At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season Quiet overall. Over Seollal residents leave the city while visitors arrive for Chinese New Year, so residential streets empty while Myeongdong and the palaces stay busy.
Seoul in February — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Seoul in February offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for seollal festivals, food lovers & heritage. Expect temperatures of -3–5°C, around 3 days of rain, and low crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around ₩75,000–125,000 for mid-range travellers. Rooms are easy to find last-minute and hotel prices stay noticeably softer through the season.
Contents15 sections
#Weather in Seoul in February
Seoul in February averages -3–5°C (27–41°F) with around 3 days of rain, and crowds are low.
| Measure | February in Seoul |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 5°C / 41°F, reaching 10°C on a sunny day late in the month |
| Overnight low | About -3°C / 27°F |
| Wet days | About 3, rain or snow |
| Sunset | 5:55pm on the 1st, 6:24pm by the 28th |
| Big dates | Seollal holiday, Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 February 2027; Jeongwol Daeboreum, Sunday 21 February |
| Crowds and prices | Quiet and cheap, except for the shopping streets over the Lunar New Year |
Figures are Korea Meteorological Administration 1991–2020 normals for Seoul.
What that actually means for your trip:
- The cold is dry and bright. Nights are below freezing and the wind can bite, but most days are clear, and February is one of the driest months of the year.
- Winter loosens through the month. The first half can bring a hard cold snap; by the last week, a sunny afternoon feels like early spring.
- Snow is possible, not reliable. A light fall turns the palaces white for a morning; heavy snow in the city is unusual.
- The air quality turns. Fine dust readings start to climb in late February towards their spring peak, so a hazy, grey day becomes more likely.
Is February a good time to visit Seoul? Yes, if you dress for the cold. It is quiet and cheap outside the Lunar New Year, the palaces are calm and photogenic in winter light, and the food, from Seollal dishes to strawberry season, is at its best. Plan around the Seollal holiday: the city empties as people go home, and some small restaurants close, while the palaces stage free programmes.
#February in the city
Seollal, the Lunar New Year, falls on Sunday 7 February 2027, and the public holiday runs for four days, from Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 February, with the Tuesday added because the new year falls on a Sunday. Families gather at home for ancestral rites and the morning bowl of tteokguk, rice-cake soup. In the days before, trains and roads out of Seoul are packed; over the holiday itself the city is at its quietest.
The palaces and the National Folk Museum usually stage traditional games, and palace entry has been free over recent holidays. See our Seollal in Seoul guide.
Jeongwol Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar year, is on Sunday 21 February 2027.
The custom is to crack hard nuts, bureom, in the morning for strong teeth and to eat ogokbap, five-grain rice; folk villages and museums mark the evening with moon-viewing and games.
February is also graduation season, with flower sellers at every university gate, and Valentine's Day, when in Korea women give chocolate to men, who return the favour on White Day, 14 March.
#What to Do in Seoul in February
Solo Travellers
Walk the snow-dusted courtyards of Gyeongbokgung and the Secret Garden of Changdeokgung, then spend the afternoon in the National Museum of Korea.
In the evening, a jjimjilbang, a Korean bathhouse with heated floors and saunas, is the warmest place in the city.
Couples
Climb to N Seoul Tower on a clear evening for the city lights, browse the tea houses of Insadong, and book a strawberry dessert buffet in one of the big hotels, the treat of the season. Valentine's and White Day dinners book up in advance.
Families
Seollal games at the National Folk Museum, the hands-on Seoul Museum of History, and an outdoor ice rink if one is open.
Lotte World's indoor theme park is a dependable day out in the cold.
Groups
Walk the 5.7km of walls of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, about an hour away by subway, then eat Korean barbecue in Mapo. In the last week of the month, students return to Hongdae and the bars fill again.
#Getting Around
From Incheon Airport, the AREX express train runs to Seoul Station, and the all-stop train continues across the city.
In Seoul, the subway is fast, cheap and signed in English; a rechargeable T-money card works on the subway, buses and taxis.
The subway runs as normal over Seollal, and the roads in the centre are unusually empty. Pavements and palace paths can be icy after snow, especially in shade.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | ₩70,000–110,000 | Guesthouse, street food and set lunches, subway |
| Mid-range | ₩180,000–300,000 | Hotel in Jung-gu or Mapo, restaurant meals, palace and museum entries |
| Luxury | ₩500,000+ | Five-star hotel, fine dining, a strawberry buffet |
February is one of the cheapest months for Seoul hotels. The Lunar New Year brings visitors from China and elsewhere in Asia while residents leave, so the shopping districts can be busy over the holiday.
Costs worth knowing:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Palace entry over Seollal | Free in recent years, when announced |
| Gyeongbokgung on other days | A few thousand won |
| National Museum of Korea | Free for the permanent galleries |
| Subway ride | Under ₩2,000 with T-money |
| Hotel strawberry buffet | The splurge of the month |
- Book Seollal travel early if you are leaving the city.
- Carry a T-money card for transport and convenience stores.
- Check palace closing days: Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays and Changdeokgung on Mondays.
#Food & Dining
Seollal food is tteokguk, eaten on the morning of the new year, and jeon, slices of fish and vegetables fried in egg batter.
February is also strawberry season, with strawberries on every café menu and hotel buffets booked out at weekends, and the peak of the oyster season, gul, served raw with spicy sauce or cooked into rice.
Many small family-run restaurants close for the main days of Seollal; chains, hotels and convenience stores stay open.
#Nightlife
Quiet over Seollal and normal either side.
Hongdae and Itaewon fill up at weekends, Euljiro's old printing alleys hide small bars, and the pojangmacha street tents serve soju and snacks in the cold. Couples book restaurants for Valentine's Day.
#Shopping
The weeks before Seollal are the season for gift sets, and a walk through a department store food hall to see them is part of the experience. Winter clothing is discounted from mid-February as spring stock arrives.
Insadong sells the traditional envelopes used for gifts of money at the new year.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Greet people for the new year with saehae bok mani badeuseyo in the days around Seollal.
- Take off your shoes where you see them lined up at the door, including some restaurants with floor seating.
- Use both hands when giving or receiving something from an older person.
- Expect closures: many small businesses shut for the main days of the holiday.
#Essential Local Phrases
| Korean | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (saehae bok mani badeuseyo) | Happy New Year | Around Seollal |
| 설날 (seollal) | Lunar New Year | On every closure notice |
| 휴무 (hyumu) | Closed | On shop doors over the holiday |
| 부럼 (bureom) | Nuts cracked at the full moon | At the market before Daeboreum |
| 딸기 (ttalgi) | Strawberry | On every café menu |
| 추워요 (chuwoyo) | It's cold | Small talk all month |
#Packing List
- A warm, insulated coat
- Thermal layers, gloves and a hat
- Waterproof boots with good grip for icy paths
- Moisturiser and lip balm for the dry air
- KF94 masks for fine-dust days late in the month
- Socks without holes, for floors where shoes come off
- Comfortable shoes for the fortress walls in Suwon
#Backup Plans
If the air quality is poor: spend the day indoors at the National Museum of Korea and the War Memorial of Korea next to it.
If a cold snap hits: go underground; the shopping malls of COEX and the passages beneath the city centre connect long stretches without stepping outside, and a jjimjilbang fills an evening.
If the restaurants are closed for Seollal: eat in hotels, department store food halls and the big chains, which stay open.
#Safety & Health
Seoul is one of the safest big cities in the world. In February the hazards are ice on pavements and steps, cold wind and, later in the month, fine dust; check the air-quality index and wear a KF94 mask on bad days. Over Seollal many clinics and pharmacies close, but hospital emergency departments stay open, and the 1330 travel hotline can help find one.
Emergency: 119 for fire and ambulance, 112 for police.
#What's New for February 2027
- The Seollal holiday runs from Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 February 2027
- Jeongwol Daeboreum, the first full moon, falls on Sunday 21 February
- The K-ETA exemption for many nationalities runs until 31 December 2026; check for an extension
- Free palace entry over Seollal is announced by the Korea Heritage Service a few days before
- Independence Movement Day, 1 March, follows the month
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), updated October 2026 for February 2027. Climate figures are Korea Meteorological Administration 1991–2020 normals for Seoul. Dates and prices verified against:
- Korea AeroSpace Administration for the 2027 holiday calendar
- K-ETA for the travel authorisation exemption
- Royal Palaces of Korea for palace hours and holiday programmes
- Korea Tourism Organization for the 1330 hotline and seasonal events
- Korea Meteorological Administration for climate normals
For the month before, see Seoul in January, and for the month after, Seoul in March.
You might also like
Destinations picked for travellers with similar taste or climate.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Seollal in 2027?
Seollal, the Lunar New Year, falls on Sunday 7 February 2027 in Korea, and the public holiday runs from Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 February, with the Tuesday added as a substitute day. China’s New Year is a day earlier, on 6 February, because the new moon falls either side of midnight in the two countries.
Is Seoul open over Seollal?
Mostly. The subway runs as normal, the palaces and big museums usually open, often with free entry and folk games, and hotels, chains and convenience stores trade as usual. Many small family restaurants and shops close for the main days, and trains out of Seoul sell out.
What is Jeongwol Daeboreum?
The first full moon of the lunar year, on Sunday 21 February 2027. People crack hard nuts in the morning for strong teeth and eat five-grain rice; folk villages and museums mark the evening with moon-viewing and traditional games.
How much does a February trip to Seoul cost?
February is one of the cheapest months for Seoul hotels. Allow about ₩70,000–110,000 a day on a budget and ₩180,000–300,000 mid-range. The shopping districts are busy over Seollal, when visitors from elsewhere in Asia arrive for the Lunar New Year.
What’s the weather like in Seoul in February?
Seoul in February typically sees temperatures of -3–5°C with around 3 days of rain across the period. Pack warm layers, a waterproof coat, and sturdy shoes — days stay chilly.