Travelling from Incheon International Airport (ICN) to Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI): what you need to know
Book a direct flight from Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport and you'll be travelling for an average of 5 hours 20 minutes.
The timezone in Kota Kinabalu is UTC+8, which is one hour behind Seoul.
Choose from 182 weekly Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport flights. The 01:05 departure with AirAsia is the earliest flight you can take. Jin Air operates the latest service of the day at 20:30.
Arrive at the airport on time so you don't miss your ICN to BKI flight. Be there at least two hours ahead for international flights and an hour early for domestic departures to avoid any last-minute rush.
You can expect bigger queues in popular months like July. Arriving up to four hours in advance for an international flight and two hours for domestic departures will help ensure a smooth travel experience.
You'll find a variety of airlines operating direct flights from Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport. When you're ready to kick off your Kota Kinabalu adventure, let one of these carriers take you to this popular corner of Malaysia:
Jeju Air is the top choice for travellers on this route.
AirAsia is the most punctual carrier that operates ICN to BKI flights. An impressive 94.55% of its departures on this route arrive without delay.
Think about adding a stopover when booking your ticket from Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Simply deselect 'Direct flights only' to break up your trip, or maybe even explore a new city along the way. Here's where you can stop between ICN and BKI:
Hong Kong International Airport
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport
How to find the cheapest flights from Incheon International Airport (ICN) to Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI)
The lowest price we've seen for a one-way Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport flight is R 1,132. A round-trip fare right now is R 2,427. Depending on the availability when you book, these fares could change.
Score cheap tickets from ICN to BKI by booking at least six months ahead. Based on our research, that's the sweet spot for finding the biggest deals.
Plan your trip for May. That's the cheapest month for flights from Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport. If you're flexible with your travel dates, use the 'Whole month' tool to find the lowest airfare across each month.
Stay on top of deals for cheap flights from ICN to BKI by creating a Price Alert. You'll receive an email or push notification on the app when a special offer becomes available.
Tailor your trip with filters. Select your arrival and departure times, total journey duration and airlines. You can also sort the results by 'Fastest,' 'Best' or 'Cheapest' flights from Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport.
Handy information about Incheon International Airport (ICN)
When it comes to the on-time performance of Incheon International Airport, data shows 54.5% of flights stick to their scheduled arrival time.
The journey from the centre of Seoul to Incheon International Airport is around 48 kilometres. Check out travel apps like Google Maps for the quickest route, whether you prefer to drive or use public transport.
The journey when using public transport will take about 1 hour 45 minutes.
Have an early flight from Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport? Avoid the last-minute rush to the airport (and catch some extra z's) by picking one of these stays close to ICN:
Arriving at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI)
Consider booking a hotel close to BKI if you're on a late Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport flight. Check in to one of these accommodation options and skip the long transfer after landing:
Follow your own route with a Kota Kinabalu International Airport rental car. Pick up your wheels from NH Travel, Green Motion or Keddy By Europcar and see more of Kota Kinabalu and beyond.
Lock in the best possible rate by booking your vehicle from Kota Kinabalu International Airport about one week ahead of your trip.
Getting from Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) to central Kota Kinabalu
From Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Kota Kinabalu is approximately 8 kilometres away. It takes around 15 minutes to drive to the centre.
When to fly to Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI)
The quietest month for a flight from Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport is February, while August is the most popular. Pick the ideal time to go to Kota Kinabalu based on whether you prefer a more fast-paced or easygoing experience.
When reserving your flight from Incheon International Airport to Kota Kinabalu International Airport, consider the type of weather you enjoy. May is the warmest month in Kota Kinabalu, with the temperature ranging from 24ºC (75ºF) to 31ºC (88ºF).
If you want cooler conditions, search for a cheap ticket from ICN to BKI in February. Temperatures average between 23ºC (73ºF) and 29ºC (84ºF) then.
Explore more of Malaysia
Kota Kinabalu has plenty going for it, but there are so many other parts of Malaysia just waiting to be discovered. Around 225 kilometres east of Kota Kinabalu, a visit to Sandakan will keep you busy. Start with popular sights like Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Sandakan Memorial Park and Sandakan Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC).
Tawau is another favourite destination in Malaysia and is around 274 kilometres south-east of Kota Kinabalu. No trip is complete without seeing Teck Guan Cocoa Museum, Tawau Bell Tower (The Belfry) and Masjid Al-Khauthar, Sabindo Tawau, Sabah..