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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanSeoul Climate Card Tourist Pass Explained (2026)
Checked Sept 30, 2026
The Climate Card tourist pass (기후동행카드 단기권) gives you unlimited rides on the subway and Seoul city buses for 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days. It costs 5,000 to 20,000 won, plus 3,000 won for the card. Each pass runs until the last service of its last day, not for 24-hour blocks. The 30-day version ends with September 2026, but the tourist pass stays. It now covers Seoul only, plus getting off at Incheon Airport.
The last of my pre-trip questions is always the same: where do I buy a pass? In Seoul, the answer changed in 2026, so here is what is true now.
Jump to: Prices · Is it worth it? · When does a day end? · What it covers · Where to buy · Refunds · What changed in 2026 · The 페이백 banner · FAQ
How much is the Climate Card tourist pass?
| Pass | Price | Per day | Worth it from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day (1일권) | 5,000 won | 5,000 won | 4 trips a day |
| 2 days (2일권) | 8,000 won | 4,000 won | 3 trips a day |
| 3 days (3일권) | 10,000 won | 3,333 won | 3 trips a day |
| 5 days (5일권) | 15,000 won | 3,000 won | 2 trips a day |
| 7 days (7일권) | 20,000 won | 2,857 won | 2 trips a day |
The card itself is a separate 3,000 won, and you keep it for your next pass.
There is also a youth 7-day pass for 13,000 won, cheaper since September 1, 2026. I couldn't confirm how a visiting teenager proves their age for it, so check at the machine.
Is the Climate Card worth it for a tourist?
It depends on how much you ride. An adult subway ride on T-money costs 1,550 won and a blue or green bus 1,500 won. The right-hand column above shows how many of those trips a day you need before the pass saves money, not counting the card.
- Staying 5 or 7 days and out every day: the pass wins at just 2 trips a day.
- 1-day pass: only worth it for a long day of 4 trips or more.
- Lots of trips outside Seoul (Suwon, Pangyo, Goyang): use T-money instead. The pass won't cover them.
One thing that makes T-money cheaper than it looks: a bus-to-subway trip with transfers is one fare, not two. Count a whole journey with transfers as one trip when you compare.
Is the 1-day pass 24 hours?
No. The city's wording is that a pass works from the first train of its start day to the last service of its last day, which it says is usually 04:00 the next morning. A 1-day pass loaded at 5 p.m. still ends that night.
- The pass starts the day you load it. You can't load it today to start tomorrow.
- Arriving in the afternoon? Use T-money or a single ticket that day, and load the pass the next morning.
- A 3-day pass loaded on a Monday runs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
What does the Climate Card cover?
The city's page, updated September 28, 2026, lists three things:
- The subway inside Seoul. That includes Line 9 and the airport railroad (AREX) stations in Seoul, such as Seoul Station, Hongik University and Gimpo Airport.
- Getting off at Incheon Airport (T1 and T2) on the AREX all-stop train. You can ride out to the airport on your last day. You can't board with it at Incheon Airport, so it won't get you into the city on arrival day.
- Seoul city and village buses, meaning buses licensed by Seoul. They count even where their route runs outside Seoul.
Not covered:
- The Shinbundang Line (Gangnam to Pangyo and Suwon) and GTX.
- Subway stations outside Seoul. The city names Gimpo, Goyang, Gwacheon, Guri, Seongnam, Hanam and Namyangju as dropped from the tourist pass. These used to be included.
- Red wide-area buses, airport buses and buses licensed by other cities.
- Ttareungyi (Seoul's public bikes) and the Han River Bus. Some guides say they are included. For the tourist pass, the city says they are not.
If you ride from a covered station to one outside Seoul, the card won't pay for that trip. Staff at the exit station charge the fare separately. Carry a T-money card for trips like that.
Where do I buy it, and can I pay with a foreign card?
The card is sold at the new ticket machines (신형 교통카드 발매기) in Seoul Metro stations on Lines 1 to 8, and at convenience stores near stations on Line 9, the Ui-Sinseol Line and the Sillim Line.
Loading a pass is done at station machines on Lines 1 to 8, Line 9, the Ui-Sinseol Line and the Sillim Line. With cash, any of them. With a card, use the new machines.
Foreign cards: since March 17, 2026, 440 new machines in 273 stations on Lines 1 to 8 take foreign credit and debit cards for the Climate Card and the tourist pass, and for single tickets. The city says the fee averages 3.7%. The sticker in my photo lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay, WeChat Pay and Alipay+.
Look for a tall machine with a big touch screen and a language button. On the English screen you'll see Purchase transportation card (교통카드 구매) and Reloading the transit card (교통카드 충전). Foreign cards work only at these new machines, not the older ones labelled 1회용 발매·교통카드 충전기.
I photographed these machines at two Seoul subway stations on Sept 28 and 29, 2026.
Two things to know before you go to the machine:
- Bring 3,000 won in cash for the card, just in case. The March 2026 announcement says the card and the pass can both be paid with a foreign card at the new machines. The city's Climate Card page still lists cash for the card.
- iPhone: plastic card only. The phone version works only on Android, and loading it needs a Korean bank transfer. For a visitor, the plastic card is the way.
More on the machines and on tapping your own card is in Can you tap a contactless card on Seoul transit?
How do I use it?
- One card per person. The city's rule is one card, one rider. Two people can't share one pass.
- Tap in and tap out, on the subway and on buses. It's unlimited, but the tap-out still counts: two missed tap-outs block the card for 24 hours.
- Tap only the Climate Card. Keep your T-money card out of the way so the reader doesn't take the wrong one.
Can I get a refund on the Climate Card?
Partly, and only while the pass is still valid. After it ends, there is no refund.
- The refund is what you paid for the pass, minus what your rides would have cost at normal fares, minus a 500 won fee. After a couple of busy days there is often nothing left to refund.
- The city says a foreigner without a Korean bank account has to go to T-money's head office for a cash refund.
- Register the plastic card on the T-money Card&Pay website (티머니 카드&페이) before you ask. The city says an unregistered card can't be refunded.
- The 3,000 won card isn't refunded.
For most visitors, the practical advice is simple: pick the shortest pass that covers your busy days.
What changed with the Climate Card in 2026?
If you read an older guide, three things are different now.
- The 30-day pass is gone. Seoul's FAQ says prepaid 30-day passes could be loaded until August 31 and used until September 29, 2026, and post-paid ones until September 30. Guides that suggest a "62,000 won monthly card" for tourists are out of date.
- The tourist pass stays. The city says the 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7-day passes continue.
- It's Seoul-only now. The tourist pass no longer covers the Gyeonggi cities it used to, as listed above.
What does the "페이백" banner on the machines mean?
You may see a banner on the ticket machines that says 기후동행카드 페이백은 6월 충전분까지만! 8월부터는 모두의카드[K패스]에서 혜택 받으세요! In English: "The Climate Card payback only applies to June top-ups. From August, get your benefits from 모두의카드 (K-Pass)."
You can ignore it. Both parts are for regular commuters, not visitors.
- The payback (페이백) was a 30,000 won refund for people who used the 30-day pass. The city says it applies only to top-ups up to June 30.
- 모두의카드 (K-Pass) is a government program that refunds part of a resident's monthly fares. You need a K-Pass card from a Korean card company and have to register on the K-Pass website.
Neither changes the tourist pass or its prices.
Korean words at the Climate Card machines
| English | Korean | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Card | 기후동행카드 | The card itself |
| Tourist (short-term) pass | 단기권 (1일권 … 7일권) | Machine menu |
| Purchase transportation card | 교통카드 구매 | New machine button |
| Reloading the transit card | 교통카드 충전 | New machine button, "Ticket Reload" pad |
| Foreign-issued credit cards accepted | 해외 발급 카드 | Sticker on new machines |
| Payback / K-Pass | 페이백 / 모두의카드 | Resident programs, ignore |
FAQ
Is the Seoul Climate Card being discontinued?
Only the 30-day pass, which ended in late September 2026. The 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7-day tourist passes continue.
Can I use the Climate Card from Incheon Airport?
Not to board there. You can ride to Incheon Airport and get off, but on arrival day use T-money or a single ticket.
Does the Climate Card work on the Shinbundang Line?
No. Neither does GTX, or any subway station outside Seoul.
Can I buy the Climate Card with a foreign credit card?
Yes, at the 440 new ticket machines on Lines 1 to 8, with an average fee of 3.7%. Keep 3,000 won in cash in case the machine asks for cash for the card.
For bikes and the Han River Bus, see our Han River Bus and Ttareungyi guide.
Things I could not confirm:
- The exact date the tourist pass stopped covering Gimpo, Goyang, Gwacheon and the other Gyeonggi cities. The city's Q&A (Aug 12, updated Sept 17) says they are dropped, and its main page (Sept 28) lists Seoul only, but neither gives a start date.
- Whether the 3,000 won card can always be paid with a foreign card, or only the pass. The city's sources differ.
- How a foreign teenager gets the 13,000 won youth 7-day pass.
- The address and hours of T-money's head office for cash refunds.
- Whether the new machines on Line 9 take foreign cards. The 440 machines are on Lines 1 to 8.
Where do I buy a pass? In Seoul in 2026: at a new machine on Lines 1 to 8, for Seoul only, and not on the day you land.
More on paying for Seoul transport
- Can You Tap a Contactless Card on Seoul Transit? (2026)
- Do You Need Cash for Seoul Transport? (2026)
- T-money vs Climate Card vs WOWPASS: Which to Get (2026)
- T-money in Apple Wallet with a Foreign Card (2026)
- Can You Buy T-money at Incheon Airport When You Land? (2026)
- T-money Refund: How to Get Your Balance Back (2026)
- Seoul Transport Cost for 3, 5 or 7 Days (2026)
Sources
- Seoul Metropolitan Government, Climate Card and tourist pass: prices, validity, coverage, where to buy, refunds (updated Sept 28, 2026): news.seoul.go.kr
- Seoul Metropolitan Government, Climate Card end-of-service FAQ: news.seoul.go.kr
- Seoul Metropolitan Government, 30-day pass end notice (Aug 31, 2026): news.seoul.go.kr
- Seoul Metropolitan Government Q&A on the Climate Pass and tourist pass coverage (Aug 12, updated Sept 17, 2026): mediahub.seoul.go.kr
- Seoul Metropolitan Government, foreign cards at ticket machines (Mar 16, 2026): news.seoul.go.kr
- Seoul Metropolitan Government, which products take card payment (Sept 2026): news.seoul.go.kr
- Seoul Metropolitan Government, Climate Card tap-out rule: news.seoul.go.kr
- Seoul Metropolitan Government, subway fares: sftc.seoul.go.kr
- Kyunghyang Shinmun on foreign-card payment at the machines (Mar 16, 2026): khan.co.kr
- Toss Bank on how K-Pass (모두의카드) works (updated Sept 29, 2026): tossbank.com
— SeoulAslan
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