Season guide · Seoul · South Korea
Seoul in summer
June–August: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Hot and humid, with the jangma monsoon bringing heavy rain from late June through July; river parks and night markets come alive. Expect highs up to 30°C (86°F) and lows around 18°C (64°F), with about 41 rainy days across June–August.
Key facts
- Months
- June–August
- Temperatures
- 18°C (64°F) to 30°C (86°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 41
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 28°C (82°F) | 18°C (64°F) | 10 | 14.7 h | 3/5 |
| July | 29°C (84°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 16 | 14.5 h | 4/5 |
| August | 30°C (86°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 15 | 13.6 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 29°C (84°F) against a yearly 17°C (63°F), and 41 of the year's roughly 107 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- July: Boknal — the hottest days, when locals eat samgyetang (mid-July to mid-August)
Good choices for summer
Museum · Yongsan
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
Lotte World Tower and Seoul Sky
Korea's tallest building rises 555 metres over Jamsil, and its Seoul Sky observatory on the top floors has a glass-floored deck over the city.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Kids
- After dark
- Rainy day
Theme park · Jamsil
Lotte World
Weekday mornings outside school holidays have the shortest queues.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Active
Architecture · Gangnam
Starfield Library at COEX
In the middle of the COEX Mall, the Starfield Library is an open, two-storey reading space with 13-metre bookshelves holding tens of thousands of books and magazines that anyone can browse for free.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Market · Jongno
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
Day trips in summer
- Suwon Hwaseong Fortress (About 1 hour by subway or train) — The UNESCO-listed walls of Hwaseong, built in the 1790s, loop for about 5.7 km around central Suwon with gates, watchtowers and the reconstructed Hwaseong Haenggung palace.
- Nami Island (About 1.5 hours by train and ferry) — A half-moon island in the Bukhan River known for tree-lined avenues of ginkgo and metasequoia, especially vivid in autumn.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and high-factor sunscreen
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Seoul?
It is a trade-off: Hot and humid, with the jangma monsoon bringing heavy rain from late June through July; river parks and night markets come alive. The best months overall are April–May and September–November.
+What is the weather like in Seoul in summer?
Highs of up to 30°C (86°F) and lows around 18°C (64°F), with about 41 rainy days over the season.