I’m on a teacher budget, but I travel like I’m not by using points and miles. I traveled to South Korea for eight nights and only spent $395 on flights and hotels. Here’s exactly how to travel to South Korea on a budget using points.
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Booking My Flight with Points
The first thing I booked was my flight from Chicago to Seoul. I used Virgin Atlantic to book a Korean Air round-trip ticket by transferring my Chase Ultimate Rewards points during a transfer bonus period. That meant my flight cost me 58,000 Chase points and just $70 in taxes and fees which was an incredible deal! You can read my Korean Air review here.
Free Nights in Seoul with Marriott Points
Next, I used my Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card points for my stay in Seoul. I had 45,000 points, which covered two free nights at the Moxy Insadong. I loved this modern hotel located in what quickly became my favorite neighborhood. For the remaining two nights there, I paid $270 out of pocket, which is not bad considering the location and quality.
Using the Chase Portal for Busan
Normally, I avoid booking hotels directly through the Chase travel portal, since transferring points to partners usually gives more value. But for this trip, I wanted to stretch my points as far as possible.
I found a great deal at the Best Western Haeundae Beach for just 15,000 Chase points total for three nights. That’s only 5,000 points per night. Even though it wasn’t the best redemption value, it kept my spending low.
Airport Hotel Hack with the Chase Sapphire Credit
For my final night, I stayed at the Nest Hotel near Incheon Airport, since I had an early morning flight. The stay cost $105, but I used my Chase Sapphire’s $50 annual hotel credit, bringing my total down to $55. It ended up being one of the nicest airport hotels I’ve stayed at and they even upgraded my room!
The Final Breakdown
Here’s how it all added up:
Flights (Chase → Virgin Atlantic): 58,000 points + $70
Seoul hotel (Marriott Moxy): 45,000 points + $270
Busan hotel (Best Western): 15,000 Chase points
Airport hotel (Nest): $55 after credit
Total cash spent: $395
Total points used: 118,000 (Chase + Marriott)
Final Thoughts
This trip was a great reminder that you don’t need a huge budget to travel internationally, you just need to use the right credit cards. If you’ve ever wondered how to travel to South Korea on a budget, using points and miles is one of the smartest ways to do it. Even though I didn’t always maximize every redemption, I kept my total cost under $400 for an entire 8-night trip to South Korea.
Make sure to read my full 8-day South Korea Itinerary to help you plan your dream trip!
Things to Do in South Korea
- DMZ tour with Majang Bridge: Perfect tour for those interested in history.
- Seoul Sightseeing Tour: Gyeongbokgung, Seoul Tower, and more!
- Drinking and Eating through the Alleys of Seoul
- Make sure to go to Ikseondong, it’s my favorite neighborhood!
- Full-Day Busan Tour: I absolutely loved this tour. It was a great way to see so many sites in one day.
- Gyeongju UNESCO Tour: This is a great day tour option to get outside of Busan and visit ancient temples.
- Busan Night Tour and Cruise: Busan is stunning at night and this is perfect way to enjoy it!
- Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival:It’s so much easier navigating the fest with a tour guide.