Seoul to Dalian Flights 2026: China Southern Review

Booking Flights to Dalian, China

China Southern Airlines Review & Dalian Entry Guide

Words/Photos ©HiCouple

If you're the type of traveler who chooses destinations based on flight deals, you've probably seen Dalian, China pop up on your radar.

You'll often see cheap fares from China Southern Airlines, but you might be wondering: is it worth booking?

Today, I'm sharing a complete guide on flight prices to Dalian, what it's like flying China Southern Airlines, and a step-by-step look at the Dalian immigration process for 2026!

First, let's talk about the sweet spot for ticket prices when flying to Dalian.

Because Dalian is such a quick hop from Seoul—clocking in at just about 1 hour and 20 minutes—it has historically been one of the most budget-friendly international getaways.

While rising fuel surcharges have bumped up airfares globally recently, you can still regularly find round-trip tickets in the ~$154 range.

(Pro tip: If the price creeps over ~$231, you might want to hold off or check alternate dates.)

Located in northeastern China, Dalian enjoys a milder climate than much of the region. With summer temperatures often hovering in the comfortable 70s to low 80s (°F), it’s a fantastic escape from the sweltering heat!

You can compare Dalian flight deals and book via the link below:

Book Dalian Flights Here

Next, let's walk through departing from Incheon International Airport (ICN) on China Southern Airlines.

For our flight, we were assigned a gate in the 120s, which meant taking the Shuttle Train from Terminal 1 to the Concourse.

The escalators down to the Shuttle Train are located near Gate 28. The trains run about every 5 minutes, so make sure to factor this transit time into your airport schedule.

A quick heads-up: once you head over to the Concourse (Gates 110-130), options are pretty limited. There's a small duty-free shop, a food court, and a handful of restaurants, but not much else.

If you want to do any serious shopping or grab a hearty meal, I highly recommend doing so in the main terminal before boarding the train.

Our China Southern flight to Dalian boarded at Gate 123, with Korean Air staff assisting with the pre-boarding ticket checks.

Keep in mind that China Southern closes its gates 20 minutes prior to departure. Actual boarding begins about 40 minutes before takeoff, so don't dawdle!

The aircraft featured a standard 3x3 seating configuration, with a small Business Class section at the front.

Legroom was fairly average—perfectly adequate for a short-haul flight, and even taller adults shouldn't feel too cramped for an hour and a half.

One quirky thing about this route: they actually handed out the in-flight meal before takeoff!

It was more of a light snack pack consisting of a sausage roll, yogurt, a banana, and bottled water.

It's nothing to write home about flavor-wise, so I'd suggest eating a proper meal at the airport beforehand, or holding out for some amazing local food once you land in Dalian.

After a breezy 1-hour and 20-minute flight, we touched down at Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport right on schedule.

Dalian's airport is relatively compact. Just follow the clear pathways for about 5 minutes, and you'll walk right into the immigration hall.

They had about 6 to 8 immigration counters open. Since we had filled out our electronic arrival cards in advance, the officer simply stamped our passports without asking a single question.

It was surprisingly fast for entry into China! In fact, waiting for our checked bags took longer than clearing immigration. From stepping off the plane to grabbing our luggage, the whole process took less than 30 minutes!