A day ticket for the Seoul City Tour Bus (the red “Tiger Bus”) Downtown–Palace–Namsan course costs ₩27,000 for adults and ₩19,000 for children on the operator’s official booking page. The same page shows list prices of ₩36,000 and ₩22,000. One ticket lets you hop on and off at all 15 stops for the whole day, with the first bus leaving Gwanghwamun at 09:20 and the last at 16:50.
If you would rather see the Han River bridges and N Seoul Tower after dark, the night Han River & Namsan tour is ₩25,000 for adults and ₩16,000 for children on the same booking page, and from September to December it leaves once a day at 19:00. Both courses are off every Monday, and you cannot book online for the same day.
How much does the Seoul City Tour Bus cost, and where do you buy tickets?
The official booking page lists a list price and a selling price side by side for each course. On 10 October 2026 the selling prices were ₩27,000 (adult) and ₩19,000 (child) for the daytime course, and ₩25,000 and ₩16,000 for the night tour. Online booking closes the day before you ride; for the daytime course you can also buy a ticket at the Gwanghwamun booth on the day, first come, first served.
These figures come from the product data on the Seoul City Tour Bus daytime course page, which is also where you book. Older fares still show up on some parts of the website, so check the amount on the booking screen right before you pay.
| Course | Adult list price | Adult booking price | Child list price | Child booking price | Boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime Downtown–Palace–Namsan | ₩36,000 | ₩27,000 | ₩22,000 | ₩19,000 | Unlimited, 15 stops |
| Night Han River & Namsan | ₩29,000 | ₩25,000 | ₩18,000 | ₩16,000 | One ride (non-stop, 25 min at N Seoul Tower) |
Won prices as shown on the official Korean-language booking page, checked 10 October 2026. The booking page does not list a separate walk-up price at the booth, so if you plan to buy on the day, confirm with the call centre (+82-2-777-6090).
Booking in dollars on the English page
The English version of the booking page prices tickets in US dollars instead of won. On 10 October 2026 it showed the daytime course at $22 for adults (list price $33) and $16 for children (list $20), and the night tour at $20 for adults (list $26) and $14 for children (list $16). If your card charges foreign-transaction fees, compare the dollar price with the won price above at that day’s exchange rate before you pay.
Who pays the child fare?
The child fare applies from 48 months old up to high-school age (18). Children under 48 months ride free, one per accompanying adult, but they do not get their own seat. With no seat of their own, keep a firm hold of them on the open upper deck.
What does a family of three pay?
Two adults and a primary-school child on the daytime course pay ₩27,000 × 2 + ₩19,000 = ₩73,000 at booking-page prices. That is ₩21,000 less than the ₩94,000 list-price total. The same family on the night tour pays ₩25,000 × 2 + ₩16,000 = ₩66,000, and one adult doing both the day and night courses pays ₩27,000 + ₩25,000 = ₩52,000.
When does the daytime Downtown–Palace–Namsan course run, and where does it stop?
Daytime buses leave Gwanghwamun roughly every 25 minutes from 09:20 to 16:50. If you never get off, one full loop takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. The route covers 15 stops, including Myeongdong, Namsangol Hanok Village, N Seoul Tower, DDP, Changgyeonggung, Changdeokgung, Insadong and Gyeongbokgung, before returning to Gwanghwamun.
On the official timetable the first bus reaches N Seoul Tower at 09:50, Changdeokgung at 10:25 and Gyeongbokgung at 10:36, and is back at Gwanghwamun by 10:50. The last bus (16:50) passes N Seoul Tower at 17:20, Changdeokgung at 17:55 and Gyeongbokgung at 18:06, and gets back at 18:20. The table shows scheduled times for the first and last buses; traffic can make them late.
| No. | Stop | First bus | Last bus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gwanghwamun Station (departure) | 09:20 | 16:50 |
| 2 | Myeongdong | 09:29 | 16:59 |
| 3 | Namsangol Hanok Village | 09:31 | 17:01 |
| 6 | N Seoul Tower | 09:50 | 17:20 |
| 8 | Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) / Dongdaemun Market | 10:08 | 17:38 |
| 10 | Changgyeonggung Palace | 10:21 | 17:51 |
| 11 | Changdeokgung Palace | 10:25 | 17:55 |
| 12 | Insadong / Bukchon | 10:29 | 17:59 |
| 14 | Gyeongbokgung / Folk Museum / MMCA | 10:36 | 18:06 |
| 15 | Sejong Center / Gwanghwamun Square | 10:40 | 18:10 |
| – | Gwanghwamun Station (arrival) | 10:50 | 18:20 |
The remaining stops are No. 4 Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel, No. 5 Shilla Hotel / Jangchungdan Park, No. 7 Hyatt Hotel, No. 9 Daehangno and No. 13 Cheong Wa Dae (front). Getting off at the Cheong Wa Dae stop does not include a tour inside.
Which bus will you get, and how does seating work?
The operator assigns an open-top double-decker (70 seats), a glass-roof double-decker (71 seats) or a half-open single-decker (45 seats) depending on bookings and traffic, and you cannot choose. Seating is unreserved, so it is first come, first seated; if a bus is full you wait for the next one. Buses run in rain and snow, and every seat has an audio guide in 12 languages.
Food and drinks, including coffee, are not allowed on board, and neither are pets. Standing is not permitted on the upper deck of the open-top bus.
How is the night Han River & Namsan tour different?
The night tour is a non-stop course that leaves only once a day. It departs from in front of the Gwanghwamun booth at 19:00 from September to April and at 19:30 from May to August, and returns after about 90 minutes. The only stop is roughly 25 minutes at N Seoul Tower for photos, and one ticket covers one ride.
According to the official night-tour page, the route runs from Gwanghwamun over or along Mapo Bridge, Gangbyeonbuk-ro, Hangang Bridge, Dongjak Bridge, Banpo Bridge, Seongsu Bridge and Hannam Bridge, stops at N Seoul Tower, then passes Sungnyemun Gate and ends at Cheonggye Plaza. Boarding opens 40 minutes before departure, and the bus leaves on time, so latecomers miss it.
Minimum group size and same-day tickets
The official FAQ says the night tour needs at least 10 passengers; with fewer than 10 bookings it does not run. The daytime course has no minimum and leaves at fixed times every day. Same-day online booking is not available for the night tour, so if you want to go tonight, call +82-2-777-6090 first to ask about seats.
Bus allocation also differs. Bookings are assigned to double-deckers (open-top or glass-roof) in booking order first, then to the half-open single-decker. Even with an online booking you must give your name at the booth and collect a paper ticket, so arriving about 40 minutes early is sensible.
How do you plan one day of Namsan and palaces on a day ticket?
To fit Namsan and the palaces into one day on the daytime course, do Namsan in the morning and the palaces in the afternoon. The stops run in one direction—Gwanghwamun → Myeongdong → N Seoul Tower → DDP → Changgyeonggung → Changdeokgung → Gyeongbokgung—so you never have to backtrack. Buses come every 25 minutes, so note the next bus time at each stop.
- Take the 09:20 first bus from Gwanghwamun and get off at N Seoul Tower at 09:50. For tower tickets and the cable car, see our N Seoul Tower ticket guide.
- Buses call at the N Seoul Tower stop every 25 minutes—10:15, 10:40, 11:05, 11:30 and so on. The 11:30 bus reaches DDP at 11:48 and Changdeokgung at 12:05.
- After Changdeokgung, catch a later bus, such as the 14:10 or 14:35, on to Insadong/Bukchon or Gyeongbokgung. Palace fees and closing days are in our Seoul palace admission guide.
- The last bus you can catch leaves the Gyeongbokgung stop at 18:06 and the Sejong Center / Gwanghwamun Square stop at 18:10. Miss it and you walk back to Gwanghwamun.
Watch out for Mondays and event days
Both the day and night courses are off every Monday; when a Monday is a public holiday, buses run and the day off moves to Tuesday. In October 2026 that means no service on the 12th, 19th and 26th. Protests, events and road closures can delay or cancel buses—the official notice board, for example, carried a cancellation notice for Saturday 3 October 2026.
Checking the Seoul City Tour Bus notice board (Korean) the day before can save you a wasted trip. The operator also suggests a hat, a warm layer, and a blanket or hand warmers for the open upper deck in autumn and winter.
When do you need to book, and how much do you get back if you cancel?
Online booking is open until the day before you ride, and cancellation fees start two days before departure. Cancel three days ahead and you get 100% back; two days before, 90%; one day before, 80%; on the day, 70%. For the night tour, nothing is refunded after 12:00 noon on the day.
These rules are from the cancellation section of the official FAQ; if you paid by bank transfer, refunds are handled only by phone. Here is what you get back on a ₩27,000 adult daytime ticket.
| When you cancel | Refund | On a ₩27,000 adult day ticket |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days before | 100% | ₩27,000 |
| 2 days before | 90% | ₩24,300 |
| 1 day before | 80% | ₩21,600 |
| On the day | 70% | ₩18,900 |
| Night tour, after 12:00 on the day | No refund | – |
Where is the ticket booth, and how do you board?
The Gwanghwamun booth is at 68-2 Taepyeongno 1-ga, Jung-gu, near the Koreana Hotel at the Gwanghwamun Station intersection. It is about 100 m from Exit 6 of Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) and about 300 m from Exit 3 of City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2). If you booked online, give your name at the booth to swap your booking for a paper ticket, then show it to the driver when you board.
A ticket is valid only on the day you use it. It does not carry over to the next day, so if you want to ride on two days, book each date separately. Showing any Tiger Bus ticket also gets you discounts at partner shops and attractions; the list and rates are under the Discounts menu on the official site.
FAQ
Q. How much is the Seoul City Tour Bus daytime course?
A. On the official booking page on 10 October 2026 it was ₩27,000 for adults and ₩19,000 for children. The same page lists list prices of ₩36,000 and ₩22,000.
Q. What time are the first and last buses, and how often do they come?
A. From Gwanghwamun, the first bus is at 09:20 and the last at 16:50, about every 25 minutes. A full loop without getting off takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, and the last bus is back at Gwanghwamun around 18:20.
Q. From what age do children pay the child fare?
A. From 48 months up to high-school age (18). Under 48 months ride free, one per adult, without their own seat.
Q. Can I take the night tour on the same day?
A. Not by booking online; call +82-2-777-6090 first to ask about seats. The night tour needs at least 10 passengers to run, and cancellations after 12:00 noon on the day are not refunded.
Sources
- Seoul City Tour Bus — Daytime Downtown–Palace–Namsan course (fares, timetable, stops, rules)
- Seoul City Tour Bus — Night Han River & Namsan course (departure times, route, boarding)
- Seoul City Tour Bus — FAQ (minimum group size, cancellation, refunds; Korean)
- Seoul City Tour Bus — Notices (Korean)
- Featured photo: Seoul Tiger Bus on a downtown road, marked “A Downtown Palace Course”, hyolee2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Leave a Reply