Best Time to Visit Seoul

March to May, September to November

Months to avoid: July to August (monsoon season, high humidity, heavy rain, 33C+ heat that turns the city into a sauna)

Recommended stay: 5-7 days

Plan Seoul for March to May, September to November. Give it 5-7 days. The window to avoid is July to August (monsoon season, high humidity, heavy rain, 33C+ heat that turns the city into a sauna).

What the season gets you

• Korean BBQ at a proper samgyeopsal grill, pork belly over live charcoal, scissors instead of a knife, soju poured by the server, and banchan refilled without asking
• Gyeongbokgung Palace at 9am before tour groups arrive, the scale of it, backed by the Bugaksan ridgeline, makes Seoul's glass towers feel like a recent interruption
• A norebang session at midnight, private room, tambourines, song books the size of a Bible, and the knowledge that nobody outside will ever hear what happens in there