Is Seoul Baby-Friendly? A Practical Guide to Seoul with a Toddler

A kids’ plate, cup and cutlery set, brought to the table at a restaurant in Seoul


Is Seoul baby-friendly? Yes, very. 

Seoul is one of the easiest big cities in Asia to visit with a toddler. Most parents do not expect that before they arrive. The subway is spotless and full of elevators. Almost every department store has a proper baby room, and convenience stores sell diapers on every block. Strangers will try to give your child snacks.

There are a few things that catch first-time visitors off guard, though. Google Maps barely works here. Taxis do not come with car seats. And the "No Kids Zone" sign on a cafe door means exactly what it says. This guide covers what we wish someone had told us, based on getting around Seoul with our own toddler.


The four things that make Seoul easier with a toddler

Quick facts

  • Subway for kids: free for children under 6 traveling with an adult (up to 3 kids). Ages 6 to 12 pay a child fare.
  • Stroller friendly? Mostly yes. Nearly every subway station has elevators, but some exits do not.
  • Maps: use Naver Map or KakaoMap, not Google Maps.
  • Diapers and wipes: sold at convenience stores (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven) and Daiso.
  • Baby rooms: in department stores, malls, big subway stations, museums and highway rest stops.
  • Car seats: regular taxis do not have them.
  • English help line: dial 1330 (Korea Travel Hotline, 24/7, free interpretation).
  • Emergency: 119 for ambulance and fire.

Getting around with a stroller

The subway is your best friend

Seoul's subway is clean, cheap, air-conditioned and very stroller friendly. Almost every station has at least one elevator from the street down to the platform. The catch is that it is usually only one exit, not all of them. If you come up the wrong exit, you may end up facing a long staircase.

Before you go, look up which exit has the elevator. Naver Map shows elevator icons at station exits. Once inside, follow the wheelchair and stroller signs, not the crowd.

Other things worth knowing:

  • Avoid rush hour (roughly 7:30 to 9:00 am and 6:00 to 7:30 pm). Lines 2 and 9 get especially packed.
  • Each car has priority seats at the ends for pregnant women, elderly passengers and people with small kids. Locals will often stand up for you.
  • Kids under 6 ride free, so you only need a T-money card for each adult. T-money cards are sold at convenience stores and station machines, and they also work on buses and in taxis.


Find the elevator exit before you leave the platform


Use Naver Map, not Google Maps

This is the single most useful tip in this guide. Google Maps in Korea does not give reliable walking or turn-by-turn directions, so you will get lost or end up on the wrong side of a 10-lane road. Download Naver Map (it has an English mode) or KakaoMap before you land. Both show subway exits, bus routes and walking paths accurately.

Taxis and car seats

Taxis are cheap by Western standards and easy to call with the Kakao T app. If the app gives you trouble with a foreign phone number or card, hail one on the street or ask your hotel to call one. Regular taxis do not have car seats, and you will not find one on request. If a car seat matters to you, bring a lightweight travel seat or booster. You can also book a private transfer that provides one, especially for the airport.

Larger taxis (the van-style ones on Kakao T) are worth the extra cost if you have a full-size stroller and luggage.

Sidewalks and buses

Main streets in central Seoul have wide, smooth sidewalks. Older neighborhoods and hilly areas such as Bukchon Hanok Village, Ihwa Mural Village and parts of Itaewon are steep, cobbled or full of stairs. For those, a baby carrier works much better than a stroller.

City buses are fine with a folded stroller, but drivers move off quickly. With a toddler, the subway is the calmer option.


Baby rooms, diapers and supplies

Baby rooms are everywhere

Korea has some of the best baby rooms we have seen anywhere. Look for signs saying 수유실 (sooyusil, "nursing room"). They are usually separate from the toilets and have:

  • Changing tables, often more than one
  • Private nursing booths with a chair and curtain
  • A sink, and often a hot water dispenser for formula
  • Sometimes a microwave and a baby scale

The best ones are in department stores (Lotte, Shinsegae, Hyundai), large malls (Starfield, The Hyundai Seoul, Lotte World Mall), museums and highway rest stops. Big subway stations often have one too.


Look for the 수유실 sign: here's what you'll usually find inside

Even smaller places have them. This one, at a regular building outside Seoul, was a simple private room with a small sofa for nursing, a sink, and a water purifier with hot water for formula.

A small but private baby room: a sofa for nursing, a sink and a hot water dispenser


Diapers, wipes and formula

You do not need to pack a week's worth of diapers. Convenience stores sell small packs of diapers and wipes, and they are open 24 hours. Daiso has cheap wipes, bibs, snack containers and spoons. For formula and a wider range of baby food, go to a big supermarket such as E-Mart, Homeplus or Lotte Mart.

If your child uses a specific formula brand, bring enough for the trip. Korean stores mostly stock Korean brands.


Eating out with a toddler

What toddlers can actually eat

Korean food has a spicy reputation, but plenty of dishes are completely mild and toddler friendly:

  • Gyeran-mari (rolled omelet)
  • Miyeok-guk (seaweed soup, which Korean kids grow up on)
  • Galbi-tang (clear beef rib soup)
  • Bulgogi (sweet marinated beef)
  • Donkatsu (breaded pork cutlet)
  • Gimbap (rice rolls, a perfect snack on the go)
  • Juk (rice porridge)

Plain rice and seasoned seaweed (gim) are a lifesaver for picky eaters. Many restaurants will bring a small plain bowl of rice for your child if you ask.

[PHOTO: korean-set-meal-grilled-mackerel.jpg — caption: "A typical Korean set meal. The grilled mackerel, rice and namul are toddler friendly; the red stew is not"]

High chairs, floor seating and kids' cutlery

This is where Korea really surprised us. High chairs are everywhere, not just in family restaurants and malls but in ordinary Korean restaurants and even cafes. Many places will also bring a kids' plate and cutlery to the table without being asked. At one Korean restaurant, our toddler got a divided plate, a little bear spoon and fork, and a packet of seasoned seaweed to snack on.


Kids' plate, bear cutlery and a seaweed snack, handed over without asking


Large cafes are often surprisingly kid friendly too, with high chairs and plenty of floor space for toddlers to wander. This lakeside cafe outside Seoul is a good example.

A big, bright cafe with high chairs and room for little ones to move

Traditional Korean restaurants sometimes have floor seating. It is great for crawling babies but tiring for parents' backs, so ask for a table if you prefer.

"No Kids Zone"

Some cafes and restaurants in Korea do not allow children. You will see a "No Kids Zone" or "노키즈존" sign at the entrance. It is legal and common, especially in quieter cafes. Do not take it personally; just look for the many places that welcome kids.


When it rains, or it is too hot or too cold

Seoul summers are hot and humid, and winters are below freezing. Korea has a great answer to bad weather: the kids cafe (키즈카페). It is an indoor play space with ball pits, slides, trampolines and pretend-play areas, and there is coffee for the parents. You pay per child for a set time, usually one or two hours. Most require socks for both kids and adults.

Big malls like Starfield COEX and Lotte World Mall also make easy rainy-day outings. They have play areas, an aquarium, baby rooms and plenty of food all under one roof.


Health and emergencies

  • Pharmacies (약국) are everywhere and pharmacists are helpful. Bring your own children's fever medicine, since dosing information on Korean packaging is in Korean.
  • Children's clinics (소아과) are common in residential areas. Visits are quick, and costs are reasonable even without Korean insurance.
  • Emergencies: call 119. For interpretation help, call 1330, which can connect you with English, Chinese, Japanese and other languages.
  • Tap water is safe, but most locals drink filtered or bottled water. Restaurants serve free water.

Useful links


Our favorite toddler-friendly days out

These are places we have taken our own little one, with full guides:


Final tips

  • Bring a compact, foldable stroller rather than a big jogger.
  • Pack a baby carrier for palaces, hanok villages and hilly streets.
  • Download Naver Map, Kakao T and Papago (a translation app) before you arrive.
  • Plan one big outing per day and keep the rest flexible. Seoul is big and toddlers tire fast.
  • Expect lots of attention. Koreans love small children, and grandmas will talk to your baby on the subway. It is friendly, not intrusive.

Seoul rewards families who come prepared. Get the apps, find the elevator exits, and you may end up wondering why you ever worried about traveling here with a toddler.

Location: 대한민국 서울특별시

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