Need Coffee at Incheon Airport? Where to Find It in T1 (and Why Koreans Leave Their Bags Outside)
Freshly washed up and feeling like a new person. But Mia had one more thing on her mind: “Okay. I need coffee… and something sweet. Like, now.” Fair enough.
▶ Tap the picture to watch the 40-second short on YouTube
Terminal 1: the cafés are right outside arrivals
Good news: you don’t have to go hunting. When you come out of the arrival gate in Terminal 1, just look up for the letters B, D or E above the exits. You’ll find a café right by each of them. Easy.
Here’s a quick top-down sketch so you know exactly where they are.
My own top-down sketch, simplified from the official Incheon Airport map. Not to scale.
| Where | Café | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Near arrival exit B | Tous les Jours, Mimi Dandan | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| Between exits B and C | Hollys Coffee | Open 24 hours |
| Near arrival exit D | Paul Bassett | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| Near arrival exit E | Angel-in-us | Open 24 hours |
| Near arrival exit E | Normalo Coffee | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| Near door 10 | Krispy Kreme Doughnuts | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| B1 (downstairs, by the food street) | Starbucks, Hollys Coffee | 06:00 to 22:00 |
Landing late? Hollys Coffee (between exits B and C) and Angel-in-us (near exit E) are open around the clock, so you can always get a coffee, even at 3 am.
Wait, you want me to leave my bag outside?!
Here’s where Mia nearly had a heart attack. A lot of smaller cafés in Korea are pretty cosy inside, so people leave their big suitcases right by the door instead of dragging them in and blocking everyone.
Korea is famously safe, and your bag will almost always be exactly where you left it. When Mia came back out after her tiramisu, she just stared at it and went, “It’s still here. Korea is unreal.” Still, play it smart. Keep it where you can see it and grab a seat near the door. (Inside the airport itself, though, never leave your bags unattended. Security takes that seriously.)
Order like a local
You don’t need much Korean for this. Point at whatever looks good and say 이거 주세요 (i-geo ju-se-yo, “this one, please”). Done.
Mia got a hot latte and a tiramisu. I got an iced Americano, which made her look at me like I was crazy because it was chilly out. But that’s just how we roll here. There’s even a word for it: 얼죽아 (eol-ju-ga), which basically means “iced Americano, even if I freeze to death.” Year-round. Even in January.
“…You’re SO Korean,” she said. Yep.
Craving something sweet? Ice cream, doughnuts and bakeries
Mia’s tiramisu got me thinking: what if you want something sweet, or just a change from the usual café? Good news: Terminal 1 has loads. Just one thing to know before you go looking: Baskin Robbins (Koreans call it 배라, bae-ra) is only after security, near gate 24. So it’s a treat for your flight home, not for the day you land.
| Where | What | Good for | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1F, near door 10 | Krispy Kreme Doughnuts | Doughnuts | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| 1F, near arrival exit B | Tous les Jours | Bakery, cakes | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| B1, Transportation Center | Haneul Maru Café | Coffee break before the train | 08:00 to 20:00 |
| 3F, near check-in B | Gong Cha | Bubble tea | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| 3F, near check-in C | Dunkin | Doughnuts | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| 3F, near check-in G | Paris Baguette | Bakery | Open 24 hours |
| 3F, near check-in M | Lina’s | Sandwiches and coffee | Open 24 hours |
| 3F, near door 5 | Bijeun | Korean rice cakes (tteok) | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| 3F, near door 10 | Jamba Juice | Smoothies | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| Where | What | Good for | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3F, near gate 24 | Baskin Robbins | Ice cream | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| 3F, near gate 12 | Paris Baguette | Bakery | Open 24 hours |
| 3F, near gate 15 | Dunkin | Doughnuts | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| 3F, near gate 28 | Starbucks | Coffee | Open 24 hours |
| 3F, near gate 30 | Tous les Jours | Bakery | Open 24 hours |
| 3F, near gate 40 | Krispy Kreme Doughnuts | Doughnuts | 06:00 to 22:00 |
| 4F, centre | A Twosome Place | Cakes and coffee | Open 24 hours |
If you’re into bakeries, keep an eye out for Paris Baguette and Tous les Jours. They’re the two big Korean bakery chains and you’ll see them everywhere in Seoul, too. And if you’ve never had 떡 (tteok), Korea’s chewy rice cakes, Bijeun on 3F is a fun place to try some.
How much is a coffee?
Here’s a rough idea, based on the big chains’ standard menu prices in Korea. Airport branches can charge a bit more, so treat this as a ballpark.
| Drink | Price range |
|---|---|
| Americano (regular size) | From about ₩4,700 |
| Café latte (regular size) | ₩5,200 to ₩5,900 |
A few Korean café habits that surprise people
You order and pay at the counter first. There’s usually no table service, even in nicer cafés.
They’ll often hand you a buzzer. It’s called a 진동벨 (jin-dong-bel). When it buzzes, go and pick up your drink at the counter.
Bring your tray back. When you’re done, take your cups and tray to the return shelf. Pretty much everyone does it.
“For here or to go?” Staff will usually ask if you’re staying. If you’re taking it away, just say 포장이요 (po-jang-i-yo).
A little Korean to take with you
- 카페 어디 있어요? (ka-pe eo-di i-sseo-yo?) = Where’s a café?
- 이거 주세요 (i-geo ju-se-yo) = This one, please
- 아이스 아메리카노 주세요 (a-i-seu a-me-ri-ka-no ju-se-yo) = An iced Americano, please
- 포장이요 (po-jang-i-yo) = To go, please
- 맛있어요! (ma-si-sseo-yo) = It’s delicious!
- T1 cafés: near exits B, D and E · open 24 hours: Hollys (B–C) and Angel-in-us (E)
- Order and pay at the counter, wait for the buzzer, bring your tray back
- Baskin Robbins is after security (near gate 24) · on arrival: Krispy Kreme near door 10, Tous les Jours near exit B
- Bag by the door is normal, but keep it in sight
- 얼죽아 (eol-ju-ga) = iced Americano, all year long
Quick heads-up: I double-checked the details in October 2026, but airports love to move things around, so give it a quick look when you get there (or on airport.kr). And if something’s changed, tell me in the comments and I’ll fix it!
This post is part of my little comic series First Day in Korea, where I help my friend Mia from Canada through her very first day here. You can catch the full episodes as Shorts on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram (@experiencekorea.jay).
Take care, and 또 만나요! (tto man-na-yo, “see you again!”)
Jay
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