Google Maps Won't Walk You Here: Use Naver Map

Almost every first-time visitor has the same moment: standing outside a subway exit, Google Maps showing a blue dot and no route, wondering why the world's favourite map app has quietly stopped helping.

It isn't a bug. Because of long-standing Korean rules on exporting detailed map data, Google Maps here is limited. It can show you where things are and give you public transit routes — but no walking or driving turn-by-turn directions, and its restaurant and shop listings are often out of date. Koreans don't use it. They use Naver Map. You should too.

Step 1: Download Naver Map

It's free on the App Store and Google Play — search "Naver Map". Install the full app, not the "Lite" version.

Step 2: Switch it to English

This is the step everyone misses. On first launch the app is entirely in Korean.

1. Tap the menu (your profile icon or ≡)
2. Open Settings
3. Tap Language and choose English

Menus, search results and turn-by-turn directions switch to English. Street names on the map show both Korean and romanised names, so you can still match them to signs.

Step 3: Save the places that matter

Sign in with a Naver account and tap the save (star) icon on:

• Your hotel
• Your nearest subway station
• Every restaurant, café and shop you've been bookmarking

Saved places show up as pins on your map for the whole trip, which turns "I know there was a good café around here somewhere" into a tap.

Step 4: Search like a local

• Major sights, stations and chains work fine in English: "Gyeongbokgung", "Hongik University Station", "Olive Young Myeongdong"
• For small independent spots, paste the Korean name — copy it from an Instagram caption, a blog post or a menu photo. It's far more reliable than guessing a romanisation
• Addresses in Korea are road-name based ("Seongsui-ro 7-gil"). Pasting a full Korean address works perfectly

Step 5: Get directions

1. Search your destination and tap it to open its listing
2. Tap Directions. Your current location fills in as the start automatically
3. Choose how to travel — public transport, car, walking or bike — using the tabs along the top
4. Pick a route. Each one shows the total time, the number of transfers and how much walking is involved
5. Tap the route to see every step: which station exit to use, which train car is best, how many stops to ride and when the next bus or train arrives
6. Follow it live. For walking legs, start guidance and the map turns with you, arrow by arrow

If you're in a hurry, the fastest route isn't always the first one listed. Scroll the options: a route with one more transfer is sometimes ten minutes quicker.

Reading a place listing

Tap any restaurant, café, shop or sight and you get a listing that's usually far more up to date than Google's:

• Hours, break time and closing day. Many restaurants close mid-afternoon and one day a week, and it's all here
• Menu and prices, often with photos of the menu board
• Visitor reviews and blog reviews. Reviews are mostly in Korean, but the photos alone tell you a lot, and Papago can translate the text
• Booking. Some places show a reservation button that takes bookings in the app
• Address, phone and directions in one tap

Do you need a Naver account?

No, not to find your way. Search, listings and directions all work without logging in. You only need an account to save places to your own lists, and signing up can ask for phone verification. If that's a hassle, keep your list in Google Maps from home and search each place in Naver when you need to get there.

The features that make it better than Google here

• Exact exit numbers. Seoul stations have up to a dozen exits and taking the wrong one can mean crossing an eight-lane road. Naver tells you which one to use.
• Best car for transfers. It shows which train car to ride so you step off right by the transfer stairs.
• Live bus arrivals and which side of the road to wait on.
• Walking routes that know the city — underground shopping passages, overpasses and building shortcuts.
• Live business info — opening hours, break times (many Korean restaurants close between lunch and dinner), menus and prices.

The subway map

Naver Map has the whole Seoul subway network built in — look for Subway in the app's menu. It's the clearest way to see how lines connect, and tapping a station shows its exits, the first and last trains, and the time to any other station. Worth a look the night before a day with lots of transfers.

Naver Map + Kakao T

Found where you want to go? Copy the address or place name into Kakao T if you'd rather take a taxi — no need to explain anything to the driver.

The backup: KakaoMap

KakaoMap is the other big Korean map app, and it works almost the same way. It's worth installing as a backup: occasionally a place shows up better in one than the other.

What about offline?

Neither Korean map app has a reliable offline mode. Plan on having data the whole trip — see eSIM vs. USIM.

Understanding route options

When you search a route, Naver shows tabs for different ways to travel:

• Public transport — combined subway and bus routes, with transfer times and walking segments
• Walking — door-to-door directions, often through underground passages
• Car / taxi — estimated driving time and fare
• Bike — routes suited to the public bike system

Tap a route to see each step, including which exit to use and how many stops to ride.

Finding a good restaurant

• Search a food type near you — for example "BBQ" or "galbi" — and sort by distance or reviews
• Check the "break time" in the listing; many restaurants close between lunch and dinner
• Look at the photos of the menu to see prices before you go
• Use the save star so your list builds as you read guides and blogs
• Look for the reserve button on places that take bookings (see our Catch Table guide)

Common problems and fixes

• "It shows Korean text." Some newer or small businesses only have Korean names. Search in Korean, or let Papago translate the screen
• "My location is wrong." Check the app has location permission, and wait a few seconds after leaving the subway
• "It wants me to log in." Browsing and directions work without an account; saving places needs one
• "The route seems long." Try the public transport tab with a later departure time — the first option isn't always the fastest

Good habits for the trip

Save your hotel, mark tomorrow's places the night before, and screenshot routes for places with poor signal. It takes a few minutes and saves a lot of wandering.

Frequently asked questions