South Korea Winter Travel Guide 2025: Best Seoul & Busan Itinerary, Festivals, and Street Food

 If you’re googling “Korea winter travel 2025” or “things to do in Seoul in December,” this guide is for you.

Winter might not be the first season that comes to mind when you think of Korea – most people dream of cherry blossoms in April or fiery foliage in October. But if you’re planning a trip between December 2025 and February 2026, winter is actually one of the best times to visit: fewer crowds, magical night festivals, and street food that only appears when the temperature drops.

Below is a 2025–2026 winter travel guide to Korea, written with first-time visitors in mind.

1. Why visit Korea in winter (Dec 2025 – Feb 2026)?

Fewer crowds, better value

Peak tourism in Korea usually happens in spring and autumn. In winter, you’ll still see visitors, but you won’t be fighting through walls of people everywhere you go. That often means:

• Easier restaurant reservations

• Shorter queues at major attractions

• Better chances of finding good hotel deals

December 24–January 1 is the main “busy pocket,” so if you can travel just before or after that, you’ll likely enjoy even calmer streets.

Seoul turns into a giant light festival

The biggest reason to choose winter 2025? Seoul Winter Festa 2025.

• Dates: December 12, 2025 – January 4, 2026 서울윈터페스타+2Haps Magazine+2

• Main areas: Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon Stream, Seoul Plaza, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Bosingak, and Uicheon Stream 서울윈터페스타+1

During these 24 days, the city is basically one big winter playground: media façade shows projected onto historic buildings, light tunnels along the stream, markets, and performances almost every night.

On top of that, the Seoul Lantern Festival returns to Cheonggyecheon and Ui-cheon during the same period, with hundreds of illuminated lanterns themed around “My Light, Our Dream, the Magic of Seoul.” South Korea Hallyu+1

Seasonal street food you’ll miss in other seasons

Some of Korea’s most iconic snacks are strongly associated with winter:

• Bungeoppang (fish-shaped bread filled with red bean)

• Hotteok (syrup-filled sweet pancakes)

• Roasted sweet potatoes

• Roasted chestnuts

Yes, you might find them occasionally at other times of the year, but winter evenings are when they really appear everywhere – especially in busy areas like Myeongdong, Namdaemun Market, and around major subway hubs.

2. What to wear: surviving sub-zero Seoul

Korean winter isn’t just “a bit chilly.” With windchill, it can feel brutally cold, especially at night. Think –5°C to –10°C as a realistic possibility, sometimes lower.

The key is layering:

• Base layer: thermal top and leggings (heat-tech style if you have them)

• Middle layer: knit sweater, sweatshirt, or hoodie

• Outer layer: long padded coat or wool coat that covers your thighs

Because indoor spaces (cafés, malls, subways) are usually very well heated, you’ll want to add and remove layers easily. Avoid one huge, heavy sweater you can’t take off.

Don’t forget:

• Warm gloves

• Scarf

• Beanie or ear-covering hat

• Thick socks

• Comfortable walking shoes with decent grip (pavements can be icy)

You can buy disposable hand warmers (핫팩, hot-paek) at any convenience store. Slip one into your pocket before heading to a light festival, and you’ll thank yourself later.

3. Seoul winter highlights you shouldn’t miss

3.1 Seoul Winter Festa 2025 – the core of your December itinerary

If you’re in Seoul between Dec 12, 2025 and Jan 4, 2026, you’ll automatically bump into Seoul Winter Festa activities while exploring the city. 서울윈터페스타+2Haps Magazine+2

Some must-see spots:

At night, the area around Gwanghwamun and the palace walls becomes a giant screen for media façade shows: colourful animations, light projections, and immersive soundscapes played directly onto historic architecture. Korea Joongang Daily

It’s free, outdoors, and easy to fit between nearby sights like Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village.

Cheonggyecheon is a stream running through downtown Seoul. During the festival, it’s lined with dozens (sometimes hundreds) of illuminated lanterns – characters, symbols, animals, mythical figures, all reflected in the water. South Korea Hallyu+2The Soul of Seoul+2

It makes for a perfect 30–60 minute evening walk:

• Start at Cheonggye Plaza near Gwanghwamun

• Walk downstream, stopping for photos along the way

• Exit near a subway station or café when you’re ready to warm up

DDP is famous for its spaceship-like architecture, and in winter it gets dressed in large-scale light installations as part of the Festa. Expect:

• Projection mapping on curved silver walls

• Light tunnels and interactive pieces

• Plenty of photo spots with a very “sci-fi” mood Official Website of the+2서울윈터페스타+2

Right in front of Seoul City Hall, Seoul Plaza transforms into a public ice rink every winter, and the 2025–2026 season is confirmed:

• Dates: December 19, 2025 – February 8, 2026 Official Website of the+4Facebook+4Flip Korea – Your Guide to Life in Korea+4

• Location: Seoul Plaza (City Hall Station, Exit 5) interpark global+1

• Price: around ₩1,000 per hour including skate rental, according to recent updates Flip Korea – Your Guide to Life in Korea

It’s one of the best value experiences in Seoul: a postcard-perfect setting, city lights all around you, and a very local mix of families, couples, and tourists.

Tip: Book an early or weekday slot if possible – evenings and weekends can sell out quickly.

4. Too cold outside? Go “full Korean” indoors

4.1 Jjimjilbang – Korean bathhouse & sauna culture

A jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse complex with hot baths, steam rooms, various heated rooms (salt rooms, charcoal rooms, clay rooms, etc.), and large communal rest areas where people nap, chat, eat snacks, and watch TV.

What to expect:

• Gender-separated bath areas (naked) with showers and hot/cold pools

• Unisex heated rooms where you wear special cotton “jjimjilbang clothes”

• A snack bar selling boiled eggs, sweet rice drink (sikhye), ramen, etc.

If you’ve been walking all day in sub-zero temperatures, a few hours in a jjimjilbang is the ultimate reset.

4.2 Pocha – warm tents, hot soup, and soju

A pojangmacha (usually shortened to pocha) is a tented street bar or a small indoor joint serving simple dishes and alcohol.

Typical winter order:

• Kimchi pork belly, spicy stews, grilled seafood

• Soju, beer, or makgeolli (Korean rice wine)

Areas like Jongno 3-ga are lined with these orange or red tents in the evening. Inside, it’s all steam, sizzling pans, and chatter – a seriously atmospheric way to experience Seoul on a cold night.

5. Side trip idea: a softer winter in Busan

If you have a few extra days, consider adding Busan to your itinerary.

• Seoul → Busan by KTX: about 2.5–3 hours

• Climate: generally milder than Seoul in winter (more sea breeze, less dry cold)

A classic winter day in Busan might look like:

1. Haeundae Blueline Park & Sky Capsule

   • Colourful capsule cars riding along the coastline

   • Amazing views of the winter sea and city skyline

2. Oryukdo Skywalk

   • Glass-bottom walkway over the ocean

   • Great if you’re not too afraid of heights

3. Huinnyeoul Culture Village

   • Clifftop cafés, pastel buildings, and sea views

   • Often called “the Santorini of Korea”

4. Gamcheon Culture Village

   • Brightly painted houses stacked on a hillside

   • Street art, alleys, and plenty of photo spots

You can do this as a guided day tour from Seoul or stay in Busan overnight and explore at a slower pace.

6. Winter street foods you must try

You’ll see these everywhere during the cold months – especially around markets and busy subway stations.

Bungeoppang (붕어빵)
Hotteok (호떡)
Hoppang / Jjinppang (호빵/찐빵)
Roasted Sweet Potato (군고구마)
Roasted Chestnuts (군밤)

Fish-shaped pastries filled with sweet red bean paste. Crispy on the outside, soft and steaming on the inside. The perfect hand-warmer + dessert combination.

Flat, fried pancakes filled with brown sugar syrup (sometimes with nuts and seeds). When you bite into one straight off the pan, the melted sugar almost burns your tongue – in a good way.

Steamed buns kept warm in big metal steamers, often found outside convenience stores and subway exits. Common fillings: red bean, vegetables, curry, pizza-style.

Baked slowly in large drums or clay ovens until the skin turns dark and the inside becomes caramel-sweet and soft. One of the coziest, most filling street snacks.

Chestnuts roasted over high heat until slightly charred and fragrant. Easy to eat while walking, and the aroma alone will tempt you.

You’ll see these everywhere during the cold months – especially around markets and busy subway stations.

Fish-shaped pastries filled with sweet red bean paste. Crispy on the outside, soft and steaming on the inside. The perfect hand-warmer + dessert combination.

Flat, fried pancakes filled with brown sugar syrup (sometimes with nuts and seeds). When you bite into one straight off the pan, the melted sugar almost burns your tongue – in a good way.

Steamed buns kept warm in big metal steamers, often found outside convenience stores and subway exits. Common fillings: red bean, vegetables, curry, pizza-style.

Baked slowly in large drums or clay ovens until the skin turns dark and the inside becomes caramel-sweet and soft. One of the coziest, most filling street snacks.

Chestnuts roasted over high heat until slightly charred and fragrant. Easy to eat while walking, and the aroma alone will tempt you.

7. Practical tips for first-time visitors (Winter 2025–2026)

• Get a transportation card (T-money or similar)
  Load it with credit and use it on the subway, buses, and many taxis. It will save you a lot of time at ticket machines.

• Use Naver Map or KakaoMap, not just Google Maps
  In Korea, local map apps have much better public transport and walking directions than Google.

• Pick up a SIM card or pocket Wi-Fi at the airport
  Incheon Airport has several counters where you can pick up pre-booked SIMs or Wi-Fi devices, which makes navigating and translating much easier from the moment you land.

• Cards are widely accepted, but carry a bit of cash
  Most places accept credit and debit cards, including contactless payments. But a few traditional markets and older street stalls may still be cash-only, so keep a small amount of Korean won on hand.

• Plan for indoor breaks
  It’s easy to get overexcited and plan back-to-back outdoor activities. In winter, build in coffee breaks, indoor sightseeing (museums, malls, cafés), or a jjimjilbang visit between outdoor stops to avoid burning out from the cold.

So… should you book that winter trip to Korea?

If you like city lights, seasonal food, and fewer crowds, the answer is probably yes.

• Aim for Dec 12, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026 if you want to fully enjoy Seoul Winter Festa, lantern displays, and holiday markets.

• Plan 3–4 days in Seoul for the festivals and city sights, and add 1–2 days in Busan if you’d like a milder seaside vibe.

From steaming hotteok in your hands to skating under city hall lights and wandering through lantern-lit streams at night, Korean winter has a kind of quiet magic that spring and autumn just can’t copy.