Incheon is a great city both to live in or visit. With many things to do, places to see, bars to drink at and social events to get involved in. Incheon is a city which has a lot to offer.
About Incheon South Korea
Incheon is a city located in the North West of South Korea. It is neighbored by Bucheon and Seoul to the East, Ansan to the South and Goyang to the North. It has a population of around 2.8 million people, which makes it the 3rd biggest city in South Korea behind Seoul & Busan & just ahead of Daegu. Incheon has a rich history and also boosts some interesting cultural sights. It is also home to the international airport of the same name.
Incheon is a large city district which spreads almost to the Korean boarder (DMZ). It is made up of 8 districts (gu) which are Bupyeong, Dong, Gyeyang, Jung, Nam, Namdong, Seo and Yeonsu. Also Incheon as 2 counties which are Ganghwa (large rural area to the north) and Ongjin (most of the small islands off the coast)
Places to Go in Incheon
China Town; the only official China Town in the whole of South Korea is located in Western Incheon close to the port. It is home to numerous Chinese shops, restaurants along with a couple of museums. More information here. The famous statue of Artur MacArthur can be seen in Jayu Park, which is close to China Town.
Incheon Grand Park; a large park located just south of Bucheon and East of Incheon City Hall. This park has a number of interesting things to do but it’s mainly just an relaxing place to visit. More information can be seen in this Eat Your Kimchi Video:
There are also numerous other small parks to enjoy, for example Imhak Park in Gyeyang-gu, More Information Here.
The Beach; Incheon is a port city and although there are no beach connected to the main city. However on the airport island and other neighboring islands there are a number of nice beaches. Eurwangni Beach (을왕리) is maybe the most popular, more information here.
Sinpo Market; Although just a small market in Western Incheon, this market is home to some famous fried chicken. More information here.
Incheon Fish Market; Incheon is one of the biggest ports in South Korea and therefore tones of fish passes though everyday. More Information Here. *Warning* The fish market is difficult to get to via public transport.
Wolmido Island; this is a small island in downtown Incheon close to the Incheon Station and Chinatown. It’s famous for seafood, a small amusement park, hiking and the coastline. More Information Here
Muuido Island; this island is located just of the main Incheon Airport and requires a very short ferry ride to reach. It’s famous for its Beach Huts, Clean Sand and Zip-line. More Information Here
Gangwha Island; this large island just north of Incheon provides a more relax and rural way of life with beaches, hiking and more. More Information Here
Things to Do in Incheon
Sports:
Watch Incheon United (Football / Soccer), currently playing in the K League Classic (the top division of Korean Football). They finished toward the bottom of the table in 2016, and the season runs from March to November. More information can be found here
Watch Incheon SK Wyverns (Baseball), they finished a close 2nd during the 2012 season and their games are always well attended. Tickets are cheap and the beers are cold, the season runs from April to October. *tip* for weekend games book in advance or arrive at the game early. More information can be found Here and Panoramic Pictures of the Munhak Stadium Here.
Also; Watch Incheon ET Elephants (Basketball) or Watch Korean Air Jumbos or Incheon Pink Spiders (Both Volleyball). Click on the links for more information (sorry the volleyball teams information is in Korean)
2017 Update: A few more Incheon based sports teams; Daemyung Killer Whales (Ice Hockey), Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels (Women’s Football / WK-League) and Incheon Shinhan Bank S-Birds (Women’s Basketball).
Incheon hosted the 2014 Asian Games with events taking place in venues all around the city. The venues do host other events throughout the year. More Information Here
Shopping, Hiking and Other Things to Do in Incheon:
Hiking Gyeyang Mountain; Gyeyang Mountain or 계양산 is the tallest peak in Incheon and is located in the north of the city close to Gyesan Station. More Information Here
Shopping in Bupyeong; there are two big and interesting markets in Bupyeong. Firstly there is the underground shopping center which is linked to the subway station, here you can find mainly clothes but also stores focusing on health and beauty. Secondly you have Bupyeong Market which is just East of the station sporting the same name, this is a more working class and everyday life market with basically everything on sell.
There’s also Gyesan Market & Byeongbang Market both similar, smaller than Bupyeong Market but still interesting.
Songdo Central Park & Shopping; Songdo is an international city built on reclaimed land just South of Incheon and has great links to the Airport as well as of the rest of the city. The main highlights are it’s beautiful Central Park (More Information Here) as well as it’s Shopping options including the NC Cube Mall (More Information Here).
Cheongna Central Lake Park & Canal Way; Cheongna similarly to Songdo is a new international city in Incheon, it has a large lake / park just past the central area as well as a canal which flows across the whole of Cheongna. More Information Here
Island Hopping; There are a number of small islands just off the coast of Incheon. The most famous after the airport island is Sindo Island which was the location for the filming of the Korean Drama Full House or the most hipster/party island of Muuido. More information here.
These things are pretty specific to Incheon however similar things are available in other South Korea cities. Also yes some of the things to see and some of the things to do are a little interchangeable.
Western Bars
Incheon is a large city of around 2million people of which there are many expats. Therefore there are a number of Western Bars to enjoy, here are just a few (directions available via the links):
CLOSED 2017 Cheap Shots (Bupyeong) Events, Live Sports and great food, a traditional Western Style bar – Facebook Group Page
Woodstock’s / Little Woodstock (Bupyeong) – A small yet cozy which has a small outside seating area, as it’s a ground floor bar. Facebook Page
Liquor Burger (Yeonsu) – This bar as the name suggests has some great Burgers and foods, but also running events such as a weekly quiz and darts league. Facebook Group Page
O’Malley’s Irish Pub (City Hall) – A nice Irish pub which serves a range of more European style foods. Also holds events Facebook Page
Taco Cielo (City Hall) – This is a mexican bar/restaurant which is next door to O’Malley’s – Website
Cider Bar (Songdo) – The main hangout in the modern area of Songdo. Expat Run and a great place for drinks, food and live music. – Facebook Page
Sadly Now Closed 😦 The Bridge Pub (Cheongna, Seo-gu) – A foreign run Craft Beer pub located right next to the canal in the heart of this new international city – Facebook Page
more will be added as and when suggested or found.
Top Social Links
Most of the bar pages (above) are good sources for events and social events in Incheon but here are some more:
Incheon English Teachers on Facebook
Incheon Flea Market on Facebook (if you’re looking to buy or sell)
Cheongna & Seo-gu Expats Facebook Group (North Incheon and New International City)
Yeonsu Facebook Group (South Incheon, a little before Songdo)
Also:
Here are details and directions to the Incheon Immigration Office.
And the newly opened Incheon Subway Line 2 (July 2016)
Summary
To catch up with part one “Living in South Korea” click here.
Thank you for visiting, if you have any questions about Incheon (or South Korea in general) let us know.
Have a nice day.
Tim
Modern Seoul
Modern Seoul 
Please add Taco Cielo (next door to O’Malley’s) and Fog City International Cafe, which is in Chinatown and has an amazing wine selection, as well as the best pizza to be found in Korea.
Thank you so much for your suggestions, they’ve happily been added 🙂
I have a question…what about gyeyang? Is this a place of working class people?
Most areas of Incheon are more working class mainly due to the number of factories and other industries.
Gyeyang is like that but due to it’s location is also a popular commuter area for people traveling to other parts of Incheon, Seoul and both Gimpo and Incheon International Airports.
Gyeyang does however have more of a relaxed and quieter feel because of the surrounding mountains and farmland (toward the north).
Any more questions let us know.
Wow, your blog is very impressive. Now i’m posting info on bars, shopping malls, clubs, etc in Incheon. If you’re interested in it, why don’t you visit my blog? I was born in Incheon so I want everyone visiting Incheon to have great time in Incheon.
http://fun-incheon.blogspot.com
I posted the info on Taco cielo on my blog!
http://fun-incheon.blogspot.kr/2014/04/a-good-mexican-restaurant-in-guwol-dong.html
you can also get lots of info on Incheon on my blog 😀
Hello, Thank you for this nice article resenting briefly what to see and do in Incheon. I have a question, does it seems possible to practice sailing ? Is there some sailing clubs? Thank you.
Although we’ve seen a handful of Sail Boats, we don’t know of any sailing clubs. Incheon is a trade harbor / port so it’s maybe not the best place for it. Some of the smaller islands close by might have some options.
Sorry we can’t help out.
i might visit Bupyeong in Aug, any halal food/restaurants in area around?
There is a Mosque located near Bupyeong and therefore some Halal Restaurants. However we’re not sure of specific places.
There is some useful information here: http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_1_6.jsp