Rainy day · Seoul · South Korea
6 things to do in Seoul when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with Gwangjang Market, National Museum of Korea and War Memorial of Korea. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 13–18 hours across 4 areas; 3 are free. July is usually the wettest month, with about 16 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 13–18 hours
- Areas
- Jongno, Yongsan and Jamsil
Seoul on a rainy day
Market · Jongno
1.Gwangjang Market
Sit at a counter with a pancake and a bowl of makgeolli; go mid-afternoon on a weekday to avoid the evening crush.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- Shopping
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Museum · Yongsan
2.National Museum of Korea
Don't miss the dimly lit Room of Quiet Contemplation, which displays two gilt-bronze pensive bodhisattva statues side by side.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Yongsan
3.War Memorial of Korea
Combine it with the National Museum of Korea, about 15 minutes away by subway or taxi.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Viewpoint · Jamsil
4.Lotte World Tower and Seoul Sky
Clear autumn and winter days give the longest views; check the visibility forecast before buying tickets.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Kids
- After dark
- Rainy day
Theme park · Jamsil
5.Lotte World
Weekday mornings outside school holidays have the shortest queues.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Active
Architecture · Gangnam
6.Starfield Library at COEX
Visit Bongeunsa afterwards for the contrast of a Buddhist temple facing the Gangnam towers.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Jongno | Gwangjang Market | 1–2 hours |
| Yongsan | National Museum of Korea and War Memorial of Korea | 2–3 hours + 2 hours |
| Jamsil | Lotte World Tower and Seoul Sky and Lotte World | 1–2 hours + Full day |
| Gangnam | Starfield Library at COEX | 45 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 3 free, 1 low cost, 1 mid-priced, 1 expensive. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Lotte World; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Jongno and Yongsan): Gwangjang Market → National Museum of Korea, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Yongsan and Jamsil): War Memorial of Korea → Lotte World Tower and Seoul Sky, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Jamsil): Lotte World, at least 6 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Gangnam): Starfield Library at COEX, at least 1 hour.
The wettest months
- July: highs of 29°C (84°F), about 16 rainy days, busy crowds. The heart of the monsoon: heavy downpours, high humidity and sticky nights; indoor sights and early starts help.
- August: highs of 30°C (86°F), about 15 rainy days, busy crowds. The hottest month, with lingering monsoon rain early on; school holidays fill Lotte World and the river parks.
- June: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 10 rainy days, moderate crowds. Hot and increasingly humid, with the monsoon usually arriving in the last week.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Jongno and Insadong — Palaces, hanok lanes, tea houses and traditional craft shops
- Itaewon and Hannam-dong — International restaurants, bars and hillside boutiques below Namsan
- Gangnam — Office towers, Garosu-gil boutiques, COEX and polished restaurants
- Jamsil — Lotte World, Seokchon Lake and the 555-metre Lotte World Tower
More of Seoul
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Seoul?
Gwangjang Market. One of Korea's oldest covered markets, Gwangjang is best known for its food alleys: crisp mung-bean pancakes (bindaetteok) fried to order, small 'mayak' gimbap rolls, raw beef yukhoe and knife-cut noodles.
+Which of these are free in Seoul?
National Museum of Korea, War Memorial of Korea and Starfield Library at COEX.