Overview
Long the sea gate to Seoul, Incheon opened to foreign trade in the nineteenth century and grew into a major port and industrial city, now joined to the capital by metro. Its history shows in the old open-port quarter and Korea’s largest Chinatown, while offshore the airport island and the planned city of Songdo point to the future. Most travellers pass through its airport, but the city itself offers harbour history, island ferries and a taste of the coast within reach of Seoul.
Highlights
The open-port area keeps colonial-era buildings, museums and Korea’s oldest Chinatown, famous for jjajangmyeon noodles. Songdo, built on reclaimed land, shows off its towers and the wide Central Park, a glimpse of the planned Korean city. Ferries from Incheon reach the West Sea islands, and the airport itself is among the world’s best for a long layover.