For most visitors to Korea, Incheon International Airport might be the very first place and the very last place they experience in Korea. Incheon Airport has been ranked either the first or the second best airport worldwide since its official opening in 2001. I have been to many airports around the globe and I also believe Incheon Airport is one of the best airports in the world. Incheon Airport offers almost everything you would need at the airport: a capsule hotel, nap zones, relax zones, gyms, spas, a theater, laundries, a post office, a medical center, small museums, shower rooms, prayer rooms, observatory decks, and you name it.
Before delving into some of facilities I find very useful and unique, it is important to know that there are two terminals at Incheon Airport. Terminal 2 opened in January 2018 and it is used by SkyTeam member airlines such as Korean Air, KLM and Air France. I would say Terminal 2 is more tech-savvy and it is much less crowded. Nevertheless, most facilities are in both terminals. So, regardless of the terminal you are going to use, you would not need to go to the other terminal. In addition, there is a free shuttle service between terminals. From terminal 1 to terminal 2, it takes about 15 minutes.
Capsule Hotel Darakhyu
- Terminal 1 : Center of Transportation Center 1 BF
- Terminal 2 : East of Transportation Center 1 BF
Darakhyu is the first capsule hotel in Korea. It is actually the first capsule hotel I ever used in my life. I was not so sure about using the hotel at the airport because I live in Seoul. It takes about 70 minutes by bus from my home to the airport. It is not a long journey. But, if you have an early morning flight, I think it is totally worth using it. Just one month ago, I had a 10 am flight from Incheon Airport. My flight was more than 10 hour journey, so I wanted to get nice sleep. So, I decided to use the capsule hotel which is within the terminal 2. All single rooms had been fully booked, so I booked a double room for myself. You can pay the room by the hour, but if you stay after 8 pm, you have to book for the whole night. I paid 70,000 won for 1 night. It was such a great experience. I slept until 7 am and took a shower and checked out at around 8 am. After the check out, I took the elevator which was just in front of the hotel and which leads to the gate directly. Even though I was on the plane for about 13 hours, I was not so tired thanks to the nice sleep I had the day before. So, I strongly recommend this capsule hotel.
Nap Zone
- Center of 4 F, Concourse
- Terminal 1 : Gate 25 and Gate 29 on 4 F
- Terminal 2 : Gate 231 and Gate 268 on 4 F
This facility is especially useful for transfer passengers. It opens for 24 hours and you can lie down and stretch your legs.
Digital Gym
- Terminal 2 : Gate 231 and Gate 268 on 4 F
This is not a traditional gym. This place offers sort of games involving jumping and stepping. So, you can get fit while playing some games.
Spa & Massage
- Spa On Air : East of Public Area 1 BF, Terminal 1
- PRANA SPA : Gate 231 and Gate 268 on 4 F
Spa On Air is a Korean style spa which is Zimzilbang (찜질방). You can take a shower only (7,000 won for 3 hours) or you can use both a shower and a sauna (10,000 won for 4 hours).
Movie Theater
- Center of Transportation Center 1 BF, Terminal 1
CGV Incheon Airport has 2 screens with 245 seats.
Laundry
- Terminal 1 : West of Public Area 1 BF
- Terminal 2 : East of Transportation Center 1 BF
If you are traveling to a warm country and do not want to carry heavy clothes with you, drop by ‘Clean-Up Air’ before leaving Korea. If you leave one winter coat for 5 days, it costs 10,000 won. If you are a member of Asiana Airlines or Hana Tour, you can get some discounts. Clean-Up Air also provides laundry service.
Shoe & Bag Repair Shop
- Next to Spa On Air, East of Public Area 1 BF, Terminal 1
This shoe & bag repair shop is quite hidden. Even most of my Korean friends do not know about this place. It is inside of Spa On Air which is on 1BF in Terminal 1. I am sure many of us have an experience of receiving broken luggage after the flight or dragging around a broken suitcase. This place fixes suitcase’s wheels. Some of travel insurance companies reimburse customers for the destroyed or damage luggage. Once you land in Incheon Airport, you can come here and get your luggage repaired and claim for the damaged baggage.
Photo Booth
- Terminal 1 : Near Check-In Counter F and G on 3 F
- Terminal 2 : Inside the One-stop Public Service Business Center, Center of the Floor 2
Post Office
- Korea Post: Center of Public Area 2 F, Terminal 1
- CJ Logistics : Check-In Counter B on 3 F, Terminal 1
- Hanjin Express : Check-In Counter N on 3 F, Terminal 1, Center of Public Area 1 F, Terminal 2
There is one office of Korea Post, the national postal service of Korea, in terminal 1. It operates from 09:00 until 18:00. You can also use CJ Logistics and Hanjin Express, both of which operate for 24 hours.
Before you read this, I recommend ‘ How to travel from Incheon International Airport(ICN) to Seoul ‘ to understand the transports you can take at the airport.