Criteria
We recommend an option when it fits a clear traveler need and official information supports it: location, travel time, what is included, cancellation terms and price range.
In practice that means the comparison starts from the traveler's question, not from a product. For where to stay, we compare areas on travel time to the main sights and the airport link, and on what a room costs there. For transport, we compare fares, how long the trip takes and what each card or pass needs to pay off. For a tour, we compare what it includes against doing the same trip on public transport, and say when public transport is the better answer.
How a pick is labelled
A recommendation is labelled "Our pick" and comes with the reason for it and, where one exists, the condition that would make a different option the better choice. Facts around the pick carry a source and a "checked" date, so you can see which part is a fact and which part is our judgment.
Every pick is a judgment from published information: official prices, timetables, inclusions and terms. We do not claim to have taken the tour or stayed at the hotel, and we do not show ratings, star scores or photos taken from booking partners.
Partners
We work with Viator for guided tours and day trips, Creatrip for Korea-specific experiences and tickets, Trip.com for hotels and trains, and Agoda for hotels. A partner never pays for placement, and an option does not need a partner to be recommended. When the best answer is a free option, such as a public bus or a free palace entry, we say so.
Which partner appears on a page depends on what is being booked, not on which partner pays more. Tours and day trips go to Viator, Korea-specific tickets and experiences to Creatrip, and train tickets to Trip.com. For hotels, Trip.com and Agoda are shown side by side so you can compare the same area on both.
How commissions affect our guides
If you book through a partner link, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commission rates do not decide the order of options, which option is "Our pick", or whether a paid option is recommended over a free one. A guide's verdict is written from the comparison first; the booking option is then matched to that verdict.
Partner links are marked as sponsored for search engines, and a page that contains them says so near the top. The full list of partners is in our affiliate disclosure.
One clear choice per need
Each guide shows the single booking option that best fits the page, after the planning information, instead of many competing links. We do not use pop-ups, sticky booking bars or booking widgets.
When a recommendation changes
Picks are re-checked with the facts they depend on. If a price, timetable or rule behind a pick changes enough to change the answer, we rewrite the pick and the "Updated" date on the guide moves to that day. Our editorial policy explains how often sources are re-checked.