My flight from Mumbai via Delhi and Hong Kong landed just past noon and I had about 6 hours before my connecting flight. I decided to take the chance and pass through immigration to take one of the Incheon Airport Transit Tours. Indian nationals in transit through South Korea are visa-exempt for 30 days, provided they hold a physical visa / residence permit issued by one of the following countries: USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Although I had a visa for Canada, the immigration officer checked my visa for the USA. He stamped my passport and I was through. My bags were checked all the way to Canada so I walked past baggage claim to the arrivals hall. I reached the Transit Tour Information Desk in Terminal 1 1F Near Exit 8. Given my transit duration and the tour timings, the only tour I would be able to take was the Incheon tour so I registered for it.
At the time of departure I found out I was the only one on the bus, but the tour still went ahead as scheduled. I met the tour guide and the driver and we were on our way. We drove over the Incheon Bridge, South Korea’s longest spanning cable-stayed bridge. The first stop was the Heungryunsa Temple. The weather was wet, but not cold. The bus also had umbrellas for the passengers to use. So there was no problem in walking around. I spent about an hour roaming around the temple grounds and the landscaped gardens.
Next was the Memorial Hall for Incheon Landing Operation. Inside the building, there are photos of military armaments used by the South and North Korean military as well as photos showing what life was like back then. Outside, there is an 18 meter-long memorial tower and the national flags of the 16 countries that participated in the Korean War.
We headed back to the airport after this and I thanked the tour guide and the driver for the tour and headed inside to board my flight to Vancouver at 6:00 PM.