At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season The first days of the year are busy on the hilltops at dawn and in the centre; after that, January is one of the quietest months for visitors.
Seoul in January — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Seoul in January offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for winter sales, spa & street food. Expect temperatures of -6–2°C, around 3 days of rain, and low crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around ₩75,000–120,000 for mid-range travellers. Rooms are easy to find last-minute and hotel prices stay noticeably softer through the season.
Contents12 sections
#Weather in Seoul in January
Seoul in January averages -6–2°C (21–36°F) with around 3 days of rain, and crowds are low.
| Measure | January |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | 2°C / 36°F |
| Overnight low | -6°C / 21°F |
| Rain and snow | 3 wet days and about 17 mm, the driest month of the year |
| Daylight | About 9 hours 40 minutes on the 1st, rising past 10 hours by the 31st |
January is the coldest month in Seoul and its driest. Nights average -6°C, and on the coldest mornings of a hard winter the thermometer drops well into minus double figures, cold enough for the edges of the Han to freeze. The old saying about Korean winters is samhan saon, three cold days and four warm ones: a pattern of sharp cold spells broken by milder days as the Siberian high pressure pulses and eases. It is less regular than it used to be, but it still describes the month well. A bitter Tuesday can give way to a Saturday at 5°C.
The dry air is the other half of the story. With about 17 mm of precipitation across the whole month, most days are clear and blue, and when it does snow it is usually a light fall that is gone from the main streets by lunchtime.
#What to Do in Seoul in January
The first sunrise of the year
Koreans greet the new year with haedoji, watching the first sunrise, and on 1 January the hilltops around Seoul fill before dawn. Achasan, in the east of the city, and Namsan are the traditional spots, and districts usually organise gatherings with hot drinks. Sunrise is around 7:47am. Dress for standing still at -6°C for an hour, and bring a head torch for the climb.
Palaces with almost nobody in them
Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung are at their emptiest in January. The mountains behind them stand out sharp against the blue, and after a snowfall the courtyards turn white and the rooflines are picked out in snow. Go at opening time on a weekday and you may have whole courtyards to yourself.
Ice fishing a couple of hours out
The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, in Gangwon Province about two hours from Seoul, usually runs from around the second week of January into early February. People fish through holes in the frozen river for mountain trout, which the festival will grill for you on the spot. The dates are set each year, so check the festival's own site, narafestival.com, before booking a bus.
A skating rink in front of City Hall
Seoul Plaza's outdoor rink usually runs through January, and the city's winter festival often keeps its lights and market in the centre into the first weeks of the month. Both are cheap and central, and the rink is at its best after dark.
#Getting Around
Cold changes the route more than the vehicle. Central Seoul has long underground passages, and in January they are the way to walk: the Euljiro underground shopping street runs from City Hall east towards Dongdaemun beneath one of the busiest roads in the city, and it is warm, lit and lined with small shops the whole way.
Above ground, watch for ice on shaded pavements and the steep lanes of Bukchon and around Namsan, where the sun does not reach until late morning. Station stairs are the other slippery spot after snow.
Express buses and trains out of Seoul fill quickly on weekends, when half the city heads for the ski resorts. Book seats ahead for any day trip.
#Budget & Costs
After the first few days of the year, Seoul room rates fall to some of their lowest. The holiday demand of late December is gone, and it is too cold for most tour groups.
A mid-range day outside the room runs about ₩75,000–120,000. Street snacks cost ₩2,000–5,000, and a night in a jjimjilbang is far cheaper than a hotel room. Hotel strawberry buffets are the expensive treat of the month.
#Food & Dining
Tteokguk, rice cake soup, is eaten on 1 January as well as at the Lunar New Year, and many restaurants put it on the menu for the first week. Street carts outside stations sell roasted sweet potatoes and chestnuts in paper bags, which keep your hands warm on the walk.
January is also strawberry season. Korean strawberries are grown under cover through the winter, and the big hotels in Seoul run strawberry dessert buffets from around the turn of the year into spring. They book up, especially at weekends.
For the cold, try seolleongtang, a milky ox-bone soup served with rice and salted at the table, or a bubbling pot of budae jjigae, eaten from the middle of the table.
#Nightlife
January is calmer than December. The company year-end parties, songnyeonhoe, that fill every restaurant and bar in the last weeks of the year have finished, and weeknights are quieter.
The noraebang karaoke rooms are warm and private, and Hongdae and Itaewon still fill at weekends. Seongsu's cafés and bars in converted factories suit a long evening indoors.
#Shopping
The department stores usually hold their New Year sales in January, and the underground shopping streets beneath Gangnam and Express Bus Terminal stations are warm places to hunt for cheap winter clothing.
Myeongdong's skincare shops sell heavy winter moisturisers and hand creams, which the dry January air makes useful rather than a souvenir.
#Culture & Etiquette
Korea celebrates two new years. The solar new year on 1 January is a public holiday and a day off, but the bigger family occasion is Seollal, the Lunar New Year, which moves each year and sometimes falls in late January.
"Saehae bok mani badeuseyo", receive many blessings in the new year, is the greeting you will hear through the first weeks of January. It is warmly received from visitors.
In a jjimjilbang, wash thoroughly before getting into the baths, and keep to the single-sex areas without a swimsuit.
#Essential Local Phrases
| Korean | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (saehae bok mani badeuseyo) | Happy New Year | Through the first weeks of the month |
| 해돋이 (haedoji) | Sunrise viewing | On 1 January signs and posters |
| 떡국 (tteokguk) | Rice cake soup | On New Year menus |
| 미끄러워요 (mikkeureowoyo) | It's slippery | Warning a friend on an icy lane |
| 찜질방 (jjimjilbang) | Bathhouse | Finding one on a map |
| 세일 (seil) | Sale | Department store windows |
#Packing List
- An insulated coat long enough to cover your hips
- Thermal base layers for top and legs
- A warm hat that covers the ears, gloves and a scarf
- Boots with good grip for ice
- Heavy moisturiser and lip balm
- Heat packs, which every convenience store also sells
- A head torch for a pre-dawn sunrise climb
- Socks in good condition for heated floors
#Safety & Health
The main risks are cold and ice. On the coldest days, cover your ears and face on a hilltop or by the river, where the wind is strongest, and step carefully on shaded pavements.
Dry air brings nosebleeds, sore throats and cracked hands to visitors used to damp winters; a humidifier in the hotel room, if you can ask for one, helps. Air quality can dip in late January, so check the fine-dust forecast before a long day outside.
#Backup Plans
The coldest days are for indoors. The Museum Kimchikan in Insadong explains Korea's most important food in more depth than seems possible. The Seoul Museum of Art, beside Deoksugung, has changing exhibitions. The underground malls under COEX, Gangnam and Jamsil can take a whole day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is January a good time to visit Seoul?
If you dress for it. January is the coldest month, with nights around -6°C, but it is also the driest and brightest, and the palaces and museums are at their emptiest. Rooms are cheap after the first week. With a proper coat the cold becomes part of the trip, not an obstacle to it.
Does the Han River freeze in January?
In a hard winter, parts of it do. The Korea Meteorological Administration declares the river frozen when ice covers its observation point near Hangang Bridge, which happens in some winters and not in others. Do not walk on it: the ice at the edges is thin and unreliable.
What is haedoji?
The custom of watching the first sunrise of the year. On 1 January, people climb hilltops before dawn, and in Seoul Achasan and Namsan are the traditional spots. Sunrise on New Year’s Day in Seoul comes at about 7:47am.
How much does a January trip to Seoul cost?
Once the new year week is over, room rates drop to some of the lowest of the Seoul year. Outside the room, allow about ₩75,000–120,000 a day. A night in a jjimjilbang, the Korean bathhouse, costs a fraction of a hotel and is warm all night.
What’s the weather like in Seoul in January?
Seoul in January typically sees temperatures of -6–2°C with around 3 days of rain across the period. Pack warm layers, a waterproof coat, and sturdy shoes — days stay chilly.