When is the best season to visit Korea?

All season of course!

Unless you want a panoramic view of Korea's beauty, you might have different preferences like me. I particularly dote on autumn for the breathtaking and spectacular sights it projects. But hey, people are unique with own worries and qualms, right?

Winter - late November till March



Visiting palaces during winter gonna be...grrrrr..*trembling with cold*

But throwing snowballs is fun!

Winter is a high season for tourist in Korea. Plane ticket and accommodation is slightly more expensive than the low season like autumn and summer. People are on Christmas and New Year's holiday mood hence the rate goes up.

However, due to global warming the weather has become crazier and crazier each year. Pretty unpredictable. I was on the phone yesterday with my friend; Yani (from Singapore) who is currently in Korea ( Christmas 2010 until early January 2011). According to her, the weather was about -20 Celsius when she reached Seoul! They stayed inside buildings for warm heaters most of the time to avoid the extreme cold. She couldn't last even 5 minutes outside with that kinda weather. :O

Hence, I always try to avoid visiting Korea during winter season.

Pro:
Snow
Skiing and snowboarding activities
Winter Sonata moment
Winter fashionista - donning winter apparels

Con:
Reduced mobility
View is dull and somber
Extremely cold
Day time is shorter

Spring - End of March until early May


At Hangang Park

At Kyunghee University

Also considered as high season mainly because the sakura blossoms gonna bloom in this time of the year. It is an added value for those who want to visit Korea other than the nice weather. Springs means the start of schools, businesses and etc in Korea. Basically, the fiscal year starts around spring.
I bet the only preferred season to visit Korea are either spring or autumn. Weather and spectacular view wise.

Pro:
Beautiful
Awesome weather

Con:
High season

Summer - Late May until September



Kids love running around this fountain during summer.
Heat busters!

A good season for backpackers because you don't have to wear layers of clothes and carry bulky luggages as in winter. Korean love summer. At least to my Korean friends that I know of. Although it's humid and they gonna be sweaty but they can't wait for summer because it's the time to hit the beach!!

Pro:
Mobility

Con:
Humid

Autumn - Late September until early November



Me with Tut on top of the carpet of autumn! ^^

My favorite! It's harvest season during this time where you get to celebrate Chuseok. So many fruits and crops on the market during this time and the view is breathtaking with the trees changing colors from yellow, red and brown! I love it while riding the bus or car marvelling at the beautiful mountains during autumn. Nuff said Zarina! Hehehe..

Can I say no Pro and Con here? Yes! *I'm such a bias when it comes to autumn..sorry ^^*

I have come up with 7 days itineraries under the pages tab: Sample Itinerary. Have a look!

Post a Comment

59 Comments

Rafidah said…
owh... autumn! the piccas sooo lovely. hope to be in Seoul during autumn season next time. Or maybe the idea of woofing from autumn to winter season(like u)is the best one? i should try, rite? =)
Zarina BT2K said…
Rafidah,
yup..I love autumn so much!
Weather is nice and the view is amazing. ^^
Wwoofing is definitely to be done around this time.
Ain said…
Salam Zarina,

Dulu belajar kat mana eh? Sebab muka familiar.. :)

Tak perasan post sebelum ni ada ke tak..cuma nak tau jenis pakaian dan kasut yg sesuai utk spring..tak dapat nak budget cuaca kat sana..

Thanks ya! :)
Zarina BT2K said…
W'salam Ain,

Dulu i study at MMU.

For spring, wear light jacket/sweater.

Wear sneakers or comfortable shoes because you gonna walk a lot.
how to be alive said…
unnie i love reading ur blog..i got lots info from ur blog about korea..me and my friends wanna go there this march..
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi Haninie,
Thanks for dropping by! ^^
Enjoy your trip in March next year, ok!
Learn some hangul if you have the time to spare.
Anonymous said…
Hi Zarina,

Nak tanya bulan Oct cuaca mcm mana? Sgt sejuk atau mcm Genting saja? :-)

Michelle
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi Michelle,
early OCt tak sejuk sgt tp towards end of Oct sejuk..macam mana pun, before you go, check the weather forecast.
Reg Tribaco said…
we'll be in korea end of october to early november! I'm excited to experience autumn... I'm from the Philippines and we only have 2 seasons: rainy and dry.

I find your blog very helpful.
Zarina BT2K said…
Hi Reg,

Thank you for taking the time to visit the blog. Malaysia is the same like the Philippines. hot and humid..^^ I love autumn too and hope that you will have a blast and enjoy your time there!
fareeda said…
My trip wll be on 23rd nov.blh svive tak dngan trml wear,jumper and knitted jacket/thick sweater?nk krngkn brat lgage.tenkiu
Zarina BT2K said…
Salam Fareeda,
You must have at least an autumn or winter coat now + thermal + knitted. It's getting colder now.
In the morning/night it's around 3 celcius but in the afternoon about 12-16.
fareeda said…
Tenkiu for your rply.ill go there for a week trip.what is the lowest cost to cntct my fmly in mlysia cos i dun wnt to do roaming.it cost me rm500 for a week in thailand.can i just bring maxis prepaid?can i use wifi at htel and aport with samsunng glxy wth maxis prepaid simcard? hpe to hear from u soon.tenkiu
Zarina BT2K said…
Salam Fareeda,

You can rent a korean phone at Incheon airport for a week.

I use maxis prepaid now, 30 seconds = RM4, 1 msg = RM2

so far, it is fine for me just to grab free wifi signal available around me.
fareeda said…
Thank a lot.already bought clcom prepaid.hpe gnna b ok.cant wait for d trip next wk..
IedaAdie said…
Hi there. I will be in korea from 8 march until 18 march 2012. Just wanna know the weather and scenery will be..
Anonymous said…
Nak tanya, Kalau early may, cherry blossom ade lagi x?
Zarina BT2K said…
Anonymous,
it depends on the weather and where you want to view the cherry blossom.
if in May, you can still see it in Jeju Island
faiz said…
hi zarina. just wanna know when will the
snow fall begin? me & my wife are so anxious to feel the snow breeze. we went there last June & it was summer time. thanks again all the info in this blog. may Allah bless you. thanks again.
Zarina BT2K said…
Salam Faiz,
Some days when the weather is too cold, we gonna have snow but right now winter is coming and the temperature is fluctuating greatly.
Snow normally is heavy by end of Dec to end of Feb.
Unknown said…
zarina,

you mentioned here snow normally is heavy by end of Dec to end of Feb. Someone told me, snowfall is rarely in late Jan or early Feb. Huhuhu..or should I expect snowfall at Inje?
Zarina BT2K said…
Salam Norfaizah,
Can't tell as it's mother nature to decide ^^. If there's rain and the weather is cold enough it might snow.
Anonymous said…
Salam Zarina,
Is it easy to find halal food? Taught of bringing the family of 6 end of 2012.

LINA
Mimi Wardah said…
Salam Zarina,
Hi I'm wondering if you are still in Seoul in Oct'12? My friend and I will be visiting there for the 1st time w/o tour.. I'm abit nervous and I need your guidance there... Do you think we can meet up?

Mimi
ct40 said…
Salam...hi zarina...im planning to visit korea in end of march - early appril'12..just wondering...is there any cahnce to view Cherry blossom..?

thx
Zarina BT2K said…
W'salam,

Ct40 - cherry blossom normally early april to end of april but it all depends on mother nature. Global warming has affected the weather greatly.

Mimi - I'm not too sure if I'm in Seoul or somewhere else in Korea. That's probably the reason why I am not a tour guide. ^^ The blog will help you instead of me.

Lina - check out the label 'Korean food' or HALAL tab page on top of the blog.
Anonymous said…
hai there .. regarding bout korea ade awak kenal guide yg bleh bawa kite jalan2 . mesti mahal kan nak upah guide ..
EL said…
Salam Ms Zarina.I'm planning to visit Korea in mid october, probably from 12 to 20th october.can you please advice what type of clothes should i bring?is blazer jacket or knit cardigan or sweater enough?or probably just a simple long sleeve shirt.thank you.
Zarina BT2K said…
W'salam EL,
mid oct is quite cold if you're coming from tropical countries.
blazer jacket + knit + sweater is good.

If you don't want to bring so many thick clothes, just layering will do + good jacket
Kak Hani said…
Aslm'alaikum Zarina..... Saya Hani. You ada kenal mana2 student melayu yg study di korea, yg boleh jadi tour guide untuk bawa kami pergi tour di sana on the 1st week of april tak? saya ada 5 orang yg dah book flight untuk pergi sana. Kalau boleh penginapan pun kita orang nak jugak!
Anonymous said…
Salam Zarina, vry informative blog... We plan to visit seoul n jeju island end sept to early oct, s it necessary to wear autumn cloth since it is jz d begining n end of summer? Appreciate yr reply
Zarina BT2K said…
w'salam,
just wear a shirt + jumper / light jacket will do.
Anonymous said…
Salam Zarina, we going Korea on 9 to 17 mar and wld like to ski and going muju resort fortwos days and then back to seoul staying at namsan guesthouse. Can we know if we go to ski resort, do we need winter clothes? Also at seoul do we wear as usual? Can u suggest some Eng speaking guides for us or students who can guide us? Azlina fm Singapore.
Anonymous said…
Hi I m going there on 9 mar to 17 mar. Do u know of any Muslim students who want to be our tour guide?
Amy said…
Hi, I'm from singapore . So I was wondering since it'll be my first time going seoul . Our trip will be from 10march till 16march . So I was wondering will it be too cold for us(from tropical climate) based on usual years. Thanks .
Anonymous said…
Hi, Thanks for your informative site. Did you travel free & easy to Korea or by tour? May I know how you travelled around if you went F&E? Is this easy to do with young kids like 4 and 9 yrs old?
Zarina BT2K said…
Anonymous,
I am F&E, never by tour.
always by subway, train, bus.
not so easy with young kids.
Alfitri said…
Hi,

I'm from Malaysia.Kindly please quote your Korea tour package(include hotel) for 2 pax. Date : 5-11 April 2012.Please reply to my email at mufira2@yahoo.com.

Thanks.
MuhdTaib said…
Hi Zarina,
I plan to go in Dec with family.

I heard Hamilton hotel is very close to mosque and halal food is easily available...I think this hotel is quite X. Any recommendation.

My fren told me that things here is much cheaper than the city. Is it far from city?

One of my itinery include 1 nite stay for skiing...is it ok?
Anonymous said…
HI zarina,

very helpful blog,
i will be going to seoul mid of May for 5 days ( but mainly daytime 9-5 pm will be occupied by conference),
is it a lot of places to see if after 6pm?
thank u in advance,
Flo
Zarina BT2K said…
Flo,

After 6 pm, most museums or palaces are closed but you can always go places like Cheonggyecheon stream, Gwanghwamun square, Namsan Tower, Han River / cruise, Dongdaemun, Hongdae which opens till late night.
delaila said…
salam Zarina, saya planning utk visit korea maybe in mid november.. mcm mana ea cuaca pd waktu itu nnt? Apa suggestion outfit yg sesuai termasuklah kasut yg sesuai.. and for ur info saya ada baby yg akan berusia 1thn by that time..slalunya bape lapis bj yg kena pakai pd cuaca ketika itu? and u ada tak suggestion utk hotel budget kat sane? my family yg akan pegi lbh kurang dalam 20 org include children..tq..
rusni said…
Hi Zarina.
Im planning to go to Seoul late Nov till first Dec. Will I get to see trees change colors from yellow, red, brown? Can you tell me which part of Seoul if I want to see yellow, red and brown mountains during autumn. Can I get halal Korean food there?Thanks
AiSarang Art said…
salam kak,

nak tanya...saya pergi korea time autumn agak2nya pakaian apa yang sesuai saya xnak over dress and taknak susahkan diri beli baju extra kat sana nanti....hehehehe hope you boleh advice...i am going on october

tq
Zarina BT2K said…
W'salam Aisarang Art,

just wear autumn coat/jumper.
Anonymous said…
Hi. I love your pictures of autumn. I would want to ask what exact date were these taken? I will be going to Seoul Oct.15 this year. I would like to know if I will be able to see autumn foliage during that time? If yes, would it be that vivid and colorful as the one on your photos? Thanks!
Nette Torres said…
Hi...i plan to go this Christmas but its Winter time...so, maybe hav to choose btween Spring,Autumn n summer...btw,nice review!
Anonymous said…
Hello! Will go to Korea with friends first week of May. Can you suggest a cheap hostel that's easily accessible? also, what type of clothes to wear? thank you!
Unknown said…
Hope to see South Korea someday especially Autumn season :*
Unknown said…
Were going there last week of Oct 2013! Hope this is a perpect time for the vivid colors of foliage.
Anonymous said…
Hi, I m going in 17/11-22/11. How is the weather like and what clothing should I wear. Thanks
Unknown said…
Zarina awk ke yg ada gambar a twosome cafe kalau xsilap u org yg sama kan..hehe tu lah saya pun berminat nak pergi and nak pergi twosome cafe jugak if lucky dpt jpa so ji sub right
Zarina BT2K said…
w'salam Salieyna Osman,

ye, saya lah tu ^^
kalau lucky sangat dpt la jumpe oppa saya tu...saya dh pegi 3-4 kali pon x lucky2..T_T
Saiful Brunei said…
Assalamualaikum,

I When there last Dec for my first honeymoon. And it was very fascinating my wife love it very much. i love the cold weather. Thanks to your "Budget Travel Guide South Korea" website. Its very useful.

Saiful Rosallan
Anonymous said…
Assalamualaikum,

I found that you blog is very useful. It gets me more excited to go travel to Korea this year. I plan to go there on 15 - 19 September 2014. I really want to go during autumn seasons. Do you think that the autumn season already starts on that date? or is it still in summer? really hope your advise on this before i place for the bookings..

tqvm :)
Fatin
Zarina BT2K said…
w'salam Fatin,

September is change of season from summer to autumn..October is better. Go to Seoul from 20th October onwards insyaAllah the peak of autumn is within that time.
Anonymous said…
Salam zarina,
Hi ,I'm effendy,.1st of all , me n wifey lovin ur blog, very informative, since we r planing to travel thr next month, 11- 26 April . Wanna go earlier, but can't do..we will be travel from Busan- jeju - Seoul. I'm aware we will be a bit behind the schedule , but it is still possible to see a Sakura at that time?
HIV a nice day.
Tq
Zarina BT2K said…
w'slm Effendy,

you should go to jeju, busan, seoul ..in this sequence and perhaps you can catch sakura blooming..insyaAllah..

if by the time u arrive busan, sakura is already blooming..then Jeju mostly has bloomed or finished

then Busan, seoul then jeju
Anonymous said…
great posting. congrats!
nizam & jaja