Seoul taxis run on the meter — no haggling, no fixed prices (the pre-booked International Taxi is the one exception, with official zone fares). A regular taxi costs ₩4,800 for the first 1.6 km, then ₩100 every 131 m, plus ₩100 every 30 seconds while the car crawls below 15.72 km/h. From 22:00 to 04:00 the meter adds 20% (40% between 23:00 and 02:00). Incheon Airport → Myeongdong should read about ₩46,000–₩49,700 plus tolls; Gimpo → Myeongdong about ₩20,800–₩22,500.
- No out-of-city surcharge between Incheon Airport and Seoul. A “시계외 할증” (20%) on that trip is the most common overcharge Seoul finds.
- You pay the tolls on the way — not the driver’s toll back.
- Get a receipt and note the plate number (for example 서울32자1234). Since 2026 receipts show the fare, times and any surcharge in English.
Incheon Airport → Seoul: what the meter should say
Road distance from Terminal 1 and our estimate from Seoul’s meter rates. The lower figure is free-flowing traffic; the higher one assumes a third of the ride in slow traffic. Tolls are on top — pay what the toll booth charges. The last column is the International Taxi’s fixed fare, which already includes tolls and must be booked 24 hours ahead.
| To | Road km | Regular taxi (meter) | Night 22:00–04:00 | Deluxe (from) | International Taxi (fixed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myeongdong Jung-gu · Seoul City’s own estimate ₩47,000–₩52,000 |
56 | ₩46,000–₩49,700 + tolls | ₩55,000–₩70,000 + tolls | ₩77,000+ | ₩85,000 zone C, tolls incl. |
| Seoul Station Jung/Yongsan |
54 | ₩44,600–₩48,200 + tolls | ₩54,000–₩67,000 + tolls | ₩74,000+ | ₩85,000 zone C, tolls incl. |
| Seoul City Hall Jung-gu |
54 | ₩45,200–₩48,800 + tolls | ₩54,000–₩68,000 + tolls | ₩75,000+ | ₩85,000 zone C, tolls incl. |
| Insadong / Jongno Jongno-gu · Seoul City’s own estimate ₩44,000–₩48,500 |
55 | ₩45,800–₩49,600 + tolls | ₩55,000–₩69,000 + tolls | ₩76,000+ | ₩85,000 zone C, tolls incl. |
| Hongdae (Hongik Univ.) Mapo-gu |
49 | ₩40,800–₩44,000 + tolls | ₩49,000–₩62,000 + tolls | ₩68,000+ | ₩75,000 zone B, tolls incl. |
| Itaewon Yongsan-gu |
55 | ₩45,600–₩49,300 + tolls | ₩55,000–₩69,000 + tolls | ₩76,000+ | ₩85,000 zone C, tolls incl. |
| Dongdaemun Jung/Jongno · Seoul City’s own estimate ₩50,000–₩55,000 |
58 | ₩48,000–₩51,900 + tolls | ₩58,000–₩73,000 + tolls | ₩80,000+ | ₩85,000 zone C, tolls incl. |
| Yeouido Yeongdeungpo-gu |
48 | ₩40,200–₩43,500 + tolls | ₩48,000–₩61,000 + tolls | ₩67,000+ | ₩75,000 zone B, tolls incl. |
| Gangnam Station Gangnam/Seocho |
60 | ₩49,100–₩53,100 + tolls | ₩59,000–₩74,000 + tolls | ₩82,000+ | ₩90,000 zone D, tolls incl. |
| COEX / Samseong Gangnam-gu · Seoul City’s own estimate ₩53,000–₩58,500 |
61 | ₩50,100–₩54,400 + tolls | ₩60,000–₩76,000 + tolls | ₩84,000+ | ₩90,000 zone D, tolls incl. |
| Jamsil (Lotte World) Songpa-gu |
66 | ₩54,300–₩58,700 + tolls | ₩65,000–₩82,000 + tolls | ₩91,000+ | ₩95,000 zone E, tolls incl. |
From Terminal 2 the road is about 3 km longer: add roughly ₩2,000 to the Terminal 1 figures.
Seoul City’s own published Incheon estimates (grey) are older and give only a range for light traffic — if your meter lands between the two sets of numbers, it is normal.
Gimpo Airport → Seoul
Gimpo is inside the same fare area as Seoul, so there is never an out-of-city surcharge to Seoul. Korea Airports Corporation publishes “minimum, no congestion” estimates; ours are next to them.
| To | Road km | Regular taxi (meter) | Airport’s own estimate | Night 22:00–04:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myeongdong | 22 | ₩20,800–₩22,500 | ₩20,000 regular · ₩36,000 deluxe | ₩25,000–₩31,000 |
| Seoul Station | 21 | ₩19,300–₩20,900 | — | ₩23,000–₩29,000 |
| Seoul City Hall | 21 | ₩20,000–₩21,700 | ₩22,000 regular · ₩40,000 deluxe | ₩24,000–₩30,000 |
| Insadong / Jongno | 22 | ₩20,600–₩22,400 | — | ₩25,000–₩31,000 |
| Hongdae (Hongik Univ.) | 16 | ₩15,500–₩16,800 | ₩15,000 regular · ₩27,000 deluxe | ₩19,000–₩24,000 |
| Itaewon | 22 | ₩20,300–₩22,100 | — | ₩24,000–₩31,000 |
| Dongdaemun | 25 | ₩22,700–₩24,600 | ₩26,000 regular · ₩47,000 deluxe | ₩27,000–₩34,000 |
| Yeouido | 15 | ₩15,000–₩16,300 | — | ₩18,000–₩23,000 |
| Gangnam Station | 26 | ₩23,400–₩25,400 | ₩28,000 regular · ₩50,000 deluxe | ₩28,000–₩36,000 |
| COEX / Samseong | 28 | ₩25,000–₩27,300 | — | ₩30,000–₩38,000 |
| Jamsil (Lotte World) | 33 | ₩28,500–₩31,000 | ₩28,000 regular · ₩50,000 deluxe | ₩34,000–₩43,000 |
How much difference is normal — and when to act
Our rule of thumb, not an official limit — the only official rule is that the fare must be what the meter says.
- Up to about 20% above the higher estimate: normal. Rush hour, rain, an accident or a different bridge all add time, and time costs money below 15.72 km/h.
- Clearly more — say 30% or ₩15,000+ over the higher estimate — or any of the signs below: pay (card is best, it leaves a record), take the receipt, photograph the meter and plate, then report it. Do not argue for long in the car.
Signs something is wrong
- The meter was already running when you got in, or the driver never started it and names a price.
- An out-of-city surcharge (시계외) on a trip between Incheon Airport or Gimpo and Seoul — or one switched on at pickup instead of the city boundary.
- A long detour you did not ask for.
- The meter restarted when part of your group got out.
- A call fee added on the meter for an app ride where the app charged none, or tolls for the driver’s return.
- At the airport: someone inside the terminal offering a “taxi” — Incheon Airport warns that call vans pose as taxis and overcharge. Use the taxi stands only.
How to report an overcharge
- Keep: the receipt, the plate number with its region (서울32자xxxx), date, time, pickup and drop-off points, and photos of the meter if you can.
- Seoul QR complaint form in English, Chinese and Japanese — open the form. The same QR cards are handed out in the Incheon and Gimpo departure halls. Or email taxi120@seoul.go.kr with photos.
- Call 120 (Seoul Dasan Call Center): 02-120, then 9 and 1 for English (Chinese 2, Japanese 3, Vietnamese 4, Mongolian 5). Foreign-language lines run Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00. From abroad: +82-2-731-2120.
- 1330 Korea Travel Helpline — travel help in English, Japanese and Chinese, 24 hours.
About refunds: Seoul City handles penalties, not refunds — it says so on its complaint page. A confirmed overcharge costs the driver a warning, then a 30-day suspension, then the licence, plus fines of ₩200,000 / ₩400,000 / ₩600,000. To get money back, contact the taxi company on your receipt (or the taxi association) with the complaint number.
At the airport: which taxi stand
| Regular | Deluxe | Large (9 seats) | International (booked) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incheon T1, 1F | 5C, 6C, 6D | 7C | 8C | 4C |
| Incheon T2, 1F | 7C | 7D | 7D | 3C |
| Gimpo | International terminal 1F exit 3 · Domestic terminal exit 6 | same | — | — |
Stand numbers can move — follow the “Taxi” signs. At Incheon, taxis from Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi all start at ₩4,800, but their night surcharges differ (Gyeonggi taxis add 30% from 23:00 to 04:00). Help desk: Incheon 1577-2600 (07:00–22:00), Gimpo 1661-2626.
Apps and the International Taxi
- k.ride is the foreigner version of Kakao T — English, Chinese and Japanese menus, sign-in with Google or Apple, and overseas credit cards.
- International Taxi (intltaxi.co.kr, 1644-2255): English-, Chinese- or Japanese-speaking drivers; book at least 24 hours ahead. Incheon Airport ↔ Seoul zone fares with tolls included: zone A ₩70,000 (deluxe ₩100,000) · zone B ₩75,000 (deluxe ₩110,000) · zone C ₩85,000 (deluxe ₩120,000) · zone D ₩90,000 (deluxe ₩130,000) · zone E ₩95,000 (deluxe ₩140,000).
- Premium app cars (Kakao Black, Uber Black) have their own rates and surge pricing; Uber Black quotes a fixed fare up front.
International Taxi zones: A Gangseo · B Yangcheon, Guro, Yeongdeungpo, Mapo, Eunpyeong, Seodaemun · C Geumcheon, Gwanak, Dongjak, Yongsan, Jung, Jongno · D Seocho, Gangnam, Seongdong, Dongdaemun, Seongbuk, Gangbuk · E Songpa, Gangdong, Gwangjin, Jungnang, Nowon, Dobong.
Seoul taxi fares at a glance
| Regular (중형) | Deluxe / large (모범·대형) | |
|---|---|---|
| Base fare | ₩4,800 for 1.6 km | ₩7,000 for 3 km |
| Then | ₩100 per 131 m | ₩200 per 151 m |
| In slow traffic | + ₩100 per 30 s below 15.72 km/h (on top of distance) | ₩200 per 36 s below 15.10 km/h (instead of distance) |
| Night | +20% 22:00–23:00 and 02:00–04:00 · +40% 23:00–02:00 | +20% 22:00–04:00 |
| Leaving Seoul | +20% from the city boundary (none to Incheon Airport, Gimpo, Incheon, Bucheon, Gwangmyeong, Goyang) | +20% (night + out-of-city capped at 40%) |
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FAQ
How much is a taxi from Incheon Airport to Seoul?
By the meter, about ₩46,000–₩49,700 plus tolls to Myeongdong, ₩40,800–₩44,000 to Hongdae (Hongik Univ.) and ₩49,100–₩53,100 to Gangnam Station (regular taxi, daytime). The International Taxi charges fixed zone fares of ₩70,000–₩95,000 including tolls.
Is there a fixed taxi fare from Incheon Airport?
Only for the pre-booked International Taxi (zone fares A–E). Every other taxi must use the meter — a driver quoting a flat price is breaking the rules.
Is there an out-of-city surcharge from the airport to Seoul?
No. Incheon Airport, Gimpo and Seoul share one fare area, so the 20% surcharge does not apply to Seoul. It is the overcharge Seoul finds most often on airport trips.
Do I pay the highway tolls?
Yes — the passenger pays the tolls on the route taken, but never the driver’s toll for the empty trip back.
What should I do if my taxi fare seems too high?
Pay by card, keep the receipt, note the plate number and time, then report it through Seoul’s QR complaint form, taxi120@seoul.go.kr or the 120 call center (English weekdays 09:00–18:00). 1330 helps any time.
Can I pay a Seoul taxi by card?
Yes. Drivers must accept a card and issue a receipt when you ask; airports list cash, credit cards and transport cards.
Fares: Seoul Metropolitan Government taxi tariff (2026-04-03) and overcharging guidance (2026-03-10, 2026-03-16) · Incheon International Airport transport pages · Korea Airports Corporation (Gimpo) · Seoul City “Getting to Seoul from Incheon Airport” · International Taxi (intltaxi.co.kr) · Seoul 120 Dasan Call Center · Seoul City QR complaint (2025-07-07) and English receipts (2026-01-28). Our estimates use road distances from OpenStreetMap (OSRM) and Seoul’s meter rates — real routes and traffic differ; check the meter, not this page. Checked 2026-09-27. Page rebuilt 2026-09-28.
