Three Long Weekends in Three Weeks! Korea’s October 2026 Holidays: Book Rooms, Then Flights, Then KTX—and Exactly When

Korea’s autumn 2026 packs three long weekends into three weeks: Chuseok (24–27 September), National Foundation Day (3–5 October) and Hangeul Day (9–11 October).

Those same three weeks are when the autumn colour begins. Here’s the thing: domestic travel demand hits its annual peak exactly as foreign visitors arrive looking for the same rooms and the same trains.

“So when do I book what?” The question isn’t whether to come. It’s when to book. Here’s the order, with dates attached—let’s get into it.

1. Nine Days Off in a Row? The Autumn 2026 Holiday Map

✔ October is the one to watch
National Foundation Day falls on a Saturday, so Monday 5 October becomes a substitute holiday and creates a three-day weekend. Four days later, Hangeul Day creates another. Take 6–8 October off and you have nine consecutive days, 3 to 11 October.

Plenty of Korean office workers will do exactly that. Treat the first ten days of October as a period of concentrated domestic travel demand.

✔ Here’s the question that comes next. “Early October in Seoul: Aim for the Trough Weekdays of 6–8 October” picks up right where this leaves off.

2. Chuseok and October Are Different Animals! What This Means for Foreign Visitors

✔ October holidays are travel holidays, not homecoming ones
Chuseok is a holiday people spend at their family homes, so Seoul itself gets quieter (we covered what closes over Chuseok separately). October is a different animal.

The consequences: rural accommodation and KTX seats vanish, worst of all at the Gangwon and Jeolla foliage sites. Seoul gets busier too, as domestic travellers come into the city and fill the palaces and Myeongdong. Popular restaurants stop taking bookings.

It isn’t all downside. This is the best weather Seoul gets all year—around 20°C by day—and outdoor events cluster here for the same reason.

3. Rooms, Then Flights, Then KTX! What to Book, and by When

✔ In order of priority: accommodation, flights, KTX, everything else
Accommodation is the one worth locking in on free-cancellation terms before your dates are even final.

Which neighbourhood you choose changes how fast it goes. Myeongdong and Hongdae fill first, Gangnam and Seongsu a little later—though Seongsu has so few rooms that it often disappears soonest in practice.

4. No Need to Avoid It? Should You Avoid This Period?

✔ No, and for three reasons

1. The weather is the best of the year. October in Seoul averages 20.2°C by day — ideal walking temperature.

2. The colour starts. Mid-October for the mountains, late October for the cities. Early October is a little early, but the high ground in Gangwon is already turning.

3. Events cluster here. Programming is built around the holidays, and the atmosphere in the city genuinely changes.

If you want the season without the crush, aim for the weekdays between the holidays—28 September to 2 October, or 6 to 8 October. Hotel rates and crowd levels both settle down.

5. No KTX Seat! If You Can’t Get What You Wanted

✔ No KTX seat: look at the express buses
Slower, but seats are often available on the day. Or travel standing and sit down partway.

✔ No regional accommodation: switch to day trips
Bukhansan, Suwon and Incheon are all within an hour of Seoul, no room required.

✔ Seoul is too expensive: step one ring outwards
Twenty minutes further out by metro changes the price materially, and a metro ride costs around 1,500 won. The room saving dwarfs the fare.

6. Order Beats Effort! The Checklist, Top to Bottom

✔ Work through these in order

□ Seoul accommodation (hold it on free cancellation)
□ Flights
□ Regional accommodation, if you are leaving Seoul
□ KTX, on the day booking opens one month out
□ Timed bookings such as Changdeokgung Huwon
□ Check the foliage forecast (published late September)
□ Check opening days over the holidays (3, 5 and 9 October)

Don’t skip that last one. Some venues close on October public holidays. Palace closing days—Tuesdays for Gyeongbokgung, Mondays for Changdeokgung—can be waived when they fall on a public holiday, so check the official notice before you go. And today: hold one Seoul night on free cancellation.

Frequently asked questions

What are the October 2026 public holidays in Korea?

National Foundation Day is Saturday 3 October, and because it falls on a Saturday, Monday 5 October becomes a substitute holiday. Hangeul Day is Friday 9 October.

Will there be autumn colour in early October?

Not in Seoul yet. The high ground in Gangwon province will be turning. Seoul itself peaks from late October into early November.

Should I avoid the holiday weekends?

No need. But if crowds bother you, target the weekdays of 28 September to 2 October, or 6 to 8 October.

When does KTX booking open?

One month before the travel date. Trains crossing the holidays sell out on some routes the day sales open, so book that day if your dates are set.

Are the palaces open on public holidays?

Palaces have fixed closing days — Tuesdays for Gyeongbokgung, Mondays for Changdeokgung — which are sometimes waived when a public holiday falls on them. Check the official notice before visiting.