Getting Around Seoul: Subway, Bus, Taxi, and Transit Cards

Seoul's transit network requires an electronic card for smooth travel. While single-use transit options exist, reloadable cards save money and qualify for free transfers.

As of March 2026, foreign credit and debit cards can be used to purchase and reload Climate Card short-term passes at automated ticket kiosks on Seoul Subway Lines 1 through 8.

Seoul buses are color-coded to indicate their route scope:

• Blue buses: Connect major districts across central Seoul (1,500 KRW / ~$1.07 card fare).
• Green buses: Branch routes linking neighborhoods to subway stops and mainline routes (1,500 KRW).
• Red buses: Rapid express commuter routes linking Seoul to regional satellite cities (3,000 KRW / ~$2.14 card fare).
• Night buses (N-prefix): Late-night services operating across key corridors (2,500 KRW / ~$1.79 card fare).

Board through the front door and tap your card on the reader. You must tap off at the rear door when exiting. Tapping off grants a free transfer to another bus or the subway within 30 minutes (07:00–21:00) or within 60 minutes (21:00–07:00). You can transfer up to four times across five rides, provided you do not re-board a bus with the exact same route number. Note that Seoul operates cashless buses on select routes, meaning cash is not accepted.

The Climate Card provides unlimited rides on Seoul subways and city buses. Short-term adult options include 1-day (5,000 KRW / ~$3.57), 2-day (8,000 KRW / ~$5.71), 3-day (10,000 KRW / ~$7.14), 5-day (15,000 KRW / ~$10.71), and 7-day passes (20,000 KRW / ~$14.29). Physical cards cost 3,000 KRW ($2.14).

Keep these strict rules in mind to avoid penalties:

• Charge date is start date: You cannot buy a pass for a future date; validity begins at 04:00 on the day you charge it.
• Mandatory tap-off: Failing to tap your card when exiting public transit twice will result in a 24-hour service suspension on the pass.
• No sharing: The card is strictly one person per card; multi-passenger tapping is disabled.
• Boundary limits: Taxis, airport limousines, the Shinbundang Line, and GTX trains are entirely excluded.
• Airport restriction: You cannot board the train at Incheon Airport using a Climate Card, though you may get off there when departing from Seoul.

Taxis in Seoul are metered, clean, and reliable. Standard mid-sized sedans charge a daytime base fare of 4,800 KRW ($3.43) covering the initial 1.6 km (1 mile). Beyond that, the meter adds 100 KRW ($0.07) for every 131 meters, plus 100 KRW for every 30 seconds spent moving under 15.72 km/h.

Night surcharges apply between 22:00 and 04:00:

• 22:00–23:00 & 02:00–04:00: 20% surcharge (5,800 KRW / ~$4.14 base fare).
• Peak Midnight (23:00–02:00): 40% surcharge (6,700 KRW / ~$4.79 base fare).

Taxis traveling outside Seoul municipal borders incur an automatic 20% out-of-city surcharge. When combined with late-night peak hours, the total surcharge is capped at 60%. Flat-rate International Taxis from Incheon Airport to central Seoul (Zone C: Jongno/Jung-gu) cost 85,000 KRW (~$60.71) for a mid-sized cab, including highway tolls.