Seoul City Tour Bus: Complete Guide for Tourists

Taking the Seoul City Tour Bus gave us a nice overview of the capital and the option to hop on and off in spots like Myeongdong, N Seoul Tower, and Gyeongbokgung Palace. Save on transportation costs by booking a bus ticket at a cheaper price here 🇰🇷

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In a nutshell

  • What is the Seoul City Tour Bus? Also known as Seoul Tiger Bus, this is a hop-on, hop-off bus that stops at the most popular landmarks in the capital. By taking the “Downtown Palace-Namsan” route, you can get to Gyeongbokgung, Insadong, N Seoul Tower, and other famous attractions in Korea.
  • How much for tickets? Taking the Seoul City Tour Bus typically costs $20, but you can book at a discounted price of $17 here.
  • See Seoul under a starry sky! For a more romantic experience, our team at Travlists recommends the Seoul City Tour Bus Night View Course for around $15. Find more details here.
  • What other Seoul City Tour Bus routes are available? If you want to explore the more traditional side of Seoul, you can also book the Dongdaemun City Tour Bus here.
  • Complete your Korea trip! Aside from the bus tour for Seoul City, also consider booking a 1-day trip to the DMZ. Find the best tour option here. 🎡
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Visit Korea’s Best Attractions via the Seoul City Tour Bus

One of the best ways to discover Korea’s capital is by taking the Seoul City Tour Bus. This bus goes around the famous attractions and landmarks in Seoul including historical palaces like Gyeongbokgung, N Seoul Tower, and must-visit villages like Insadong.

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Iconic red tour bus by Seoul Tiger Bus.

The great thing about booking this bus tour is that you can hop on and off at the stops of your choice for a whole day. For example, if the second day of your Korea itinerary includes visiting Gyeongbokgung, N Seoul Tower, and Myeongdong, you can head to the palace first, take your time to explore with a luxury hanbok on, hop on the bus to get to N Seoul Tower, and enjoy your sky-high sightseeing experience. When you’re ready to visit Myeongdong, you can take the bus again with your same ticket and hop off at the shopping district. Of course, if you want to get to other attractions that the bus makes a stop to, you’re free to do so.

Seoul City Tour Bus Routes & Attractions

What attractions can you visit with Seoul City Tour Bus? To answer this, let’s take a look at the scenic routes available:

Downtown Palace – Namsan Route

This is the classic and most popular Seoul City Tour Bus route among tourists. This route makes a stop at the following:

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Changdeokgung.
  • Gwanghwamun Station
  • Myeongdong
  • Namsangol Hanok village
  • Ambassador Seoul Pullham Hotel
  • Shilla Hotel
  • N Seoul Tower
  • Hyatt Hotel
  • Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
  • Daehak-ro
  • Changgyeong Palace (Changgyeonggung)
  • Changdeok Palace (Changdeokgung)
  • Insadong, Bukchon
  • Blue House (Cheongwadae)
  • Gyeongbokgung Palace, Folk Museum, & Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Gwanghwamun Square
  • Gwanghwamun Station

As someone who lives in Seoul, I would say the route is just perfect to get a good glance of the city. From the central district of Seoul (Gwanghwamun), you can go as far as the Blue House, DDP, and N Seoul Tower, with strategic stops in between.

To see if the bus operates on your travel dates, click below:

Seoul City Tour Bus Night View Course

See the city dazzle as you take this non-stopping bus tour in Seoul! Popular among friends and couples, the night course of the Seoul’s city tour bus showcases the beauty of Han River and N Seoul Tower, the top 2 attractions in the capital. Here’s the route of the Night View Course for reference:

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Banpo bridge.
  • Gwanghwamun Station
  • Gangbyeon North Road
  • Banpo Bridge
  • Seongsu Bridge
  • Hannam Bridge
  • N Seoul Tower
  • Namdaemun Market
  • Cheonggye Plaza

You may be thinking why most of the stops of the Seoul City Tour Bus at night include bridges — this is actually the part where you’ll get to see the Han River. Expect to make a 30-minute stop at N Seoul Tower for some photos.

Book Seoul City Tour Bus Tickets

If you’re ready to make your booking, check out the various options available for booking online:

1. Seoul City Tour Bus Ticket: Downtown Palace – Namsan Route

Get 1-day hop-on, hop-off access to all the stops of the tour bus!

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  • TICKET PRICE: Book here starting at $15.95 (vs. regular price of $24 on the official website)
  • INCLUSIONS: 1-day hop-on, hop-off access to the Seoul City Tour Bus (Downtown Palaces – Namsan Route)
  • LOCATION: Seoul City Tour Bus Gwanghwamun Ticket Office (Near Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 6)
  • OPERATING HOURS. The bus runs from Tuesday to Sunday between 9:30am and 4:50pm (closed on Mondays except when Monday is a public holiday)
  • BEST REVIEW:

As a solo [traveler], I would highly recommend this Hop on [and] off Seoul City Tour bus. It takes you on [a] loop to…the main [highlights] of Seoul… A [timetable and map are] also given so [you] will be able to [time yourself and know] where and when to get back on time.

2. Seoul City Tour Bus: Night Tour

This is the non-stopping tour of Seoul aboard the bus (hop on, hop off NOT available).

  • PRICE: Book here starting at $15.95 (vs. regular price of $24 on the official website)
  • INCLUSIONS: 60-minute tour & 30 minutes of free time at N Seoul Tower
  • LOCATION: The Seoul City Tour Bus Gwanghwamun Ticket Office (Near Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 6)
  • OPERATING HOURS. The bus runs once a day following this schedule (varies per season):
    • January 1~ April 15 & September 16~December 31: Departs at 7pm
    • April 16~September 15: Departs at 7:30pm
  • BEST REVIEW: “[A] tour in Seoul city at night is love! [You] must take this tour bus and enjoy with family and friends. Seoul is really much more [beautiful at night]. A short stop at Namsan Tower is so breathtaking ❤️”

3. Seoul City Tour Bus: Traditional Culture Course (By Yellow Balloon)

Another great Seoul City Tour Bus route is the Traditional Culture course, which goes in and around Dongdaemun. If you’re into shopping, fashion, culture, and food, this is definitely a bus tour you’d also want to book. (Note that the provider of this route differs from the first 2 options listed.)

  • PRICE: Book here starting at $12.2 (vs. regular price of $14 on the official website)
  • INCLUSIONS: 1-day access to Yellow Balloon’s Seoul City Tour Bus
  • ROUTE:
    • Dongdaemun Design Plaza
    • Bangsan Market, Jungbu Dried Seafoods Market
    • Euljiro 3-ga
    • Euljiro 1-ga
    • Blue House
    • Tongin Traditional Market
    • Gwanghwamun Square
    • Seoul Station
    • Namdaemun Market
    • Namsan Uphill
    • Myeongdong
    • Jonggak
    • Bosingak
    • Insadong
    • Unhyeongung
    • Tapgol Park
    • Jongmyo
    • Sewoon Electronics
    • Gwangjang Market
    • DDP
  • OPERATING HOURS. The bus operates daily from 9:30am-6:20pm.
  • BEST REVIEW: “I had a very good experience with the tour. Very convient and pleasure in taking the city site seeing. The hop in hop on is my best part. You can control your own time in each location.”

How to Use Your Ticket

After booking your 1-day ticket online here, head on over to Gwanghwamun Station Exit 6 where you will find the ticket office. Show your Klook voucher to redeem your actual ticket and receive a map with timetable.

When you’re ready, hop on the bus, which come in the form of a double-decker bus, double-decker bus with an open-top, or a single-decker bus with an open-top.

Sample Itinerary for Seoul City Tour Bus Ticket Holders

To maximize your trip, I would recommend following this itinerary:

  • Hop off at Namsangol Hanok Village (traditional and historical attraction) and see if you can catch a traditional performance
  • Head on over to N Seoul Tower for sightseeing and lunch
  • Take photos or do some shopping at DDP
  • Have a quick coffee stop at Insadong (find a nice neighborhood cafe)
  • See the Blue House, which only opened to the public last 2023

If you want to visit Gyeongbokgung, I would recommend visiting in the morning to catch the Changing of the Guards Ceremony.

Is Seoul City Tour Bus worth booking? Check out these reviews!

The hop-on, hop-off bus and the night tour have been booked more than 40k times and have excellent star ratings. Here’s a review from a satisfied Klook user:

“It was the best city tour bus in Seoul. Very informative and easy to locate/book. They gave us earphones each so we can connect for audio explanations. Which is available for different languages. The bus will stop at each destination to drop off and pick up passengers. Highly recommended!”

Another review for the Night Tour Bus reads: “Hassle free redemption at the counter. The view is beautiful at night. Thank you to whoever suggested to sit on right side to get the river view. I get so excited when I saw glimpse of KSH apartment! LOL oh, my mum and I were so happy seeing Banpo bridge from the bus :)”

FAQ

1. Is Seoul City Tour Bus included for Discover Seoul Pass holders?

Yes! If you’re planning to purchase a Discover Seoul Pass, know that you get a free ticket to Seoul City Tour Bus (Downtown Palace-Namsan route) as well. Find out more here.

2. Do I get a discount with my Seoul City Tour Bus?

Another yes. Just present your bus tickets at any of the partner establishments listed here.

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