Traveling in Korea During Chuseok 2026: What’s Open, What’s Closed, and What Gets Crowded

Treat September 23–27 as the Real Travel Window

The official 2026 Chuseok holiday is Thursday, September 24 through Saturday, September 26. Chuseok Day is Friday, September 25.

The travel rush is wider than the public-holiday dates. Korail’s special Chuseok booking covered trains running from September 23 through 27, which is a better window to keep in mind if you are planning a long-distance trip.

That difference matters. A traveler arriving on September 23 may technically be one day before the public holiday, but domestic holiday travel is already underway.

Closures Are a Venue Problem, Not a Nationwide Shutdown

There is no single “Korea is closed” rule. Chuseok affects different businesses differently, and the exact branch matters.

Banks and government offices

Expect banks and government offices to be closed on the public holidays. Korea Tourism Organization specifically lists government offices and banks among the services that close on official public holidays.

If you need an in-person banking or administrative task, handle it before September 24. ATMs still operate, but an ATM is not a substitute for a staffed bank branch if your card is blocked or you need assistance.

Restaurants and cafés

This is where travelers get caught out. A restaurant can be open on Thursday, close on Chuseok Day, then reopen Saturday — or take several days off. Independent family-run businesses are the least predictable.

Do not travel across Seoul for one restaurant without checking its latest Naver Map, Instagram, website or phone notice first. In high-traffic areas you will usually have alternatives, but “somewhere will be open” is not the same as “the place you picked will be open.”

Convenience stores

Convenience stores are one of the safer fallback options for drinks, snacks and simple meals, but branch hours are not identical. Stores inside office buildings, malls, stations or other facilities can follow the host building’s schedule.

If dinner plans fail, a street-level convenience store in a busy neighborhood is a much better backup than assuming every supermarket or restaurant will be operating normally.

Department stores, malls and markets

Treat these as branch-specific. Large retail businesses may close for one or more holiday dates, reduce hours, or keep some facilities open while others close. Traditional markets can also have many individual vendors taking the day off.

If shopping is a major part of your itinerary, verify the specific branch rather than searching only the brand name.

Protect Intercity Transport Before Anything Else

This is the part to take seriously. On September 11, Korail reported that 1.8 million of 2.14 million Chuseok seats had been sold during the main reservation period — an overall booking rate of 84%. Chuseok Day itself reached a 90.1% booking rate.

That does not mean every train is impossible to book. It does mean you should not arrive at Seoul Station expecting to casually choose a convenient KTX departure.

If you still need a train, check cancellations and remaining seats repeatedly in the official Korail channel. Do not rely on a third-party itinerary screenshot as proof that seats are available.

For the normal booking process, see our guide to booking KTX tickets as a foreigner.

One 2026 Change: SRT Booking Has Moved

This Chuseok is unusual because Korea’s high-speed rail booking system changed just before the holiday.

SR officially ended SRT app and website ticketing for regular SRT service on August 31, 2026. From September 1, high-speed trains serving Suseo are booked through the integrated Korail+ app, Korail website or station counters under the unified system.

If an older Korea travel guide tells you to book a September 2026 SRT trip in the SRT app, that instruction is outdated.

This matters most if you are staying near Gangnam or Suseo and were planning to use the old SRT booking flow.

Inside Seoul, Transport Is Usually the Easier Part

Seoul does not stop moving for Chuseok. Subway and city buses continue to operate, although public-holiday schedules, last-train times and any special holiday adjustments can differ by operator.

For an ordinary day of sightseeing inside Seoul, local public transport is usually much easier to deal with than intercity rail. Check the final route and last train on the day rather than assuming your normal weekday timing applies.

If you are unfamiliar with the system, keep our Seoul subway guide and Seoul bus guide handy.

Seoul Works Best When the Day Has More Than One Option

Yes. If your plan is mostly Seoul sightseeing, Chuseok can be more manageable than people expect.

Seoul’s official September 2026 calendar includes a Namsangol Chuseok Festival from September 25 to 27, a Chuseok event at the Seoul Baekje Museum on September 26, and a Seoul Urban Life Museum holiday program on September 26.

The useful takeaway is not that every museum will be open. It is that the city still has cultural programming during the holiday. Pick confirmed venues first, then build the rest of the day around them.

If you want autumn sightseeing as well, Chuseok falls before the main foliage peak in many parts of the country. Our 2026 fall foliage guide has the broader seasonal timing.

Build the Holiday Around What Is Hard to Replace

Build your holiday days around things that are difficult to break.

• Keep Seoul days flexible. Group several nearby attractions instead of depending on one venue.
• Confirm long-distance transport first. Do not book a nonrefundable hotel in another city before you know how you are getting there.
• Save two food options. One preferred restaurant and one nearby backup is enough.
• Buy basics before Chuseok Day. Medication, toiletries and anything brand-specific are easier to deal with before the holiday.
• Recheck hours the night before. Holiday notices are often more useful than a normal weekly schedule.
• Keep 1330 available. Korea Tourism Organization’s travel helpline can help with tourism information and interpretation.

The mistake is not traveling during Chuseok. The mistake is planning Chuseok as if it were a normal Friday.

Official Sources

• Korea Tourism Organization / VISITKOREA — 2026 Public Holidays
• KORAIL — 2026 Chuseok ticket sales report
• SR — High-speed rail integration and SRT booking-channel changes
• Seoul Metropolitan Government — September 2026 Cultural Events
• Republic of Korea Policy Briefing — 2026 Chuseok train booking guidance

Travel information can change. Check official sources and the individual venue or store before relying on holiday hours, transport schedules, or branch-specific services.

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