ToKorea.org

๐Ÿ“ฑ Essential Apps

Maps, transport, taxis, trains, translation, restaurant bookings and emergencies: choose the right app for each situation in Korea.

Install these first

You do not need every app. Most travelers only need these four.

NAVER Map
Directions ยท subway ยท bus ยท walking
โญ MUST INSTALL
Papago
Translation ยท menus ยท voice
โญ MUST INSTALL
k.ride
Taxi for international visitors
โญ MUST INSTALL
Emergency Ready
Disasters ยท safety ยท alerts
โญ MUST INSTALL
Only staying in Seoul?
NAVER Map, Papago, k.ride and Emergency Ready solve most situations. Planning rail trips to other cities? Add KORAIL+.

What do you need right now?

Recommended

k.ride

BEST FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS ยท MUST INSTALL

Best when: You want a taxi but cannot explain the destination to the driver.

Best for
Calling a taxi without a Kakao account or a Korean bank
Languages
EN ยท JA ยท ZH (Simplified and Traditional) ยท destination search in 133 languages
Korean phone number needed?
A phone number is used at sign-up; a Korean number is not needed
Foreign card?
Yes, cards issued outside Korea
Account needed?
Google or Apple sign-in; no Kakao account needed
Price
Free to download
How to use
  1. 1Install the app and sign up
  2. 2Add a payment method
  3. 3Search your destination
  4. 4Choose the taxi and check the estimated fare
  5. 5Tap Request Ride
  6. 6Check the car number and get in

๐Ÿ’ก The in-app chat translates automatically, so you can talk to the driver.

k.ride website

Browse by situation

Maps Public Transport Taxi Train & Bus Translation Food Money Travel Emergency

๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ Maps

NAVER Map

BEST OVERALL ยท MUST INSTALL

Best when: Finding your hotel, the nearest station, bus arrival times and which subway exit to use.

Best for
Walking ยท subway ยท bus ยท restaurants and cafes
Languages
EN ยท JA ยท ZH ยท KO
Korean phone number needed?
Not required
Foreign card?
Not needed (free)
Account needed?
Not required for basic use
Price
Free to download
How to use
  1. 1Search your destination by name or address
  2. 2Tap Directions
  3. 3Choose Transit, Walk or Car
  4. 4Check the route and the travel time
  5. 5Follow the bus number, subway line and exit number

๐Ÿ’ก If a place does not show up, paste its Korean name or Korean address.

NAVER Map website

KakaoMap

GOOD ALTERNATIVE

Best when: Search here when a place is missing in NAVER Map, or to compare results.

Best for
A second opinion when NAVER Map cannot find a place
Languages
Mainly Korean
Korean phone number needed?
Check in the app
Foreign card?
Not needed (free)
Account needed?
Check in the app
Price
Free to download
KakaoMap website

Google Maps

USEFUL, BUT DO NOT RELY ON IT ALONE

Best when: Great for finding places and reading reviews in your own language.

Best for
Place search, reviews and saving places before your trip
Languages
Many languages
Korean phone number needed?
Not required
Foreign card?
Not needed (free)
Account needed?
Google account optional
Price
Free to download

๐Ÿ’ก Google Maps works for many place searches and some public-transit information in Korea, but walking and driving navigation may still be limited. Keep NAVER Map as your main navigation app.

Google Maps

๐Ÿš‡ Public Transport

Most travelers do not need a separate subway app. Enter your start and destination in NAVER Map to see the subway line, bus number, transfer point, arrival time and travel time together.

๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ NAVER Map

RECOMMENDED FOR MOST TRAVELERS

Enter your start and destination, then follow the subway line, bus number and exit number it shows.

See the NAVER Map details โ†‘

Subway Korea

OPTIONAL

Best when: Only if you ride the subway very often. NAVER Map is enough for most travelers.

Best for
Subway maps in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju
Languages
Check in the app
Korean phone number needed?
Check in the app
Foreign card?
Not needed (free)
Account needed?
Check in the app
Price
Free to download

๐Ÿš‡ Subway guide โ†’๐ŸšŒ Bus guide โ†’๐Ÿ’ณ Transportation Cards โ†’

๐Ÿš• Taxi

k.ride

BEST FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS ยท MUST INSTALL

Best when: You want a taxi but cannot explain the destination to the driver.

Best for
Calling a taxi without a Kakao account or a Korean bank
Languages
EN ยท JA ยท ZH (Simplified and Traditional) ยท destination search in 133 languages
Korean phone number needed?
A phone number is used at sign-up; a Korean number is not needed
Foreign card?
Yes, cards issued outside Korea
Account needed?
Google or Apple sign-in; no Kakao account needed
Price
Free to download
How to use
  1. 1Install the app and sign up
  2. 2Add a payment method
  3. 3Search your destination
  4. 4Choose the taxi and check the estimated fare
  5. 5Tap Request Ride
  6. 6Check the car number and get in

๐Ÿ’ก The in-app chat translates automatically, so you can talk to the driver.

k.ride website

Kakao T

GOOD IF YOU ALREADY HAVE IT

Best when: Already signed up? Keep using it. On your first visit, k.ride is usually simpler.

Best for
Koreaโ€™s widely used taxi and mobility app
Languages
Check in the app
Korean phone number needed?
Check in the app
Foreign card?
Overseas Visa, Mastercard, JCB and AMEX can be registered
Account needed?
Kakao T sign-up needed
Price
Free to download
Kakao Mobility

๐Ÿš• Taxi guide โ†’

๐Ÿš„ Train & Bus

KORAIL+

OFFICIAL TRAIN APP ยท REPLACES KORAIL TALK

Best when: Seoul to Busan, Gyeongju or Gangneung, Busan to Daejeon, Daejeon to Gwangju and similar trips.

Best for
Searching and booking KTX and other KORAIL trains
Languages
Check in the app
Korean phone number needed?
Check in the app
Foreign card?
Check in the app
Account needed?
Sign-up usually needed to book
Price
Free to download
How to use
  1. 1Pick the departure and arrival stations
  2. 2Enter the date and number of travelers
  3. 3Choose a train
  4. 4Check the seat and fare
  5. 5Pay
  6. 6Check your issued ticket

๐Ÿ’ก KORAIL Talk was replaced by KORAIL+ on 3 August 2026, which also covers the former SRT trains.

KORAIL website

Bustago

FOR INTERCITY BUSES

Best when: Traveling between cities on routes without a convenient train.

Best for
Searching routes and booking intercity bus tickets
Languages
Has an English page
Korean phone number needed?
Check in the app
Foreign card?
Check in the app
Account needed?
Check in the app
Price
Free to download
Bustago website

Tmoney GO

USEFUL, BUT LESS FOREIGNER-FRIENDLY

Best when: A backup app. Sign-up, language and payment can be harder for visitors than NAVER Map or k.ride.

Best for
Express and intercity bus search and booking, plus other transport services
Languages
Check in the app
Korean phone number needed?
Check in the app
Foreign card?
Check in the app
Account needed?
Sign-up needed
Price
Free to download
Tmoney website

๐Ÿš„ Train / KTX โ†’๐Ÿš Intercity Bus โ†’

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Translation

Restaurant

Photograph the menu and use Image Translation

Taxi

Translate your destination into Korean and show the screen to the driver

Shopping

Use Voice Translation to talk to staff

Signs

Use Image Translation on the camera

Papago

BEST FOR KOREAN ยท MUST INSTALL

Best when: Menus, signs, talking to staff and showing a destination to a taxi driver.

Best for
Text, camera, voice, website and document translation
Languages
Many languages, including EN ยท JA ยท ZH ยท KO
Korean phone number needed?
Not required
Foreign card?
Not needed (free)
Account needed?
Not required for basic use
Price
Free to download
Papago website

๐Ÿœ Food

CATCHTABLE Global

BEST FOR RESTAURANT BOOKINGS

Best when: Popular restaurants often need a reservation or a wait. Check before you go.

Best for
Booking popular restaurants and joining waiting lists
Languages
About 20 languages
Korean phone number needed?
Korean number not needed
Foreign card?
Yes, for booking deposits
Account needed?
Google, Apple or email sign-in
Price
Free to download

๐Ÿ’ก Want to eat at a popular restaurant? Check CATCHTABLE before going.

VISITKOREA: CATCHTABLE Global

๐Ÿ’ณ Money

WOWPASS

ONLY IF YOU USE THE CARD

Best when: Check the card balance, get payment notifications, top up and find nearby WOWPASS machines.

Best for
Managing your WOWPASS card and travel money
Languages
Check in the app
Korean phone number needed?
Check in the app
Foreign card?
Top-ups with overseas cards are supported
Account needed?
Check in the app
Price
Free to download

๐Ÿ’ก You do not need the app if you do not use the card.

WOWPASS website

๐Ÿ’ณ Transportation Cards โ†’

๐Ÿฏ Travel

VISITKOREA

OFFICIAL KOREA TOURISM APP

Best when: You have not decided where to go. Search by region or interest.

Best for
Attractions, food, stays, shopping, festivals and travel courses
Languages
Several languages
Korean phone number needed?
Not required
Foreign card?
Not needed (free)
Account needed?
Not required for browsing
Price
Free to download
VISITKOREA website

Odii

FREE AUDIO GUIDE

Best when: Hear the history and stories as you walk. Download guides on Wi-Fi to listen offline.

Best for
Palaces, historic sites, museums and sightseeing areas
Languages
EN ยท KO ยท JA ยท ZH
Korean phone number needed?
Not required
Foreign card?
Not needed (free)
Account needed?
Check in the app
Price
Free to download
VISITKOREA: Odii

๐Ÿšจ Emergency

Emergency Ready

OFFICIAL ยท MUST INSTALL

Best when: Typhoons, earthquakes, heavy snow and other emergencies. Allow location and notifications after you arrive.

Best for
Disaster alerts, evacuation shelters, public medical facilities and safety tips
Languages
Disaster alerts in 22 languages
Korean phone number needed?
Check in the app
Foreign card?
Not needed (free)
Account needed?
Check in the app
Price
Free to download

๐Ÿ’ก Run by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for foreign visitors and residents. It is not the Korean-language Safety Did-Dim-Dol app.

Seoul: Emergency Ready App

๐Ÿšจ Emergency โ†’

Which app for what?

SituationRecommended app
I need directionsNAVER Map
I want to take the subway or a busNAVER Map
I need a taxik.ride
I need a train ticketKORAIL+
I need an intercity busBustago
I need to translate KoreanPapago
I want to book a restaurantCATCHTABLE Global
I want to manage a travel payment cardWOWPASS
I need tourist informationVISITKOREA
I want an audio guideOdii
I need help in an emergencyEmergency Ready

Suggested app sets by trip type

Mostly Seoul

NAVER Map + Papago + k.ride + Emergency Ready

Seoul plus Busan, Gyeongju, Gangneung or other cities

NAVER Map + Papago + k.ride + KORAIL+ + Emergency Ready

Food trip

The basic apps + CATCHTABLE

History and culture

The basic apps + VISITKOREA + Odii

WOWPASS users

The basic apps + WOWPASS

๐Ÿ†˜ Not sure which app to use?

Lost? Need translation? Not sure which train or bus to take? Contact the Korea Tourism Organization 1330 Korea Travel Helpline.

๐Ÿ“ž Call 1330๐Ÿ’ฌ Chat with 1330 on VISITKOREA
Remember
You do not need to install every app. Start with NAVER Map, Papago, k.ride and Emergency Ready, then add KORAIL+, CATCHTABLE or VISITKOREA when you need them.

Official information

App features, languages and sign-up rules can change. Check the app store page before you install.

Information last verified: 2026-10-07 ยท Updated: 2026-10-07

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