Travel and recovery · planning guide
The first twenty-four hours set the tone for the trip. How to arrive, get to your accommodation and rest before the clinic.
Most international patients arrive at Incheon International Airport, an hour or more from the Gangnam clinic districts depending on traffic and transport. Arrival day is for getting to your accommodation, sorting the basics and resting. Consultations and treatments belong to the next day at the earliest, and clinics generally prefer it that way.
Options range from a pre-arranged private car to the airport railroad, limousine buses and taxis. A private pickup removes the need to navigate with luggage and is the usual choice when a companion is not travelling with you; public transport is efficient if you are travelling light and well. Confirm the meeting point and driver details in writing before you fly.
A local SIM or eSIM for messaging and maps, a working card and some cash, your accommodation address in Korean for taxis, and the clinic's address and contact saved in your phone. Ask us for the addresses written in Korean and English before departure.
Jet lag, dehydration and a long flight are not the state in which to meet a surgeon or sign anything. Clinics also prefer a rested patient for examinations and pre-operative tests. Keep arrival day free and schedule the first appointment for the following day.
Confirm pre-operative instructions before flying: fasting windows, medications to pause, what to bring. Arrive at least a day before any pre-operative appointment so a delayed flight does not collide with it.
Pickup with confirmed details, a check that accommodation is ready and suitable, a welcome message with the next day's schedule and addresses, and a contact you can reach that evening if anything is wrong.
Share your flight details and accommodation; we confirm pickup and timing in writing.
You receive addresses in Korean and English, the next day's schedule and our contact before you fly.
Arrival, transfer and check-in are confirmed with you on the day.
The first clinic appointment is scheduled for the following day or later.
Patient questions
These answers are coordination guidance, not medical advice. Final treatment decisions should be confirmed directly with the treating provider.
Roughly an hour or more by car depending on traffic, longer at peak times. Rail and bus options exist with transfers; we advise based on your luggage and condition.
We advise against it and many clinics prefer not to. Rest first and consult the next day.
A local SIM or eSIM makes messaging, maps and taxi apps far easier. They can be arranged at the airport or in advance.
If a private pickup is part of your case scope, yes, with details confirmed in writing beforehand.
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