Chuseok 20262026.09.04

Chuseok in Seoul, Sept 24–26 — how to book a salon around Korea's biggest holiday

Three days when the country goes home. Offices and banks close, every salon decides for itself, and the week before is the busiest of the year. Here is how the holiday works in 2026 and how to book so it doesn't cost you your appointment.

Chuseok in Seoul, Sept 24–26 — how to book a salon around Korea's biggest holiday — photo 2

Chuseok is Korea's harvest holiday, and in 2026 it falls on Friday, September 25. The public holiday runs Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 — three days, and this year no extra day off, because the last day lands on a Saturday and the rules only add a substitute when a holiday hits a Sunday or another holiday.

For a visitor the holiday is mostly good news — emptier streets, free palaces last year — with one catch: the shops you want may be shut, and the days before them are full. Seven things to settle before you book.

01The dates, and why there's no bonus dayThursday Sept 24 – Saturday Sept 26, with Chuseok Day on the 25th. Government offices and banks close on all three. Sept 26 falls on a Saturday, and Korea's substitute-holiday rule only kicks in for a Sunday or another holiday — so Monday the 28th is a normal working day.
02Salons decide one by one — the calendar tells youThere is no rule that beauty places close for Chuseok; each one sets its own days. On millio the days a place has blocked show up on the booking calendar as closed, with no open times — you see it before you send a request, not after.
03The week before is the crunchLocals get hair, nails and brows done before they travel home, so September 17–23 is the week to book early. Offer up to three times, and put your first choice a day or two earlier than you'd normally pick.
04Chuseok Day itself: assume short hoursEven places that stay open often run reduced hours on the 25th. If you want an appointment that day, send the request early in the week and let the place confirm — nothing is charged until they do.
05Getting around still worksLast year Seoul ran buses from 4 AM and subways until midnight through the holiday, and kept the 1330 tourist line and 120 / 119 medical lines open. Plan on transport being fine and restaurants being the variable.
06Free palaces, if 2026 repeats last yearIn 2025 the royal palaces and Jongmyo Shrine were free with no reservation for the whole holiday week. The 2026 notice hadn't been published when this was written — watch for it, and put the palace visit on the day your appointment ends early.
07If a place closes on you, you don't payYou only pay after the place confirms your time. If they cancel — because they decided to close for the holiday after all — you're not charged, and a deposit already paid comes back. Rescheduling is free, so moving to the week after costs nothing.

Sources

Written by millio from the reporting linked below. Follow the links for the originals.

Book the week before Chuseok now

Pick a place, offer up to three times, and let them confirm before you pay a won.

Browse places in Seoul

Next pick

8 things2026.08.26

Booking a Korean beauty salon without a Korean phone number

One of the two walls came down on 4 June 2026. Here is which one, what is still standing, and what to set up before you land.

7 things to know2026.09.04

Salon deposits in Korea — what the official rules actually say

Korea has a government dispute standard for salons, and most visitors have never heard of it. It sets a 10% baseline, it isn't a law, and it was written for memberships, not single appointments. Here is what that means for the deposit you're about to pay.

8 things to know2026.09.08

Getting a perm in Seoul: types, timing, and price guide

Yes, tourists get perms at salons in Seoul. Twelve hair salons on millio price a down perm from ₩20,000 and a full digital perm up to ₩660,000 — every type, how long each takes, which day of your trip to book, and how to protect it before you fly.