Gwangju Airport has flights to [wiki=fd38499c5c04df42d1d78807aa4b7d7d]Seoul[/wiki] and [wiki=1b247df87b02514c5b1673b41dc806f5]Jeju[/wiki].
Unless on a company budget or pressed for time, most travelers never step foot in the airport since it only offers flights to Seoul Gimpo and Jeju Airport. Most travelers find it easier and cheaper to take a direct bus from Incheon International Airport instead (4 1/2 hours) or even Gimhae Airport (Busan - 3 hours) if need be. There are 1-2 departures hourly to/from Incheon and the cost is 29,600 won. Gimhae airport is a bit more difficult to navigate to and from. Fastest route would be to take a bus to Gimhae, then take a taxi to the Gimhae Airport (김해 공항 - Gimhae Gonghang). Reverse that trip of heading to Gwangju.
Eventually, the entire Gwangju airport will be phased out and left with only a Korean air force base with a small detachment of American soldiers. The airport servicing Gwangju will soon be only the Muan-International Airport, roughly one hour west of Gwangju.
Korail and KTX trains run from Seoul multiple times a day and are the quickest option for travelers wanting to go to Gwangju from Seoul. The trip takes 3 hours and the cost is 33,000-39,000 won. Note that all trains depart from Yongsan Station in Seoul, not the main Seoul Station.
If you have an hour to spare, a slower Mugunghwa train from Yeongdeungpo station can save you an additional 10,000 won or more (21,700 as of 01/2013). The trip takes a bit over 4 hours.
A separate KTX Honam line is under construction and when completed around 2014, going from Seoul to Gwangju will take 90 minutes.
Buses from major cities throughout the country arrive and depart from Gwangju Bus Terminal, a large, fancy and recently renovated bus terminal near the geographic center of the city. The largest and fanciest in the country to be precise: this place looks like an airport. Every taxi driver in Gwangju knows the bus terminal as 버스 터미널, or "Beoseu Teomineol." Seoul Gangnam to Gwangju prices are either 17,900 or 26,400 for the standard bus or the limousine bus respectively. Prices to other cities are comparable.
The subway is cheap - 1200 won to any location. The four main stops on the subway (though there are 19 total) are the Culture Center (former Provincial Office), Geumnamno-4 & 5 (pedestrian downtown), and Sangmu (the unofficial commercial center and western-style downtown area). To get to the bus terminal, exit at Nongseong Station (농성역 - Nongseong Yeok) and walk straight north (10 minutes) past E-Mart and Shinsegae. The bus terminal is juxtaposed to those two buildings. To take a train, take the subway to Songjeong-ni station and follow the signs for the train station. The second subway line that will eventually form a circle around the city will break ground towards the end of 2009. Eventually there will be three lines in Gwangju.
Buses are arranged by colors. Red buses are express buses, running often, making very few stops, and covering large parts of the city. Bus number 1 connects Sangmu area to the train station to Chosun University. Buses 6, 7, and 9 cover the rest of the city making large squares that intersect in important locations. Yellow buses are standard buses that run every 10 - 20 minutes. Green buses are village buses that connect smaller communities and rural areas to transfer points. Purple buses are district circulator buses, generally going to the outskirts of the city. Every neighborhood (동 - dong) to main locations around the city. A Mybi or Hanpay card is recommended. They work in other cities except for Seoul, which uses TMoney. With the card, you get a 100 won discount per ride and free transfers from bus to bus or between buses and subways. When exiting the bus, tap your card. You have 30 minutes after for a free transfer. Cards may be purchased and recharged at most convenient stores. Pick up a pamphlet of the bus routes at subway information desks (all in Korean)
Taxis are incredibly cheap (by western standards). A taxi ride will cost 2800 won for the first two kilometers then 100 won after that. Basically, on a traffic free night, you can get across the city for around 10,000 won. Black taxis have a higher surcharge than white or silver taxis but due to the fact they charge on distances only, tend to drive more unpredictably. After 12:00 AM the overall taxi rate increases. The standard fare starts at 2640 and then charges about 110 won after that.
Mudeung Mountain (Mudeungsan), to the south east of the city. It is a common occurrence to see photos of Mudeung in many stores or restaurants; if you see a snowy scene with jagged rocks that look almost like long blocks of stone, or a windswept yellow grass image in the same pose, that's Mudeung. To get to Mount Mudeung, take the subway east to Hakdong and follow the signs. Additionally, cleverly labeled bus 1187 (the height in meters of Mudeung) goes straight there. Catch 1187 from the bus terminal, among other places and hold on tight: the road may be twisty and thin but that doesn't mean it'll be a slow ride.
Gigantic traditional Korean market from interesting fish, spices, vegetables, grains, clothes, shoes, cosmetics, furniture, etc..
* Brand named clothing, hiking gear, shoes, food court, outdoor court yard
* Quintessential downtown area of Korea. Get lost in the lights of shops and restaurants. You can find well-known stores like Uniqlo, H&M, Zara, cheaper local Korean shops, and some vintage shops (Golden Vintage and Tokyo Juice)
Weekly, in-depth, honest reviews about the best places to eat in Gwangju.
Korean Food
*Min Sok Cheon - Opposite Megabox Cinema downtown.
*Nolboo Bosam - Chain with several locations in the downtown district.
*This little joint is famous among Koreans, especially college students. The best kimbap place in town. Try the California roll with avocado (켈라퍼니아) or the spicy pork and vegetable with rice dish (제육덮밥 Jeyuk dop bap). The place is usually busy, but the eats are quick so a chair will vacate quickly. Alternatively, take your food out and enjoy your meal on a bench at the lake at Chonnam University
International Food
*Downtown
*First Nepal (Nepalese/Indian Style): on the pedestrian street, left hand side walking from subway station to the river. It's on the second floor. You will not receive a friendlier welcome from a restaurant owner anywhere else in the world! They make their own naan bread too. As the menu says... 'come as a guest, leave as a friend'. Plenty of vegetarian options. Nice place for groups or a date.
*First Alleyway (American/Canadian Style): Their new premises are wonderful, managing to encompass a restaurant and bar area, pool table and darts boards all in a non-smoking space. You can even play board games and cards there too. The only place in Gwangju to eat fish and chips. Renowned pizza too. Combined with a range of craft beers and ciders, this place has captured the expat (and Korean) mood, especially on weekends. A stone's throw from the landmark NC Wave building downtown.
* Best burrito in town. The owner lived in California and New York working at Mexican restaurants, so she speaks English and knows her stuff. She uses real cheese and "no BS ingredients" as quoted from the English and Korean menu. Pulled pork burritos, Mango lasse, avocado ice cream, and San Miguel on tap. Burritos come with salad. Good prices, good service. Nice decor that Sindy made herself and she is always playing good music.
* It's hard to come to decent pizza in Gwangju, let alone pizza by the slice! This cozy shop was started by two brothers in October 2014. Cheap and delicious pizza with big sizes like in NY. Choose from sweet cheese, barbecue chicken, bacon and potato, or spicy pepperoni. No room to sit down, so take it on the go or get a pie delivered. Very friendly staff with decent English.
*Suburbs
*Thai Food - Walking Distance from Seong-Jeong-Ri Subway Station.
*Vietnamese Pho - Lotte Department Store Top Floor.
*Vietnamese Food - Behind Columbus Cinema in Sang-Mu
*Vegan Buffet - Ja.yeon Ju.ui 자연주의 Address: 1032-10 Pungam-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju (Tel: 062-681-5800)
*Here you can get a variety of chicken dishes. A popular favorite is the chicken tender platter which is served with deep fried potato chips and two dipping sauces. The beer on tap is reasonably priced.
*This is a popular chicken restaurant for university students and serves a range of chicken dishes. The beer on tap is reasonably priced.
*This franchise restaurant has a mix of western and Korean dishes. Meals are quite cheap and you can find such dishes as risotto, pizza, pasta, salads and chicken. There is no beer on tap, however bottled beer is available. A specialty here is Makgoli cocktails.
*This franchise restaurant heralds itself as a safety-homemade kitchen, and serves a variety of western dishes. Popular favorites include salads, pizzas, and pastas, as well as a popular burger menu.
*This stylish Italian restaurant serves a mix of dishes, including pizza, pasta and salads. Their prices are a little higher than others in the area.
*This cafe restaurant mix has a country feel and is decorated with a homestead feel with a little taxidermy included. The food is reasonable priced and their menu includes pastas, pizzas, salads, and risottos.
*Corona is Spanish for crown. If you visit this Mexican restaurant you’ll feel like a king (or queen). The food is on a par with other such offerings in the city. What sets this place apart is the warmth and kindness of the Korean couple who run the place. You can tell a lot about management from the attitude of waiting staff. The assistants here are helpful and cheerful.
Both Choong , who has lived in The US, and his wife can speak English. Both prepare food in the kitchen but love to pop out to the counter to greet customers. Although still in the early stages of this venture, they are already striking up friendships with expats in the city. If the conversation isn’t enough to pull you in, there’s a growing range of craft beers to satisfy your palate.
This place is quiet and has a comfortable ‘shoes-off’ area which is ideal for couples. The music choice is intelligent and unintruding. There is a wall screen for those in need of visual stimulation too. To sum up, this is the place to go for dinner and a drink any day of the week except Monday. It’s sure to get busy as word spreads so get there ahead of the crowd!
The cheapest place to sleep anywhere in Korea is at the local jjimjilbang (찜질방). This is a kind of public bathhouse that has a communal room for sleeping on the heated floor. Expect sauna access, cotton pyjamas, a locker to put your stuff in and a price under 10,000 won:
* Best accommodation for backpackers. Centrally located, along the subway line, close to the bus terminal, and walking distance to attractions. Clean, well-decorated hostel with four female beds, three male beds, and one private room. The owner, Pedro, is a super friendly host with plenty of travel experience. His family lives below the hostel, charming it with an authentic homestay feel. Guests receive a 10,000 won discount for joining highly rated Lonely Korea day trips to great hidden gems throughout Korea that Pedro also organizes. Free WiFi, breakfast, outdoor terrace, shuttle service, laundry.
* With both jjimjilbangs in the Geumnamno shut down, this is the closest one left. Unique in that it truly embodies the rebellious spirit of Gwangju by daring to provide a sufficient number of sleeping mats. Your eyes are not deceiving you! On the flip side, it pays lip service to the Korean running-gag by providing an abysmally low number of headrest cubes. They can't all be winners kid.
* A small, but very nice home-like guest house run by very friendly Mr. Park who speaks English very well.
Gaudy motels abound in Korea, and this is no less true in Gwangju. The main concentration of motels are in and around Sangmu area, between the Sangmu and Uncheon subway stops and Cheomdan area, near the Lotte Mart. Motels can range from 30,000-50,000 and tend to be very seedy. One can judge the quality of a "love" motel by the movie selection usually proudly displayed near the cashier and the vending machines located throughout the motel.
*Windmill Motel - This is a reasonably priced motel right beside the downtown pedestrian area. It can be easily spotted along the river with a large windmill on top. It has a selection of rooms including a large group room which is perfect for a group of friends.
There are two quite reputable hotels in Gwangju. One is the Ramanda in Sangmu where a room can generally cost around 100,000 a night. The other, near Mount Mudeung, is the Shinyang Park Hotel. The Sangmu Ramanda is more conveniently located for business where as the Shinyang Park Hotel offers a more peaceful and quiet stay.