Best Time to Visit Korea: Weather & Seasons

Korea gets four proper seasons, so the "best" time really hinges on what you're after - blossoms, autumn colour, festivals, skiing, or just cheap flights. Pick the one you actually care about, then work backwards to the month.

The four seasons at a glance

Each season here feels like a different country. Spring and autumn are the crowd-pleasers - blossoms, then foliage, mild air, and the biggest crowds of the year. Summer is hot and wet; winter is cold and quiet, but far and away the cheapest.

Whichever season wins you over, look at what a trip costs and where to base yourself before you book the flights.

• Spring and autumn bring the best weather but the biggest crowds; winter is the bargain.
• Pack layers for spring and autumn - the mornings and evenings turn cool.

Season by season, broad strokes - blossom and foliage dates drift a little each year.

Season	Months	The feel	Crowds
Spring	late Mar-May	Mild, cherry blossoms	High
Summer	Jun-Aug	Hot and humid, July monsoon	Medium
Autumn	late Sep-Nov	Clear skies, autumn colour	High
Winter	Dec-Feb	Cold and dry, snow and skiing	Low, cheapest

Seoul month by month

Two months do most of the damage. July and August between them drop more than half of everything that falls on Seoul all year. The monsoon - jangma - sits inside that window: on the 30-year average it starts 25 June and ends 26 July in the central region, roughly a month with rain on 18 of those days. Those dates move a lot from year to year, so treat them as a centre of gravity rather than a forecast.

October through March is the dry half of the year, every month of it under 55mm. The catch then is cold rather than rain: January nights average -6°C.

• More than half of Seoul's yearly rain falls in July and August.
• Jangma averages 25 June to 26 July, but the dates shift every year.
• October pairs a 20°C average high with just 52mm of rain.

Seoul, KMA climate normals 1991-2020, rounded. Highs and lows are daily averages, not record extremes.

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Rain
Jan	2°C	-6°C	17mm
Feb	5°C	-3°C	28mm
Mar	11°C	2°C	37mm
Apr	18°C	8°C	73mm
May	24°C	14°C	104mm
Jun	28°C	19°C	130mm
Jul	29°C	22°C	414mm
Aug	30°C	23°C	348mm
Sep	26°C	18°C	142mm
Oct	20°C	11°C	52mm
Nov	12°C	4°C	51mm
Dec	4°C	-3°C	23mm

Cherry blossoms and autumn foliage

Cherry blossoms tend to peak from late March in the warmer south (Busan, Jeju) up to early April in Seoul, and the show only lasts about a week, so timing is everything. Autumn foliage follows a similar rolling pattern, peaking from mid-October in the mountains to early November in Seoul.

Both windows drift a little from year to year with the weather, so check the current forecasts close to your trip on the official tourism and weather sites.

• Blossoms run late March in the south to early April in Seoul.
• Foliage runs mid-October in the mountains to early November in Seoul.

The cheapest time to visit

Winter (December to February), once you steer clear of the New Year and Lunar New Year holidays, is the quietest and cheapest stretch of all - flights and hotels drop noticeably. Late June into early July comes cheap too, but that is jangma - you are buying the discount with rain.

Do dodge the big holidays, though. Around Lunar New Year (Seollal) and Chuseok, prices climb and a lot of shops shut; the holiday calendar has the dates and what closes with them.

• Cheapest is Dec-Feb, as long as you skip New Year and Lunar New Year.
• Steer clear of Seollal and Chuseok - prices spike and shops close.

What to pack

For spring and autumn, think light layers, a jacket for the cool evenings, and comfortable walking shoes. Summer calls for breathable clothes, sunscreen, and an umbrella for the monsoon. Winter is another matter entirely: bring a proper warm coat, gloves, and a hat, because it gets cold outside, even though indoors is toasty.

Season aside, comfortable shoes matter most of all. Korea rewards walking, and you'll be on the subway and buses constantly.

• Comfortable walking shoes, no matter the season.
• Summer wants an umbrella and sunscreen; winter wants a real coat.

By Hyouk Seo · Last updated: 2026-08-19