Chuseok Voyage Tips and guide

Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi (한가위), is one of the most important traditional holidays in South Korea. It usually takes place on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, around late September or early October.

Chuseok is a Korean harvest festival similar to Thanksgiving. Families gather to share food, give thanks to ancestors, and celebrate the year’s harvest. The main traditions include returning to hometowns, performing ancestral rites (charye), and enjoying traditional games and food.

Chuseok's roots lie in ancient agrarian societies, where people expressed gratitude through ancestral worship, rituals, and harvest celebrations. Even today, Korean families return to their hometowns on this day to reunite, pay respects to ancestors, and share festive foods. Meanwhile, traditional dances, performances, and cultural experiences are held throughout Korea, open to the public.

Because the date is based on the lunar calendar, government offices, banks, and many private shops close during the three-day festival.

• Official Korea Tourism Organization – Chuseok information

Highways are severely congested starting the day before the holiday.

Tickets for high-speed trains such as the KTX and SRT sell out within minutes of opening.

Domestic flights (especially to Jeju Island) also often sell out in advance.

Recommendation: If planning intercity travel, book several weeks in advance; if advance planning is not possible, avoid long-distance travel during peak seasons.

Hotels in major cities mostly remain open, but prices in popular areas will increase. Some small guesthouses or family-run inns will be closed.

Convenience stores, large department stores, and supermarkets: Most will shorten their opening hours.

Traditional markets, museums, palaces, and cultural sites: Many will hold special events or offer free admission.

Restaurants and small shops: Many will be closed for 1–3 days.

• 

  Charye (차례): ancestral memorial service held at home.
• Seongmyo (성묘): visiting family graves and cleaning the tomb area.
• Traditional clothes: people often wear hanbok.

Cultural venues often host demonstrations of the following activities:

• Ganggangsu-rae (강강술래): A circle dance recognized by UNESCO.
• Ssireum (씨름).
• Juldarigi (줄다리기).
• Traditional masked dances, traditional instrument performances, etc.

• Songpyeon (송편): half-moon-shaped rice cakes filled with sesame or beans.

• Jeon (전): pan-fried foods like fish, meat, or vegetables.
• Pork rib soup (갈비찜)
• Mixed vegetables (잡채): Stir-fried vegetables with glass noodles.
• Seasonal fruits: Pears, apples, persimmons, etc.

  

Makgeolli (막걸리) or other rice wines are often paired with festive meals.

Many cities offer visitor-friendly experiences during Chuseok, including craft workshops, games, and stage performances.

Common locations for the festival

• National Folk Museum (Seoul)
• Korean Folk Village (Yongin)
• Namsangol Hanok Village (Seoul)
• Busan Civic Park
• Jeonju Hanok Village

Events vary annually; please check the local tourism bureau's website.

• Many Koreans travel to their hometowns, so highways, trains, and buses are extremely crowded.
• Major cities like Seoul become quiet; many restaurants close for the holiday.
• Tourist spots such as palaces or museums often offer free admission or special events.

• Chinese New Year
• Thanksgiving