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South Korea

Seoul

Old and new Seoul face each other across the Han River, tied together by one of the world's largest metro networks.

Seoul city bus (시내버스)

Overseas contactless cards don't work on the buses - a T-money card is effectively mandatory. Cash is fading too: 183 routes are now cashless. And tap off as you leave - that is what unlocks the transfer discount.

Updated on July 30, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Get a T-money card
    Buy a T-money card at any convenience store - CU, GS25, 7-Eleven - and top up with cash.
  2. 2
    Read the bus colors
    Blue = trunk (long-haul), green = feeder/maeul, red = expressway to suburbs, yellow = loops (now rare), N = night.
  3. 3
    Plan your route in NAVER Map
    Plan your route in NAVER Map, then watch the electronic arrival screens at the stop.
  4. 4
    Flag it down, board at the front, tap
    Raise a hand or your bus may sail past. Board at the front, tap the reader, and grab a handle - drivers pull away fast.
  5. 5
    Press the bell, tap off at the rear door
    Press the red bell before your stop, then tap off on the rear-door reader as you leave.
  6. 6
    Transfer within 30 minutes, almost free
    Tap the next bus or subway within 30 min of tapping off (60 min 9pm-7am) and it counts as one trip - same route twice doesn't.
  7. 7
    After midnight, catch an N "owl" bus
    Late at night, switch to the N routes. They work like daytime buses - just check arrivals in the app, since they run less often.

Fares

Single fares4

City bus (trunk/feeder)
Same fare by card or cash. The KRW 1,400 circulator fare survives only on a few Namsan loops (01A/01B)
1,500 KRW ≈ $1
Maeul (neighborhood) bus
Small green buses looping through neighborhoods - covered by the transfer discount.
1,200 KRW ≈ $0.9
Red express bus
Expressway routes to the suburbs, with distance surcharges. Climate Card not valid.
3,000 KRW ≈ $2
N night bus
Night-only routes running roughly 11pm-6am; cash costs the same.
2,500 KRW ≈ $2

Passes & multi-ride1

Climate Card short-term pass
Five passes from 1 to 7 days; physical card KRW 3,000 extra. Not valid on red express or airport buses.
5,000〜20,000 KRW ≈ $4–15

Card itself1

T-money card purchase
Card cost, not a deposit. Refunds up to KRW 20,000 at convenience stores (50,000 at stations), KRW 500 fee.
2,500 KRW ≈ $2

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
Overseas cards don't work; open-loop rollout runs to 2030
IC card
T-money (top up with cash) and the Climate Card are the two staples
App tickets
Mobile T-money; on iPhone it takes overseas cards for top-up
Cash
183 routes are cashless (Jan 2026); cash earns no transfer discounts

Quick facts

Hours
4:30-23:00 (+N night buses)
Frequency
Every 5-15 min (daytime)
Fares from
1,500 KRW+

Heads-up

  • Skip the tap-off and the transfer discount is gone

    Skip the tap-off and you lose the transfer discount - and distance-based fares can't settle correctly.

  • A full red express bus may not take you

    Red express buses ban standing on expressway sections - a full bus may simply not take you.

Timetable

Operating hours 4:30-23:00 (+N night buses)
Typical duration Median bus lanes beat the traffic on major corridors - pair buses with the subway for best results
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka