At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season Busy in the first half, when the foliage reaches the city; noticeably quieter and cheaper in the colder second half.
Seoul in November — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Seoul in November offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for autumn foliage, food lovers & culture seekers. Expect temperatures of 4–12°C, around 6 days of rain, and medium crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around ₩80,000–135,000 for mid-range travellers. Book three to four weeks ahead for the best mid-range rates and the widest hotel choice.
Contents16 sections
- At a Glance
- Weather in Seoul in November
- The Foliage, the Exam and the Kimchi
- What to Do in Seoul in November
- Getting Around
- Budget & Costs
- Food & Dining
- Nightlife
- Shopping
- Culture & Etiquette
- Essential Local Phrases
- Packing List
- Backup Plans (Cold, Rain or Fine Dust)
- Safety & Health
- What's New for November 2026
- About This Guide
#At a Glance
November is the month Seoul changes season in front of you. The first week or so is the tail of the autumn colour, with the ginkgo avenues gold and the palace maples red; by the last week the trees are bare, the first frosts have come, and the city has turned to kimjang, the winter kimchi-making that fills the markets with cabbages.
In between comes Thursday 19 November 2026, the national university entrance exam, Suneung, when the whole country rearranges its morning around half a million students.
#Weather in Seoul in November
Seoul in November averages 4–12°C (39–54°F) with around 6 days of rain, and crowds are medium.
| November | |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 12°C / 54°F |
| Overnight low | About 4°C / 39°F |
| Wet days | About 6, around 51 mm in total |
| Sunset | 5:34pm on the 1st, 5:21pm on the 15th, 5:14pm on the 30th |
Figures are Korea Meteorological Administration 1991–2020 normals for Seoul; sunset times are calculated for the city centre.
What that actually means for your trip:
- Two different months of weather. Early November days are often in the mid-teens and clear; by the end, afternoons struggle to get out of single figures and nights can drop below freezing.
- It is dry. Six wet days is one of the lowest counts of the year, and most days are bright.
- The wind does the damage. A cold northwesterly arrives with the first winter fronts and makes a 5°C evening by the Han River feel well below zero.
- Fine dust returns. Air quality tends to worsen as the heating season starts and winds from the continent pick up; check the daily forecast.
Is November a good time to visit Seoul? Yes, especially the first half: crisp, clear days, the last of the foliage in the city, and none of October's crowds. The second half is cold and bare, but quieter and cheaper, and it is when the food turns to kimchi, oysters and street-cart snacks.
#The Foliage, the Exam and the Kimchi
The leaves. The official 2026 autumn-leaves forecast, from the Korea Tourism Organization and the National Arboretum, put the peak for the Seoul area as beginning in late October.
Mountain colour on Bukhansan goes first; the city's lowland trees, the ginkgo avenues and the maples in the palaces, usually hold on into the first part of November. Come in the first week and you will still find it; by mid-month the ginkgo are dropping their leaves in carpets of gold, and by the 20th most of it is over.
The exam. On Suneung day, Thursday 19 November 2026, offices and the stock exchange open later so the roads are clear for candidates, extra trains run in the morning rush, and police cars and motorbikes ferry students who are running late. During the English listening test in the early afternoon, takeoffs and landings stop across the country. It changes little for a visitor, but avoid a flight that leaves or lands in that window.
The kimchi. From the last week of November into December, families make the year's winter kimchi together, kimjang, a practice on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage. Markets stack up napa cabbages, radishes and red pepper, and the restaurants serve bossam, boiled pork wrapped in fresh, unfermented kimchi, the meal that goes with the work.
#What to Do in Seoul in November
Solo Travellers
Take the walking path up Namsan from the Namsangol Hanok Village side through the maples, and come down by the cable car or on foot as the city lights come on, which is well before six.
Spend a cold afternoon at the National Museum of Korea, free and enormous, and the evening in the food alleys of Gwangjang Market.
Couples
Book the Secret Garden tour at Changdeokgung for the colour, then walk the lanes of Bukchon and Samcheong-dong for tea in a hanok.
On a clear evening, the Seoullo 7017 walkway or the top of Namsan give the city at dusk; go early in the month, when the evenings are still mild enough to linger.
Families
Seoul Forest has wide paths, deer enclosures and ginkgo avenues that children can kick through.
The National Folk Museum, inside Gyeongbokgung's grounds, has a children's museum and galleries on everyday Korean life; note that Gyeongbokgung is closed on Tuesdays.
Pepero Day on Wednesday 11 November, when Koreans give each other chocolate-coated biscuit sticks, is an easy treat.
Groups
A jjimjilbang, the Korean bathhouse with hot baths, saunas and heated floors for lounging, is the best group evening once the cold arrives; most are open round the clock.
Book a table for Korean barbecue in Mapo or Euljiro, and finish in the pojangmacha tents, the street drinking stalls that drop their plastic sides and switch on the heaters this month.
#Getting Around
From Incheon Airport, the AREX express train reaches Seoul Station in under an hour, and the all-stop train is cheaper and only a little slower.
A rechargeable T-money card covers the subway, buses and many taxis; a ride on the subway costs ₩1,550 on a card.
The foliage places are all on the subway: Anguk for Changdeokgung, City Hall for Deoksugung, Seoul Forest for the park of the same name, and Myeongdong for the Namsan walking paths.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | ₩80,000–135,000 | Guesthouse, street food and markets, the subway |
| Mid-range | ₩190,000–310,000 | Mid-range hotel, restaurants, a palace tour |
| Luxury | ₩480,000+ | Five-star rooms, hanwoo beef dinners, private guides |
What things cost:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Subway ride, on a card | ₩1,550 |
| Taxi flagfall | ₩4,800 |
| National Museum of Korea | Free |
| Hotteok or bungeoppang | ₩1,000–3,000 |
Where the money actually goes:
- The first fortnight is still autumn high season, with rooms near October's rates.
- The second half is among the year's better value, as the trees go bare.
- There is no city tourist tax on hotel rooms.
- The best of the month is free: the foliage walks, Namsan, and the national museum.
November rewards anyone who comes early for the colour and stays late for the food; both halves are cheaper than October.
#Food & Dining
November is the start of the season for oysters, gul, from the southern coast, eaten raw with a red-pepper dressing or in a hot gukbap.
Bossam comes with the kimjang. As the weather turns the street carts return: hotteok, sweet pancakes filled with brown sugar and seeds, bungeoppang, fish-shaped waffles with red-bean paste, and roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes in paper bags.
Restaurants switch to soups and stews: sundubu-jjigae, soft tofu stew, and samgyetang, ginseng chicken soup, are both warming lunches.
#Nightlife
The evenings are long and cold, so the drinking moves indoors and to the heated tents.
Euljiro's alleys of printing workshops have filled with small bars, Seongsu has the cafés and cocktail rooms in old factories, and Hongdae has the live music and the clubs. In the second half of the month company year-end dinners, hoesik, start to fill the barbecue restaurants on weeknights.
#Shopping
The winter collections are in the shops, and the long padded coats that Seoul wears from now until March are on sale everywhere, from Dongdaemun's wholesale towers to the department stores. The department stores run seasonal sales in November, and Myeongdong and Olive Young are the places for Korean skincare, which you will want once the heating starts.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Keep quiet near schools on Suneung morning. They are exam centres; do not use a car horn.
- Shoes off in homes, temples, some restaurants and jjimjilbang floors.
- Two hands when giving or receiving, especially money and drinks from older people.
- Do not tip. It is not expected anywhere.
- At a kimjang event, wear the gloves and apron you are given; red pepper stains.
#Essential Local Phrases
| Korean | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| 단풍 (danpung) | Autumn leaves | The early-month question: still there? |
| 은행나무 (eunhaengnamu) | Ginkgo tree | The gold avenues |
| 김장 (gimjang) | Winter kimchi-making | Late November |
| 수능 (suneung) | The university entrance exam | Thursday 19 November |
| 추워요 (chuwoyo) | It is cold | From mid-month |
| 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) | Thank you | Everywhere |
#Packing List
- A warm coat for late November, or a padded one bought here
- Layers, because the morning, afternoon and indoor temperatures all differ
- A hat, scarf and gloves for the wind by the river
- Shoes with grip for paths covered in wet leaves
- Rich moisturiser and lip balm, as the heating dries skin fast
- KF94 masks for days of fine dust
#Backup Plans (Cold, Rain or Fine Dust)
If the air quality is poor: stay indoors: the National Museum of Korea, the Leeum art museum in Hannam-dong and the War Memorial of Korea each fill half a day.
If it rains: the underground shopping streets beneath Gangnam and Jamsil stay dry and warm, and a jjimjilbang takes care of an afternoon.
If the cold bites: a tea house in Insadong or Bukchon, then a bathhouse, then barbecue; it is how Seoul spends a cold evening.
#Safety & Health
Seoul is one of the safest big cities you can visit, and the real hazards this month are wet leaves on stone steps and mountain paths, which are as slippery as ice, and the cold on a late-night walk home. Check the fine-dust forecast and wear a mask on bad days.
#What's New for November 2026
- Suneung, the university entrance exam, is on Thursday 19 November 2026
- The official 2026 foliage forecast put the Seoul area's peak as beginning in late October
- K-ETA exemption: visitors from the countries exempted from the electronic travel authorisation do not need one until 31 December 2026
- Pepero Day falls on a Wednesday, 11 November
- Seoul's lantern festival on the Cheonggyecheon stream last ran from mid-December to mid-January rather than in November; its 2026 dates are not yet out
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), first written in September 2026 and rewritten in October 2026 for November 2026. Climate figures are Korea Meteorological Administration 1991–2020 normals for Seoul. Dates and rules verified against:
- Korea Meteorological Administration for the November normals
- Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation for the Suneung date
- VisitKorea for the 2026 autumn-leaves forecast
- Royal Palaces of Korea for palace hours and the Secret Garden tour
- K-ETA for the exemption
For the season before, see Seoul in autumn, and for the month after, Seoul in December.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is November a good time to visit Seoul?
Yes, especially the first half, when the days are clear and mild and the city’s ginkgo and maples still have their colour. The second half is cold and bare but quieter and cheaper. With about six wet days, it is one of the driest months of the year.
When is the autumn foliage in Seoul in 2026?
The official 2026 forecast put the Seoul area’s peak as beginning in late October. The mountains turn first; the city’s ginkgo avenues and palace maples usually hold into the first part of November, and by about the 20th most of the colour has gone.
What is kimjang?
The winter kimchi-making, from late November into December, when families make the year’s kimchi together; it is on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list. Public kimjang events change from year to year, so check Visit Seoul’s listings before planning to join one.
How much does a November trip to Seoul cost?
Allow about ₩80,000–135,000 a day on a budget and ₩190,000–310,000 mid-range. The first fortnight is still autumn high season; the second half is one of the better-value times of the year, and there is no city tourist tax.
What’s the weather like in Seoul in November?
Seoul in November typically sees temperatures of 4–12°C with around 6 days of rain across the period. Pack warm layers, a waterproof coat, and sturdy shoes — days stay chilly.