Incheon Airport currently operates two terminals: Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Each terminal has designated airlines for departure and arrival as summarized in the Incheon Airport web information portal. When flying with connecting flight through Incheon airport, you may need to move between the terminals, especially if you switch airlines. Let’s say you fly one-way from Los Angeles to Hong Kong through Incheon, hence the LAX-ICN-HKG route. For your first segment LAX-ICN, you fly with Delta, while for the ICN-HKG segment you fly with Cathay Pacific. Delta Airlines is located at Terminal 2 while Cathay Pacific is at Terminal 1. You need to move from terminal 2 to terminal 1 for your connecting flight. How do you do so?
There are two options for moving between terminals at Incheon airport: using free shuttle bus and airport railroad express train (AREX). In this article, we will explain how you can take the free shuttle bus to move from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 or Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 at Incheon Airport.
Shuttle Bus Types
Incheon airport shuttle bus is provided as a free service by the Incheon Airport authority to facilitate people movement between various places around the airport that includes people movement from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 or Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. While there is no official publication on the total number of shuttle buses operated by Incheon Airport, the shuttle buses can be categorized into two based on the deck type: high-floor bus and low-floor bus.
High-floor shuttle bus: the deck are few steps higher than the step entrance on the bus door. This may lead to some inconvenience for passengers who carry large suitcases when getting on and off the bus.
There are less seats in the rear section of the high-floor shuttle bus. The seat configuration for the rear section is one row on each window side. The middle area is an empty space that can be occupied by standing passengers.
Low-floor shuttle bus: the deck is on the same level with the step entrance on the bus door. Since passengers do not need to climb after stepping into the bus, it can be more convenient for passengers with large suitcases or those with disabilities.
Low-floor shuttle bus accommodates more seats in the rear section. There are four rows of seats with two rows on each side and a small alley in the middle.
For each bus type, there is luggage shelf that you can use to store your luggage when you are on the bus.
Shuttle Bus Route
The shuttle bus serves two routes: Airport Integrated Communication Center (AICC) to Garage Terminal 2 and the other route for reversal, which is from Garage Terminal 2 to AICC. When traveling along the routes, the shuttle bus stops at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. There are three stops at Terminal 1 so if you want to move from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2, make sure that you get on the bus at the right bus stop. Otherwise, you will waste your time going to the wrong place, or worse, fail to catch your next flight if the layover time is too tight. The full route takes around 1 hour, so if you make a detour because of the wrong bus stop, you will lose a lot of time.
In the image below, you can see the full routes of Incheon airport shuttle bus. Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 is part of AICC – Garage Terminal 2 route. Conversely, Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 is part of Garage Terminal 2 – AICC route. There is one stop between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, which is the Grand Hyatt / Reserved Parking stop.
Using Shuttle Bus to Move from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2
If you arrive at Terminal 1, after you pass through customs, you will get out to the arrival hall on the first floor. The bus stop is on the third floor, the departure level. You can take an elevator or escalator to go up to the third floor. As you arrive on the third floor, find gate number 8 and exit through the gate. See the image below as the reference for the view towards the building from outside of gate 8.
Nearby, you will see an overhead sign board that indicates the bus stop. Most of the time you will also see other people queuing to wait for arrival of the bus. Once the bus arrives, get on the bus. It will take you to Terminal 2.
The shuttle bus travels through these stops: Terminal 1 – Grand Hyatt / Reserved Parking – Terminal 2. Travel time is around 16 minutes.
Shuttle Bus Schedule for Terminal 1 to Terminal 2
The earliest shuttle bus from Terminal 1 heading to Terminal 2 is at 5:06AM. The last bus is at 11:56PM near to midnight. The interval between bus arrivals varies from 7 minutes during busy hours to 20 minutes when it is late at night.
The table below shows the daily schedule of the shuttle bus departing from Terminal 1 bus stop to Terminal 2.
| Hour | Departure time | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5:06 | 5:18 | 5:30 | 5:42 | 5:50 |
| 6 | 6:07 | 6:18 | 6:36 | 6:42 | 6:56 |
| 7 | 7:06 | 7:17 | 7:29 | 7:39 | 7:50 |
| 8 | 8:06 | 8:21 | 8:37 | 8:49 | 8:54 |
| 9 | 9:02 | 9:18 | 9:30 | 9:42 | 9:59 |
| 10 | 10:16 | 10:33 | 10:50 | ||
| 11 | 11:07 | 11:24 | 11:41 | 11:58 | |
| 12 | 12:15 | 12:32 | 12:49 | ||
| 13 | 13:06 | 13:23 | 13:40 | 13:57 | |
| 14 | 14:14 | 14:31 | 14:48 | ||
| 15 | 15:05 | 15:22 | 15:39 | 15:56 | |
| 16 | 16:13 | 16:30 | 16:42 | 16:54 | |
| 17 | 17:06 | 17:18 | 17:30 | 17:38 | 17:52 |
| 18 | 18:01 | 18:13 | 18:28 | 18:42 | 18:53 |
| 19 | 19:08 | 19:15 | 19:23 | 19:41 | 19:53 |
| 20 | 20:00 | 20:12 | 20:24 | 20:39 | 20:56 |
| 21 | 21:16 | 21:36 | 21:56 | ||
| 22 | 22:16 | 22:36 | 22:56 | ||
| 23 | 23:16 | 23:36 | 23:56 | ||
Using Shuttle Bus to Move from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1
Similar with the arrival level at Terminal 1, the arrival level at Terminal 2 is also on the first floor. Once you get out to the arrival hall, you will have to go up to the third floor, which is the departure level for Terminal 2. Once you are on the third floor, go out of the building through exit gate number 5. The shuttle bus stop is located near to gate 5. See the image below for the view towards the building from outside of gate 5.
You can see a sign board that indicates the bus stop and a floor-mounted digital display, which provides information about the bus arrival. However, there is no overhead sign board. Once the bus arrives, you can get on the bus to go to Terminal 1.
The shuttle bus will travel through these stops: Terminal 2 – Grand Hyatt / Reserved Parking – Terminal 1. Travel time is around 18 minutes.
Shuttle Bus Schedule for Terminal 2 to Terminal 1
The earliest shuttle bus from Terminal 2 heading to Terminal 1 is at 4:38AM. The last bus is at 11:48PM, or just 12 minutes before midnight. The interval varies from 7 minutes during busy hours to 20 minutes after 9PM .
The daily schedule for the shuttle bus departing from Terminal 2 bus stop to Terminal 1 is shown in the table below.
| Hour | Departure Time | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4:38 | 4:50 | ||||
| 5 | 5:00 | 5:17 | 5:26 | 5:38 | 5:46 | |
| 6 | 6:06 | 6:14 | 6:27 | 6:39 | 6:49 | |
| 7 | 7:00 | 7:16 | 7:31 | 7:38 | 7:47 | 7:59 |
| 8 | 8:12 | 8:27 | 8:38 | 8:50 | ||
| 9 | 9:02 | 9:14 | 9:31 | 9:48 | ||
| 10 | 10:05 | 10:22 | 10:39 | 10:56 | ||
| 11 | 11:13 | 11:30 | 11:47 | |||
| 12 | 12:04 | 12:21 | 12:38 | 12:55 | ||
| 13 | 13:12 | 13:29 | 13:46 | |||
| 14 | 14:03 | 14:20 | 14:37 | 14:54 | ||
| 15 | 15:11 | 15:28 | 15:45 | |||
| 16 | 16:02 | 16:14 | 16:26 | 16:38 | 16:48 | |
| 17 | 17:02 | 17:11 | 17:23 | 17:38 | 17:52 | |
| 18 | 18:03 | 18:18 | 18:25 | 18:33 | 18:50 | |
| 19 | 19:02 | 19:10 | 19:22 | 19:34 | 19:48 | |
| 20 | 20:02 | 20:14 | 20:28 | 20:48 | ||
| 21 | 21:08 | 21:28 | 21:48 | |||
| 22 | 22:08 | 22:28 | 22:48 | |||
| 23 | 23:08 | 23:28 | 23:48 | |||
Arriving Late at Incheon Airport: What Is the Option?
Your flight may arrive late at Incheon Airport but your circumstances require you to move to the other terminal, how to do so? After midnight, shuttle bus and train cannot be your option. If you consider walking, forget it. The distance from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 is around 15 km and there is no pedestrian walkway. You may take an Incheon taxi at the taxi stand or wait until the first shuttle bus runs in the morning.
If you decide to wait, there is Darakhyu transit hotel in the landside of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Alternatively, if you arrive on Terminal 1, you can go to B1 floor and enjoy spa treatment at Spa On Air. For both options, you should have cleared immigration and claimed your baggage.
So, how’s your transit experience at Incheon Airport? Leave your comment below.