Buying bus/train tickets during festival season in South Korea

Hi everyone, First of all, thank you for all the valuable information you share—it’s really helpful. My husband and I are heading to South Korea from September 19 to October 6. We know the timing might not be ideal because of Chuseok, but for various reasons, we didn’t have other date options. Plus, this period coincides with some festivals we’ve been eager to check out: the Andong Mask Dance Festival, the Jinju Lantern Festival, and the Hwaseong Festival in Suwon. Here’s our tentative itinerary:

09/19: Arrival in Seoul 09/20: Bus to Sokcho – explore the city or short hike 09/21: Seoraksan Park 09/22: Return to Seoul 09/23–09/26: Seoul 09/27: Bus or train to Andong – explore the city 09/28: Hahoe 09/29–10/01: Gyeongju 10/01–10/03: Busan 10/03–10/04: Jinju 10/05: Bus/train to Suwon 10/06: Suwon

So here’s my question: Given that several of our trips fall during or around festivals, will it be possible to book bus/train tickets once we’re there, or is there a risk they’ll already be sold out? Specifically for Seoul-Andong, Busan-Jinju, and Jinju-Suwon. I was thinking of booking everything on our first day in Seoul. And if it’s better to plan ahead, how should we go about it? I can’t seem to access the Korail (letskorail) or Kobus websites. Thanks in advance for your answers and help—and sorry for the long post! :)

Have a great day!

Hi there,

Trains can fill up quickly. For buses, there are more routes and options, but it’s still risky to book last-minute. On the other hand, have you reserved your accommodations? The Jinju Festival is very popular with Koreans, so lodging gets booked up fast.

Hi there, Thanks for your reply. Yes, all accommodations are booked. I’ve noted that last-minute transport might be tricky. What should I do then? It seems like it’s not possible to book online. Anyway, I can’t access the Kobus and Korail sites. Are there any other websites to buy bus or train tickets in South Korea?

You can check Klook for bus tickets. For trains, Korail does tend to glitch for foreigners, unfortunately.