Sleeping in Seoul Incheon Airport

Whether you are an experienced airport sleeper or new to the game, this sleep guide will give you the essential information to better prepare you for sleeping in Seoul Incheon Airport.

Our guide is updated with the help of airport sleepers who tell us about their experiences at Seoul Incheon Airport. If you have a tip to share, write a review to help us keep this sleep guide up-to-date!

Read the latest traveller reviews.

Sleeping in Seoul Incheon Airport

Locations & Seating

The seating here is plentiful and generally comfortable, but the designated lounges are your best bet for quieter spaces. Most gates are announced only 45 minutes ahead of time, so there is a lot of turnover in the gate areas. Because this airport is a major transit hub, you’ll see plenty of travellers sleeping everywhere. If you opt for the floor. blankets, sleep mats, and sleeping bags can make your experience even more comfortable.

Here are good sleep spots that travellers have reported:

Look for designated Relax Zones and Nap Zones for comfortable seating and napping spots.
Keep your eyes peeled for reclining chairs and free massage chairs.

Rest Zones

Seoul Incheon Airport offers designated Relax Zones, with comfortable reclining chairs, and Nap Zones, with padded benches and beds. These 24-hour spaces are free to use and situated near free shower facilities. Relax Zone and Nap Zone locations:

Terminal 1, inside Security: Floor 4, West Side, Floor 4, East Side, and Floor 4, Center.
Terminal 2, inside Security: Floor 4, near Gate 268, and Floor 4, near Gate 231.

Airport Environment

Surprisingly, we haven’t received any recent reports related to the overall terminal environment – perhaps because it is quite comfortable. In general, here are some good expectations:

Temperature: Expect the airport to cool down at night, with air conditioning running and fewer people inside.
Noise: Even as overnight flights slow down or stop entirely, the airport may still run announcements and cleaning crews may make the rounds, so anticipate some noise.
Lighting: The airport may stay bright thanks to around-the-clock lights, but certain corners may be dimly lit.

Arrive prepared! We recommend earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones, an extra layer of warmth, and eyeshades or something else to cover your eyes, such as a shirt or towel.

Showers

Freshen up (and loosen those stiff muscles) with a shower before your flight. Shower facilities are free to use, but you can purchase a shower kit for a small fee (free for transit passengers) if you need toiletries. Showers locations:

Terminal 1: Airside, 4th Floor, near Gate 25 • Airside, 4th Floor, near Gate 29 • Concourse, Airside, 4F, near Gate 118.
Terminal 2: Airside, 4th Floor, near Gate 231 • Airside, 4th Floor, near Gate 268.

Several pay-to-use lounges also have shower facilities. See our Seoul Incheon Airport Guide for details.

Food & Drink

When you get the midnight munchies or give up trying to sleep and need a coffee to stay awake, you can choose from a whole slew of 24-hour food concessions. Check out some of these vendors open all day/night:

Terminal 1, pre-Security: Bibigo + Seasonal Table, Bon Juk, Gongcha, KFC, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Lotteria, Tous les Jours, and Cheiljemyunso.
Terminal 1, inside Security: Auntie Anne’s Pretzel, Bistrobar Lagrilla, Bizeun, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Lotteria, Sanuki Bore, Starbucks, and Coffee@Works.
Terminal 2, pre-Security: Byeolmi Snack, Dunkin Donuts, Lotteria (2 locations), and Starbucks.
Terminal 2, inside Security: Angel-in-us-Coffee, Coffee@Works, Lina’s, Starbucks, and strEAT.

Hotels

If you prefer the privacy and comfort of a hotel room, you’ve got some options! For travellers in transit who don’t want the hassle of going through Security, there are two locations of the Incheon Airport Transit Hotel: Terminal 1, near Gates 11 and 43, and Terminal 2, near Gates 252. You must be transiting between international flights to use these hotels, which offer day rooms in 6-hour blocks. Another hotel at the airport, the Darakhyu Capsule Hotel, also has two locations: Terminal 1, pre-Security in the Transportation Center and pre-Security in Terminal 2, near the bus ticket counter. The hotel rents 60 capsule rooms at each location, and rooms have a single or double bed, with showers included in some rooms. A minimum stay starts at 3 hours.

Otherwise, several more traditional hotels are located within a quick 3-minute drive of the airport. See the hotel section in our Airport Guide for locations or visit Tripadvisor to find hotels deals at Incheon Airport.

Lounges

While Seoul Incheon Airport has quite a few lounges, none have designated sleep rooms or rest areas. If you just want to relax in a comfortable seat, check out this list of lounges in our Seoul Incheon Airport Guide that you can pay to access.

Security & Safety

At the time of this update, we have no reports from travellers commenting on safety issues at Seoul Incheon Airport. As a precaution, here are a few tips to ensure you have a safe airport sleeping experience:

Know Where Security is Located. Whether you are sleeping in the airport alone or with friends, it is good to know where security is. Know where their office is located and look for video cameras where you decide to stay the night. Ask security where it is safe to spend the night. They’ve probably seen many airport sleepers before you, and they will direct you to a safe spot.
Don’t Seclude Yourself. If you are travelling alone, we recommend that you sleep near other travellers or close to security.
Hide Your Valuables. Don’t leave all your mobile devices out in plain view. We have received reports from people who woke up with only earphones and a laptop bag strap, but without the iPods or laptops that were attached. The same goes for important documents and money. Keep these secure on your body so no one can get them without waking you up.
Secure Your Bags. If you are a deep sleeper, you may want to padlock your bag to something. If your bags have zippers turn the bag upside down (zippers to the floor) or sleep with your bag up against the wall so that it would be hard for someone to access it.
Choose to Stay Alert. If you don’t feel safe, drink coffee, stay alert, and stay awake. You can always sleep on the plane!

Pro-tip: If you are sleeping in the public zone, don’t be surprised if you receive an early morning wake-up call. Security is known to make the rounds waking people up as travellers begin to arrive for morning flights.