What To Do If You’re Staying in Seoul for Chuseok 2024

(UPDATED for 2024) Chuseok, one of the biggest holidays in Korea, is coming up and many Korean families will head to their family homes to be thankful for the good harvest by eating lots of food and playing traditional games. Often tourists and foreigners in Seoul are left wondering what will be open during Chuseok and what they can do.

Here are some ideas for what to do this year for Chuseok in Seoul which is a five day holiday that spans September 14th to September 18th. Chuseok, or the Korean Thanksgiving, is one of the best times to STAY in Seoul in my opinion. Seoul is a fairly new city and for the holiday, families traditionally travel to their parent’s or grandparent’s homes which are most likely outside of the city.

Speaking of families, here are some things you can do with kids for Chuseok like crafts and cooking. It’s a great time to spend time with family. The roads can be bumper to bumper and KTX train tickets book up in mere hours to get out of the city. If you’re staying in Seoul for Chuseok though, it means you can see the city in a quieter calmer mood than you’re likely to find the rest of the year.

Skip around to get all of the details. Special events for this year are under each category where pertinent. Here’s what you can find in this post:

• When Is Chuseok This Year?
• What Do Koreans Do During Chuseok?
• What To Do During Chuseok Holiday In Seoul?
  1. Visit A Traditional Site
  2. Have Fun At An Amusement Park
  3. Visit A Hot Spot
  4. Visit A Museum
  5. Enjoy Nature
  6. Have A Wellness Experience
  7. Take In A Performance
  8. Enjoy A Staycation
  9. Plan A Group Outing

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.)

---

When Is Chuseok This Year?

For 2024, Chuseok falls on September 17th but the holiday actually encompasses September 14th to September 18th. This means the airport and roads will likely be busy from the afternoon/evening of September 13th until the morning of September 19th.

These days families may spend the morning with one side of the family and then head to the other side of the family for a dinner so traffic starts up again in the afternoon of Chuseok Day. This is all on highways though so in Seoul, get out, get about and enjoy the desolate streets.

---

What Do Koreans Do During Chuseok?

Traditionally, Koreans would head back to their family homes in the villages or towns that they came from, dress in traditional Hanboks and wake very early to hold an ancestral rite to pay respects to the ancestors that came before them. An altar table is set with all kinds of food including meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, the candles are lit and then the bowing begins.

My Korean family partakes in this very tradition and we wake very early in the morning to do it after we’ve bathed and dressed in our beautifully colorful Hanboks. To learn more about these traditions, check out my post on the Jesa ritual and how to set the table for Jesa too.

---

What To Do During The Chuseok Holiday In Seoul

For our family, we’ve spent about half of the Chuseok holidays down in Busan where my husband’s family is from and half in Seoul. My (Korean) mother-in-law is a pretty logical person and understands flights can be packed and so are the roads so she usually invites us down a couple weeks prior to Chuseok so we don’t have to travel over the Korean Thanksgiving period. This means we’ve had the pleasure of quite a few calmer holidays here in Seoul and look forward to it whenever we can stay up here.

Here’s what we’ve found to do:

1. Visit a Traditional Site

If you’re not a tourist, you may have postponed visiting some of the more traditional sites but this might just be the IDEAL time to go. Often, the traditional sites also host quite a few experiences for people to partake in to get in the holiday spirit. Unhyeongung Palace will have quite a few experiences to try, for example.

Most years many historical sites host various special experiential activities and performances, and some are even FREE over the holiday period and/or if you’re wearing a Hanbok when you visit.

Sites that are open over the holiday weekend include:

• Namsangol Hanok Village
• Donuimun Museum Village
• Korean Folk Village
• Gyeongbukgung Palace
• Changdeokgung Palace
• Changgyeonggung Palace
• Deoksugung Palace
• Jongmyo Shrine

If you wear a Hanbok to these places, you can also expect to get in for free. If you don’t though, no worries, the prices are far from expensive. Speaking of Hanboks, this is literally the BEST holiday to rent one if you haven’t. Head to Bukchon Oneday Hanbok and dress up. Not only is it the ideal holiday, but it’s the ideal weather to wear a Hanbok as well.

Even Bukchon Hanok Village is a nice place to walk and will likely be very quiet without tourists in the country this year so you can meander the alleys in a Hanbok instead.

2. Have Fun at an Amusement Park

Seoul Land, Everland, and Lotte World will all be open to visitors this weekend. What better way to spend the holiday than having fun with friends or family? Take advantage of the day off and run wild.. well not too wild.

Get your tickets through Trazy or Klook to get additional discounts. What’s more fun than saving money and also getting to go to an amusement park?

• Seoul Land: Save over $20 through Klook. Book Your Tickets Now
• Lotte World: Save a whopping W25,000 when you book through Klook. Get This Deal Now
• Everland: Get discounted tickets on Klook and they provide transportation too as Everland is technically just outside of Seoul.

3. Visit A Hot Spot

You might be surprised to learn what is and isn’t open during Chuseok. Spots that may be touristy the rest of the year, aren’t. Here are some of the hot spots and must-see things here in Seoul that you could take advantage of this holiday weekend.

Seoul Sky Tower: The tower is open 365 days a year and offers some of the most amazing views out over the city. Also known as the Lotte World Tower, it is 123 floors high and features both indoor and outdoor vantage points.

You can see all of the details in my full post about Lotte World Tower here. I just went a couple weeks ago and there were all of 10 people there. It’s definitely a must see. Book Your Tickets With Klook to save on admission.

N Seoul Tower: Want to hit up Myeongdong for some shopping and then get some views too? Then go to N Seoul Tower. Autumn is an amazing time to visit this quintessential Seoul hot spot. Book Through Klook to get discounts on the different ticket combo options.

4. Visit a Museum

Museums including the National Museum of Korea, National Folk Museum of Korea, War Memorial of Korea and the Seodaemun Prison History Museum are usually open over the weekend though may have one day off during the holiday period.

This year, the Seoul Museum of History and the Seoul Baekje Museum will also be open over the holiday weekend. Use the time to learn more about the place you’re calling home, the culture and history or take in some art.

5. Enjoy Nature

The numerous mountains and parks across the city will be basking in some gloriously good weather and with the leaves changing colors and the autumn blossoms blooming, it’s the perfect time to get out and about and enjoy the weather.

Go for a hike along the Seoul Fortress Wall. I always recommend this as it’s easy to follow which means you won’t get lost and you’ll always end up near the center of Seoul because that’s exactly what it circles around. Take a bike ride along the Han River or go to a nearby park for a picnic. Want to know which of the eleven Hangang Parks is closest to you? Find out and plan your time outside this holiday weekend.

6. Have A Wellness Experience

Sometimes a holiday is just made even better with some rest, relaxation, and a little pampering. Check out some of the best spas in Seoul see if you can grab a reservation ASAP!

Spa 1899: Spa 1899 is known for signature Red Ginseng treatments. There are numerous packages to choose from that include facials, slow-aging facials and upper body massages, or go big or go home and get the full body treatment. Book a treatment through Klook and you can grab a discount at Spa 1899.

Sulwhasoo Balance Spa: Sulwhasoo is one of the most premier skincare brands in Korea and their spa is gorgeous. After you enjoy a spa treatment, make sure you go to the rooftop to see the beautiful architecture. It’s a calming space with amazing products. A must-try really. Book your vitality , calming, or bloomstay treatment on Klook.com.

7. Take in a Performance

Nanta is the longest running theater performance in the country. Grab a seat and see it this weekend!, Another great show we saw recently is the very fun PAINTERS production. It’s also non-verbal but quite fun to see especially with kids.

The Seoul Arts Center and the Sejong Art Center usually host different events and performances. Take the time to peruse their websites and see what might fit into your schedule. There is bound to be something you’re interested in seeing and over the holiday weekend.

8. Enjoy A Staycation

It’s actually becoming more popular with families to head out of Seoul to resorts or places that they can rest and relax these days. They plan to have one day with family and then enjoy a staycation at a luxury hotel. Maybe you would like to do the same. Why not partake in the same activity but stick around Seoul to do it?

Some of our favorites have been Paradise City Resort, Signiel Hotel in Lotte Tower, Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, and Novotel Ambassador in Yongsan. Where do you want to stay?

9. Plan A Group Outing

Celebrating holidays when you’re away from family can be lonely sometimes. When all of your Korean friends are going to see their loved ones, it is a great time to get a small group of friends together and do something a little special. There are some cool things to do in Seoul with a group of friends that’s a bit special. Here are some good options:

Ride On A Yacht: Go during the day and see Seoul from the water like you haven’t seen it before, or go in the evening and enjoy the views. This is a great activity to do with friends and this is a great season to do it before it gets too cold. Seeing the city from the Han River is a must and booking a yacht with some friends makes it even more fun. You can book the yacht experience on the Han River from Sevit Island on Klook.com.

Korean Traditional Rice Cake Making Class:You may have eaten the beautiful little rice cakes, but have you ever made your own? I signed up for a class with my daughter years ago and it was so fun… and tasty. Learn how to make the delicate rice cakes that look like they have cloth wrapped around them. They make for a beautiful gift too if you’re headed to someone’s home this weekend. Sign up to make your own beautiful rice cakes on Klook.

---

There is definitely plenty to do this weekend in Seoul and considering so many people will have departed from the city, it will be an extremely good time to get out and about and enjoy the downtown area. Happy Chuseok!

Did you like this post? Pin It!