Unlimited Subway and Bus From 5,000 Won — Seoul's Climate Card Tourist Pass

If you're spending three or four days in Seoul, switching between subway and bus several times a day, paying a separate fare every single ride gets tiresome fast. The Climate Card Tourist Pass, a short-term pass Seoul launched for visitors, lets you load it once for a set period and ride the subway and buses unlimited times.

At a glance: 1-day pass 5,000 won, 2-day 8,000 won, 3-day 10,000 won, 5-day 15,000 won, 7-day 20,000 won · the physical card itself costs an extra 3,000 won · available at Seoul subway station customer service centers, convenience stores, and the Myeongdong Tourist Information Center.

The Climate Card Tourist Pass comes in 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7-day versions, priced from 5,000 won up to 20,000 won, plus a separate 3,000-won charge for the physical card. Once loaded, it lets you ride Seoul's subway and city/village buses licensed by Seoul an unlimited number of times for the period you chose.

You can buy the card at Seoul subway station customer service centers, nearby convenience stores, or the Myeongdong Tourist Information Center. Note that the airport railroad, some buses that run outside Seoul, and the Ttareungyi public bike-share aren't covered, so if your itinerary involves a lot of travel outside Seoul, you'll need to calculate those fares separately.

You can't pre-load the pass — the period starts the day you buy it. So if you're not planning to use it on your very first day, it's better to buy it on the day you actually start riding, so you don't waste part of the period. Ride public transit several times over three days and skip the hassle of calculating and topping up fares each time, and you'll clearly come out ahead of paying standard fares.

Keep in mind the pass doesn't cover the airport railroad section from Incheon Airport into Seoul, so you'll need to pay that fare separately. The card is best activated once you've actually arrived in downtown Seoul, so you get full value out of the period.