Korean Holiday Trip to Taiwan: 6 Things Your Friend Must Sort Before Landing (2026)

May 1–5 is a 5-day Korean holiday window, and Incheon → Taipei flights are running at over 90% load right now.

If you've got a Korean coworker or friend flying in, this is the checklist they (and you) need.

Quick pin: sort these 6 things and the moment they land at Taoyuan, nothing falls apart.

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Pitfalls I've Watched Korean Friends Step On (so this isn't a sales pitch)

This isn't a sponsored listicle. Last year I picked up my college friend Hyejin from Incheon at Terminal 2, and she stepped on three landmines in the first 24 hours: missed the last MRT and paid NT$850 (~US$26) for a midnight cab, bought an eSIM her iPhone X couldn't run, and let Trip.com bill her card in USD instead of KRW so she ate a 1.8% foreign transaction fee on top of the discount.

She roasted me for two weeks straight after she got back to Seoul.

So this guide is built around "what's the trap, and how do you skip it." Every pitfall here is mapped to a specific phone model, bank, or time window. Nothing I haven't personally seen go wrong.

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1. Taoyuan Airport MRT (not Uber, not a Taxi)

Pin this: from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei Main Station, the express line takes 35 minutes and costs NT$150 (~US$4.6).

Uber on the same route is NT$1,200 (~US$37) minimum. A regular cab runs about NT$1,000 (~US$31). Unless three friends are splitting, the MRT wins by a mile.

Trains every 10 minutes during the day. Buy a single-trip ticket at the station, or just tap your iPASS / EasyCard at the gate.

Cheap as it gets.

Pitfall #1: The last train leaves at 00:15, miss it by a minute and you're calling an Uber

When I picked up Hyejin, her flight landed at 23:50, she cleared customs at 00:30. The last express train had already left.

The express line stops at 23:42 toward Taipei from T2. The commuter line (14 stops) runs until 00:15. One minute late and you're stuck overnight at Taoyuan or paying for a midnight cab.

Skip the trap: if your friend's flight lands after 23:00, book a Klook airport transfer in advance: Klook airport pickup page. NT$800 (~US$25) for a private car, NT$200 (~US$6.2) per person if four of you split, cheaper than Uber. Or book a hotel near the airport (Novotel Taoyuan is the easy choice) and head into town the next morning.

Express vs. commuter line (14-stop): the real difference

Express: 35 minutes, NT$150 (~US$4.6). Commuter: 50 minutes, also NT$150 (~US$4.6).

I always pick the express. Standing on the commuter line for 14 station stops with luggage and freezing AC blasting through every door cycle is a nightmare. But weekend mornings (06:00–08:00) the express runs only every 30 minutes, while the commuter runs every 8 minutes. Check your friend's landing day before deciding.

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2. Taiwan High Speed Rail 3-Day Pass (sleep on it and you'll regret it)

5 days off, Taipei is a 2-day city max. Spend the other 3 days down south. Tainan for "Someday or One Day" filming spots, Kaohsiung for the Love River at night, Kenting for scooter rides along the southern coast. The HSR connects all of them.

Get the foreigner-only "HSR 3-Day Unlimited Pass": NT$2,400 (~US$74), valid for 3 consecutive days, unlimited rides.

A one-way Taipei to Kaohsiung ticket is NT$1,490 (~US$46). Two trips covers the cost of the whole pass.

The cheapest combos

Best deal: KKday HSR + activity bundle, NT$2,200 (~US$68) with 5% off (code THSR26OF5). HSR ticket plus an attraction bundle for NT$150 (~US$4.6) off. For a couple, that's another breakfast covered.

Lazy option: KKday HSR holiday package, 25% off. HSR plus hotel bundled, perfect for a 2-day Tainan side trip. I booked this for Hyejin's southern leg last year. NT$3,950 (~US$122) per person including hotel, NT$900 (~US$28) cheaper than booking the two pieces separately.

If you want to compare every active KKday code in one place, see the 1stCoupon KKday store page.

Pitfall #2: The 3-day pass needs a passport at the counter, no QR code shortcut

A lot of Korean tourists assume "buy online, scan the QR at the gate, done." Wrong. The foreigner 3-day pass must be exchanged in person at a KKday/Klook counter inside an HSR station, with the original passport.

Taoyuan, Taipei, Taichung, and Zuoying stations all have these counters. Off-peak (10:00–11:00, 14:00–16:00) the queue is 5 minutes. Peak (Friday 8 AM, Saturday morning) it's 30 minutes plus.

Skip the trap: pick up the pass at HSR Taoyuan station (connected to Airport MRT station A18) the moment your friend lands, before heading into Taipei. Tap and go for the rest of the trip.

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3. eSIM (don't buy a physical SIM anymore)

Physical SIM at the Taoyuan kiosk is a 30-minute queue. Buy an eSIM 3 days ahead from home in Korea, flip on the phone after landing and it auto-connects. Skip the line entirely.

Options:

Plan	5-Day Total (NT$)	Speed	Best For
Chunghwa Telecom 5-day eSIM	300	5G most stable	Anxious traveler, must-have signal
Klook Taiwan eSIM 5 days	250	4G LTE solid	Average IG-and-maps usage
KKday Taiwan eSIM 5 days	280	4G	Reader who likes KKday's UI
Airalo Taiwan 10 days	400	Universal	Multi-country trip continuing on

I now default to the 250 NT$ Klook 5-day plan: Klook eSIM page. 4G is fast enough for IG stories and Google Maps. Saves NT$50 (~US$1.5) over Chunghwa.

Pitfall #3: iPhone XS / Galaxy S10 and earlier don't support eSIM

This is the single most common eSIM trap for Korean tourists. iPhone XS (2018) and earlier, and Galaxy S10 (2019) and earlier do not support eSIM.

A lot of my Korean friends still use iPhone X or first-gen iPhone SE. Buying an eSIM means burning the money for nothing.

Quick compatibility table:

Brand	First eSIM-capable Model
iPhone	XS / XS Max / XR (2018+)
Samsung Galaxy	Note 20 / S20 (2020+, some S10 5G variants supported)
Galaxy Z Fold / Flip	All models supported
Pixel	Pixel 3 and later

Older phone? Stuck with a physical SIM at Taoyuan. Chunghwa 5-day NT$300 (~US$9.3) plan. Cost is the 30 minutes in line.

Tell your friend to confirm the phone model before paying for eSIM. Money goes out, doesn't come back.

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4. Taipei Hotels (Trip.com, not Agoda)

For Korean visitors, Trip.com beats Agoda for Taipei hotels: Trip.com Korean homepage has 24/7 Korean customer support, and Korean cards bill in KRW with zero foreign transaction fee.

Before you pay, check Trip.com's live promo page for hotel codes your account can actually use.

Taipei central 3-4 star hotels run NT$2,800–4,500 (~US$87-139) per night, and a seasonal code usually shaves a few hundred NT$ off a three-night stay, roughly a Shilin Night Market dinner.

Browse all live Trip.com codes here.

Pitfall #4: A Korean-page booking trips up the front desk

Hyejin booked her Toyoko Inn Taipei through Trip.com Korean. Her confirmation arrived in Korean to her Korean inbox.

When she rolled up to check in, the front desk pulled the booking from the Taiwanese system. The booking ID was a Korean format, the price was in KRW, and the desk needed five minutes to convert it to TWD before approving check-in.

Not an error, but it slows the line and the people behind her noticed.

Skip the trap: when checking out on the Trip.com Korean page, manually switch the billing currency to TWD (top-right currency dropdown). The booking is then logged in TWD natively, and the front desk reads it in one second.

Pitfall #5: Default USD billing eats 1.8% on Korean cards

The hidden killer: Trip.com defaults to USD billing for Korean accounts. A Korean credit card billed in USD adds a 1.8% foreign transaction fee.

Whatever discount you hunted down, the 1.8% FX fee eats straight back into it.

Before paying, manually flip the billing currency to KRW or TWD. Zero foreign transaction fee. NT$72 (~US$2.2) saved per night at NT$4,000 (~US$124). Multiply across the trip and it adds up.

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5. Attraction Tickets (buying solo is the worst rate)

Taipei 101 observation deck: NT$600 (~US$19). Maokong Gondola plus Taipei Zoo combo: NT$300 (~US$9.3). Jiufen day tour: NT$1,500 (~US$46). Pingxi sky lantern release: NT$750 (~US$23). Shilin night market food walk: NT$1,200 (~US$37).

Buy each separately and you spend NT$4,350 (~US$135). Bundle all five through KKday's Taiwan listings in a single order instead:

• Total NT$4,350 (~US$135), one checkout instead of five.

Sleep on it and you'll wish you hadn't.

Year-round Klook codes live on the 1stCoupon Klook store page.

Pitfall #6: Tour tickets need 24 hours' lead time to redeem

Korean visitors often think "buy online, scan QR, walk in." Wrong for guided tours.

Jiufen day tours, Pingxi lantern releases, Wulai gondola tickets, anything bundled with transport typically requires 24 hours' minimum lead time to issue a voucher. Last-minute booking either fails or carries an NT$250 (~US$7.7) emergency-issue fee.

Skip the trap: the moment your friend lands and connects to airport WiFi, book all Day 2 and Day 3 tour tickets in one batch. Klook and KKday email vouchers within 5 minutes of payment.

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6. EasyCard / iPASS (the universal stored-value card)

Airport MRT, Taipei Metro, buses, convenience stores, drink shops, all on one card. NT$100 (~US$3.1) deposit plus NT$500 (~US$15) initial top-up covers a 5-day Korean visitor easily.

Buy at the Airport MRT counter or any convenience store (7-Eleven / FamilyMart).

Pitfall #7: Refunds at departure cost NT$20 (~US$0.6)

Most people don't know: EasyCard remaining balance can be refunded before leaving Taiwan, but they take a NT$20 (~US$0.6) service fee.

If the card has NT$30 (~US$0.9) left, you walk away with NT$10 (~US$0.3). Fee eats 67%.

Skip the trap:

• Balance < NT$100 (~US$3.1): don't refund. Keep the card as a souvenir bookmark, or save it for the next trip (cards stay valid 10 years).
• Balance ≥ NT$200 (~US$6.2): refund is worth it. Walk away with NT$180 (~US$5.6)+.

Refund counters: Airport MRT info desk, any Taipei Metro station, all major convenience stores (7-Eleven / FamilyMart / OK / Hi-Life).

The NT$100 (~US$3.1) deposit is refunded in full no matter what.

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Sample Budget: 2-Day Tainan plus 3-Day Taipei (per person)

The fastest way to read this is the table:

Item	Single Budget (NT$)	Stacking Hack
Airport MRT round-trip	300	None (already cheapest)
HSR 3-day pass	2,400	KKday bundle code THSR26OF5 (–NT$150)
Taipei hotel × 3 nights	8,400	None (book Trip.com direct)
Tainan B&B × 1 night	1,800	Direct booking
eSIM 5 days	300	Klook / KKday app first-purchase –9%
Attractions	4,350	None
EasyCard top-up	500	None
Subtotal	18,050	After stacks: NT$17,994 (~US$557)

Add NT$2,000 (~US$62) food and NT$1,000 (~US$31) misc, 5 days, 4 nights for around NT$20,994 (~US$649) per person.

That's 25% cheaper than the typical Seoul-based Taiwan package tour. Forward this table to your Korean friend and they'll thank you for life.

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Three Last Things I Always Tell Korean Friends

No padding, just the list:

1. Korean friends use Naver Pay / Kakao Pay. Taiwanese merchants almost universally don't accept either. Tell them to bring at least 2 credit cards from different banks (one in case the other gets declined), plus NT$5,000 (~US$155) in cash (most night market stalls are cash-only).
2. Weather. May in Taipei runs 80% humidity. Friends prone to heat should pack two towels and shower the moment they reach the hotel each evening. Hyejin came back to Seoul with a week of skin reactions, and the cause was failure to adjust to humid heat.
3. Language. Taiwanese shop staff English is better than expected, especially in tourist zones. But place names should be written in Chinese characters for taxi drivers. "Jiufen" pronounced as "구펀" in Korean won't get you there. Hand over the card with 「九份」 written on it and the cabbie nods immediately.

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FAQ

Q1: Do Korean cards on Trip.com get charged a foreign transaction fee? Depends on the card and the billing currency. Set billing to KRW and major Korean cards (KB, Shinhan, Samsung) charge zero foreign transaction fee. Default USD billing adds 1.8%. Switch the billing currency manually before paying. Some smaller banks or USD accounts may add 1–3% regardless.

Q2: Are 5 days enough to see Tainan? Yes. Plan a 2-day, 1-night side trip: HSR south the morning of Day 2, return to Taipei the night of Day 3. If you also want Kaohsiung, stretch to 3 days, 2 nights. 2 days in Taipei is plenty: Xinyi shopping plus Yongkang Street food plus one Raohe night market evening.

Q3: Can your friend take Uber from Taoyuan to Taipei? Technically yes, but it's a waste. Taoyuan doesn't ban Uber, but the pickup zone is in a remote shared-ride area, slower than a taxi. Unless it's a 4-person split or after 00:15 (last MRT), the airport MRT is the only sensible answer.

Q4: Should they download both Klook and KKday? Tight budget? Pick one: KKday has more local Taiwan tickets, Klook has more international packages. Running both maxes out the discount stacking, but only if your friend is willing to install a second app. I keep both. Comparison takes 30 seconds.

Q5: Does Taiwan HSR have a Korean website? No standalone Korean site, but the English version supports booking and the UI is straightforward. If your friend's English is shaky, book through KKday or Klook's Korean app, fully Korean-localized interface.

Q6: My friend has an iPhone X, no eSIM support. What now? Physical SIM only. Chunghwa and Taiwan Mobile booths in the Taoyuan arrival hall sell 5-day NT$300 (~US$9.3) plans, but expect a queue. Better move: leave the airport, walk into any 7-Eleven or FamilyMart in Taipei. They sell Chunghwa 5-day SIMs at NT$299 (~US$9.2) with on-the-spot setup help, no queue.

Q7: If we don't refund the EasyCard, can we use it on a future trip? Yes. EasyCard / iPASS don't expire (a card untouched for 10 years gets frozen, but any Metro service desk reactivates it in 5 minutes). I have four "heirloom cards" Korean friends brought back to Seoul and brought back here years later. All still working.

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Sources

• Taoyuan International Airport, Airport MRT timetable and fares
• Taiwan High Speed Rail, Foreigner 3-Day Pass
• Trip.com Korean homepage (kr.trip.com)
• KKday Korea, Taiwan destination page
• Klook Korea, Taiwan page
• Chunghwa Telecom, Tourist SIM / eSIM plans
• EasyCard Corp, Refund Policy

For more Korean-holiday Taiwan deals, see the 1stCoupon holiday section.