TGWhen to go to South Korea: four seasons and what to do with them
Korea has four real seasons. April is the cherry blossom, October the maples, summer is hot and wet, winter dry and cold.
South Korea is not the tropics: it has a cold winter, a hot summer and two very short, very beautiful layers in between. Those layers draw most visitors — and carry the highest prices.
Spring: March to May
The best season along with autumn. Daytime +12…20 and dry. The main event is the cherry blossom: first the south, Jeju and Busan, in late March, then Seoul in early April. The bloom lasts about a week, so the dates are checked against the forecast each year.
- Late March — Jeju and Busan
- Early April — Seoul and the centre of the country
- May — warm and green already, fewer visitors, and the weather is still good
Summer: June to August
From late June to late July comes jangma, the rainy season: humid, overcast, heavy showers. August is hot, up to +33, and very humid, with typhoons on top. On the other hand this is festival season and beach season in Busan.
Autumn: September to November
The most settled season: dry, +15…23, with clear air. The maples turn from mid-October in the north and the mountains to early November in the south — the second peak of domestic travel after the cherry blossom.
- October is the best month for hiking: Seoraksan, Bukhansan, Jeju
- During Chuseok, the Korean harvest holiday (September or early October), many places close
- November is cooler but quieter and cheaper
Winter: December to February
Dry and cold: around −5 by day in Seoul and as low as −10 at night, with a northern wind that feels sharper than the thermometer suggests. There is snow, the ski resorts run, and there are no queues at the palaces and museums.
The short version
- Cherry blossom — late March in the south, early April in Seoul
- Best weather — May and October
- Cheapest — winter, apart from the New Year days
- Worst for walking — late June and July, the rainy season
For Russian citizens the visa for South Korea is the electronic K-ETA, arranged online before departure. Travellers aged 17 and under and 65 and over are exempt, but the conditions are worth checking before every trip.