š« Seoul’s Climate Card Tourist Pass: Unlimited Rides from ā©5,000 a Day
If you’re riding the subway more than a few times a day, paying ride by ride on T-money adds up. Seoul’s Climate Card tourist pass (źø°ķėķģ¹“ė ėØźø°ź¶) gives you unlimited subway and city bus rides for 1 to 7 days, starting at ā©5,000 a day. Here’s what it costs, how to buy and load it, and how it fits with the T-money card you probably already have.
Prices at a Glance
| Pass | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | ā©5,000 | ā©5,000 |
| 2 days | ā©8,000 | ā©4,000 |
| 3 days | ā©10,000 | about ā©3,300 |
| 5 days | ā©15,000 | ā©3,000 |
| 7 days | ā©20,000 | about ā©2,900 |
Days are calendar days, not 24-hour blocks. A 1-day pass loaded at 3pm ends with the last train that same night.
Step 1: Get the Card
The pass lives on its own card, so you need a Climate Card itself. A regular T-money card can’t hold it. You can buy one at:
- Subway stations: the newer card vending machines inside Seoul Metro Line 1ā8 stations
- Convenience stores near stations, such as GS25, CU and 7-Eleven. Ask for a “gi-hu dong-haeng ka-deu” or show them źø°ķėķģ¹“ė.
Step 2: Load Your Pass
- Find an unmanned recharge kiosk inside a station. They’re on Lines 1ā9 and several light rail lines.
- Place your card on the reader, switch to English and choose the Climate Card menu.
- Pick 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days, and check the start date on screen.
- Pay with cash or a credit/debit card. Newer kiosks accept overseas cards.
ā” Quick Tip: Load it the morning you start
The pass counts from the day it starts, and a day ends with the last train. Loading it the night before, or late in the afternoon, wastes most of a day. Charge it on the morning you plan to start riding.
Step 3: Tap In, Tap Out
Use it exactly like a T-money card: tap at the subway gate going in and coming out, and on buses tap the reader at the back door when you get off. Tapping out matters. Regular Climate Card users get a 24-hour suspension after two missed tap-outs. Seoul says that penalty isn’t applied to the short-term passes, but tapping out keeps your transfers and record correct. One card covers one person.
Where It Works (and Where It Doesn’t)
ā Included
- Seoul subway, plus some lines that continue into the metro area
- Seoul city buses and village (maeul) buses
- Hangang Bus (river bus)
ā Not included
- Sinbundang Line and GTX
- Red express (gwangyeok) buses and buses licensed outside Seoul
- Airport limousine buses
- Ttareungyi bikes (short-term passes don’t cover them)
Climate Card or T-money?
A basic subway ride on T-money costs about ā©1,550, so the pass pays off quickly if you’re out all day:
- 1-day pass (ā©5,000): worth it at 4 or more rides that day
- 3-day pass (ā©10,000): worth it at 3 or more rides a day
- 7-day pass (ā©20,000): worth it at just 2 rides a day
T-money is still the better choice for the airport, day trips outside Seoul, and quiet days when you mostly walk. New to T-money? Start with our guide to using a T-money card in Korea.
K Local Tip: Carry both. Use the Climate Card for everything inside Seoul, and keep a T-money card topped up for the airport rail, Sinbundang Line and trips out of the city.
What About M-PASS?
M-PASS is a foreigner-only transit pass run by T-money. It costs about three times as much as the Climate Card, but it covers the whole metro-area subway network, including the AREX all-stop train to the airport, and its card can be refunded or reused as a regular T-money card afterwards.
| Climate Card tourist pass | M-PASS | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | ā©5,000 | ā©15,000 |
| 2 days | ā©8,000 | ā©23,000 |
| 3 days | ā©10,000 | ā©30,500 |
| 5 days | ā©15,000 | ā©47,500 |
| 7 days | ā©20,000 | ā©64,500 |
| Ride limit | Unlimited | 20 rides a day |
| Subway coverage | Sections inside Seoul, plus Guri, Namyangju and Gimpo (not Sinbundang Line) | The whole metro-area network, incl. AREX all-stop train (not Sinbundang Line) |
| Buses | Seoul buses (not red express buses) | Seoul buses (not red express buses) |
| Card price | ā©3,000, paid separately | ā©5,000, included in the pass price |
| Card refund | No | Yes (ā©500 fee) |
| After your pass ends | Reload it as a Climate Card | Use it as a regular T-money card |
| Who can buy | Anyone | Foreign visitors only |
| Where to buy | Subway stations, convenience stores near stations | T-money service center, Seoul Station Exit 10 |
K Local Tip: For most visitors the Climate Card is the better deal. M-PASS only makes sense if you’ll ride AREX or travel well outside Seoul on the same days. Otherwise, take AREX from the airport on T-money and switch to the Climate Card for the rest of your stay.
Refunds
- The ā©3,000 card fee isn’t refundable.
- Unused pass value can only be refunded before the pass expires, with a deduction for days already used.
- Without a Korean bank account, refunds are handled in person at T-money’s customer center, so plan ahead if you think you’ll need one.
Note: the monthly 30-day Climate Card for residents ended in 2026 and is being replaced by the K-Pass system. The 1 to 7-day passes above are still on sale. Prices and coverage can change, so check Seoul’s official Climate Card guide before you go.
Planning your routes? See our Seoul subway map and route finder, or switch Naver Map to English.
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