A Night Out in Korea - Aclipse (2024)

The nightlife in Seoul is such a site to see. The lights, music, and overall ambience accentuates this liveliness like no other. A night out is all about cutting loose and being spontaneous, but I am here to give you some pointers on how to do a night out in Korea right.

First things first, you’ve gotta figure out how you’re going to appear at your destination. The subway can always get you to the location of your choice, but keep in mind they normally stop running at midnight. If you are a party animal like me, you can dance until the sun rises, and catch the subway back home at 5:30am when they start operating again. Buses usually run until around midnight. Depending on your location, there are some late night buses but they tend to take about an hour + to arrive at stops (so I wouldn’t rely on this!). There is no “last call” in Korea. Nightlife goes until everyone decides to leave!

Alternatively, you can always order a taxi using the kakaoT mobile application. Yes, it is an English friendly app. There will be tons of taxi options to choose from when ordering, but be sure to click “General Request.” This is the most reasonably priced option. The cost depends on the amount of kilometers traveled. For some perspective, a 20-minute ride would cost me around 15,000 KRW or $11.48 USD ($1=1,306 KRW).

I wouldn’t recommend biking and drinking, but a one-way trip to your destination could be a good option to save money and get some “steps in!” Seoul has public bikes that are accessible to anyone and can be found almost everywhere. All you have to do is download the Seoul Bike application, authenticate your identity (it takes about 2 minutes), and purchase a pass. Be sure to check out more information about Seoul Bikes.

A big perk about going out are the drink prices. My first night out with the gals, I thought I spent my entire paycheck with the amount of drinks I ordered. When in reality, I only spent about $60 USD. In Korea, co*cktails are about 10,000 KRW or $7.65 ($1=1,306 KRW), beer’s are sold at 7,000 KRW or $5.36 ($1=1,306 KRW), and shots can range anywhere between 8,000-15,000 KRW or $6.12 – $11.48($1=1,306 KRW). After finding out this information, it’s no wonder why alcohol is so popular. I took the liberty of attaching this article on drinking in South Korea that goes into depth with the culture. Check it out!

A night out in Korea is such a fun experience. You’re going to see some crazy things, become that social butterfly from within, and meet some really cool/interesting humans. Have fun, be safe, and don’t forget to follow my tips. I hope your first drink in Seoul is the best one yet!