How to get home late in Seoul
Last trains, night buses, the taxi surcharge, and which taxi apps actually work with a foreign card. So you are not searching for this at 2am on a pavement.
There is usually one reason people get stranded in Seoul: they assumed the last train was at midnight. In reality it varies by more than an hour depending on the line and, crucially, the day.
The last train is not at midnight
At central stations, weekday last trains land roughly 23:50–00:50. The catch is that on Saturdays and holidays they run 45–60 minutes earlier. Line 2 inner loop at Gangnam is 23:53 on a weekday and 22:56 on a Saturday.
Night buses — the most underrated option
Seoul runs dedicated night buses (올빼미버스, the "N" routes) from 23:00 to 06:00. 14 routes, a flat ₩2,500 fare, and your T-money card works normally. It crosses the city for about a fifth of a taxi.
| Route | Where it goes | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| N26 | Hongdae · Sinchon · the whole Jongno corridor · Dongdaemun | 00:00–03:30, every 20–30 min |
| N31 | Gangnam Stn · Itaewon Stn · Jongno | 23:30–03:50, every 35–40 min |
| N37 | Gangnam Stn · Jongno · Gwanghwamun | 23:50–03:20, every 30 min |
Taxis — know the surcharge bands
| When | Surcharge | Base fare |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime | — | ₩4,800 / 1.6km |
| 22:00–23:00 | +20% | ₩5,800 |
| 23:00–02:00 | +40% | ₩6,700 |
| 02:00–04:00 | +20% | ₩5,800 |
| Leaving Seoul | +20% more | Capped at +60% |
Taxi apps that take a foreign card
- k.ride — built by Kakao Mobility specifically for visitors. Sign up with a Google or Apple account, and it accepts cards issued outside Korea. English, Chinese and Japanese UI with translation for destinations and driver chat. The safest choice for a visitor.
- Uber — operates as Uber Taxi in Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Jeju and the major airports. In-app payment with a saved card. It dispatches licensed Korean taxis, so at 02:00 on a Saturday you are competing for the same constrained supply as everyone else.
- Kakao T — the largest driver network. Foreign-card payment and foreign-number verification are widely reported but hard to confirm from official documentation. The reliable route is the "Pay to Driver" option and paying by card or cash in the cab.
Or simply wait it out
55 venues stay open past 05:00. The first train is at 05:30, so staying out is both cheaper and better than a surcharged taxi at 02:00. Tap in before 06:30 and you get 20% off on top.
Open past 05:00
Two things worth knowing
- Drinking outdoors is legal. Convenience-store beer by the Han River is fine. Local governments can designate no-drinking zones, and being drunk and disruptive carries a fine.
- The drinking age is 19, counted by birth year rather than birthday. In 2026 that means anyone born in 2007 or earlier, from January 1. Carry a physical passport or ARC — a photo on your phone is often refused, and the venue has more to lose than you do.
What time is the last subway in Seoul?
Roughly 23:50–00:50 on weekdays at central stations, varying by line and station. On Saturdays and holidays it runs 45–60 minutes earlier. The first train is around 05:30.
Does Seoul have night buses?
Yes. 14 "N" routes run from 23:00 to 06:00 for a flat ₩2,500, and T-money works. Headways are 20–40 minutes.
Which taxi app works for foreigners in Korea?
k.ride is built for visitors, accepts foreign-issued cards and has a multilingual interface. Uber operates as Uber Taxi and takes a saved card. Kakao T has the most drivers, but the reliable payment route is "Pay to Driver" in the cab.
Is it legal to drink in public in Korea?
Yes — there is no national ban. Local governments can designate specific parks and areas as no-drinking zones, and drunken disruptive behaviour carries a fine.