Gwangju: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Gwangju is a city of 1.4 million people in South Korea, 47 m (154 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Muan International Airport (MWX), 52 km (32 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 281 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Gwangju runs from about 9 h 50 min a day in late December to 14 h 35 min in late June (computed for 35.15° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Gwangju is served by 4 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Muan International Airport (MWX), 52 km (32 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,186 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Gwangju Airport (KWJ, 11 km), Yeosu Airport (RSU, 73 km), Gunsan Airport / Gunsan Air Base (KUV, 88 km).
Flights to Gwangju: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Gwangju · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 281 places to stay in Gwangju. Of the 221 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (161). Across 43 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.6 out of 10. Guests have left 6,567 reviews in total.
Hotels in Gwangju: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 8 hostels in Gwangju, out of 281 places to stay of every kind — 2.8% of everywhere it lists in the city, around the middle of the range for the cities we hold figures for. Guests have left 415 reviews across them.
Hostels in Gwangju: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Seoul, 268 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Busan, 192 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Incheon, 257 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Daegu, 171 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Fukuoka, 365 km (Japan)
- Daejeon, 139 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Suwon, 238 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Ulsan, 222 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Goyang-si, 278 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Changwon, 161 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
Common questions
Which airport serves Gwangju?
Muan International Airport (MWX), 52 km (32 mi) from the centre, plus 3 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Gwangju?
About 1.4 million people live in Gwangju (GeoNames).
What time zone is Gwangju in?
Asia/Seoul, currently UTC+9.
What currency is used in Gwangju?
The Won (KRW). Traffic drives on the right.
Are there hostels in Gwangju?
8 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in Gwangju.
How many hotels are there in Gwangju?
Our booking partner lists 281 places to stay in Gwangju, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Gwangju?
Seoul (268 km), Busan (192 km), Incheon (257 km), Daegu (171 km), Fukuoka (365 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.