Day Trips from Seoul by Train, Korea: Fares, First and Last Trains for 12 Cities

Last updated 1 November 2026. Every fare and time below comes from one of our own city guides, each of which read the timetable on the date shown in its row, or, where we had no city guide with numbers, from the same timetable data read today for Tuesday 3 November 2026. Sources are listed at the end; confirm your train in the Korail+ app (코레일+) before you go.

The best day trips from Seoul by train take between 30 minutes and about 3 hours each way. The closest is Suwon (수원): ₩4,800 and about 30–39 minutes on an ITX train. The classic day trips are Gangneung (강릉) by KTX-Eum from Cheongnyangni, ₩26,000 and about 1½ hours; Jeonju (전주), ₩31,600 from Yongsan; and Daegu (대구), ₩39,000 from Seoul Station. Busan is possible in a day, ₩54,400 and about 2½ hours each way, but it is a long one. The number that decides most trips is not the fare. It is the last train back, and the table below has it for every city.

For choosing which city outside Seoul is worth the train: Lonely Planet Korea, the country guide with the regional chapters, on AmazonAffiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, EpicKor earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

This page is the hub for our day-trip guides. Each row links to a full guide with a timed plan for that city. If you want the general rules of Korean transport first (subway fares, T-money, buses, which app to use), start with Getting Around Korea.

Day trips from Seoul by train: the master table

One-way adult fares in a standard seat. "First out" is the first train from Seoul; "Last back" is the last train from the city to Seoul, with its arrival time in Seoul in brackets.

Note 1, Andong. Ten KTX-Eum trains a day run from Andong to Cheongnyangni, every day of the week: 06:01, 07:55, 10:02, 12:01, 14:03, 15:20, 16:43, 18:14, 19:18 and 21:07 (timetable data for 14 October and 3 November 2026). The train is not the limit in Andong; Hahoe Village's 4:30 p.m. last entry is.

Note 2, after midnight. Eight of these last trains, and the last Chuncheon subway, reach Seoul between 00:02 and 00:46. On weekdays the subway's last trains pass the central stations between about 00:40 and 00:58, so you may just make a connection. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays they pass between 23:44 and 23:59, so you will not. Budget for a taxi, or take the train before (last trains station by station).

Which Seoul station: four starting points

Korea's trains do not all leave from Seoul Station. Pick your day trip, then check which station it uses: Seoul Station, Yongsan and Cheongnyangni are on different sides of the city.

• Seoul Station (서울역): the KTX south-east to Daejeon, Daegu, Gyeongju and Busan, and ITX trains to Suwon.
• Yongsan (용산역): south-west to Jeonju and Suncheon by KTX, and the slower trains to Onyang Oncheon on the Janghang Line. Some Suwon trains start here too.
• Cheongnyangni (청량리역): east to Gangneung and Andong on the KTX-Eum. Every Gangneung train from Seoul Station also stops at Cheongnyangni, so starting there saves ₩1,600 and about 20 minutes (our Gangneung guide has the table).
• Suseo (수서역), in Gangnam: a cheaper start for Daegu (₩37,500) and a handful of trains to Jeonju and Suncheon. Since Korail and SR merged on 1 September 2026, these trains are all sold in the same app (what the KTX and SRT merger changed).

How to choose by travel time

Under about an hour: Suwon, Incheon, Daejeon

These work as half days. Suwon is the easy one: 30–39 minutes by ITX for ₩4,800, with the Hwaseong Fortress walls at the other end and a last ITX back at 23:31. Subway Line 1 also goes there, more slowly. Daejeon is an hour by KTX for ₩21,600 and runs more than 100 KTX a day in each direction on the 3 November data, so you can leave whenever the bakery queue at Sungsimdang lets you. Incheon is even simpler: Line 1 from Seoul Station to Incheon Station, ₩2,150 by card and about 68 minutes, no change (Incheon day trip). Line 1 runs roughly 05:00–midnight; check Kakao Metro for your last train.

One to two hours: Onyang, Chuncheon, Gangneung, Jeonju, Daegu

This is the sweet spot for a full day. Leave at 07:00 to 08:00, arrive by mid-morning, and take a train back between 19:00 and 21:00.

• Gangneung is the best single train day trip on the list in our view: ₩26,000 each way, 25 trains a day, the sea, and a direct train home from Jeongdongjin so you never retrace your steps.
• Jeonju is the food city: ₩31,600, 18 KTX on a weekday from Yongsan, and a last train back at 23:11.
• Daegu costs more (₩39,000) but has the best evening on the list. Its Seomun Night Market runs Friday to Sunday from 19:00, and the last KTX home leaves at 22:57.
• Onyang Oncheon is the cheapest: ₩7,000 on a Mugunghwa, about 90 minutes, and a bathhouse town by the station. The trade-off is fewer trains and a 22:26 last one back.
• Chuncheon is about an hour from Cheongnyangni on the ITX-Cheongchun for ₩8,600, or ₩3,250 by Gyeongchun Line subway from Sangbong if you have time to spare. The last ITX back on a weekday leaves at 22:14. Every ITX-Cheongchun stops at Gapyeong (₩5,700 from Cheongnyangni), the station for Nami Island; our Nami Island guide covers the ferry (Chuncheon guide).

Two to three hours: Andong, Gyeongju, Suncheon, Busan

These work, but only with an early start, and you will spend four to five hours of the day on trains.

• Andong: Hahoe Village's last entry is 4:30 p.m. from October to March, so arrive by lunchtime. Trains home run until 21:07 (note 1).
• Gyeongju is ₩44,500 and about two hours to Gyeongju Station, which is outside the old town, so add a city bus or taxi each way. Many visitors sleep there instead (where to stay).
• Suncheon is ₩42,300 and about 2½ hours from Yongsan, then bus 66 to the garden and wetland. The last KTX home is 22:15, arriving at 00:46.
• Busan is possible, but it is a 5-hour round trip at ₩108,800 in fares. If you have only one free day, Gangneung or Jeonju gives you more time on the ground for less than half the price. If Busan is on your list anyway, see whether the KTX or the bus suits you and give it a night.

You might like: Korea's KTX and SRT Merged on 1 September: Cheaper Fares, One App, One Thing to Do First

Day trips from Seoul in November and winter

November: late colour, short days

Korea's 2026 foliage season ran late. The forecasts put the central region, including Seoul, at its peak from late October into early November, and the south around 1–13 November (the forecast dates). That makes the southern and eastern trips the best November choices:

• Daegu: a Daegu newspaper expected Palgongsan to peak around 12 November, with extra Express 1 buses from Dongdaegu at weekends until 15 November (details in our Daegu guide).
• Suncheon Bay: the reeds are the draw, but from November the wetland stops selling tickets at 17:00, and both sites close on the last Monday of the month (30 November) (Suncheon guide).
• Andong: Hahoe Village is on winter hours, with the last entry at 4:30 p.m., so it needs the early train (Andong guide).

The bigger November constraint is daylight. Sunset in Gangneung is about 17:14 on 15 November, by our Gangneung guide's calculation. A trip that looks relaxed on paper ends at dusk around 17:00, so put the outdoor part of the day first and the cafés, markets and bathhouses last. Our November weather guide has the temperatures for packing.

Winter: the warm trips

From December the best day trips are the ones with somewhere warm at the end.

• Onyang Oncheon is a hot spring town by the station: the ₩7,000 Mugunghwa from Yongsan and a public bath at ordinary bathhouse prices. Our hot springs guide has the entry prices for Onyang, Asan Spavis and Paradise Spa Dogo.
• Daegu's Seomun Night Market runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until December.
• Gangneung's cliff trail, the Jeongdong–Simgok Badabuchae-gil (₩5,000), keeps winter hours from 1 November to 31 March: 09:00–16:30, last ticket 15:30, and it shuts in high-wave warnings.
• Our December weather guide has the temperatures and snow odds for Seoul and Busan.

Booking: two months ahead, and the return first

Since 1 October 2026, Korail sells tickets two months before departure, not one month as most English guides still say (what the two-month window changed). For a day trip that has two practical effects:

1. Book the return first. The train home is the one you cannot replace. Our Daegu guide found the Saturday-evening seats back to Seoul selling out first.
2. Weekends and holidays go early. If your day trip falls on a long weekend, book when sales open. If seats are gone, a standing ticket is about 15% cheaper (Andong ₩27,700 → ₩23,500) and bearable on a ride under two hours.

Korail Pass or single tickets? We have not priced the foreigners' KORAIL PASS against these fares yet; for one day trip, two single tickets is the simple answer. Check the current pass price on Korail's global site (letskorail.com).

For which Seoul neighbourhood suits which station and last train, see where to stay in Seoul for the first time.

Where the train does not go: Sokcho and Seoraksan

Sokcho (속초), the base for Seoraksan, has no railway station, and the new line will not open before 2029. The bus is faster: ₩22,500 and 2 hours 10 minutes from Dong Seoul. The only rail option is the KTX-Eum to Gangneung plus a local bus north, which takes roughly 3½–4 hours (Seoul to Sokcho compared). Seoraksan's trail closures from 15 November are in our national park guide.

Mistakes to avoid on a train day trip from Seoul

• Going to the wrong Seoul station. Gangneung and Andong trains leave from Cheongnyangni; Jeonju and Suncheon from Yongsan. Check before you leave the hotel.
• Booking the outbound and hoping for the return. Do it the other way round.
• Trusting old fares. Guides written before September quote the KTX fares from before the merger, such as ₩43,500 to Daegu or ₩59,800 to Busan. The table above uses the fares after the 1 September cut.
• Arriving after midnight on a weekend with no plan. A train that reaches Seoul at 00:42 on a Saturday misses the subway (note 2).
• Planning a November day like a summer one. It is dark by about 17:15. Put the walk first.
• Forgetting the station is not the sight. Gyeongju, Jeonju, Andong and Suncheon stations are all a bus ride from what you came to see. The city guides have the bus numbers.

FAQ

Q: What is the best day trip from Seoul by train?

A: For a first trip outside Seoul, Gangneung is our pick: ₩26,000 each way from Cheongnyangni, about 1½ hours, 25 trains a day, the coast, and a direct return from Jeongdongjin. Jeonju (₩31,600, food and hanok) is the strongest alternative.

Q: What is the cheapest day trip from Seoul by train?

A: Suwon, at ₩2,600–4,800 each way, and Onyang Oncheon, at ₩7,000 on a Mugunghwa from Yongsan. Both are under 1 hour 40 minutes.

Q: Can you do Busan as a day trip from Seoul?

A: Yes. The first KTX leaves Seoul Station at 05:13 and the last one back leaves Busan at 22:10, arriving at 00:42. But it costs ₩108,800 in fares and about five hours on the train, so most people are better off staying a night.

Q: What are the best day trips from Seoul in November?

A: Daegu for Palgongsan's colour (peak expected around 12 November), Suncheon Bay for the reeds, and Gangneung for the sea. Start early: sunset is around 17:15 by mid-November.

Q: Do I need to book KTX tickets in advance for a day trip?

A: Yes, at least for the return. Sales open two months before departure, and weekend-evening trains back to Seoul are the first to go. If seats are gone on a short ride such as Gangneung, a standing ticket is the fallback.

Sources

• Our city guides, each with its own sources and the date its timetable was read: Suwon (064), Daejeon (264), hot springs near Seoul, Onyang (537) (Korail timetable for 20 October 2026), Nami Island (316), Gangneung (555) (Korail timetable data for 3 November 2026, read 31 October), Jeonju (304) (timetable data for 19–25 October 2026), Daegu (556) (timetable data for 31 October 2026), Andong (522) (timetable data for 11–17 October 2026), Gyeongju (069), Suncheon Bay (524) (timetable data for 12–18 October 2026), Seoul to Sokcho (495), Incheon (558) (Seoul Metro route search, 1 November 2026). Chuncheon (557) (Korail ITX-Cheongchun and Gyeongchun Line timetables in force since 28 February 2026 and Korail fare tables, read 1 November 2026).
• Rows we read today, 1 November 2026, from the national rail timetable data on the public data portal (data.go.kr), as republished by info.koreacharts.com for Tuesday 3 November 2026 (first trains, last trains and journey times only): Suwon Suwon → Seoul, Suwon → Yongsan, Seoul → Suwon; Daejeon Seoul → Daejeon; Gyeongju Seoul → Gyeongju, Gyeongju → Seoul; Busan Seoul → Busan, Busan → Seoul; Andong Andong → Cheongnyangni (and 14 October), Cheongnyangni → Andong; Jeonju and Suncheon arrivals Jeonju → Yongsan, Suncheon → Yongsan. We do not use this mirror's fares: several KTX fares on it are from before the 1 September cut. The Suwon ITX fare (₩4,800) and the approximate Gyeongju KTX fare come from the same timetable data on train.asamaru.net; the Daejeon fare (₩21,600) is from our hot springs guide (537, Korail timetable for 20 October 2026). Korail's own site blocks automated queries; confirm in the Korail+ app.
• Seoul–Busan fare (₩54,400 since 1 September 2026): our KTX–SRT merger guide (380) and KTX vs bus guide (485), which cite the Korail and ministry releases.
• Booking window (two months ahead from 1 October 2026): Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korail release of 20 September 2026, via our two-month booking guide.
• Seoul subway last trains: Seoul Metro station data, via our last-train guide (453).
• Foliage forecasts: K-Weather and WeatherEye, via our foliage forecast guide; Palgongsan peak, Kyungbuk Maeil, 27 October 2026, via our Daegu guide.
• Photos: Rsa, Striker9498 and Bernard Gagnon on Wikimedia Commons; details in the image-sources file.

Last updated 1 November 2026.