Bow to Your Elders at a Palace, Then Fly a Kite on the Plaza
Seollal 2027 falls on February 7, with the official three-day holiday running February 6–8. In Seoul, that means the city empties of commuters and fills with families in hanbok, and the cold, dry air — averages of -2 to 5°C, with snow common and wind cutting through the palace courtyards — carries the sound of children greeting grandparents with "saehae bok mani badeuseyo."
Your best single move is the Five Grand Palaces, which open free during the Seollal holiday, along with Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon Royal Tombs (the latter reservation-only). At Gyeongbokgung you can catch sehwa events and a Royal Guard Ceremony, while folk games and cultural performances run in the plazas in front of the palaces. Dress in layers, add thick socks and anti-slip shoes, and pocket a heat patch — you will be standing outdoors for longer than you expect.
Play Yutnori, Make Hanji, and Take a Temple Bell
Seollal is a family festival built on ancestral rites, reunion dinners and traditional games, and Seoul's folk venues turn that into something you can join rather than watch. Namsangol Hanok Village is the most central option, running hanji (Korean paper) making, tea ceremonies, taekwondo performances and herbal medicine experiences. Hanok villages generally add hanbok wearing, sebae (the deep New Year's bow), kite making and flying, and traditional games.
- Try yutnori, the board game, and go-stop, the card game — both are Seollal staples.
- Watch or attempt jegichagi (paper kicking), yeonnaligi (kite flying) and neolttwigi (seesaw jumping).
- At Bongeunsa Temple, attend the bell-ringing ceremony or book a temple stay.
- For a day trip, the Korean Folk Village in Yongin offers bamboo, wood and earthenware craft-making and doubles as a K-drama filming location; Jeonju Hanok Village, further out, pairs hanok streets with Jeonju bibimbap.
Tteokguk, Jeon and Japchae — and Where the Free Bowls Are
You turn a year older on Seollal in Korea, and you do it over a bowl of tteokguk, the rice cake soup that anchors the reunion table. Most restaurants serve it during the holiday, and some local governments, hanok villages and museums hand it out free. Look too for jeon, the savoury pancakes, and japchae, the stir-fried sweet potato noodles.
Expect the city to be quieter than usual: some small, private, family-run shops and restaurants close for the holiday, while major stores, chain restaurants and most tourist sites stay open. Budget accordingly — hotels and transport run roughly 10–30% higher during Seollal, and long-distance travel on the first and last holiday days is best avoided, with flights and trains booked early.
Parades, Kites and a Lantern-Lit Stream
Theme parks lean into the season and are reportedly less crowded during the Seollal holiday. Lotte World stages Seollal parades of traditional folk dance led by cartoon characters in hanbok, and Everland runs traditional New Year's games aimed at families and children — a practical choice when you want the festivities indoors and warm.
Elsewhere in the winter calendar, the Seoul Lantern Festival forms part of Seoul Winter Festa along Cheonggyecheon Stream, and the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, with ice fishing and sledding, is held before the Lunar New Year. If you want to add a ski day, Bears Town, Jisan Forest and Elysian Gangchon all sit within about an hour of Seoul. Note that Seollal is distinct from the solar New Year on January 1, which is the date marked by fireworks and countdown events — don't conflate the two when you plan.
Plan Around the Three Days
Build your trip around February 6–8, 2027, and treat the middle day as the anchor: palaces and folk villages in the morning, a bowl of tteokguk at midday, games and performances in the afternoon. Book trains, flights and hotels now rather than later, pack for dry cold and wind, and keep the quieter holiday hours in mind when you choose where to eat. Then go learn the bow — the rest of Seoul will meet you there.