The best thing about reality dating shows, beyond the delicious drama of conventionally-hot aspiring influencers falling in and out of love, is the top-tier vacation inspo. Whether they take place in a bright, luxury villa or on a tropically decorated beachfront, shows like Love Island USA and Bachelor in Paradise allow viewers to melt away from their current surroundings and mentally transport to clear skies and crystal-blue waters.
Netflix's hit dating show Single's Inferno offers two main locations for escapist viewing. Each installment of the series isolates a group of singles on a sparsely-furnished and uninhabited island, referred to as "Inferno," where they have to cook their own meals and take part in physical challenges. Throughout the season, the cast gets the chance to pair up for a date in "Paradise," a luxury hotel where they can be waited on, eat meat, and enjoy all the air conditioning and amenities their hearts desire.
Over the past five years, Netflix's most-watched Korean reality show has mixed up its locations, staying loyal to a deserted island while alternating between massive luxury resorts. For fans wondering where in South Korea the show takes place, both Inferno and Paradise are pretty close to the filming locations for all our favorite K-dramas. Below, read on for everything to know on the properties where Single's Inferno is filmed.
'Single's Inferno' Filming Locations
Over the course of the show's five installments, Single's Inferno has been filmed across several locations in two of South Korea's most popular cities. For most seasons, both the Inferno and Paradise locations have been located near Incheon, a South Korean port city around an hour away from the country's capital, Seoul. If the name sounds familiar to non-K-drama fans, it's because many travelers arrive in South Korea via Incheon International Airport, which is considered one of the world's best airports.
Meanwhile, season 3 switched up the filming locations for longtime viewers by relocating Paradise to a new luxury hotel on Jeju Island, located southwest of the Korean peninsula. The tourist hotspot is best known for its UNESCO landmarks, including volcanic lava caves and the dormant volcano Hallasan.
Thankfully for fans who want to turn their escapist viewing into reality, all Inferno and Paradise locations are open to visitors. See some of the scenery featured in the reality hit below, and read on to learn how to visit Single's Inferno's filming locations.
The Inferno Filming Location in 'Single's Inferno'
For all five seasons, the reality hit's Inferno set has been located on Saseungbong-do, a small island registered as one of Korea’s official uninhabited islands and a marine sanctuary, per The Korea Times. Known as "Sado" by locals, the island measures 2.5 miles long by 1.25 miles wide, and has a long history as a filming location. It has been used as the backdrop for several beloved variety shows, including Running Man, Muhan Dojeon, and Two Days and One Night.
The island is open to visits, and its tourism website recommends camping, swimming, fishing, clam-digging, and viewing a picture-perfect sunset. To get there, visitors have to take a boat from the Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal, with ferries running regularly during the peak season. Fees are around 100,000 won (about $83.50) for solo passengers or 15,000 won (about $12.53) for those in a group, though you can also rent a private boat.
Though the series has stuck to the same island for each installment, producers have tried to introduced novelty by changing Inferno's structures, like with season 3's dual "Inferno" camps. According an interview with Time, season 5 was designed to focus more on the cast's personalities and chemistry than huge alterations to the show's rules.
"For Season 5, we didn't want to go for drastic changes in format," producer Kim Jae-won told the outlet. "[We wanted to] make sure it feels natural, and then we can show more of the charms of the characters."
The Paradise Filming Locations in 'Single's Inferno'
Seasons 1 and 2's Paradise dates were filmed at Paradise City Hotel and Resort near Incheon Airport. First opened in 2017 and completed in 2019, per CNN Travel, the 3-million-square-foot complex is jam packed with attractions rivaling the wildest Vegas resort, including outdoor and indoor pools, a sauna and spa with an anti-aging clinic, a fitness gym and kids's zone, a "Safari Park" entertainment center, several dining and shopping options, a casino, a club, a theme park, (breathe!) and an art gallery with regular exhibitions.
While season 1's contestants only spent time in the suites (if you can say “only” about the hotel's "Deluxe Pool Villa," which is larger than an average apartment and includes a private pool), season 2 expanded the dates to include more of the “art-tainment” in the resort, including trips to the property's public indoor pool and rides on its theme park carousel.
And the price to visit this mini-Vegas? A two-night package in the Paradise Hotel's deluxe single room starts at 289,000 Korean won, or around $220. There's also a second hotel, the boutique-style Art Paradiso, which only accepts guests over 18.
For season 3, couple dates took place at several locations around Jeju, with the Grand Hyatt Jeju serving as the central "Paradise" where couples stayed for the night. The five-star hotel, in the twin buildings known as the Jeju Dream Tower, opened in late 2020 and became Hyatt's largest hotel in the Asia-Pacific region at the time, per Business Traveller. The resort is also packed with add-ons, including 14 restaurants and bars, two premium spas, Jeju’s largest outdoor deck featuring an infinity pool, a patio deck called "Dining in the Clouds," and a two-story mall that showcases over 200 Korean fashion designers and brands. For anyone interested in visiting, rates start at around 260,000 Korean won, or $200 USD a night.
Season 4's Paradise stand-in was the Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, located in central Seoul near N Seoul Tower. Though it isn't as sprawling as resorts in nearby Incheon, the five-star spa resort still features massive suites with private pools, as well as Michelin-caliber restaurants, as well as indoor and outdoor public pools, tennis courts, a golf driving range, and an ice rink. Banyan Tree's nightly rates are a bit higher as well, with a base rate around $330 USD.
Paradise moved locations once again for season 5, with the overnight dates taking place at INSPIRE Entertainment Resort in Incheon. Located an hour away from Seoul and 15 minutes from Incheon airport, the integrated hotel features three five-star hotel towers, over a dozen dining options, a casino, an indoor water park, an expansive outdoor park, a shopping mall, several art exhibitions, an "immersive entertainment street" with 150-meter LED screens, and a 15,000-seat performance arena. INSPIRE's hotel rates also start in the 260,000 Korean won/$200 USD range, though discounts are also offered through Hilton's honors program.
