The Discover Seoul Pass: Travel On A Budget In Seoul
Whether you’re planning your trip to Seoul or already here, make sure you’ve looked into the Discover Seoul Pass if you want to travel Seoul on a budget. When used correctly, there are some great advantages but you need to understand how the Discover Seoul Pass works and how it will work for you and you need to have a plan or at least a good itinerary for your day or days of FREE site visits.
Do not just buy the pass and then set out for the day. There are some things to consider. The Discover Seoul pass is more than just a pass to landmarks for free, you can get free rides to and from Incheon International Airport and discounts on shopping. Want to learn more? Dive in.
Is the Discover Seoul Pass for you? It might be… learn more.
- What is the Discover Seoul Pass?
- Is the Discover Seoul Pass worth it?
- Where to buy the Discover Seoul Pass
- Did you know you can get to and from Incheon International Airport to Seoul Station for FREE with Discover Seoul Pass?
- Tips to maximize the Discover Seoul Pass
- Discover Seoul Pass Itineraries
- How to use the Discover Seoul Pass
- Other Discover Seoul Pass benefits
(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking. These funds go to maintain the site. Thank you for your support.)
What is the Discover Seoul Pass?
Created by the Seoul Tourism Organization and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, their goal was to give foreign tourists access to the most prominent landmarks in the capital of Korea. The Discover Seoul Pass comes in both a physical card form as well as a mobile pass option.
The Discover Seoul Pass functions as your admission ticket and transportation card as you go from place to place and acts as a discount card too. The Discover Seoul Pass allows access to some of Seoulโs biggest landmarks and a selection of historical, cultural and Hallyu attractions.ย
The card can be used by one person and is activated with the first entrance into an attraction. There are more than 30 landmarks than you can enter completely free with the Discover Seoul Pass and then a further list of locations where you can use the card and gain a discount. It should be noted that the discounts that the card gains can be used anytime until the card expires. Oh, and the card is valid for 5 years! Do not throw it away until you’ve really used all that you can use.
Is the Discover Seoul Pass worth it?
The Discover Seoul Pass is worth it when used to maximize savings. The discounts you can gain with the card are great, but you really want to maximize the FREE sites that you can visit and that’s only done with planning.
One problem that struck me with the cards that are good for 24, 48, or 72 hours, is that you canโt actually visit many places after dusk and if youโre trying to see everything in one dayโฆ would you even be able to enjoy it? It would be rushed at best. While it is impossible to see everything in 24, 48, or 72 hours, you can get some pretty good things in during that time. Just don’t choose the already budget friendly palaces and museums which only cost W2,000 to W5,000 anyway.
Besides the time constraints, you also need to have a fairly good understanding of the Seoul geography and where things are located. Some sites are just too far from each other that you’d end up on public transport more than at sites. That is if you don’t get lost on the way.
In order to make the Discover Seoul Pass the most effective for you, it does take some planning, some idea of how navigation in Seoul works, and an idea of how much time youโd want to spend at each site and Iโm here to help with that.
Where to buy the Discover Seoul Pass
You can purchase the Discover Seoul Pass in person in Seoul, Korea however, if you purchase it online via sites like Klook and Trazy which cater to tourists, then you’ll get a discount on the purchase price. Even more savings? Yes, please! Additionally, you can start using your Discover Seoul Pass as soon as you arrive in Korea because you actually have a free ticket to ride the Airport Express Train from Incheon International Airport to Seoul Station. I highly recommend you get your Discover Seoul Pass before you head to Korea to maximize your savings.
How much does the Discover Seoul Pass cost?
Best place to buy the Discover Seoul Pass
On Klook: You can purchase the 24 hour Discover Seoul Pass for W34,000 and the 48 hour Discover Seoul Pass for W49,700. You can also get the BTS Limited Edition Discover Seoul Pass.
On Trazy: You can purchase the 24 hour Discover Seoul Pass for W35,900 and the 48 hour Discover Seoul Pass for W49,500.
*I’ve put current fees but check both sites before you buy to see which is better and if there are updated fees. Also, you might have noticed that there are no 72 hour pass options on these sites. Unfortunately, they are not available on discounted sites so if you want that one, you’ll have to buy it on the Discover Seoul Pass website.
Where to pick up the Discover Seoul Pass
If you purchase your pass through the official website, you’ll have to collect it from the Myeongdong Tourist Information Center. If you buy the pass through Klook or Trazy, you can pick the pass up right at Incheon International Airport. This is the best option if you also want to take advantage of the transportation benefit of the card.
Did you know you can get to and from Incheon International Airport to Seoul Station for FREE with Discover Seoul Pass?
A lot of people just see what they can do for FREE during the valid time period with their Discover Seoul Pass and completely overlook it’s other very valuable uses. For example, you can get one boarding ticket on the AREX, the Airport Express Train, that takes you non-stop from Incheon International Airport to Seoul Station, or the other way, with the Discover Seoul Pass.
Using your physical Discover Seoul Pass: You can gain access to your ticket by going on the Discover Seoul Pass app and entering the QR code on the back of your Discover Seoul Pass. You’ll be given a 13 digit AREX code which you can enter into the ticketing machine at the airport and your ticket will be issued. It’s as easy as that. That is an automatic savings of W4,150 already.
Using the Discover Seoul Pass app: Go to “My Pass” and then click on “AREX Code” to see your 13 digit AREX code which you can enter into the ticketing machine at the airport and your ticket will be issued. It’s as easy as that. That is an automatic savings of W4,150 already.
Additionally, you can get a ride on the Airport Bus from Incheon International Airport to Seoul or the other way around with the card as well. This means, you could get to and from the airport with the Discover Seoul Pass without paying for it. The Airport Bus requires the mobile pass, but once boarding, you just get the Mobile Pass QR code scanned and you’re on.
Using the Discover Seoul Pass app: Go to “My Pass” and then click on ‘Mobile Pass QR Code’. When boarding the bus, place the QR code on the screen beneath the payment scanner.
Tips to maximize the Discover Seoul Pass
- First, purchase the Discover Seoul Pass online so you can get a discount on the card itself to ensure even more savings that it has the possibility of providing. You can get the card with a discount on Klook or on Trazy.
- Check and confirm the opening times of what you want to see.
- If you want to use the card for something across the city from other things, do the things closest to each other the first day, and then do the further away location the next day. For example, if you entered your first location at 11:00am, it expires at 10:59am the next day so you could use the card to get into something at 10:45am the next day and still get the savings. Use the morning for transportation to make it before your FREE period expires.
- I do NOT recommending starting your itinerary as early as possible as many sites suggest. Try to enter the fist place at 10:00am or even 11:00am so that you have ample time the next morning to get someplace and get in before your time expires.
- Make sure to check for site closures and concert/musical times. Palaces have specific days they are closed and performances are all scheduled.
- The card can also be used as a transportation card on subways, buses, or in taxis BUT you need to top it off for it to work as one. You can add money at convenience stores and in subway station.
- Each site can only be visited once within the time frame so you canโt go back in to the same site twice during the 24, 48, or 72 hours.
- The 48 hour pass is only W15,000 more than the 24 hours and would make the card much more cost effective. If you used it over the course of a weekend in Seoul or just for two to three days (depending on what time you started with it), it could work out that youโd see much more than you thought you could.
Places you can visit for free with the Discover Seoul Pass
Check out the official website for more information because they do change and add places. When the card first came out there were just 14 places you could get into for free… now look at this list and this is just the free spots. You can still get discounts at even more.
- Lotte World Adventure Amusement Park
- Aquaplanet Ilsan
- Korean Folk Village
- COEX Aquarium
- N Seoul Tower
- 63 Square
- Alive Museum
- Seoul Zoo and Sky Lift
- Hanboknam
- Yellow Balloon City Bus / Seoul City Tour Bus
- Seoul Battleship Park
- Nami Island
- Gwangmyeong Cave
- Colorpool Museum
- E Cruise
- SBA Seoul Animation Center
- Leeum Museum of Art
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
- Seoul Children’s Museum
- Eunpyeong History and Hanok Museum
- Seoul K-Medi Center
- Gahoe Museum
- Museum Kimchikan
- Seoul Science Museum
- Space K
- Presseum
- Suwon Ipark Museum of Art
- Bukchon Traditional Museum
- Gyeomjae Jeongseon
I don’t recommend visiting the palaces with the Discover Seoul Pass because the entrance fee is so minimal in comparison to other things. What I do recommend, however, is to add the palaces to your last day itinerary when you still have the morning to use the card. Go to Hanboknam to use the card for a free Hanbok rental and then you can get into any of the palaces for free without even using your card. This means that though the “free” time of the card has technically expired, you still get into the palaces for free because you have your Hanbok on.
Discover Seoul Pass Itineraries
The thing to remember about the 24 hours is that it’s not just 1 day, but it will always lead into the next day so start at 11:00am with this itinerary so that you can still stop into one last place the next day to maximize the fun and savings.
How much does itinerary add up to? Want to know what you saved? Let’s check it out:
- Seoul City Tour Bus: W18,000
- N Seoul Tower: W16,000
- Ilmin Museum of Art: W7,000
- Hanboknam: W10,000
- Gyeongbokgung Palace: W3,000
- T-Money Card: W4,000
- AREX: W9,000 (I’m going to assume you already took advantage of the free ride from the airport into Seoul.)
TOTAL standard price for this itinerary: W67,000.
That means that you saved: W27,100
This next itinerary is all about thrills, fun, and maximizing the card to it’s fullest potential while still making sure there’s time for all of the fun. The great thing about this one is that you really get 2 days in 1… you’ll see. Make sure you’re wearing good walking shoes for this day out in Seoul because you’ll be on your feet a lot, but it’ll be worth it. Check out this Seoul itinerary for people who want to have a ton of fun!
How much does itinerary add up to? Want to know what you saved? Let’s check it out:
- Lotte World Adventure: W62,000
- 63 Square: W34,000
- Ecruise Han River Ride: W17,000
- Hanboknam Hanbok Rental: W10,000
- Gyeongbokgung Palace: W3,000
- T-Money Card: W4,000
- AREX: W9,000 (I’m going to assume you already took advantage of the free ride from the airport into Seoul.)
TOTAL standard price for this itinerary: W139,000
That means that you saved: W99,100
How to use the Discover Seoul Pass
I recommend downloading the Discover Seoul Pass app so you have everything easily at your fingertips. A key feature of the app is that it also keeps track of your time for you so you know when your “free” period is over and also keeps track of the tourist attractions that you’ve visited and used the card at. This is important because you can only use the card at attractions once. And remember, you can still use the card even after the “free” period for up to five years getting discounts at the other experiences and shops. Use every bit of it while you can.
Make sure to carry your passport with you as this pass is only available for foreign passport holders so you may have to confirm that from time to time. You simply show the physical card or app upon entrance and you’ll be let right in. It’s pretty easy peasy.
Other Discover Seoul Pass benefits
Now that you’ve made your way around the city and seen some of the best landmarks and coolest sites in Seoul whether it was for 24, 48, or 72 hours, you might be tempted to think you’re done with the card. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR DISCOVER SEOUL PASS! I hope I caught your attention because really, there’s so much more you can use it for. Here is what you shouldn’t miss out on:
Seoul Public Bicycle Rental: Free for 24 hours
With the Discover Seoul Pass, you get access to Seoul’s convenient bike sharing system, Ttareungi. Bikes are all around the city and are a fun way to get around or ride along the Han River perhaps. To use the Discover Seoul Pass with, you’ll download the Ttareungi (Seoul Bike) app and select “Foreigner” on the initial log-in screen. Click the ‘Purchase Pass’ button on the bottom and it’ll take you to a screen that shows an option to pay with a credit card or with your Discover Seoul Pass. Click ‘Discover Seoul Pass’, click ‘All Day – 24h W5,000’. You’ll be prompted to put in the 10 digit QR code of the pass, your email address and then after clicking ‘Agree’ and ‘Pay’, you’ll receive an 8-digit rental code that you can use on the code. Make sure you screen shot the 8-digit code because you’ll need it to get the bike and to log it back in after your rental.
Learn more about the bike sharing system in Seoul with this guide to renting a bike in Seoul.
Discounted entrance to tours and sites
So you free days with the card are over, what will you do? I’m sure that you’ve still got things you want to see and do and some of them might even be on the list of discounts that you can obtain with the card. Whether you’re headed to Andong down south or to Bukchon Hanok Village, there are discounted experiences and entrance fees that you can get.
- Andong Hahoe Village – get a 40% discount on your entrance
- Ttukseom Museum – get a 50% discount on your entrance
- Seoul Land – get a 40% discount on your entrance
- Lotte World Tower Seoul Sky – get a 10% discount on your entrance
- Kum Bak Yeon Gold Leaf Experience – get a 30% discount on your entrance
- Ohui and Whoo Spa Myeongdong – get a 10% discount on your entrance
- Najeongchigi Lacquerware Art Class – get a 15% discount on your entrance
- Make a Hangeul Necklace – get a 10% discount on your entrance
- Gugak Center Performance – get a 30% discount on your entrance
- Nanta – get a 25% discount on your entrance
If you’re going to go shopping for souvenirs, there are a ton of shops that offer discounts with the card as well. Look at this list to get an idea of the shops, but also be sure to ask when you’re in person and out and about shopping in Seoul. Just ask if they offer a discount. Don’t be shy!
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7 Comments
Ines
โป As of July 22nd,2022, the AREX code and the ticket must be used within the duration of the pass (24h, 48h, 72h).
marilou dinoy
if i cant buy online, what shop at Incheon International Airport sells the Discover Seoul Pass. Kindly guide us
Nicole Arnott
I love that you’ve made a cost effective itinerary. I’ve had these cards in cities before and thought it offered great value for money in typically expensive cities like Stockholm. However, in Seoul, I rarely spend very much on paid attractions. I’d much rather just walk around the free art villages and look around shops and do maybe one or two paid activities (Gyongbokgung and Namsan Tower are always a good shout!) I’m sure this post will help anyone who wants to use the pass, though!
Hallie
Yes, I don’t spend much either but if you were interested or had a friend coming to tour, it could be useful to see some of the more expensive places all in one day and save some money that way.
Shelley @Travel-Stained
I’ve bought a few of these types of passes in various cities around the world, and found them to overall be a complete waste of money. It’s like the promise of all these things you can do without worrying about separate admissions, but in reality there’s no way you can do even a fraction of them. Still, your post offers a way to get the absolute best out of the card if you do decide to purchase it. ๐
Hallie
Yes, the ticket admissions are all based on adult prices. If it’s for a child or elderly person, it’s definitely not worth it because so many places they get in for free or for a very minimal cost. That’s true.
Travel with Karla
Discover Seoul Pass is perfect for people who want to save money. Millennials can enjoy using the card but I think it’s not suitable for people who brought their small kids or old parents with them. Anyway, I love the infographic! ^^