Seoul to Jeonju by bus (and how to buy tickets) 2024

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If you are looking to escape Seoul, look no further than historic Jeonju; the Seoul to Jeonju by bus is a fairly quick trip and inexpensive.

Better still, Jeonju’s hanok village (the largest in South Korea) and tourist charms are the perfect anthesis to the hustle and bustle of Seoul.

The trip from Seoul to Jeonju by bus takes around 2 hours 40 minutes and is a much cheaper option than the KTX Train.

From coach departure times to bus station facilities, here is our guide to getting the bus from Seoul to Jeonju (with prices) in 2023:

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Table of Contents

How long is the bus journey from Seoul to Jeonju /Jeonju to Seoul?

The bus journey from Seoul Central City to Jeonju Express Bus Terminal is around 2 hours 40 minutes direct. This includes a 15 minute break at a service station on the highway.

The journey is mainly via expressways / highways, and the bus is direct to Jeonju Express Bus Terminal with no stops.

*Example of a rest stop between Seoul and Jeonju*

Note – there are two bus terminals in Jeonju (Express or Intercity) – the express bus from Seoul to Jeonju goes to the Jeonju Express Bus Terminal (this is also very close to the Intercity bus terminal).

Intercity buses are more common between midsize cities and towns and make frequent stops along the way – as such, the best and most direct way to get from Seoul to Jeonju is by Express Bus.

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How to get to Seoul Central City Bus Terminal

The best way to get to the Seoul Central City Bus Terminal (also known as Gangnam Bus Station) is to take either Seoul Subway Line 3, Line 7 or Line 9 and alight at the Seoul Express Bus Terminal Station stop.

Once at the subway station, head upstairs and follow the signs to the bus station – note there are lots of stairs so if you have lots of luggage, you may want to consider the elevator.

There are two separate bus terminals when you alight at Seoul Express Bus Terminal Station – Seoul Express Bus Terminal Station and Central City (they are located next door to each other). Buses from Seoul to Jeonju depart from Central City.

You can use money to buy your Seoul subway tickets to Seoul Express Bus Terminal station but we’d recommend getting a T-Money card from a station or convenience store and topping it up.

T-Money cards initially cost 5,000 Korean Won but last indefinitely and are very convenient to hop on and off public transport in Seoul and South Korea.

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Buying Seoul to Jeonju bus tickets

You can pre purchase Seoul to Jeonju bus tickets online via kobus.co.kr – however, there are regular bus departures (up to six per hour), so most travellers and locals buy their Seoul to Jeonju bus tickets at the Central City Bus Terminal station on the day of travel.

Despite having an English language setting, we also found the Kobus website quite difficult to use and navigate (a lot of Korean transport sites require you to have a Korean cell / mobile number).

There is no need to pre purchase bus / coach tickets for Seoul to Jeonju – there are several ticket machines and ticket counters at Seoul Express Bus Terminal where you can buy bus tickets for buses leaving within the next few minutes.

However peak times such as weekends and public holidays may be much more busier and likely to sell out quickly, so you may want to swing by the bus station a few days in advance to buy your Seoul to Jeonju bus ticket.

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How much is the Seoul to Jeonju bus?

The price of a Seoul to Jeonju express bus ticket starts from 22,000 Won for a one way trip on a standard bus. This is approximately £13.50 / $16.70 USD / $15.60 Euros.

Seoul to Jeonju bus prices can vary depending on the time of day and whether you book a standard or premium bus.

For instance, whilst the standard Seoul to Jeonju bus costs 22,000 Won, a premium weekday bus ticket costs 25,700 Won whilst some weekend premium buses between Jeonju and Seoul cost 28,600 Won. The last bus of the night is also generally charged at a slight premium.

All in all, it is much cheaper to travel between Seoul and Jeonju by bus than by train (although the train takes less time – generally around 1.5 to 2 hours).

All Seoul to Jeonju bus ticket prices and fares listed above are correct as of January 2024.

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Seoul to Jeonju bus timetable / schedule

Buses from Central City Bus Terminal to Jeonju run very regularly (up to six buses an hour) until midnight.

Seoul to Jeonju
The first bus of the day from Seoul to Jeonju departs Central City Bus Terminal at 5:30am.
The last Express bus of the day from Seoul to Jeonju departs at midnight.

Jeonju to Seoul
The first bus of the day from Jeonju Express Bus Terminal to Seoul is 5am.
The last bus of the day from Jeonju to Seoul is midnight.

All bus times from Seoul to Jeonju / Jeonju to Seoul are correct as of January 2024.

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Buying bus tickets

Once at Central City Bus station, you can easily buy bus tickets from the automatic bus ticket machines or from one of several ticket counters manned by staff.

Seoul to Jeonju bus - ticket machine at Seoul express bus terminal

The bus ticket machines at Central City Bus station have an English language setting and only accept debit cards / credit cards.

If you want to buy your bus ticket with cash, use the ticket desks.

Seoul to Jeonju bus - ticket counter at Seoul express bus terminal

To buy a Seoul to Jeonju bus ticket (or to other destinations from Seoul), select your destination – a tab of the next available Seoul buses to Jeonju then comes up on the screen.

Select your preferred time and then your preferred seats. The bus ticket machine also shows you how many tickets have already been sold so you can see how busy it is.

Once you’ve selected your bus time and seats, pay with your debit / credit card and the tickets are issued immediately.

On your Jeonju to Seoul / Seoul to Jeonju bus ticket, you’ll see a departure time, seat number and platform number where the bus departs from – note that buses in South Korea always seem to depart exactly on time so don’t be late.

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Seoul Central City Bus station Terminal facilities

Seriously, the Central City Bus station at Gangnam is one of the nicest bus stations we’ve been to.

Modern and shiny, it benefits from being right next to various shopping malls both above it and below it including a Shinsegae Central Station branch and the Goto Underground mall with over 600 shops.

There are some really nice food and drink places in the Famille Station & Garden food court area of the Shinsegae Central City, plus international chains like Starbucks.

Right next to the Central City Bus station departure gates too, you’ll find various convenience stores, coffee shops and sweet treats like Dunkin Donuts or Gong Cha. Central City Bus station also has free toilets.

e mart 24 kiosk Seoul Express Bus Terminal

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Jeonju Express Bus Terminal facilities

Very different from Seoul Central City Bus station, Jeonju Express Bus Terminal is a lot smaller, based over two floors with a few shops and services.

At Jeonju Express Bus Terminal, you’ll find a 7-Eleven, Ediya coffee shop, Isaac Toast, GS25 convenience store, plus a French style bakery.

Best of all, you find a branch of the most famous bakery in Jeonju, PNB who have been producing award winning choco pies since the 1950s.

In addition to food and drink offerings, Jeonju Express Bus Station has a small tourist information office, a gaming arcade and a bookstore (YoungPoong / YP Books).

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Onboard the Seoul to Jeonju bus

There are two types of Express Seoul to Jeonju bus – a standard bus (costing around 22,000 Won per ticket) and a premium bus (usually 25,000 to 29,000 Won per ticket).

We opted for a premium Express bus which meant we got more leg room and the quality of the bus was much nicer. We haven’t ridden on a standard bus but from what we could see, they were perfectly fine but just looked a little older.

Also onboard our premium Seoul to Jeonju Express bus, there were USB chargers, a small TV screen located in the seat in front providing information (like on a international flight) plus our seats could recline.

Another nice touch was the sliding curtains between each seats if you don’t want to see the person next to you (handy if you are solo traveller or just feeling antisocial!).

In terms of heavy luggage / backpacks, we had to put these under the bus ourselves and then open the compartment and retrieve them when we reached Jeonju / Seoul.

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Getting around Jeonju / Jeonju Bus Station to Jeonju Hanok Village

The best way to get around Jeonju by public transport is by local bus – there is no subway / metro in Jeonju.

To get to Jeonju Hanok Village from Jeonju Express Bus Terminal, take the following Jeonju public buses:

Take bus 149, 430, 536, 542, 545, 546, 506, 684, 1001, 970, 165, 87, 89, 110, 752, 410, 401, 402 or 403 and alight at Jeondong Catholic Church or Hanok Village

To get to Jeonju Hanok Village from Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal, take the following Jeonju public buses:

Take bus 149,430, 536, 542. 545, 546, 508, 1001, 165, 970, 87 or 89 and alight at Jeondong Catholic Church or Hanok Village.

You can use money to buy your Jeonju bus tickets to get around town but we’d recommend getting a T Money card from a station or convenience store and topping it up.

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Where to stay in Jeonju, South Korea

The big decision to make whilst staying in Jeonju – whether to choose hanok style accommodation in the village or a hotel nearby. There are over 160 hanok accommodations to choose from in Jeonju Hanok Village.

Our recommended places to stay in Jeonju include:

Best Western Jeonju

We stayed at the Jeonju Best Western. This recently renovated hotel seems very popular with celebrities given the wall of signatures signed by Korean movie stars and actors (plus the Incheon K-League football team stayed here).

Just a 10 minute walk from the Jeonju historical hanok village, there is also a small pool to use in summer plus a free laundry room.

Check rates and availability at Best Western Jeonju >

Lahan Hotel Jeonju

A 4* hotel with the best view over Jeonju hanok village, this is the best appointed hotel, literally overlooking the historic heart of town.

Check rates and availability at Lahan Hotel Jeonju >

N Bridge Hotel Jeonju

One of the newest hotels, N Bridge Hotel is close to all the shrines and hanok village with large rooms.

Check rates and availability at N Bridge Hotel Jeonju >

Jeonju Hanok Hotel Kung

Hanok style accommodation with private bathrooms and flatscreen TVs.

Check rates and availability at Jeonju Hanok Hotel Kung >

Looking for cheap Seoul day-trips, attractions or group/private tours? We recommend visiting Vi ator, GetYourGuide, and Klook!

Summary

We found it really easy to get from Seoul (Gangnam) to Jeonju by using an Express bus.

We bought our Seoul to Jeonju bus ticket at the last minute (15 minutes before departure) at the station as buses are frequent and depart up to six times an hour.

However peak times such as weekends and public holidays may be more busier and likely to sell out quickly, so you may want to buy your ticket a few days in advance.

Seoul to Jeonju bus tickets are relatively inexpensive (between 22,000 to 29,000 Won one way) depending on the bus class and time of day. It is also a direct bus.

Safe travels to Jeonju and make sure you check out Jeonju travel guide >