From extreme heat to monsoon rain, here are some of the best things to pack for your trip to Korea this summer. Plus, a list of gifts to bring from overseas to delight your Korean friends and relatives.
A few days ago, I wrote a summer travel guide for my friend who’s visiting Seoul with her family. I was talking to her about things to pack for her trip, and I realized that the list was getting pretty long, so I just made another post in a frenzy.
What to pack for a summer trip to Korea
- Pack your carry-on inside your big luggage when arriving; leave with all bags full when you return home. This is a travel hack for anywhere you go, but a must if you plan to stock up on K-beauty, K-drama special edition OSTs, and all the goodies and trinkets that Korea has to offer.
- Another universal travel hack: pack less clothes than you think you need, and take laundry soap for essentials (I love this 궁궁비책 baby laundry soap because it works and it smells nice). You’ll likely find some clothes you want to buy anyway if you frequent shopping districts in Seoul.
- Look up “코인세탁” (coin laundry) or “빨래방” (laundromat) on Naver Map to find the nearest laundromat. They’re often open 24 hours and some are conveniently attached to drycleaners.
- If needed, you can buy affordable clothes in Korea, but they tend to be limited to Asian and small body sizes (American size S to M). If you wear plus sizes, you’ll want to bring enough from home.
Pack your bags for Korea with summer elements in mind
- Air conditioning: Be sure to pack very lightweight long-sleeve jackets for everyone. Summer is hot and humid, but indoor AC is freezing (many businesses in Korea tend to have overhead or freestanding AC units that just blast directly in your face).
- Rain: Bring Crocs or other water-proof shoes for kids and for yourself. Contrary to popular practice, I find rain boots to be too hot, stinky, and bulky for summer. When we’re out on rainy days, I opt to wear shorts and rubber shoes/sandals and carry wet wipes to clean up/dry off as needed.
- Sun: SPF skincare and sunscreen are available everywhere in Korea, but bring your own if you have any skin sensitivities, since ingredients on local products are listed in Korean. (Tip: Soko Glam now ships internationally and does a great job listing English ingredients on all their products, so trial some of their K-beauty bestsellers before coming to Korea to stock up on your favorites.) Don’t forget to bring hats for kids and UPF parasols for adults (both you can find locally everywhere).
- Swimming: With the exception of trendier beaches and beach bars, it’s more common to see full rash guard and long-sleeved action at sunny beaches and even in outdoor swimming pools than it is to see actual swim suits. Don’t forget to pack swim caps for public or hotel swimming pools (swim caps or regular caps are required in most public swimming pools and even water parks like Caribbean Bay and Lotte Water Park).
What to pack when visiting Korea with kids
- Puro sound-cancelling Bluetooth headphones for kids. I got these last year for international travel, and I wish I had gotten them earlier. Great sound cancelling, long-lasting battery, cable for plugging into devices when needed (and a daisy chain cable, which comes in handy when we only have one tablet to share movie with both kids).
- Don’t overpack snacks unless your kid has dietary restrictions: Korea is not a very allergy-friendly country, so bring your own snacks if your child has food sensitivities. Convenience stores like CU and GS25 are the easiest options for snacks on the go, but health-minded families with younger babies will prefer organic and sugar-free options found in health shops like ORGA (올가) or Hansalim (한살림). Every major grocery store and department store also has a baby food and snack section worth checking out.
- Hand sanitizer spray: A lot of public bathrooms in Korea don’t have soap, run low on soap, or offer bar soap (ick). I prefer the spray type from Dr. Brommers or Trader Joe’s that doesn’t leave behind sticky residue.
- Plastic bag for trash. Korea is known for its absence of public trash bins. When I’m out with kids, I always have a spare plastic bag on me for trash, wipes, soiled clothes, etc.
- Solid conditioner bar: Unless you’re staying in a nicer hotel, you’ll find a lot of Airbnb, pensions, and budget hotels in Korea don’t provide conditioner. This is also true for Korean homes with older people (if you’re staying with a Korean woman over the age of 55, the chances of her having short permed hair and no need for conditioner are quite high). If you or your kids have long hair, you’ll want to bring your own conditioner or buy it in Korea if you’re not picky about ingredients and scent (look for “rinse (린스)” on the package, which is Konglish for conditioner). I use the this conditioner bar for my travels (currently out of stock on Amazon) because it’s easier to travel with solids vs. liquids.
- Car seats: Most tourists don’t rent cars to get around Korea, since the country is pretty well connected by train and buses, and even taxis are still affordable and plenty. If you plan to drive with kids, it’s usually cheaper to bring or buy locally rather than renting. Car seats are important, but the locals unfortunately don’t care about car safety like North America does. Most Koreans I know don’t use them with kids once they’re about kindergarten age or older.
What kind of gifts should you bring to Korea
Korea has changed a lot in the past couple decades. I remember bringing vitamins and nutritional supplements from Costco for relatives and useful IKEA items for our house when returning to Korea, but now we have most of the brands and stores that are popular in other countries. With that said, here’s a list of small gifts and nicer presents that I’ve always found to be popular among Korean friends and family in recent experience.
What gifts bring your Korean hosts or friends
It’s customary in Korea to bring gifts when visiting someone at home or even in an outside setting. Generally, if something is not available in Korea, they make great treats. That includes anything from Trader Joe’s, M&S Food, or other snacks that aren’t imported to Korea.
- US two dollar bills: Random, I know, but USD 2 dollar notes are a token of good luck in Korea, and it’s not uncommon to see them inside a Korean’s wallet or laminated and tacked up behind a cash counter at local businesses. I have a relative who always asks me to bring back $2 bills whenever I visit the US, so he can give them out as small gifts, favors, and include them inside cards and wedding cash gifts. While a stack of Jeffersons wouldn’t make sense as a standalone gift in Korea, a 2 dollar bill would be a nice addition to any card or a casual gesture.
- Anything from Trader Joe’s: A lot of their chocolate snacks could be considered too sweet by Koreans, but I’ve always had good luck with American flavors like S’mores chocolate bites and caramel-based chocolate gifts or cookies. Also, kids love their fruit leather buttons (Korea has a lot of gummy snacks, but not a lot of healthier ones like fruit leather). During Xmas, tins of Trader Joe’s Jingle Jangle make very nice gifts.
- Snacks from M&S For those coming from countries with M&S, their snacks make great gifts. When I lived in Hong Kong, the M&S crackers, biscuits, and chocolates I brought to Korea were always a big hit. My friends especially love the Extremely Chocolatey Caramels, which always seem to be low in stock at every M&S I’ve visited.
What gifts to bring your Korean relatives
A few of my favorite nicer things and big ticket items from abroad, suitable for close friends and family.
- Big sizes: This applies to XL sizes and big shoe sizes. My husband has big feet and he has difficulty finding shoes in his size in Korea, so we try to source them when we’re overseas. Getting the right fit is difficult, but ask if they need anything just in case.
- L.L. Bean is always a hit with my relatives because 1) they don’t sell them in Korea 2) they’re generally well-made and 3) they make large sizes that are difficult to source locally for taller and bigger relatives. The classic L.L. Bean sweater fleece zip-up hoodie with zippered pockets are our nice gifts for relatives of all ages (it comes in baby/toddler to XXL sizes)
- Customized (engraved) YETI or Hydroflask tumblers: Korea is finally getting on the water bottle and drinkware bandwagon, with more schools and organizations asking people to BYOBottle. YETI isn’t available locally and it carries a bit of prestige among camping fanatics, but that also means the recipient won’t be able to source accessories easily. Hydroflask is available in Korea, but without customizing options. We’ve tried both brands, and I find Hydroflask to be cheaper and just as capable without being as heavy as YETI.
- Other brands I see interest in, but aren’t available in Korea include: Barbour for heritage style, Cotopaxti for travelers and outdoorsy types (I love our 16L pack—it’s our go-to day bag), and RAINS (I get lots of compliments on my RAINS jacket in Korea. I think it’s because Korea doesn’t sell a lot of cute and structured rain apparel despite becoming increasingly wet these days).
That’s my list for now. I’ll add more as they come to mind, but in the meantime, I would love to hear others’ experiences and recommendations for packing for Korea. Please add yours in the comments!