Quick answer: KORAIL publishes four Select Pass prices for foreign visitors: ₩131,000, ₩186,000, ₩234,000 and ₩275,000 for 2, 3, 4 and 5 travel days respectively for an adult. Those are the published list prices we checked on October 8, 2026, not a promise about the final checkout price on a later date. The pass is worth buying only when the individual KORAIL tickets for your actual trains and dates cost more, or when you value its flexibility enough to pay the difference. See KORAIL’s official pass page before purchase.
Published KORAIL Pass Select prices
| Selected travel days | Adult (13+) | Child (6–12) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 days | ₩131,000 | ₩66,000 |
| 3 days | ₩186,000 | ₩93,000 |
| 4 days | ₩234,000 | ₩117,000 |
| 5 days | ₩275,000 | ₩138,000 |
Source: KORAIL Pass pricing and conditions, checked October 8, 2026. KORAIL says one child under six may travel free with an adult over 13; read its current family conditions before assuming that applies to your booking.
The important detail is “Select.” KORAIL says you choose the pass’s 2–5 travel days within a 10-day window from its starting date. They need not be consecutive. A 2-day pass can suit one outbound intercity travel day and one return travel day separated by sightseeing, provided both are within the valid window. Confirm the chosen days in your booking before you pay.
There is no separate youth 13–25 price in the official table above. Travelers aged 13 or older should not budget with a “youth pass” price found in older guides.
Is a pass cheaper than separate KTX tickets?
Make the comparison with a short worksheet:
- Write each intended train leg with its date, departure station, arrival station and class.
- Look up the available individual fare for each train through KORAIL’s official booking site. Use only trains that the pass actually covers.
- Add those individual fares. Keep subway, airport transfer and other uncovered transport in a separate column.
- Compare that sum with the matching pass duration in the table above. Count the number of calendar days on which you will take covered trains, not the number of cities visited.
- Check seat availability for your intended departures before buying. A pass is not a guarantee of a reserved seat on a full train.
Example of the arithmetic, not a live fare quote: If the individual tickets you actually select total ₩150,000 and they all fall on two covered travel days, the listed adult 2-day pass at ₩131,000 is ₩19,000 lower before any other costs. If your selected tickets total ₩110,000, the same pass is ₩21,000 higher. The result depends on the real trains you can book; “three KTX rides always pays off” is not a reliable rule.
A Seoul–Busan round trip alone can fall on two travel days, but whether the pass saves money still depends on the specific individual fares and available seats. A multi-city itinerary can also cost less with separate tickets if it uses shorter or cheaper trains. Calculate rather than assume.
Eligibility and coverage
KORAIL says the pass is for foreign visitors to Korea and is unavailable to people with Korean nationality. The pass is personal and requires the named traveler’s valid passport. If your nationality or travel status is unusual, check eligibility with KORAIL before buying.
The pass covers eligible KORAIL-operated passenger trains. The current KORAIL pass guide, checked October 8, 2026, excludes metropolitan railways and temporary tourist trains. Confirm your particular service in the pass booking screen; a station name or a train’s speed alone does not establish coverage.
KORAIL says pass holders can reserve up to two tickets per person per day. Booking-window check, October 8, 2026: the official pass guide now gives pass seat reservations the same two-month advance window as ordinary tickets. Its earlier one-month wording has changed. Check actual availability for your intended train before buying: an earlier opening date does not guarantee a seat. Our KTX booking-window guide explains the release-time details and gives calendar examples.
When seats are sold out, the pass guide describes travel in a standing place with a valid pass and passport, subject to its current conditions. For a long ride where you need a seat, check reservation availability before deciding that the pass fits your plan. First-class travel carries an additional charge under KORAIL’s rules.
What about KORAIL Pass+?
Pass+ is a separate add-on, not unlimited subway or bus travel. The Korea Tourism Organization’s January 2026 explanation lists an ₩8,000 card charge and says the card must be topped up for local transit and store payments. That article’s amount may change; verify the add-on price and kiosk pickup details at checkout. Do not include the card balance as a benefit already paid by the rail pass.
Before you buy
- Compare the individual fares of the trains you can actually take with the relevant official pass price.
- Confirm that all planned train days fit inside the 10-day Select window and that each train is eligible.
- Check reservation availability, especially for holiday or weekend travel. The tourism organization notes that standard seats can be reserved twice a day with the pass.
- Read KORAIL’s current rules for cancellation, changing the starting date, identity documents and showing your pass on the train. A screenshot of a ticket is not accepted under its published conditions.
- Add separate airport transfer, subway and last-mile costs to your trip budget.
For the official purchase and seat-booking sequence, see our KORAIL Pass booking guide. For the ride from Incheon Airport into Seoul before taking a train, compare the AREX airport rail options.
If you are buying transport, mobile data and sightseeing together, run through our seven Korea travel mistakes that can waste your money before checkout. It applies the same total-cost check to those other bookings.
If you will stay in Seoul between train journeys, our hotel guide by neighborhood can help you compare access to your departure station.
Sources and scope: This guide uses KORAIL’s own pass page, the Korea Tourism Organization’s rail overview and its Pass+ explainer. No sample city-to-city fare is presented as a current quote; search your exact journey on the official booking site.