Seollal 2026: Lunar New Year’s Day in Korea

It’s a time for happiness and festivities as the Korean Lunar New Year, known as ‘Seollal’, is just around the corner in South Korea! 

> Check out the best things to do in Korea this Seollal <

What is Seollal?

Seollal, one of Korea’s major holiday seasons, typically lasts for three days. This year, the Korean government has designated the public holiday from February 16th to 18th. During this time, especially on Seollal’s official day (February 17th), many shops and restaurants will be closed. Be sure to keep this in mind if you’re planning a trip to South Korea in February!

Major palaces, museums, and amusement parks are open, but we recommend double-checking the websites before you go! Of course, with so many people traveling, you can expect heavy traffic jams and extremely high demand for train or bus tickets. However, if you still want to travel to other regions, simply book a Korail Pass (KR Pass) for KTX & Train Rides or Intercity Private Van Transfer via Trazy!

How Do Koreans Celebrate Seollal?

1. Korean Traditional Dress – Hanbok

During Seollal, you might see Koreans wearing a beautifully colored and patterned Korean traditional dress called ‘hanbok’. While it’s not a requirement for Seollal celebration, but hanbok is quickly becoming a popular fashion trend in Korea & abroad. From traditional hanbok, to modern & daily looks, there’s more and more styles of hanbok every season!

If you’re interested in renting or trying out Korean traditional dress for a day, check these out! You can even get free admission to these palaces if you are wearing a hanbok!

• Hanbok Rental near Gyeongbokgung & Insadong in Seoul
• Modern Hanbok Rental & Photoshoot at Korean Traditional House or Gyeongbokgung Palace
• Hanbok Rental at Gyeongbokgung Palace (+ Photoshoot options)
• Gyeongbokgung/ Changdeokgung Palace Hanbok Rental

2. Ancestral Rites or ‘Charye’

In the early morning of the official day of Seollal, all family members and relatives gather for traditional ancestral rites, a process called ‘charye‘. Together they prepare dishes of ritual foods and set them on an offering table. After the table is set, they (in the order of oldest to youngest) stand in front of the table and bow to the spirits of the ancestors.

3. Bowing to Family Elders – ‘Sebae’

Finally, many Korean’s favorite part of the traditional Seollal celebration is the completion of ‘sebae’. Family members take turns from the oldest to the youngest, and give a deep bow to their elders and parents. Koreans call this bowing process ‘sebae‘, a combination of the words for ‘new’ (for the new year) and ‘bow’. After the bow, parents or relatives will then give money or ‘sebaetdon (New Year’s money)’ and words of blessing in return for the New Year.

4. Eat Another Year’s Age with ‘Tteokguk’

After ‘sebae’ comes the feast 🙂 On Lunar New Year’s Day, Koreans typically eat ‘tteokguk‘, a traditional sliced rice cake soup. Traditionally eating tteokguk on Seollal is symbolic of adding one year to your age. This has led to many jokes over time, including ‘The more bowls of tteokguk you eat, the older you will get!’

But don’t forget to try other Seollal foods as well! From ‘sanjeok’ (meat and vegetable brochette) to ‘buchimgae’ (Korean-style pancake), Korean traditional desserts like ‘yakgwa’, ‘hangwa’, and ‘injeolmi’, there’s no shortage of tasty treats to enjoy over the holiday. 

Check out these Traditional Korean food cooking classes in Korea:

Seoul

• Authentic Korean Cooking Class with a Local Market Tour near Hongdae/Mangwon
• 4 Kinds of Kimchi Making Class near Hongdae/Mangwon
• Seoul Kimchi Making Class in Bukchon Hanok Village
• Korean Rice Cake with Sweet Bean Filling / Sweet Rice Puffs Making Experience

Busan

• Traditional Korean Food Cooking Class in Busan
• Busan Local Food Cooking Class + Market Tour With a Local Chef
• Private Korean Food Master Cooking Class With a Local Chef in Busan

5. Play Traditional Games

Seollal is a perfect time for families or friends to play some fun games together! The most popular traditional games played during Seollal are ‘yut nori‘ and ‘go, stop‘. Yut nori is a board game played with four marked wooden sticks instead of dice. The game’s main objective is to be the first to get all your pawns through to the end, whereas ‘go, stop’ is essentially a Korean version of poker. Other fun games include ‘jegichagi’, a game where you kick a shuttlecock & try to keep it in the air for as long as possible, ‘neolitwiggi’, similar to see-sawing, and ‘tuho’ where you throw sticks into a canister.

What to do During Seollal:

1. Visit one of the Palaces

Seollal is hands down one of the best times to visit Korea’s royal palaces, not just because they look extra stunning in winter, but because the vibe completely changes. In Seoul, you can visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and Changgyeongung Palace to see locals in colorful hanbok, traditional performances, and more. And the best part? Palace admission is often free during Seollal!

• Korean Palace Tour
• Gyeongbokgung Palace Half-Day Tour
• Seoul Walking Tour: Gyeongbokgung, Seochon Village & Tongin Market (Lunch & Hanbok Included)
• Deoksugung Palace Half Day Tour

2. Check out the Korean Folk Village:

Nestled among the bustling cities and modern living, a gateway to Korea’s rich history can be found at the Korean Folk Village. Real traditional Korean homes have been well-preserved and gathered into a small village inhabited by actors, musicians, and performers in hanbok. This immersive living museum provides visitors the opportunity to experience daily life in the late Joseon era firsthand and often holds special traditional celebrations for the change of seasons and holidays like Seollal. It’s also a very common filming location for popular Korean TV and movies set in the Joseon period.

• Korean Folk Village Half Day Tour from Seoul (Morning/Afternoon)
• Suwon Hwaseong Fortress & Korean Folk Village Private Van Tour
• South Gyeonggi Private Van Package: Getaway to Folk Village/ Dae Jang Geum Theme Park/ Yeoju Premium Outlet/ Hwaseong Fortress
• Korean Folk Village & Suwon Hwaseong Fortress 1 Day Tour – from Seoul

3. Enjoy Thrilling Rides at Theme Parks

Theme parks are all open during the Korean Lunar New Year’s holiday and it’s a wonderful place to have fun with your family or friends. At Everland, the largest theme park in Korea, you can book a one-day trip to enjoy the fun rides and parades. You can also book a hassle-free full-day package, shuttle bus package, and private van package to Everland Theme Park!

• One Day Pass Everland Discount Ticket
• Everland Discount Ticket & Shuttle Bus Package
• Everland Private Van Transfer Service from/to Seoul
• Round-trip Shuttle Bus (Seoul/Suwon ↔ Everland)

Lotte World is a theme park in Seoul that you can easily reach by subway and they have the largest indoor theme park in Korea! One popular thing for a lot of young people at Lotte World is to rent Korean school uniforms and take a lot of photos here! You can also visit Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in Korea, and Lotte World Aquarium, which are all just next to the Lotte World theme park.

• Lotte World Discount Ticket
• Lotte World Aquarium (+ Lotte World 1 Day Pass Combo option) Discount Ticket
• Korean School Uniform Rental near Lotte World
• Everland + Lotte World 1 Day Tour (Lotte Duty Free Shopping included) – from Seoul

Explore more theme park options across Korea, including Lotte World Adventure Busan, Gyeongju World, Daegu E-World, and more. For the best ticket deals to these attractions, check out the options below:

• Seoul Land 1 Day Pass (+ Seoul Zoo / Sky Lift option)
• Lotte World Adventure Busan Discount Ticket
• Daegu E-World & 83 Tower Observatory Discount Ticket
• Gyeongju World Discount Ticket

4. Indoor Attractions & Activities

If you are afraid of enjoying outdoor activities in cold weather, don’t worry about it! There are plenty of indoor attractions and activities you can enjoy in Korea. One of the most recommended indoor attractions is the aquarium. In Seoul, there is the COEX Aquarium in Samseong and the Lotte World Aquarium in Jamsil.

For those who are not in Seoul, you can visit Sea Life Busan Aquarium, Aqua Planet in Ilsan, Gwanggyo Suwon, Yeosu, and Jeju Island.

5. Exciting Paragliding Experience

Tandem Paragliding is one of the best ways to appreciate the stunning scenery and enjoy the thrilling and exciting moments! Why don’t you have this once-in-a-lifetime experience during the Seollal holiday in Korea? You can try tandem paragliding in Danyang, Jeju Island, Gyeongju, and Daegu during the holiday!

6. Winter Escapes to Ski Resorts

If you want to plan a winter getaway during Seollal, booking ski resorts is a perfect way! There are many high-quality ski resorts in Korea where you can enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and snow sledding. You can book hassle-free lift pass and ski equipment/clothes rental packages at Vivaldi Park Ski Resort and Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort. If you are in the southern region, such as Busan or Daegu, you can head to Eden Valley Ski Resort!

Check out more ski packages at Trazy’s Hand-picked Korea Ski Resorts’ Best Packages!

Now, go on and discover the genuine beauty of South Korea with Trazy.com, Korea’s #1 Travel Shop. It’s better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times!