Everyone deserves a chance to see new things, but for people with mobility impairments, just getting out of the house can be a huge barrier to travel. Even if you overcome that barrier and arrive at a famous tourist site, you may face insurmountable stairs or the cynical stares of others. The feeling of desperation can make the next trip even more difficult. Is there really no place where tourists with mobility disabilities can enjoy the view like others? Incheon has the answer to that question. We introduce you to the Yeonan Pier Ocean Plaza, a place selected as an “Open Tourism” site that is equipped with many accessibility features, and Oktoki Space Center, where you can follow the inclined path and enjoy all the exhibitions.

An “open tourism” site with the charm of ocean piers: Yeonan Pier Ocean Plaza

[Accessible, Barrier-free Travel Tip!] Board the Palmido Cruise with a Wheelchair
Wheelchair users can also enjoy the beauty of the Palmido Cruise as the cruise ship is equipped with wheelchair ramps and facilities. Palmido Island is an island that takes about 50 minutes to reach from the Yeonan Pier. It is famous for the Palmido Lighthouse, the first modern lighthouse in Korea.

“The ship that comes now and then, what stories does it carry? / It makes everyone’s heart flutter, those who come and those who go.”

The song “Yeonan Pier”, released by the Kim Trio in 1979, is one of the most famous songs in Korea that refers to the city of Incheon. It has enjoyed great popularity as a song sung by the fans of baseball teams based in Incheon. “Yeonan Pier” is the pier where the Incheon Port Coastal Passenger Terminal is located. It is also a tourist site with its Ocean Plaza and the Incheon Complex Fish Market. What is less known about this site, however, is the fact that it was selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as one of the “Open Tourism” sites in 2022. This project allowed the pier to install barrier-free facilities for the visitors, creating a tourist site that everyone can visit with ease.

The first thing that you should do at Yeonan Pier Ocean Plaza is to go to the observatory on the seventh floor. Follow the floor guide (also available in Braille) and get off at the seventh floor to find a great view of Incheon and the sea through the window wall. The view is simply enchanting, from the fishing boats docked at the pier, to the passenger ships sailing to islands both large and small to the west, to the ships dotting the water further out to the horizon.

What’s more, this beautiful view can be enjoyed with accessible, barrier-free facilities. First, the observatory’s safety fences were lowered below the eye level of wheelchair users, and binoculars were installed at their eye level. This allows wheelchair users to enjoy the same unobstructed view of the pier without any obstructions. The tour map includes Braille and audio guides for visitors with visual impairments to get a sense of the scenery. The video introducing Yeonan Pier and Incheon Port to visitors includes sign language interpretation.

The road to the observatory is also easily accessible: The elevator goes directly to the parking spot for visitors with disabilities. The building outside has an accessible, barrier-free restroom and breastfeeding room, and there is a wheelchair and stroller rental office in front of it, so you can get around quite efficiently. The road from the observatory leads to Ocean Plaza. On one side of the plaza is a massive Matryoshka doll sculpture, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Russo-Japanese War and the Russian sailors who died off the coast of Incheon.

• Address36 Yeonanbudu-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon
• Inquiries+82-32-850-1443 (Incheon Facilities Corporation Jung-gu Office, Public Facilities Team)
• Opening Hours Every day 10:00–17:00
• Websiteicjg.go.kr/tour/cttu0105a01

The wonders of space, fixed to the ground: Oktoki Space Center

[Accessible, Barrier-free Travel Tip!] Stroller & wheelchair rentals
Strollers and pet cages can be rented for a fee at the first floor entrance of the Oktoki Space Center’s Aerospace Science Museum. (KRW 3,000 for stroller, KRW 5,000 for pet cage) Wheelchair rentals are available free of charge at the information desk. The medical office on the first floor provides first aid and a place to rest. Oktoki Space Center also has all the bases covered when it comes to accessibility features, such as parking spaces for visitors with disabilities, barrier-free restrooms, and Braille guide blocks in front of the elevator.

Space, planets, and rockets: In Incheon, you can find a theme park organized around these exciting topics. This is the Oktoki Space Center, located 15 minutes away by car from Chojidaegyo Bridge. It introduces space science to children's and lets them experience space indirectly through various interactive exhibitions. Another attraction of the Oktoki Space Center is the fact that a day pass gives you free and unlimited access to all the facilities on the premises.

Oktoki Space Center can be roughly divided into the Aerospace Science Museum and the outdoor theme park area. It takes at least two hours to explore both indoor and outdoor facilities, up to half a day for visitors with small children. For visitors with disabilities, we recommend exploring the indoor area of the Aerospace Science Museum, as the outdoor area is built on a gentle slope and thus requires assistance.

Even if you prefer to stay indoors, Oktoki Space Center has plenty to offer. The four-story Aerospace Science Museum has nearly 690 types of exhibits and 6 types of interactive experiences. But what is the point of having so many things to see if you cannot get to them? In this criterion, the Oktoki Space Center gets a pass because all movement routes within the indoor space are made of slopes. Therefore, the whole space is accessible with a wheelchair. Of course, there is also a barrier-free elevator to take you up and down.

The exhibition begins on the first floor. In the Solar System Journey, you can learn about the solar system that we all live in, while the Aviation and Rocket History Hall features Sputnik 1, the first satellite built by man. Then learn about the Mars rovers that are searching for signs of life on Mars in the Mars Exploration Hall. In the Space Life Hall, you can learn how to live in the zero-gravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS). Learn how astronauts eat, sleep, and use the bathroom in space. The Soyuz Hall on the third floor features a replica of the interior of the Soyuz Capsule used by Korea’s first astronaut, Dr. Yi So-yeon, when she returned to Earth from the ISS. The Space Science Zone is also fascinating, with items such as Neil Armstrong's spacesuit from the Apollo 11 mission, where he became the first man to walk on the Moon, and food eaten in space.

• Address403 Ganghwadong-ro, Bureun-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
• Inquiries+82-32-937-6917~9
• Opening Hours Monday – Friday 10:00–17:30, Saturday – Sunday 09:30–19:00, open all year round
• Websitehttps://oktokki.com