Daegu,South Korea.

Most international travellers arrive via Incheon International Airport (ICN) and connect onward. The fastest link is the KTX high-speed rail: take the AREX express train from Incheon to Seoul Station, then board a KTX to Dongdaegu Station — a journey of roughly 1 hour 45 minutes from Seoul. A direct limousine bus from Incheon to Daegu (via Gumi) runs every ~50 minutes from 06:40–22:30 and takes about 5 hours, costing ₩30,000 (₩33,000 at night). Express buses from Seoul's Express Bus Terminal or Dong Seoul Bus Terminal reach Daegu in about 3 hours 40 minutes; regular fares start at ₩14,800. Daegu also has its own international airport (TAE, IATA), located just 10 km east of the city centre, which handles domestic routes and a limited number of international flights. A taxi from TAE to the Dongseong-ro city centre costs around ₩7,000 and takes 25 minutes; alternatively, take bus No. 401 (fare ₩1,100) from the terminal.

Daegu has three metro lines covering the city's main sights. Line 1 (Red) runs north–south, connecting the airport area, Dongdaegu Station, and Dongseong-ro; Line 2 (Green) runs east–west serving Duryu Park and Suseong-gu. There is no subway station at TAE itself — alight at Ayanggyo Station and take a short local bus or taxi to the terminal. A T-Money card covers all metro, bus, and taxi trips with free transfers between metro and bus. Standard metered taxis start at ₩3,300 (day) / ₩4,800 (night surcharge) and are the go-to for late-night rides or reaching mountain trailheads. Use Kakao T for ride-hailing — Uber is not widely available in Daegu. For navigation, skip Google Maps and use Naver Map or KakaoMap, both of which offer English interfaces and real-time bus tracking. A hop-on hop-off city tour bus also covers major sightseeing stops.

Spring (April–May) is Daegu's sweet spot: temperatures hover between 10–20 °C, cherry blossoms burst across the city's parks, and the air is crisp and walkable. Autumn (September–October) runs a close second, with cool days, golden foliage on Mt. Palgong, and the city's festivals in full swing. Summer (July–August) is intense — Daegu is infamous for recording some of South Korea's highest temperatures, often exceeding 40 °C, earning it the nickname 'DaeFrica'. July also brings the bulk of the annual 46-inch rainfall, concentrated in monsoon downpours. Winter (December–February) is quiet and budget-friendly, with low tourist numbers keeping accommodation prices down; snowfall is light and not guaranteed every year. For festival lovers, the Daegu International Jazz Festival and Daegu International Musical Festival are highlights of the spring and summer calendar.