How to Ride a City Bus in Seoul

By Dragon Kim · Updated October 8, 2026 · 7 min read

What do the Seoul bus colors mean?

Each color is a route type: blue for long trunk lines, green for local feeders, yellow for city-centre loops and red for express routes to the suburbs. The Seoul TOPIS English page lists the blue, green, yellow and red regional buses plus customized, night and airport services, and gives the numbering system for each.

• Blue (trunk): long routes between major districts, often on bus-only median lanes.
• Green (branch): shorter feeder routes linking neighbourhoods with subway stations and blue-bus corridors. Their numbers have four digits.
• Yellow (circulator): loops around the city centre, such as the 01A and 01B around Jongno's palace area.
• Red (express): long-distance routes to Gyeonggi-do and satellite cities such as Suwon, Bundang and Ilsan. Red bus numbers start with 9.
• Village (maeul): small buses for steep or narrow streets.
• Night Owl: routes with an N before the number run after regular buses stop.

Practical example: if you are travelling between two distant districts, look for a blue bus. If you are going from a subway station up into a hillside neighbourhood, a green or village bus is more likely.

How much does a Seoul city bus cost?

A blue or green bus costs about 1,500 won with a transit card, and a village bus about 1,200 won. The Seoul Metropolitan Government transport page gives 1,500 won for city buses and 1,200 won for village buses. Other figures below come from Seoul Tourism Organization, so treat them as approximate.

Paying cash costs roughly 100 won more and does not earn transfer benefits. Children under 6 ride free when accompanied by a guardian, up to three children per guardian, according to the Seoul transport page. Boarding before 06:30 with a card earns a 20 percent discount on the first ride's base fare.

How do I ride a Seoul bus step by step?

Wave the bus down, tap your card at the front door, press the stop button early, and tap out at the rear door.

1. Find your bus. Check the number and direction on the stop display or in your map app.
2. Signal the driver. Wave as the bus approaches. Seoul Tourism Organization notes that buses do not always stop unless someone signals or is waiting to get off.
3. Board at the front and tap in. Tap your card on the reader beside the driver.
4. Move inside. Take a seat or hold a handrail, and keep clear of the doors.
5. Press the stop button. Press one of the red buttons on the rails or seat backs about one or two stops before your stop.
6. Exit by the rear door and tap out. Tap your card on the reader near the rear door as you leave, before you step off.

How do bus transfers and night buses work?

With a card you can transfer between buses and the subway within 30 minutes of leaving the previous vehicle, or 60 minutes between 21:00 and 07:00, paying only the added distance or fare difference. The Seoul transport page says the discount applies to Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon city and village buses, the Seoul subway and GTX-A, for up to five consecutive boardings.

• Tap every time: Tap in on boarding and tap out on exiting each vehicle, or the system cannot link the legs.
• Do not retrace your trip: Seoul Tourism Organization warns that boarding the same bus number again may be charged as a new trip.
• Base distance: Per the Seoul transport page, only the base fare applies for the first 10 km of a transfer trip, then an extra charge applies every 5 km.
• Hours: Regular routes typically start around 4:00 to 5:30 am and stop between 11 pm and midnight. Night Owl buses run roughly 11:30 pm to 4 am.

Practical example: if you take the subway to a station and then a green bus to a neighbourhood within the transfer window, you pay one base fare plus any distance extra, not two full fares. A taxi or the Kakao T guide may suit late nights when buses are infrequent.

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