You've seen the phrase "rent an oppa" somewhere — an Instagram reel, a friend's story, a Google search — and now you're wondering how it actually works. Fair. Here's the entire process, step by step.

Step 1 — Sign up and open a chat

Everything starts on the website. Make a free account, then open the chat and just… talk. Ask anything: whether your dates work, whether your plan makes sense, whether renting a local friend is as odd as it sounds (it isn't, but we get the question). It's all free — so chat away.

Step 2 — Tell us your dates and your travel style

Two things shape everything: when you're visiting, and how you like to explore. Street food and markets? Quiet neighborhoods with good coffee? K-pop everything? Night views? Say it plainly — tell us anything, like "I want to spend the whole day café-hopping and eating."

Step 3 — Meet your Crew

Browse the Crew profiles and pick the person whose vibe matches yours — or leave it to us, and we'll pair you with a Crew member who fits your dates and your travel style. This is the person who'll actually explore Seoul with you, so take your time here — read their intros, see which neighborhoods they know best.

Step 4 — Plan your itinerary together

Your Crew turns your brief into a plan. Already made an itinerary? They'll optimize it — reorder stops, cut unnecessary travel time, add hidden spots guidebooks miss. Starting from zero? They'll propose a few route options and you pick. This back-and-forth is part of the service, not an upsell.

Step 5 — Confirm and pay

When the plan feels right, you get a PayPal payment link. Pay upfront, get a record on both sides, done. Rates start at $25 an hour with a 4-hour minimum — we wrote a whole honest price guide if you want the full breakdown of what's included and what's not.

Step 6 — Before you land

Booking a Crew member includes our online guide service, so the conversation doesn't stop after payment. Final tweaks to the plan, weather calls, "should I book this in advance?" — your Crew stays reachable. You'll also agree on the meeting point and time in the chat, so there's zero day-of confusion.

Step 7 — The day itself

You meet, you walk, you eat, you talk. Your Crew handles the Korean — ordering, asking, decoding menus — and adjusts the route in real time. Loving a neighborhood? Stay longer. Feet giving up? Swap the last stop for a café. If the day's going too well to end, you can usually extend by the hour, as long as your Crew's schedule is free.

Step 8 — Goodbye (and what happens after)

The day ends like any day with a friend: you say goodbye, you're somehow already planning what you'd do next time. If it was good, leave a review on our website or Instagram — it genuinely matters to your Crew. And your chat stays open, so trip number two starts with "I'm coming back."

One thing to be clear about

Yes! Oppa is a local friend. Public places, daylight-and-dinner hours — and from start to finish, you'll experience Seoul's every corner as if with a friend from the neighborhood. We wrote a whole post on what "oppa rental" actually means if you want the long version — but that's the short one.