Seoul · With kids

Seoul with kids: things to do and getting around

By Ramya ChinnaduraiPublished 20 October 2026Updated 20 October 2026

Seoul rewards families who book the right things early and leave the rest loose. The Children's Museum of the National Museum of Korea needs a reservation, Seoul Grand Park pairs a zoo with a botanical garden, and Lotte World covers a full day of rides and indoor attractions. The temperature range is wider than in most cities: an average high of 2 C in January and 29.9 C in August.

This page for Seoul uses only the tourism, operator, city-government and climate pages linked below, opened on 20 October 2026. Several Korean government sites, including the Seoul Metro page, would not load that day, so some details you might expect are missing on purpose. Check the operator pages for current details before you plan a day around any one place.

Sights for a day with children

[Seoul Grand Park](https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/whereToGo/locIntrdn/rgnContentsView.do?vcontsId=110774). A zoo plus the Seoul Grand Park Botanical Garden, described as the country's first public arboretum with over 1,600 plant species. It suits a slow, outdoor day where children set the pace: animals first, then the garden paths when legs get tired. Wear comfortable shoes, because the grounds are large and a lot of the day is spent walking. Bring water and snacks, and plan a rest stop between the zoo and the garden so nobody runs out of energy halfway round.

[Lotte World](https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/whereToGo/locIntrdn/rgnContentsView.do?vcontsId=111276). A theme park complex with rides, shows and indoor attractions, which makes it a useful choice when the weather turns wet or very hot. The one-day Park Ticket covers Lotte World only, and a Universal Pass adds the Folk Museum. Game facilities are not included in the ticket. Because so much of the complex is indoors, it works as a rain plan, though queues for the headline rides tend to build later in the day, so go to those first. Check the operator page for the ticket that fits your group and for any rules attached to individual rides.

[Children's Museum of the National Museum of Korea](https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/whereToGo/locIntrdn/rgnContentsView.do?vcontsId=87982). Visits run in five timed sessions, with a maximum of 70 people per session, and reservation is required. Visitors need to collect an admission pass from the information desk, so arrive a little before your session and keep everyone together at the desk. The small groups keep the rooms calm, which suits children who are overwhelmed by crowds. Book as early as the operator allows, and treat the session you reserve as the fixed point of that day.

[Seoul Children's Museum](https://www.seoulchildrensmuseum.org/eng/reservation/viewAdmission.do). A hands-on museum built around play and exploration, with a reservation page on the operator site. It is an indoor option for toddlers and younger children who want to touch, build and move, and it pairs well with a quieter morning. Look at the reservation page before you travel, since popular slots can fill, and allow a flexible half day rather than a rigid schedule.

Getting around with children

Cards and tickets. The city government says the subway works with a single public transportation card regardless of operating company or line. T-money and Cash-bee are the two card types, so one card can cover the whole family trip across lines. Without a card you can buy a single journey ticket at a station kiosk. It works on the subway only, and the small deposit on it is returned at a refund device at your destination station, so keep the ticket safe until you arrive.

Using the network. Seoul's subway is the easiest way to link Seoul Grand Park, Lotte World and the museums, with transfers between lines made inside the stations. Expect long walks through interchange stations and plan for stairs as well as lifts. For fares and any child rules on the subway, the Korea Tourism Organization subway page sends readers to the Seoul Metro website and the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline (+82-2-1330), so confirm those details there.

Strollers and airport. No stroller rule or airport link was available from a page that loaded, so none is stated here. In practice, pack a light, easily folded pushchair, look for lifts at the station you are using, and allow extra time at interchanges.

Transit sources: english.seoul.go.kr, english.visitkorea.or.kr.

Weather in every month

August is the warmest month on the table, with an average high of 29.9 C, and January is the coolest, with an average high of 2 C and an average low of -6.2 C. The gap between the two is 27.9 C, so pack layers that you can add or remove through the day.

Source: climatestotravel.com (Seoul averages, 1991-2020).

Where to stay

Near the subway. None of the pages that loaded names a hotel district, so no area is recommended. What matters for a family is the walk to the station. Pick a base within a short, flat walk of a subway stop, ideally on a line that reaches your main sights without many transfers. That keeps tired children and a pushchair away from long interchanges. Book the Children's Museum session first, then choose the days for the larger outdoor and theme park outings around it.

What suits whom

• Seoul Grand Park: outdoor walking, animals and plants, best for children who like to roam.
• Lotte World: rides and indoor attractions, a good wet-day choice for a full day out.
• Children's Museum of the National Museum of Korea: small timed groups and a calm pace, reservation required.
• Seoul Children's Museum: hands-on indoor play for younger children, with a reservation page.

Rain plan and first steps

Put Lotte World and the two children's museums at the top of your rain list, since their main attractions are indoors. Keep Seoul Grand Park for a dry day and carry a light waterproof for everyone. If you are deciding what to do first, reserve the Children's Museum of the National Museum of Korea, then get a T-money or Cash-bee card for the whole family, then fit the open-air outing around the weather forecast.

Plan one major activity per day and leave the rest loose. Children cope better with a single anchor and a flexible afternoon than with a packed list, and Seoul's subway makes it easy to change plans at short notice.

See all family guides

All Seoul guides