🚌 Seoul City Tour Bus: Routes, Tickets and Tips for First-Timers

If you only have a day or two in Seoul, the City Tour Bus is the easiest way to see the palaces, Namsan and the Han River without figuring out a single subway transfer. One ticket, one loop, and you can hop off wherever something catches your eye. Here’s how it works, which route to pick, and the one thing most visitors don’t realize until they’re standing in line.

Two Operators, Two Starting Points

Seoul’s official tour buses are run by two companies, and they leave from different places:

• Tiger Bus (Seoul City Tour Bus) departs from Gwanghwamun, near Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) Exit 6 or City Hall Station Exit 3. This is the one most first-timers take.
• Yellow Balloon City Bus departs from Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station Exit 1, across from Doota Mall, and focuses on traditional culture.

Route 1: Downtown, Palaces & Namsan (Daytime)

This is the classic hop-on hop-off loop. Your pass is good all day, so you can get off at a palace, spend two hours inside, and catch a later bus to the next stop.

Stops	15, including Myeongdong, Namsangol Hanok Village, N Seoul Tower, DDP & Dongdaemun Market, Daehak-ro, Changgyeonggung, Changdeokgung, Insa-dong & Bukchon, Cheongwadae (Blue House), Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun Square
Hours	First bus 09:20, last bus 16:50
Frequency	About every 25 minutes
Full loop	About 1 hour 30 minutes without getting off
Price (online)	From about US$22 adult, US$16 child (ages 4–18)
Closed	Mondays (if Monday is a public holiday, it runs and closes Tuesday instead)

K Local Tip: Start early. The first two or three buses of the day are the calmest, and palaces are far more pleasant before the tour groups arrive around 11. A good plan is Gyeongbokgung in the morning, lunch in Insa-dong, then N Seoul Tower in the late afternoon.

Route 2: Han River & Namsan Night Tour

If you only ride once, make it this one. The bus runs along the Han River past lit-up bridges including Mapo, Hangang, Dongjak, Banpo, Seongsu and Hannam, then climbs Namsan for a 25-minute photo stop at N Seoul Tower before heading back past Sungnyemun Gate.

• Departure: 19:00 (19:30 from May through August), once a night from Gwanghwamun
• Length: About 90 minutes, no hop-on hop-off
• Price (online): From about US$20 adult, US$14 child
• Weather: Runs as normal in rain and snow

Yellow Balloon: Traditional Culture Course

The Yellow Balloon bus from Dongdaemun leans into Korean culture, with stops tied to hanbok experiences, Korean food tasting and historic sites. Daytime buses run roughly 9:30 to 18:20 every 30 to 40 minutes, and there’s also a night version whose schedule changes monthly. It’s also closed on Mondays. Its Han River Jamsil course is suspended for now.

Good to Know Before You Ride

• Audio guide in 12 languages. Earphones are handed out when you board, one pair per person.
• Dress for the top deck. The open-top seats are the best part, but it gets windy, especially on the night tour and in autumn. Bring a layer.
• Stay seated upstairs. Standing on the upper deck isn’t allowed, and food, drinks and pets aren’t permitted on board.
• Keep your pass. Some partner shops and restaurants give a 10–20% discount if you show a same-day boarding pass.
• Need help in English? Call the Korea Travel Hotline at 1330, available in several languages.

Schedules and prices change by season, and some courses are paused from time to time. Check the official pages before you go: Seoul City Tour Bus (Tiger Bus) and Visit Seoul.

Hopping off in Myeongdong? Our Korean Pharmacy Top 10 shows what’s worth picking up while you’re there.