international parental child abduction. Review information about International Parental Child Abduction in  South Korea.  For additional IPCA-related information, please see the  International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act ( ICAPRA )  report.

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Tourism recovery sees China nudging tourists from South Korea, other US allies

As post-pandemic travel recovers, China encourages citizens to visit Global South rather than ‘unfriendly’ countries

Philip Turner February 8, 2024

As international travel rebounds post-COVID-19, the Chinese government appears to be nudging its citizens away from visiting U.S. allies like South Korea, Japan and Australia.

The sluggish resurgence of Chinese outbound tourism emerged as a notable surprise in 2023.

Following its reopening in early 2023, China pushed to revive international travel. By February, it had removed restrictions on group travel to various Southeast Asian countries and New Zealand. This was extended to other major destinations, including South Korea , Japan, Australia and the U.S. by August.

However, the anticipated flood of Chinese tourists fell short. Destinations such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Europe have witnessed only modest increases in Chinese visitor numbers, remaining well below those of 2019.

In 2019, nearly 155 million Chinese traveled abroad; by the first half of 2023, this number had dropped to just over 40 million. A January report by Bloomberg estimates this decline had removed $130 billion from the global economy.

In 2023, about 2 million Chinese tourists visited Korea, merely 34% of the 2019 figure.

Although the numbers are on the rise, with Korean industry leaders anticipating 85,000 Chinese visitors during the Lunar New Year alone, they still fall short of industry experts’ expectations. This contrasts starkly with the surge in outbound travel from South Korea, Japan and Taiwan since the end of the pandemic.

For instance, the number of Koreans traveling to Australia in Nov. 2023 exceeded the figures from the same month in 2019. Yet, the number of Chinese visitors was less than half of the level of that time.

Two women wearing traditional Korean hanbok visit Gyeongbokgung Palace | Image: Canva

EVOLVING TRAVEL TRENDS

With the number of Chinese tourists lagging, South Korea and Japan emerged as the leading providers of visitors to each other’s countries in 2023.

By December , the number of Korean visitors to Japan was double that of Chinese tourists, with mainland Chinese visitors even outnumbered by those from Taiwan.

Commentators have pointed to a number of factors to explain these disappointing figures, such as China’s slower-than-expected gross domestic product growth, difficulties in obtaining passports and visas — 20 million Chinese passports expired during the pandemic — and a shortage of international flights.

The nature of Chinese tourism is also changing, shifting away from traditional group tours toward younger, free and independent travelers who decide their own travel plans and seek more diverse destinations.

An increasing number of Chinese travelers are also choosing to vacation within China , possibly due to having liked what they found when forced to stay home during the pandemic. As a result, domestic destinations like Lhasa, Shantou and Haikou are gaining popularity.

In response to the sluggish interest in international travel, the Chinese government signed visa-free agreements with Singapore and Thailand . In December, these were expanded to include Malaysia and a number of European countries, including France, Italy, Germany and Spain.

Statistics from December indicate that these initiatives have successfully boosted the number of visitors.

POLITICAL FALLOUT

However, these factors alone do not fully explain the variation in Chinese tourists’ destination choices, especially the tepid growth in visits to neighboring countries like South Korea and Japan. Despite the low yen turning Japan into a global tourist hotspot over the past year, Chinese tourists have been the exception.

China itself has suggested that politics may be influencing these trends.   

A Global Times article published on Feb. 3 highlighted a survey of 25,000 Chinese netizens, listing the Maldives, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Iceland, Switzerland, France and Italy as their top 10 tourist destinations.

Noticeably, South Korea and Australia, once popular destinations among Chinese tourists, were no longer in the top 10, with Japan dropping from second to fifth.

The article mentioned long distances and high costs but emphasized “worsening diplomatic ties and unfriendly attitudes toward Chinese tourists” as deterrents to travel to South Korea, Japan and Australia.

It quoted a local tourism expert saying, “The top five countries are all countries surrounding China and which all warmly embrace Chinese tourists.”

The Global Times article also criticized the South Korean government’s “hostile policies toward China” and pointed to reported instances of mistreatment and discrimination against Chinese visitors in the ROK.

For example, it mentioned Chinese tourists being required to wear a yellow sign and being escorted to a special area upon arrival at Incheon airport in early 2023, omitting that these measures were temporary and applied to all travelers from China , including South Koreans, due to COVID-19 precautions.

Concurrently, the Global Times article suggested that the falling popularity of Japan among Chinese tourists reflects souring ties between China and Japan, “as Tokyo appears intent on aiding the U.S. containment strategy against China and its plan of dumping nuclear wastewater into the ocean drew widespread indignation among Chinese people.”

South Korean foreign minister meets Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi during the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, July 7, 2022 | Image: ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Facebook

PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY

Given the Chinese Communist Party’s tight control of all domestic media, commentary in the Global Times is widely regarded as indicative of government views and, therefore, closely monitored by analysts and government officials worldwide.

It is hard to interpret the Global Times’ comments as anything other than a signal to Chinese tourists and operators to favor destinations in the Global South over South Korea, Japan, Australia and other U.S.-friendly countries.

It is unlikely to be coincidental that the country at the top of the Global Times’ favorite destination list — the Maldives — has recently been in the news for getting into a diplomatic spat with its giant neighbor, India.

China has quickly capitalized on these tensions, warmly welcoming the new Maldivian president to Beijing and formally upgrading its ties with the country .

China is also promoting travel to newer destinations such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates , where Beijing is similarly reinforcing diplomatic relations.

A Bloomberg analysis in January revealed a wildly uneven pattern of recovery in flights from China to other countries post-COVID-19. It reported connections to the Middle East and Africa were back at 100% of 2019 levels, compared to 80% for Europe, 43% for Japan, 32% for South Korea and barely 15% for North America.

Remarkably, there are now no direct flights between China and India, the world’s two most populous countries and immediate neighbors. That likely reflects the poor shape of the bilateral relationship between Beijing and New Delhi and is similar to the shortage of flights between China and the U.S.

Conversely, Russia, enjoying a “ no limits ” relationship with China at a “historic high,” ranked fourth on the Global Times’ popularity list for travel.

China’s history of leveraging outbound tourism as a tool of indirect economic coercion is well-documented.

South Korea already experienced it once before in 2017 over its decision to proceed to host U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile defense systems, leading to a precipitate drop in Chinese visitors.

Canada felt a similar effect following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018.

Japan suffered similarly a decade ago, the last time bilateral relations were in a trough.

These actions are all plausibly deniable, with Chinese sources routinely attributing these outcomes to the decisions of individual consumers rather than government directives. Yet, the impact is undeniable.

South Korean tourist industry leaders will likely be hoping that the impact of geopolitical tensions on Chinese travel trends will prove to be brief and transient.

Edited by John Lee

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Philip Turner

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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 $556 (per person), while a week in South Korea may cost you around $750. 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 China compared to South Korea ($34 vs. $48). Budget travelers usually stay in less expensive hostels and guest houses, while nicer hotels often 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 ($28) are often cheaper than China ($23).

• South Korea Prices China Prices
• Average Daily Cost Per person, per day South Korea $ 107 China $ 79
• Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person South Korea $ 48 China $ 34
• Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room South Korea $ 97 China $ 68
• Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc. South Korea $ 16 China $ 16
• Food Meals for one day South Korea $ 28 China $ 23
• Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc. South Korea $ 26 China $ 17
• Alcohol Drinks for one day South Korea $ 11 China $ 11
• Water Bottled water for one day South Korea $ 2.11 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.

Why is South Korea more expensive than China?

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

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?

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

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

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!

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?

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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

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

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!

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

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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S. Korea expects boost from Chinese tourists

The resumption of Chinese group tours will boost South Korea's economy, experts say, adding that tourism and cultural exchanges can also help improve bilateral relations.

China recently announced a third round of resumed outbound group tours to 78 countries and regions, including South Korea.

On Thursday, the first Chinese cruise ship since 2017 arrived at South Korea's largest resort island of Jeju. The Shanghai Blue Dream Star carried 668 Chinese tourists, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Suh Yong-gu, marketing professor in Sookmyung Business School at Sookmyung Women's University in South Korea, said China resuming group tours would be "positive" for South Korea's economy.

The Bank of Korea said it projects that nearly 2.2 million Chinese tourists will visit South Korea from July to December. In the fourth quarter, the number is expected to reach 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

In the first half of this year, about 564,000 Chinese tourists visited South Korea. This was equivalent to just 19.5 percent of the 2.8 million recorded in the first half of 2019, Korea Tourism Organization said.

"The resumption of Chinese group tours to South Korea is no doubt very good news," said An Yong-ju, a professor of global leisure and tourism at Sun Moon University, noting that tourism is more than the mobility of people because all activities related to it will have a strong impact on the economy.

To sustain the momentum, An said the South Korean government needs to put in more effort since it has the biggest role to play in attracting more Chinese tourists to the country.

China was the first country to reach 6 million tourist visits to South Korea and Chinese travelers accounted for nearly half of total foreign tourists in 2014.

But arrivals dropped significantly after that. An said the COVID-19 pandemic and diplomatic tensions after the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile system in South Korea in 2017 contributed to the drop in arrivals.

Peak in 2019

As South Korea saw a record high of 17.5 million international arrivals in 2019, An said the number could have easily surpassed 20 million if Seoul had formed better relations with Beijing.

Besides Jeju, Incheon, Busan and Mokpo are all ramping up efforts to attract Chinese tourists by introducing targeted products and services, arranging overseas promotional events, as well as cooperating with major Chinese travel agencies.

Duty free chains like Shinsegae, which welcomed the first Chinese tour group of 31 people on Aug 26, are working to improve Chinese language services and offering promotional campaigns with Chinese digital payment platform WeChat Pay.

"We expect to see more Chinese group tourists from October when there is (China's) National Day holiday," Park Sang-sun, from the overseas sales department of Shinsegae Duty Free, said.

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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!

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

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

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.

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.

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 .

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 🇦🇲

5 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.

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Requirement for Entry to Korea(as of Jul 15, 2023)

Before Entry into Korea

​ ※  From April 1 to December 31, 2023, K-ETA is temporarily exempted for 22 countries/regions below.

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong , Italy, Japan, Macao , Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, UK, US(including Guam)

https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/board/viewboarddetail.do?bbsSn=149899

1.  K-ETA : Nationals of K-ETA eligible countries/regions can apply for K-ETA via  the official K-ETA website ( https://www.k-eta.go.kr/ )  or mobile application(search K-ETA on the mobile APP store) at least 72 hours before departure

※ HKSAR, MACAOSAR, and BNO passport holders are required to apply for K-ETA and obtain approval to enter Korea under visa-free entry.

※  K-ETA will be temporarily exempted to the 22 countries/regions starting from April 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024.  For details, please refer to 'Notice on Temporary Exemption of K-ETA (As of 1st April 2023)' : https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/hk-en/brd/m_1503/view.do?seq=1343459&page=1

※  Chinese passport / DI passport / Macao travel pass holders need to apply for a visa depending on visiting purpose.

※  Please check the K-ETA website for eligible countries/regions.

※ Please be cautious of K-ETA phishing sites.

2.  COVID-19 test : not necessary from 11th March 2023

After arrival in Korea

1.  COVID-19 test : no need

2. Health declaration : submit 'Health declaration form' or 'QR code from  Q-code '

for Q-code, please visit  the Q-CODE web page ( https://cov19ent.kdca.go.kr )  and register with personal information, health status questionnaire, COVID-19 negative result certificate and etc. 

※ From July 15, Q-code is no longer necessary from Hong Kong and Macao

revised on 22.Feb, 28.Feb, 8 Mar, 11 Mar, 1 Apr, 15 Jul

• Related Links https://cov19ent.kdca.go.kr/cpassportal/biz/beffatstmnt/main.do?lang=en Q-CODE(Quarantine Information Advance Input System) https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/apply/index.do?locale=EN K-ETA(Korea Electronic Travel Authorization)

BREAKING: Two seated jurors in Trump's hush money trial have been dismissed, underscoring the difficulty of finding impartial jurors

U.S. envoy to U.N. urges Russia and China not to ‘reward’ North Korea’s bad behavior

PANMUNJOM, South Korea — The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations urged Russia and China on Tuesday to reverse course, and stop rewarding North Korea ’s bad behavior and blocking U.N. scrutiny of the isolated country’s efforts to evade sanctions over its weapons programs.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the remarks during a visit to the Demilitarized Zone, a heavily fortified border between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war.

Her trip to South Korea came after Russia  rejected the annual renewal of the multinational panel of experts that has over the past 15 years monitored the implementation of U.N. sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

Moscow’s veto and China’s abstention only “empowers” North Korea’s efforts to sidestep international sanctions and “shields” it from accountability, Thomas-Greenfield said.

“Hiding the truth does not change it. Rewarding bad behavior only encourages it,” she told reporters. “We urge Russia and China to reverse course and once again to urge Pyongyang to choose diplomacy and come to the negotiating table to commit to constructive dialogue.”

Washington will work with South Korea, Japan and other partners at the Security Council to look at “some creative ways, some out-of-the-box thinking” to continue monitoring sanctions enforcement and other work carried out by the panel, Thomas-Greenfield said.

Later in Seoul, she met with a group of young North Korean defectors, lauding their escape to the South as “courageous, inspiring.”

“One of my priorities is to raise the profile of human rights violations in the DPRK, to raise the profile and amplify your voices as escapees,” she told them, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Thomas-Greenfield arrived on Sunday and met President Yoon Suk Yeol and Seoul’s foreign and defense ministers on Monday to discuss ways to deter North Korea’s weapons programs and promote human rights in the reclusive state.

She will also travel to Japan, where she is expected to meet family members of Japanese citizens who were abducted in the early 2000s by North Korea, and visit Nagasaki, which was hit by a U.S. nuclear bomb in 1945, until Saturday.

Both South Korea and Japan are U.S. allies and members of the Security Council.

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China will use AI to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India, Microsoft warns

Beijing did a test run in Taiwan using AI-generated content to influence voters away from a pro-sovereignty candidate

China will attempt to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India this year with artificial intelligence-generated content after making a dry run with the presidential poll in Taiwan, Microsoft has warned.

The US tech firm said it expected Chinese state-backed cyber groups to target high-profile elections in 2024, with North Korea also involved, according to a report by the company’s threat intelligence team published on Friday.

“As populations in India, South Korea and the United States head to the polls, we are likely to see Chinese cyber and influence actors, and to some extent North Korean cyber actors, work toward targeting these elections,” the report reads.

Microsoft said that “at a minimum” China will create and distribute through social media AI-generated content that “benefits their positions in these high-profile elections”.

The company added that the impact of AI-made content was minor but warned that could change.

“While the impact of such content in swaying audiences remains low, China’s increasing experimentation in augmenting memes, videos and audio will continue – and may prove effective down the line,” said Microsoft.

Microsoft said in the report that China had already attempted an AI-generated disinformation campaign in the Taiwan presidential election in January. The company said this was the first time it had seen a state-backed entity using AI-made content in a bid to influence a foreign election.

A Beijing-backed group called Storm 1376, also known as Spamouflage or Dragonbridge, was highly active during the Taiwanese election. Its attempts to influence the election included posting fake audio on YouTube of the election candidate Terry Gou – who had bowed out in November – endorsing another candidate. Microsoft said the clip was “likely AI generated”. YouTube removed the content before it reached many users.

The Beijing-backed group pushed a series of AI-generated memes about the ultimately successful candidate, William Lai – a pro-sovereignty candidate opposed by Beijing – that levelled baseless claims against Lai accusing him of embezzling state funds. There was also an increased use of AI-generated TV news anchors, a tactic that has also been used by Iran , with the “anchor” making unsubstantiated claims about Lai’s private life including fathering illegitimate children.

Microsoft said the news anchors were created by the CapCut tool, which is developed by Chinese company ByteDance, the owner of TikTok.

Microsoft added that Chinese groups continue to mount influence campaigns in the US. It said Beijing-backed actors are using social media accounts to pose “divisive questions” and attempt to understand issues dividing US voters.

“This could be to gather intelligence and precision on key voting demographics ahead of the US Presidential election,” said Microsoft in a blog post accompanying the report.

One post on X, formerly Twitter, referred to a $118bn bipartisan bill in the US that combined a $20bn of investment in the US-Mexico border with a $75bn package for Ukraine and Israel. It asked: “What’s your reaction?” Another flagged the loss of an F-35 fighter in South Carolina last year, saying “only under the Biden administration” could a valuable piece of military hardware be lost – although debris was found soon after – and asked “what do you think about this?”

The report was published in the same week that a White House-appointed official review board said “a cascade of errors” by Microsoft let state-backed Chinese cyber operators break into email accounts of senior US officials. Last month, the US and UK governments accused China-backed hackers of waging a years-long cyber campaign targeting politicians, journalists and businesses, as well as the UK’s election watchdog.

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One of China’s top leaders will lead a delegation to North Korea this week

FILE - Chinese paramilitary policemen build a fence near a concrete marker depicting the North Korean and Chinese national flags with the words “China North Korea Border” at a crossing in the Chinese border town of Tumen in eastern China’s Jilin province on Dec. 8, 2012. Zhao Leji, a top Chinese leader will lead a delegation to North Korea this week, both countries announced Tuesday, April 9, 2024.(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

FILE - Zhao Leji attends a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023. Zhao, a top Chinese leader will lead a delegation to North Korea this week, both countries announced Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

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BEIJING (AP) — A top Chinese leader will lead a delegation to North Korea this week, both countries announced Tuesday, in what would be the highest-level meeting between the two countries since the pandemic began.

Zhao Leji, who is chairman of the National People’s Congress and considered the No. 3 official in the ruling Communist Party, will visit North Korea from Thursday to Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

No details were released on what was described as a goodwill visit, except that the delegation would attend the opening ceremony for the “China-North Korea Friendship Year.”

“The specific arrangements for the visit are still under negotiation,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

A dispatch from North Korea’s official KCNA news agency also announced the trip.

Zhao is one of the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party’s top leadership body headed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Zhao’s visit to North Korea will be the first bilateral exchange involving a Chinese Politburo Standing Committee member since the pandemic started. In 2019, the two countries held a pair of summit meetings , for one of which Xi traveled to Pyongyang.

North Korea and China are expected to hold a number of exchanges to mark the 75th year since they established of diplomatic ties, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been pushing to boost partnerships with China and Russia in a bid to strength his regional footing and join a united front against the United States.

Kim traveled to Russia in September for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin . The U.S., South Korea and others accuse North Korea of supplying conventional weapons for Russia’s war in Ukraine in return for advanced weapons technologies and other support.

China, North Korea’s biggest source of aid, is believed to have long shipped clandestine assistance to help keep afloat its impoverished socialist ally, which it views as a bulwark against U.S. influence on the Korean Peninsula.

“China is key to North Korea’s economy. There is a limit that Russia can do for North Korea economically,” Park Won Gon, a professor at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University. “For the short-term assistance, shipments of food or crude oil can be made. But to make its economy grow in the long term, North Korea needs investments and markets. China is the only country that can provide those to North Korea.” ___

Associated Press writer Jiwon Song in Seoul, South Korea contributed to this report.

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