Last Updated on 2025 年 4 月 15 日 by 総合編集組
A Relaxing Escape at Songhaeon: Your Guide to Incheon Songdo’s Seawater Hot Spring
During the last few days of my Seoul trip, I decided to stay in Incheon’s Songdo district, a modern city built on reclaimed land since 2003, known for its role as part of the Incheon Free Economic Zone. I chose Songdo partly to stay close to Incheon Airport—ensuring a smooth departure—and because I found a budget-friendly Holiday Inn, perfect for earning IHG reward points.
Songdo’s quiet streets, with sparse crowds even on rainy days, offered a peaceful contrast to Seoul’s hustle. After a morning of work and with rain pouring outside, I craved relaxation and decided to experience a quintessential Korean jjimjilbang (찜질방). That’s when I discovered Songhaeon (송해온 SONGHAEON), a therapeutic seawater hot spring just a 10-minute walk from my hotel through a sheltered metro passage.
Songhaeon quickly became the highlight of my trip, blending traditional Korean sauna culture with modern amenities. The facility boasts a natural seawater hot spring sourced from 993 meters underground, with a mineral-rich composition (20,710 mg/L TDS) including sodium, calcium, and magnesium—ideal for relieving fatigue, joint pain, and skin issues.
I spent hours soaking in various hot spring pools, from a gentle 40°C warm pool to a 44°C high-temperature one that left my muscles completely relaxed. The massage pool, with its soothing water jets, was a personal favorite, easing the tension in my shoulders from days of travel. For a fun touch, I even tried the Korean tradition of wrapping a towel into a “sheep head” (양머리 Yangmeori) while soaking, which made me feel like I was in a K-drama.
Beyond the hot springs, Songhaeon offers diverse sauna rooms, including a low-temperature room for beginners like me and a high-temperature salt room (소금방) at 86°C, where translucent salt bricks and frosted glass plant walls created a warm, calming ambiance. I loved lying on the ondol (온돌)-heated floors, which were so cozy I fell asleep, feeling fully recharged. The cave-style rest area (동굴형 휴게실), complete with charging outlets, was a thoughtful touch for modern travelers like me who can’t stay away from their phones.
No jjimjilbang experience is complete without food, and Songhaeon didn’t disappoint. I savored icy sikhye (식혜), a sweet rice drink, and hot macbanseok eggs (맥반석 계란), a classic sauna snack with a rich, smoky flavor. I also ordered a simple ramen set, eating while watching TV in the rest area, fully immersed in the Korean sauna vibe. The dining area operates from 6:00 AM to 7:30 PM, so I made sure to grab my meal before it closed.
Songhaeon’s facilities are impeccably clean, with spacious changing rooms offering Dyson hairdryers, unlimited towels, and essentials like soap and lotion. The hot spring’s pH of 6.9 makes it gentle on sensitive skin, which I appreciated. While the facility lacks an ice room and has limited food options, its smaller scale ensures better cleanliness, and visiting on a weekday meant I avoided crowds. Priced at 12,000 KRW for adults (plus 2,000 KRW for sauna attire), it’s an affordable escape. Parking at Rich Central (리치센트럴) is free for four hours with registration, though I walked from my hotel.
For travelers ending their Korea trip, I highly recommend staying in Songdo for a few nights near Incheon Airport and spending an afternoon at Songhaeon. It’s the perfect way to unwind before your flight—just a 10-minute taxi ride over the bridge to the airport. My time at Songhaeon left me refreshed, with all the exhaustion of travel melted away, making it the ideal finale to my Korean adventure.
