Which Hot Springs Can You Reach From Seoul in a Day?

In Korea, a hot spring, or oncheon, is a bath or pool filled with naturally warm groundwater, and several hot spring towns sit within two hours of Seoul by public transport. You don't need a car. A train, a subway line or a short local bus gets you to each of the five below, and you can be back in Seoul for dinner.

Prices are the venues' own listed adult rates for November. Spa parks change prices by season, so check before you go.

Two of these are new to most visitors. Suanbo Oncheon Station opened in late 2024 on the Jungbu Naeryuk Line, which put an old mountain spa town about 80 minutes from Pangyo by KTX-Eum. And Onyang, the closest of the classic towns, is still the only one you can reach on a Seoul subway line. If you're planning a longer list of winter train trips, see our guide to winter day trips from Seoul by train.

Onyang: Korea's Oldest Hot Spring Town, on the Subway

Onyang is where to go if you want a real hot spring bath with the least planning. It's the oldest recorded hot spring in Korea, and Joseon kings came here to bathe. Their temporary palace stood on the grounds that the Onyang hot spring hotel now occupies, behind a tiled gate a few minutes' walk from the station.

Getting there. Onyang Oncheon Station is on the Janghang Line. From Yongsan, a Mugunghwa train takes about 1 hour 25 minutes for about 7,000 won, and an ITX-Maum train about 1.5 hours for about 10,400 won. You can also ride Subway Line 1 all the way, which takes about two hours and costs less. Book train seats in the Korail app. Our guide to booking Korean trains walks through it step by step.

What to expect. Onyang's baths are traditional public bathhouses, not resorts. The water is alkaline and comes out hot, around 50°C at the source in the oldest bathhouses, so the tubs run from warm to very hot. Expect a simple locker room, a row of showers and two or three pools of different temperatures. Admission is around 10,000 won. Most baths open early in the morning and close by early evening, so don't plan on a late soak.

Make a day of it. Onyang Traditional Market is next to the station, and Hyeonchungsa, the shrine to Admiral Yi Sun-sin, is a short bus or taxi ride away. Go to the bath last, just before your train home. You'll sleep the whole ride.

Asan Spavis and Dogo: Hot Spring Pools in a Swimsuit

If you're traveling as a couple or a mixed group and want to soak together, choose a spa park. These are hot spring water parks with indoor and outdoor pools where everyone wears a swimsuit, plus a separate nude bathhouse.

Asan Spavis opened in 2002 and was among the first hot spring water parks in the region. In winter, the big wave pool and slides close, but the indoor jet pool, the outdoor hot spring pools and the bathhouse stay open. For September to December, Spavis lists the spa ticket at 50,000 won, an afternoon ticket after 2 p.m. at 20,000 won and the bathhouse alone at 12,000 won. The bathhouse runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the indoor and outdoor pools from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To get there, take a train or Line 1 to Onyang Oncheon Station, leave by Exit 1 and catch bus 503 or 981 toward Asan Oncheon from the stop in front of the UL City building. The ride takes 20 to 30 minutes. A taxi costs about 15,000 won.

Paradise Spa Dogo, about 11 km west of Onyang, is the other big spa park in Asan. Its water is a sulfur spring, and in winter it opens heated outdoor tubs, some scented with fruit or mugwort. It's harder to reach without a car, so if you're relying on buses, Spavis is the easier day trip.

Spavis asks everyone in the pools to wear a swim cap, and a baseball cap also counts, so pack one.

Icheon, Suanbo and Yuseong: Three More Easy Trips

Termeden, Icheon. Termeden is a forest spa in the hills east of Seoul, with outdoor hot spring pools you can use year-round, an indoor pool, a jjimjil spa with heated rooms, and a separate bathhouse. Take the Gyeonggang Line to Icheon Station, which connects with the Shinbundang Line at Pangyo, then bus 8203, 26-01 or 26-10 to the Taerumi-ap stop. For November, Termeden lists a full-day pool and spa ticket at 49,000 won, an afternoon ticket after 2 p.m. at 27,000 won and the bathhouse alone at 18,000 won. Ticket prices for December onward are announced in mid-November. Weekends and holidays can mean a wait at the entrance.

Suanbo, Chungju. Suanbo is a hot spring village in the mountains of North Chungcheong Province that was a favorite honeymoon spot for decades. Since Suanbo Oncheon Station opened, the KTX-Eum from Pangyo takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. From the station, it's a short taxi or local bus ride to the village, where hotels open their public baths to day visitors. It's a good choice if you want quiet hills and a slower pace.

Yuseong, Daejeon. Yuseong is a hot spring district inside a big city, which makes it the easiest of the five on a cold or rainy day. Take the KTX to Daejeon Station, about an hour from Seoul, then Daejeon Metro Line 1 to Yuseong Spa Station. Near the station, Yuseong's outdoor foot spa is free and open to everyone. Roll up your trousers, rinse your feet and sit with your feet in warm spring water while the steam rises around you. Several hotels in the district run full public baths if you want more than a foot soak.

Korean Bathhouse Etiquette: Nudity, Tattoos and What to Bring

A few rules make the first visit easy. Korean hot spring baths work the same way as the city bathhouses described in our guide to Korean bathhouses.

• Indoor baths are nude and separated by gender. Swimsuits aren't worn in the bathhouse. Men's and women's sides are completely separate, usually on different floors.
• Spa pools are mixed and need a swimsuit. At spa parks such as Spavis and Termeden, you change in the locker room, then meet your group in the pool area.
• Shower first, thoroughly. Wash with soap at the seated showers before you get into any tub. This is the one rule everyone notices.
• Keep towels and hair out of the water. Tie long hair up and leave your small towel on the edge or on your head.
• Children from age four use their own gender's side. Korean rules don't allow children aged four and over in the opposite gender's bath, and venues may ask for proof of age.
• Tattoos are up to each venue. No national law bans them, and many bathhouses don't mind, but some saunas and spa parks ask guests to cover visible tattoos. If yours is large, check with the venue before you go or bring cover patches.

What to bring: a swimsuit and swim cap for spa parks, a hair tie, a small bag for wet clothes and your own skincare. Most bathhouses sell or lend towels and basic toiletries. Lockers take a wristband key, which you can wear into the water.

When to go in winter. December to February is the best season, when the contrast between cold air and hot water is at its strongest. Weekday mornings are the quietest. Weekends, Christmas, New Year and the Lunar New Year holiday are the busiest, and spa parks can have long lines at the entrance. Outdoor pools close by late afternoon in winter, so arrive by noon if the open-air pools are the point of your trip.