Tips for your first Korean festival

As of Oct 17

Many local festivals in Korea have no entry fee. Plenty of the festivals on this site are free to enter, although hands-on programs and food cost extra.

Getting there: Festivals in Seoul and the surrounding area are often easy to reach by subway. A transit card such as T-money makes subways and buses easy; you can buy and top one up at convenience stores and stations. Some festivals outside Seoul run shuttle buses, so check the official website.

Maps: In Korea, local apps such as Naver Map and Kakao Map often give more accurate directions than global map apps. The “Directions” button on this site opens Kakao Map.

Paying: Most places take cards, but some stalls and small shops take cash only. Carrying a little Korean won helps.

Crowds and weather: Weekend evenings get crowded. For popular festivals, going on a weekday or early in the day is more relaxed. Autumn nights can be colder than you expect, so bring a jacket.

Information on this site comes from Korean public data. Some festivals are listed only in Korean, so we translated them; names are shown with the Korean in brackets so you can match them with signs on site.