Seoul's Christmas Village Sold Out in 30 Minutes Last Year. Here's How Foreigners Get In (2026)

Quick answer: Christmas in Seoul has already started. The Lotte main store in Myeongdong has had its lights on since October 30, and the Shinsegae media facade shows its Christmas film from November 6. Both are free, with no booking. The Hyundai Seoul Christmas village opens November 10 and needs a booking. Foreigners can book through travel platforms like Klook. The big outdoor events start December 11: the Seoul Lantern Festival on Cheonggyecheon Stream (until January 31, 2027) and the Gwanghwamun Market (until January 10). Checked with the Seoul Winter Festival site, Seoul Tourism Organization and Korean news reports on November 1, 2026. Anything not yet announced for 2026 is marked as last year's value.

Christmas in Seoul 2026 at a glance

Christmas Eve is a Thursday this year. Christmas Day (Friday, December 25) is a public holiday, so Seoul gets a three-day weekend from December 25 to 27.

Department store lights in Myeongdong

You can see the Lotte and Shinsegae displays from the street for free, any evening. They're about a 10-minute walk apart.

• Lotte Department Store main branchN: about 20,000 bulbs on the walls, a 15 m heart-shaped light tree and a new character, Hey Yeti. A 100 m "light street" runs from Euljiro 1-ga Station to the store. The end date isn't announced. Last year the lights stayed up until December 31, from 17:30 to 23:00.
• Lotte Young PlazaN, next door, has a new 77 m wide screen. Lotte plans a teaser in November and full shows from December. Times aren't out yet.
• Shinsegae main storeN: the giant screen on the building premieres this year's Christmas film, a bear's balloon-boat journey, on November 6. The best view is from across the road, in front of Seoul Central Post OfficeN. 2026 show times aren't out. Last year it played every evening from 17:00 to midnight, until January 31.

Hyundai's 13 m trees are in Gangnam, on the route in the next section. For more this month, see Seoul in November 2026.

Gangnam route: Hyundai trees, Galleria and COEX

Gangnam's Christmas displays fit into one evening. Start in Apgujeong at dusk and end at COEX in Samseong. All of these are free, with no booking.

1. Hyundai Department Store Apgujeong MainN (Apgujeong Station, Line 3, exit 6): a 13 m tree and photo zone on the front plaza, lit from November 1. Hyundai's theme this year is "Christmas in New York City". No end date is announced.
2. Galleria Luxury HallN (Apgujeongrodeo Station, Suin-Bundang Line, exit 2): walk about 1.2 km east along Apgujeong-ro, roughly 15 minutes. Korean media report a big straw tree at the main entrance, made with Loro Piana, and starry lights on the building until late December. We couldn't find Galleria's own announcement.
3. Hyundai Department Store Trade CenterN (Samseong Station, Line 2, exit 5): it's too far to walk. Take the Suin-Bundang Line three stops to Seolleung, then Line 2 one stop to Samseong, about 20 minutes. Another 13 m tree has stood out front since October 27. Inside, the 10th-floor rest area has a tree, a 6 m cat and a yellow taxi.
4. Starfield LibraryN in COEX Mall: take the underground passage from Samseong exit 5 or 6. Starfield's website lists a Christmas event at the library, "Dokkaebi Santa and Christmas" (a dokkaebi is a Korean goblin), from November 13 to January 31. Details weren't out when we checked. Last year a 10 m paper tree stood there until January 31.
5. Outside, near exits 5 and 6, look for the curved screen on COEX ArtiumN, famous for its "WAVE" video. Gangnam's winter media festival isn't announced for 2026. Last year it ran from December 19 to January 3, with a free 4-minute Christmas show 14 times a day until December 25.

Apgujeong Rodeo Street and Gangnam Station were on Seoul's Christmas crowd list last year, so go on a weekday before December 24.

The Hyundai Seoul's Christmas village: how foreigners can book

This year's theme is "Christmas in New York City": a 1980s–90s New York street with 13 buildings up to 10 m tall, in the 5th-floor Sounds Forest at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido. It opens November 10. The end date and hours aren't announced. Last year it ran until December 31, from 10:30 to 20:00 on weekdays and until 20:30 on weekends and holidays.

• Advance booking: the first round opens November 5 at 11:00 KST on The Hyundai Hi (더현대 하이), Hyundai's Korean booking channel. Slots go fast: last year the first round sold out in about 30 minutes. Later rounds aren't announced yet.
• Visitors from abroad: Hyundai says you can book through travel platforms such as Klook, and there's a waiting desk just for foreigners on site. We couldn't check the Klook price or terms, so read the listing before you pay.
• On-site waitlist: scan the QR codes on floors 2 to 4. Last year the queue number came by KakaoTalk. Without KakaoTalk, you could get a paper card at the 5th-floor entrance, good for up to 4 people.

Getting there: Yeouinaru Station (Line 5), exit 1, about 5 minutes on foot. Or Yeouido Station (Lines 5, 9), exit 3, about 10 minutes.

Christmas markets in Seoul

• Shinsegae Holiday Market: indoors at the Gangnam store (Express Bus Terminal Station, Lines 3, 7, 9), open since October 30, and at the main store in Myeongdong from November 24. End dates aren't announced.
• Lotte Town Jamsil Christmas Market: an outdoor market on the lawn in front of Lotte World TowerN, opening in "mid-November". No exact date or prices yet. Last year it ran from November 20 to January 4, 11:30 to 22:00, with 51 booths and a two-story carousel. Entry was free before 16:00 and paid after.
• Gwanghwamun Market: the city's big outdoor market, with stalls, food and photo zones on Gwanghwamun SquareN and in Sejongno ParkN. December 11 to January 10, 17:30 to 22:00 (Fridays and Saturdays until 22:30). No entry fee is listed. Last Christmas evening, the line to get in took over an hour.
• Han River Christmas market: Seoul's 2026 event plan lists one for about December 18 to 28, but the place and details aren't out. Last year it was at Ttukseom Hangang ParkN (Jayang Station, Line 7), December 19 to 25.

Seoul Lantern Festival and the Winter Festival lights

From December 11, 2026 to January 31, 2027, the city runs the Seoul Winter Festival around Gwanghwamun, Cheonggyecheon, Dongdaemun and the Han River. It opens with a show on Gwanghwamun Square on December 11 (time not announced).

• Seoul Lantern Festival: paper lanterns, light sculptures and media art along Cheonggyecheon StreamN, from Cheonggye PlazaN to Samil Bridge, 18:00 to 23:00 every day. In past years the official FAQ said entry was free, with no booking, and only some craft programs cost extra.
• Seoul Light Gwanghwamun: a light show on Gwanghwamun GateN and light sculptures on the square, December 11 to January 10, 18:00 to 23:00.
• Seoul Light DDPN: decorations from December 11, a Kakao Friends media facade from December 17 to 31 and fireworks on New Year's Eve, planned for 18:00 to 22:00. Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, exit 1.
• Seoul Plaza ice rink: December 18 to February 9, ₩1,000 with skates, helmet and knee pads. Open 10:00 to 21:30 (until 00:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 01:00 on Christmas Eve). Book online or buy tickets on site.

The Seoul Lantern Festival on Cheonggyecheon Stream (2012). Photo: Bohyunlee / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

A Christmas night walk: Myeongdong to Cheonggyecheon

Most of this fits into one evening on foot, all within about 2 km:

1. Start at the Shinsegae facade (Hoehyeon Station, exit 7) when it gets dark, around 17:00.
2. Walk through Myeongdong to the Lotte main store and its light street.
3. Stop at Myeongdong CathedralN, which has had Christmas trees outside in past years. It has an English Mass every Sunday at 09:00. Christmas Mass times for 2026 aren't posted yet, so call +82-2-774-1784 first.
4. From December 11, head north to Cheonggyecheon for the lanterns, then walk west to the Gwanghwamun Market.

This is the busiest part of Seoul on Christmas Eve, so try it on a weekday evening before December 24 if you can.

Lotte World and Everland at Christmas

Neither park has announced its 2026 winter festival yet. Here's what they did last year:

• Lotte World AdventureN (Jamsil Station, Lines 2, 8): the winter festival ran from November 22, 2025 to March 2, 2026, with a Christmas parade every day at 14:00 and 20:00 and indoor "snow". Most of the park is indoors, which helps on cold days.
• EverlandN (Yongin, about an hour away): "Christmas Fantasy" ran from November 28 to December 31, 2025, with a Christmas parade, fireworks every night and snow sledding from mid-December. Take bus 5002 from Gangnam Station, or the EverLine to Jeondae·Everland Station and the free shuttle.

Both parks are packed on the December 25–27 weekend. Check the official sites for 2026 dates and prices. Want real snow? See our guide to skiing near Seoul.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: crowds, transport, what's open

Crowds. In Korea, Christmas Eve is a big date night. Last year Seoul put six areas under special crowd control for Christmas: Myeongdong, Itaewon, the Seongsu cafe street, Hongdae, Gangnam Station and Apgujeong Rodeo Street. The district expected over 50,000 people in Myeongdong on Christmas Day. Some streets were closed to cars, and staff kept people moving. 2026 plans usually come out in mid-December.

Getting home. The 2026 plan isn't out. Last December, late buses left 11 hubs, including Myeongdong, Gangnam Station and Hongdae, until 01:00 (Monday to Saturday, December 15 to 31). Extra taxi stands opened in Gangnam, Jongno and Hongdae on Christmas Eve from 23:30 to 01:00. Taxis are hard to find around midnight, so know your last subway.

What's open on December 25. Banks and government offices close. Most shops, cafes and attractions open as usual, and they're busy. Check holiday hours before you go. The palaces are open too, because Christmas is a Friday (Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays, the others on Mondays).

Book dinner early. Popular restaurants fill up for December 24 and 25. If a Korean booking app asks for a local number or Korean identity verification, ask your hotel to book for you.

Christmas trees at Myeongdong Cathedral (December 2023). Photo: Nat4Eben / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Christmas cakes, cafes and the cold

A Christmas cake is a big tradition in Korea. Last year Seoul's luxury hotels sold limited cakes from about ₩80,000 up to ₩500,000, and many sold out. Some went on sale in late November, so check hotel websites early. At the other end, GS25 convenience stores sold mini cakes for ₩4,900 and whole cakes from ₩18,800. 2026 prices aren't out yet. Cafes are packed that weekend, especially in Seongsu, so go early.

December is cold: an average high of 4.2°C and low of −3.4°C, with snow on about 6 days in a normal December (KMA 1991–2020 averages). A white Christmas isn't guaranteed. Last Christmas evening it felt like −8°C in the Gwanghwamun queue, so wear a padded coat, hat, gloves and warm shoes.

The cold drains phone batteries fast, and you'll use yours for maps, QR waitlists and tickets, so carry a power bank. Korean identity checks (PASS, i-PIN) are only for Korean residents, and a tourist number, ours included, won't pass them. Klook and the foreigner desks avoid that problem.

FAQ

When do the Christmas lights start in Seoul in 2026? Lotte has been lit since October 30, Shinsegae starts November 6 and The Hyundai Seoul November 10. The outdoor festivals start December 11.

Where can I see Christmas lights in Gangnam? Hyundai has 13 m trees outside its Apgujeong store (Apgujeong Station, exit 6) and its Trade Center store (Samseong Station, exit 5), and Galleria's Luxury Hall has a straw tree near Apgujeongrodeo Station. All are free. Starfield Library's Christmas event runs from November 13 to January 31, and Gangnam's media festival isn't announced for 2026 yet.

What are the 2026 Seoul Lantern Festival dates? December 11, 2026 to January 31, 2027, every day from 18:00 to 23:00, along Cheonggyecheon Stream. Entry has been free in past years.

Can foreigners book The Hyundai Seoul Christmas village? Yes. Hyundai says you can book through travel platforms such as Klook, and there's a foreigner waiting desk on site.

Is Christmas a holiday in Korea? Yes. December 25 is a public holiday. In 2026 it's a Friday, so there's a long weekend from December 25 to 27, and most places are open and crowded.

Who can I call for help in English? The Korea travel helpline 1330 (+82-2-1330 from a foreign phone) helps in English and other languages.

Sources: Seoul Winter Festival site (winta.co.kr), Seoul Tourism Organization, Seoul Lantern Festival FAQ, Hankyung and My Daily (Oct 31, 2026), ZDNet Korea, Dailian and Yonhap (Oct 30, 2026), Etoday and Eyes Magazine (Nov 1, 2026), Herald Economy (Nov 3, 2025), Hyundai Department Store and COEX directions, Gangnam-gu Office (Dec 2025), Starfield COEX Mall website, Asia Economy (Jul 2026, Dec 2025), VisitKorea, Newsis, Financial News, Seoul Shinmun and Seoul Media Hub (Nov–Dec 2025), Archdiocese of Seoul and KMA, checked Nov 1, 2026. Dates and prices change, so please check before you go. Photos (Wikimedia Commons): cover, Myeongdong on Christmas Eve 2017 by Ken Eckert (CC BY-SA 4.0); Seoul Lantern Festival by Bohyunlee (CC BY-SA 3.0); Myeongdong Cathedral by Nat4Eben (CC BY-SA 4.0).