Seoul During Chuseok 2026: What to Do, What to Check
This is an archive of Seoul’s September 24–27, 2026 Chuseok options, checked before the holiday. The listed holiday programs and October 1–8 Myeong-dong Welcome Center dates have passed. The comparison shows how venue opening hours, activity times and reservation requirements differed.
The dates that change your plan
Chuseok itself falls on Friday, September 25. The three holiday dates are September 24–26; Sunday, September 27 extends the weekend. The Korea Tourism Organization's holiday guide confirms the dates and warns that museum schedules differ from palace schedules.
Start with this shortlist, then check the linked organizer before setting out. Times below are Korea Standard Time.
| Place or program | Announced dates | The detail to check |
|---|---|---|
| Unhyeongung holiday program | September 24–27, 11:00–17:00 | Craft booths close at 16:00; September 27 has games and dance only |
| Namsangol Hanok Village festival | September 25–27, 10:00–20:00 | Some activities cost extra; the festival starts a day after the holiday begins |
| Seoul Museum of History holiday event | September 26 | Free; check the day's performance and activity timetable |
| National Museum of Korea | Avoid September 25 | KTO lists Chuseok Day as a museum closure; verify other dates with the museum |
| Seoul Welcome Center, Myeong-dong | October 1–8 | Near Myeong-dong Station Exit 6; this booth is not a September holiday event |
A venue’s opening hours and its activity timetable can differ. For the 2026 notices below, use the complete program name to distinguish general access from a reserved workshop.
Choose a holiday event you can actually join
For hands-on traditions, Unhyeongung's published program offers traditional games across the four-day run. These include yutnori, the stick-tossing board game, and tuho, an arrow-throwing game. Some craft activities are paid, and particular sessions use advance reservations through Naver.
The useful distinction is between dropping in and securing a place. September 25's songpyeon-making session is listed for 10:30–11:20, earlier than the general program hours, with a fee of ₩15,000 per two-person team and a limit of 15 teams. That announcement does not tell you whether places remain available. Check the reservation page before planning around it. If booking fails, choose a listed walk-in activity instead.
Food gives those experiences more context. Our guide to regional songpyeon explains what to notice in the dough, filling and shape when you encounter the holiday rice cakes.
Seoul's Korean-language holiday schedule offers another option at Namsangol Hanok Village. Its festival combines traditional performances, craft experiences, hanbok activities and a food market. Choose it when you want several kinds of cultural activity at one venue rather than one reserved class.
The same city schedule lists a free September 26 celebration at Seoul Museum of History, with music, folk games and making activities. This is a city museum event; do not confuse it with the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan. Search the complete venue name when planning the journey.
Welcome Week lasts longer than the holiday
The new visitor campaign is useful, but its name conceals several separate schedules. Seoul's September 15 announcement sets the overall autumn Welcome Week for September 19–October 11. Airport information centers, central-city events and cultural experiences operate within that larger period.
At Incheon and Gimpo airport tourism information centers, the city announced a first-come giveaway of the Discover Seoul Pass Heritage Edition. It covers admission to 12 heritage sites and discounts at partner facilities. Ask the desk whether stock remains and confirm the pass conditions; do not make a paid itinerary depend on receiving one.
The Myeong-dong Welcome Center opens later, offering multilingual information and K-pop-related programs during its October dates. A traveler leaving in September should choose a holiday event from the earlier list instead. Someone staying into October can put Myeong-dong on a separate day's plan.
Keep one flexible day and a food backup
KTO's guide confirms holiday free admission at Seoul's four major royal palaces and Jongmyo. Check the individual venue's rules for special tours and separately ticketed programs; free general admission should not be read as access to every experience. Museums require particular care on September 25, so use an announced outdoor cultural event as your starting point that day.
For travel between cities, check train or express-bus availability before booking a time-sensitive activity. KTO warns that holiday tickets sell quickly. A festival listing is not evidence that you can still reach it and return on your preferred service.
Our suggested approach is to choose one main event, one nearby meal option confirmed for that date, and one fallback. Ask your accommodation to help verify a restaurant's holiday hours if its notice is only in Korean. A neighborhood recommendation cannot guarantee that an individual kitchen will open.
If food shopping is part of the trip, our Chuseok gift-shopping explainer provides background on the early seasonal sales cycle. Treat it as cultural context, not a promise of current stock or a still-active preorder offer.
Schedules checked September 21, 2026. Confirm reservations, remaining capacity and any weather-related changes directly with organizers before visiting.
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