Heritage

N Seoul Tower

#9of 10 places to visit in SeoulSeoul, Seoul Capital Area, South Korea

Also known as Namsan Tower · Namsan Seoul Tower · YTN Seoul Tower · N서울타워

Quick answer

Opening hours: Varies by season or area. Entry: ₩29,000. Allow 2 hrs.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Johnx85dt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Opening hours: Hours vary; Observatory open 365 days a year. Reported hours are roughly 10:00-23:00 on weekends and holidays and 10:00 or 10:30 to 22:30 on weekdays, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. Two sources differ on the weekday opening time by 30 minutes, so verify at the official site.
Entry fee: ₩29,000; Ticket from
Time needed: 2 hrs
Best months: Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
Address: 105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04340, South Korea

About N Seoul Tower

N Seoul Tower charges KRW 29,000 for an adult observatory ticket, as of 2026, and stands 236 metres tall on top of Namsan, with the operator quoting about 480 metres above sea level. Construction finished in 1975 as a broadcast and communications mast, and the observation decks and restaurants opened to the public in October 1980. Padlock-covered railings on the summit terraces, known as the Love Locks, sit at the foot of the tower. The nightly lighting changes colour with air quality, and about 12 million people visit annually.

N Seoul Tower timings

Opening hours: Hours vary; Mon–Sun Varies by season or area; Observatory open 365 days a year. Reported hours are roughly 10:00-23:00 on weekends and holidays and 10:00 or 10:30 to 22:30 on weekdays, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. Two sources differ on the weekday opening time by 30 minutes, so verify at the official site.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	Varies by season or area

Good to know: The tower is lit each evening in a colour that signals air quality (blue is good, green is average, yellow is poor, red is very poor).

Opening hours compiled from nseoultower.co.kr and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

N Seoul Tower ticket price

Entry fees for N Seoul Tower
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	₩29,000
Concession (student / senior)	₩23,000
Children	₩23,000

N Seoul Tower charges KRW 29,000 for adult observatory tickets (ages 13 and over) and KRW 23,000 for children aged 3-12 and seniors aged 65 and over, as of 2026, according to the operator's English site. Children under 36 months enter free, limited to one child per adult. Klook, Viator and similar resellers sell tickets from about EUR 16.50, which can be cheaper than the gate price. The cable car ride up Namsan is a separate ticket, roughly KRW 15,000 round trip (verify at the cable car station). Walking around the plaza and the tower base is free.

Prices compiled from nseoultower.co.kr and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit N Seoul Tower

Quiet
Moderate
Busy
Very busy

10:00 - 13:00
Morning DaylightBest time to go
Observatory queues are short and cable car waits are minimal, though haze can reduce the view; good for a quiet visit with the Han River in daylight.
Quiet
13:00 - 17:00
Afternoon Build
Tour groups and families arrive, and cable car queues begin to lengthen toward late afternoon.
Moderate
17:00 - 20:00
Sunset Peak
The sunset window is the busiest; expect 30 to 60 minutes of waiting for the cable car and timed elevator groups on clear weekend evenings.
Very busy
20:00 - 23:00
Night Views
Crowds stay heavy on weekends but thin on weekdays; the city lights are at their best, and last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
Busy

History of N Seoul Tower

N Seoul Tower was built to solve a reception problem: the broadcasters needed a transmitter high enough to cover the Seoul basin, and Namsan's central position made it the obvious site. Planners added public floors for a museum, a coffee shop and observation decks from the start, and the tower opened to visitors in October 1980. The Namsan Cable Car, opened in 1962 as South Korea's first aerial tramway, predates it and still carries most visitors up the last steep stretch in about three minutes.

N Seoul Tower is now owned and operated by YTN, and the 'N' in its current name stands for Namsan. The couples' padlock tradition began around 2006; by 2018 the locks weighed roughly 82 tonnes, and the piles have become part of the tower's identity.

Rules & etiquette at N Seoul Tower

N Seoul Tower expects orderly queueing at the observatory elevators, and at busy periods you may be held in a timed group, so do not leave the queue to buy food. Large tripods are impractical on the narrow observation decks. Padlocks belong only on the designated railings and fence panels outside, and staff move visitors on if you climb on barriers.

N Seoul Tower expects quiet in the observation areas as couples take photographs; a lot of the crowd is celebrating something, and photographers are asked not to block the corridor. Smoking is not allowed indoors, and drones are restricted across central Seoul. The mountain path to the tower is a public park with a mix of walkers and runners; keep to the marked trail.

Tips for visiting N Seoul Tower

1
N Seoul Tower can be reached three ways, and the choice matters. The Namsan Cable Car from near Myeongdong Station queues for 20 to 45 minutes on weekend evenings. Yellow Namsan shuttle buses (Route 02 from Chungmuro Station Exit 2 is the usual pick, fare roughly KRW 1,500, verify) drop you at the summit plaza and run more often than the cable car. Walking up from Dongguk University or Myeongdong takes 20 to 30 minutes and is steep.
2
N Seoul Tower's views depend on air quality; check the tower's colour or the fine-dust forecast before buying an advance ticket, since a KRW 29,000 ticket on a hazy night is poor value. Buying online in advance skips the ticket window queue. Food inside the tower is expensive, so eat in Myeongdong or Huam-dong before ascending. Weekday evenings after 19:00 are calmer than weekends.

How to reach N Seoul Tower

The red star is N Seoul Tower; the numbered pins are the 7 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04340, South KoreaDirections in Google Maps

From Incheon International Airport (ICN)
65 km · 80-100 min
KRW 4,750-5,000 all-stop AREX plus KRW 1,550-1,650 subway (as of 2026, verify)
From Myeongdong Station (Line 4)
1.2 km · 10 min walk plus 3 min ride
About KRW 15,000 round trip on the cable car (verify at the station)
From Chungmuro Station (Line 3 and Line 4), Exit 2
2.5 km · 12-20 min
About KRW 1,500 (as of 2026, verify)

Nearest airport

From Incheon International Airport (ICN)

about 65 km, 45 minutes by AREX express to Seoul Station plus 25 minutes by bus or subway.

Nearest station

From Myeongdong Station (Line 4), Exit 3, about 10 minutes to the cable car base; the tower is another 3 minutes by cable car or a 20-minute climb on foot.

N Seoul Tower FAQs

How much does N Seoul Tower cost?

An adult observatory ticket at N Seoul Tower costs KRW 29,000, as of 2026. Children aged 3-12 and seniors aged 65 and over pay KRW 23,000, and children under 36 months enter free.

Is the cable car included in the N Seoul Tower ticket?

No. The Namsan Cable Car is a separate ticket, roughly KRW 15,000 round trip, though bundled tickets from resellers sometimes combine both. Yellow shuttle buses and walking are the alternatives.

What is the best time to visit N Seoul Tower?

About 30 minutes before sunset on a clear weekday. That lets you see the city in daylight, at dusk and in lights, and avoids the weekend cable car queues.

What do the tower's light colours mean?

The colour signals air quality: blue means good, green is average, yellow is poor and red is very poor. Check the colour or the fine-dust forecast before paying for a night ticket.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places