Seoul in November 2026
November is Seoul’s quiet, golden month: the last of the autumn colour in the first two weeks, cold clear days, fewer tourists and lower hotel prices than October, and the biggest K-pop award shows of the year. By the end of the month the Christmas lights are going up and it feels like winter.
November at a glance
- Weather: around 12°C by day and 2°C at night, dry, with the first frosts and sometimes the first snow flurries late in the month.
- Autumn colour: Seoul’s ginkgo streets and palace gardens peak around the end of October and the first week of November; by mid-month the leaves are falling.
- No public holidays, so trains and hotels are easier to book than in October.
What makes November worth it
| The last of the leaves | The ginkgo avenues of Deoksugung’s stone-wall path, Samcheong-dong and the Seoul Forest turn gold in the first week, and the palaces are at their best. See the autumn foliage guide and the palaces. |
|---|---|
| K-pop award season | The KGMA (7–8 November) and the Melon Music Awards (14–15 November) are on consecutive weekends at the Gocheok Sky Dome. See K-pop award shows. |
| Busan’s fireworks | Korea’s biggest fireworks are over Gwangalli Beach on 7 November, a KTX ride away. See the Busan Fireworks guide. |
| Kimjang season | Late November is when Korean families make the winter’s kimchi together; markets fill with cabbages, and several places run kimchi-making classes for visitors. |
| First lights | Department-store facades in Myeongdong light up from mid-November, ahead of the December festivals. See Christmas and New Year. |
Concerts in Seoul in November
- Nov 6, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026EXO PLANET #6: EXhOrizon — Seoul Encore
- Nov 7, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026Kep1er Fan-Con Tour: RSVP — Seoul
- Nov 7, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA) 2026
- Nov 7, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026Park Jinyoung (GOT7): Park Jinyoung 1st Concert Tour: CODE# — Seoul
- Nov 7, 2026Touché Amoré: Stage Four 10 Year Anniversary
- Nov 12, 2026 – Nov 13, 2026GLOBAL CALLING: CamelPhat
- Nov 13, 2026 – Nov 15, 2026CHANGMO: MONOLITH
- Nov 14, 2026 – Nov 15, 2026Melon Music Awards 2026
- Nov 14, 2026 – Nov 15, 2026VICTON Concert: 10: NOW
- Nov 16, 2026yung kai Asia Tour: stay with the ocean, i'll find you — Seoul
- Nov 18, 2026Kings of Convenience at Seoul Jazz Festival
- Nov 19, 2026 – Nov 20, 2026SJF at the Theater: Christopher
- Nov 19, 2026Stacey Kent Live in Seoul
- Nov 22, 2026SJF at the Theater: Diana Krall
- Nov 27, 2026 – Nov 29, 2026Dynamic Duo: Let’s Meet Once in a While, for a Long Time
- Nov 28, 2026 – Nov 29, 2026ELLEGARDEN: Bad For Education Tour II
Festivals and events
- Oct 28, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026QUAD, Questions of Theatre: Dance of Revolution
- Nov 14, 2026 – Dec 6, 2026QUAD, Questions of Theatre: Incendies
What to pack
- A warm jacket for the evenings and layers for the day; it can be 15°C at lunch and near freezing at night.
- Comfortable shoes for the palaces and the hills of Bukchon.
- Lip balm and hand cream: the air turns very dry.
Korea in NovemberSeoul this weekend3 days in SeoulWhere to stay in Seoul
