Checked September 25, 2026. This guide covers two different products sold by the official Seoul City Tour Bus operator: the Downtown, Palaces & Namsan daytime hop-on, hop-off loop and the Han River & Namsan night ride. A ticket for one is not a ticket for the other. Other sightseeing bus operators may have different routes and fares.
The quick decision: buy the day course if you want to get off at several central-Seoul landmarks. Choose the night course for a single 90-minute ride with one N Seoul Tower photo stop. If you only need transport between specific neighborhoods, compare the subway instead.
| Official course | What the ticket does | Starting price shown on the operator’s English site* |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown, Palaces & Namsan | Hop on and off at 15 stops on the ticket day | Adult US$22, child US$16 |
| Han River & Namsan Night Tour | One 90-minute circuit; one approximately 25-minute photo stop | Adult US$20, child US$14 |
*These were the “from” prices displayed on September 25, 2026, not a guarantee for every date, currency, or option. Check the operator’s booking page and the final checkout total before paying.
Daytime route: what the pass covers
The official daytime course page lists 15 stops, including Myeong-dong, Namsangol Hanok Village, N Seoul Tower, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Changdeokgung, Insa-dong/Bukchon, Cheong Wa Dae, and Gyeongbokgung. The full loop takes about 90 minutes without getting off. From Gwanghwamun, the published first and last departures are 09:20 and 16:50, normally about 25 minutes apart.
The pass lets you reboard this course throughout its valid day, but seats are not reserved. If the next bus is full, you may have to wait for another. An open-top double-decker is not guaranteed; the operator may use a glass-top double-decker or semi-open single-decker. Traffic and events can change arrival times.
The course normally closes Mondays. If Monday is a public holiday, the operator says it runs Monday and closes Tuesday instead. Read the latest operating notices for your travel date: temporary road controls have closed stops or shortened service on particular days.
Night route: a different ticket
The official night course is not hop-on, hop-off. It is a roughly 90-minute round trip with one approximately 25-minute stop at N Seoul Tower. Its published departure is 19:00 from September through April and 19:30 from May through August, from the Gwanghwamun ticket office. It also normally closes Mondays, with the same holiday-Monday exception.
There is one departure per operating evening. The operator advises arriving at least 40 minutes early to exchange your booking for a boarding pass and queue; seats are first come, first served. Its FAQ says the night course needs at least 10 customers to operate. Confirm availability before planning an evening around it.
How to book and board
- Pick the day or night course on the operator’s tours page. Check the route, date, currency, and total before checkout.
- Book online by the previous day. The operator says same-day online booking is unavailable. For a same-day daytime ticket, buy at the Gwanghwamun booth if seats remain. For the night course, call the operator first at +82-2-777-6090 to check remaining seats.
- Go to the Gwanghwamun ticket office, 68-2 Taepyeong-ro 1-ga, Jung-gu, near Koreana Hotel. The operator places it about 100 m from Gwanghwamun Station Exit 6 on Line 5, or 300 m from City Hall Station Exit 3.
- If you booked online, give staff the name on the reservation and collect your boarding pass. Show that pass to the driver. Arrive early if you hope to sit upstairs; the pass does not reserve a particular seat or bus type.
For these courses, the operator applies the child fare from 48 months through age 18. A child under 48 months may ride free without a seat, limited to one per accompanying adult. Check the exact conditions on your chosen course before purchasing. Attraction admission, meals, and other paid stops are separate unless a particular ticket explicitly includes them.
Optional: Klook booking for the daytime course
Klook lists the Downtown, Palaces & Namsan daytime course as an alternative booking channel. Its package details, checked September 29, 2026, require using the ticket on your selected date and exchanging the voucher at the Gwanghwamun ticket office. Cancellation fees depend on how close you are to departure; a used ticket is not refundable. Compare the final price and cancellation conditions with the operator’s own booking page above.
This link is for the daytime loop. Choose the separate night course through the operator if that is the ride you want.
Affiliate disclosure: The button below is a paid affiliate link. LoveKorea may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How our links work.
Which option is worth the money?
The day pass is most useful when you plan to stop at two or more places on its central loop and value the elevated views and multilingual audio guide. It is a poor substitute for a direct trip to Hongdae, Gangnam, Jamsil, or another destination outside that loop. The night ride is for the view and commentary, not for transport between stops.
For a cost comparison with ordinary transit and the short-term Climate Card, see our city tour bus versus subway guide. If you have a timed palace or show reservation, leave a buffer or take the subway: the tour bus can be delayed by traffic and road closures.
Before paying, read the operator’s cancellation FAQ. Its refund depends on how close the departure is, and the night course has a same-day cutoff. Check the policy shown at your own checkout and the current notices again shortly before riding.
For the stops themselves, use the palace admission and closure guide. For a separate evening, compare Seoul night-view plans before buying another sightseeing ticket.