glazfolk

My partner and I have booked a trip to Seoul for the first week in October, not realising that this year this coincides with Harvest Moon Festival (which we thought occurs in September).

I understand that the whole week is a public holiday? Can anyone shed some light on how the holiday is likely to impact on us. Eg, will palaces, sites, markets etc. be open? Public transport? Coach tours?

... and any other info that might be useful for us.

Thanks!

gpy

We traveled to Korea during Chuseok and it was very quiet though we had no issues finding great restaurants that remained open. The 3rd and 5th will be very quiet in Seoul as Seoulites leave town to visit their families. It'll be a lot like Christmas or Thanksgiving in a major city here in the US.

If you plan on traveling outside of Seoul during the 3 day holiday just be prepared for very crowded/sold out trains and roads.

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glazfolk

Thanks, we'll make sure we use those three days to explore Seoul itself!

Can you recall if public transport functions then, also if museums, palaces stay open at all? Thanks!

mikesaidyes

This year is VERY special as Chuseok comes early and is surrounded by two other national holidays. This means that Tuesday 10/3 all the way through Monday 10/9 no work and it's all paid time off!

For Chuseok, tourist places are busy as visitors and residents alike both go. That being said, I have lived here for six years and am still amazed at how quiet other areas are during the holiday. Some neighborhoods, like Gangnam are pin drop quiet.

The holiday is very much time to spend with family, so the night before and day of are extremely quiet. As the weekend nears, most come back to Seoul, with Saturday night at almost normal levels.

Transit usually runs later to accommodate holiday travelers. As for taking a train or a bus to another city it is VERY difficult. Roads are slam full, meaning bus journeys can take double the scheduled time. Tickets are usually available for buses though. Train tickets, however, are much more difficult to come by as these are only sold at certain periods of time through a special site in Korean. Normally, you can book the English site tickets one month in advance, but at this time, you can't. You have to wait for the special sale to end and then choose from what is left over.

All this aside, as a tourist, you should have a normal Seoul experience. As for the museums, they should be open, but with the long holiday, check the schedule as they may shift their one closing day around. For food and nightlife, in busy areas some places will be open but not all. It will also feel empty in those areas compared to usual.

glazfolk

Thanks for this very helpful and comprehensive answer.

As we are intending basically to confine ourselves to the Seoul area it looks like we should be OK. Thanks again!