Early October in Seoul — Two Long Weekends, How to Ride the Waves

Chuseok is not the end of Korea’s autumn holidays. Early October delivers two long weekends: National Foundation Day on Saturday 3 October generates a substitute holiday on Monday the 5th, and Hangeul Day lands on Friday 9 October to make the 9th–11th a second three-day weekend.

For travelers this cuts both ways. Holiday Seoul grows festive — and domestic-travel demand lifts hotel prices while Korean families join every queue you were planning to stand in. Whether you know these two waves decides how comfortable your October trip feels.

Here is how to read the early-October calendar for 2026, and how to move on the red days versus the quiet ones.

1. Read the calendar first

The structure: wave one, 3–5 October — Foundation Day hits a Saturday, so Monday becomes a substitute holiday. Wave two, 9–11 October — Hangeul Day falls on a Friday. And the overlooked prize: the weekdays in the trough, Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8. Domestic crowds recede, the weather sits at its autumn best, and the city exhales. Those three days are October’s flat water.

2. Moving on the red days — what jams and what empties

Holidays crowd wherever Korean families go: the palaces (especially hanbok events), Namsan, the amusement parks, foliage spots near the city, and every expressway. Meanwhile the business districts around Gwanghwamun and City Hall, and Dongdaemun’s wholesale blocks, actually calm down.

The red-day formula is simple: hit one headline sight at opening time, then spend the afternoon in distributed places — markets, alleys, cafes — and give the evening to the river or the fortress wall, straight from our night timetable. A holiday Han River is lively, but it is far too big to saturate.

3. Beds and wheels — the price wave is predictable

Hotel rates tend to peak on the nights of 2–4 October and 8–10 October. The same room in the trough weekdays is visibly cheaper. If your dates are flexible, assign weekends to distributed city sightseeing and the trough weekdays to palaces and day trips — dodging crowds and prices in one move.

4. What only early October has

It is not all logistics. These holidays bring scenes that exist only on the red days: commemorations and performances around Gwanghwamun Square and the palaces, and on Hangeul Day the King Sejong statue area turns into a small festival of the alphabet he invented. It is also the season of autumn fireworks and riverside music events — dates drop close to the day, so check official calendars before flying.

And the climate seals it: October Seoul averages a high near 20°C and a low near 10°C, with falling humidity and high skies. Read the two waves, and early October is the most walkable Seoul of the year. That is the whole thesis.

Frequently asked questions

Do shops close on these holidays?

Unlike Chuseok, commerce runs essentially as normal on Foundation Day and Hangeul Day. Count on government offices and banks closing, and little else.

Will I see autumn foliage in early October?

Seoul’s peak runs late October into early November. For early color, head to the northern mountains like Seoraksan — covered in a separate guide.

Should I avoid palaces on the holidays?

They are busy, but the first hour after opening stays comfortable — and holiday ceremonies add more to see, not less.

When should I book hotels?

As early as possible for holiday weekends; the trough weekdays (6–8 Oct) usually keep options open even late.

How warm is it?

Averages near 20°C by day and 10°C at night. One long-sleeve layer by day, a light jacket for evenings.