Getting Around Seoul in a Wheelchair: Subway Elevators, Accessible Call Taxis, Airport Lift Vans

In a wheelchair, the three main ways to get around Seoul are the subway, the city's accessible call taxis, and the lift vans run by Seoul Danurim Tourism. Foreign visitors who use a wheelchair can ride Seoul's accessible call taxis after showing a passport, without any Korean disability registration. Low-floor buses are now common, but the official accessible-tourism service does not recommend buses. We could not find reliable public data on hills and slopes, so this guide does not cover them.

1. 1

   Subway — find the exit elevator before you go

   Elevators often serve only some of a station's exits, so the most useful thing to know is which exit at your destination has one. dari's station pages for Myeongdong, Seongsu, Yaksu, Hongik Univ., Itaewon, Gangnam, Jongno 3(sam)-ga, Euljiro 1(il)-ga, Balsan and Magok list exit elevators and in-station elevators from Seoul Metro's elevator installation data (as of 1 September 2026). Seoul Metro's Ttota Subway app also shows exit elevator locations and the size of the gap between platform and train.

2. 2

   Subway — ask station staff to help you on and off

   According to the Seoul city government, if you phone the customer center or the station's customer safety office, station staff will help a wheelchair user on and off the train (reported April 2026). Where the gap between platform and train is wide, staff will lay a portable ramp plate on request. Seoul Metro's main number is 1577-1234. Danurim's English guide says most older stations without elevators have wheelchair lifts, and advises avoiding stations that only have a lift.

3. 3

   Accessible call taxis — foreign visitors ride with a passport

   Seoul Facilities Corporation lists "foreigners with a disability who use a wheelchair" among those eligible for its accessible call taxis, and lets them board after checking a document such as a passport. Foreign visitors who do not use a wheelchair are not eligible. You can book by phone or text at 1588-4388, or online or in the app, but first-time users must register their details by phone first. On-demand service starts at 07:00; for rides between 01:00 and 05:00, book by phone between 10:00 and 18:00 the day before. Trips can go anywhere in the Seoul capital area, including Incheon International Airport. Danurim puts the average wait for a pickup at 30 to 60 minutes.

4. 4

   Danurim lift minivan — free from the airport to a Seoul hotel

   Seoul Danurim Tourism, run by the Seoul Tourism Organization, operates nine-seat minivans with a wheelchair lift for any wheelchair user or any group with at least one wheelchair user. Pickup from Incheon or Gimpo Airport is free, goes only to hotels in Seoul, and runs from 09:00 to 18:00. Wheelchairs must be smaller than 130 cm × 76 cm, and the driver speaks Korean only. Book on Danurim's English website; its inquiry line, 1670-0880, only accepts calls made from within Korea (weekdays 9:00 to 18:00).

5. 5

   Borrowing a wheelchair — airport information desks and Danurim rentals

   Incheon Airport lends wheelchairs free at every information desk in the airport. For your stay in Seoul, Danurim rents manual wheelchairs, shower wheelchairs, ramps (46 to 165 cm) and more for 3 to 7 days and delivers them to an address in Seoul. Book between two months and 14 days before the rental date. The deposit depends on the item (up to 500,000 won for two or more items) and is paid on site by credit card or cash; we could not confirm whether cards issued abroad are accepted.

6. 6

   Buses — many are low-floor, but they are not recommended

   At the end of 2025, 79.4% of Seoul's city buses were low-floor, and the city has enacted an ordinance to make them all low-floor by 2030 (reported October 2026). Even so, Danurim's English guide does not recommend buses, citing limited low-floor service and a lack of English signs at stops. In a wheelchair, plan around the subway and accessible call taxis first.