paper.archive/Festival
Festival

Autumn Leaves in Gyeonggi-do, 2026: Where to Go, Bookings, Fees and Peak Dates

2026 · 10 · 24 3 min read Paper
Contents

Places to see autumn leaves (danpung, 단풍) in Gyeonggi-do, the province around Seoul, checked as of October 24, 2026. Fees, bookings and parking come from each place’s official page; anything I could not confirm is marked. For November events around Seoul, see the November capital-area festivals post.

Photos are freely licensed pictures from past years, so this year may look different.

When to go

Peak dates for Gyeonggi locations from the Korea Forest Service’s 2026 foliage forecast (published September 22). Peak means more than half the leaves have turned.

LocationMaplesGinkgo
Hwaaksan, GapyeongOct 20Oct 21
Yongmunsan, YangpyeongOct 23Oct 29
Korea National Arboretum, PocheonOct 29Oct 31
Soribong (Gwangneung Forest), PocheonOct 30Oct 30
Surisan, Gunpo/AnyangNov 2Nov 4
Mulhyanggi Arboretum, OsanNov 6Nov 6

The northern mountains are already past peak. For most of Gyeonggi, the best window runs from this weekend to next weekend (Oct 31 – Nov 1). The flatter south (Osan, Gunpo) is better in the first week of November. These are forecasts and can shift by a few days with the weather.

At a glance

PlaceAreaAdmissionBooking
Hwadam ForestGwangju₩11,000 adultrequired
Korea National ArboretumPocheon₩1,000 adultrequired by car, not on foot
NamhansanseongGwangjufree (palace ₩2,000)none
Yongmunsa ginkgoYangpyeongnot confirmednone
SoyosanDongducheonnot confirmednone
Mulhyanggi ArboretumOsanfreenone
Seoul Grand ParkGwacheonzoo ₩5,000 adultnone
Hoam Museum, Heewon gardenYongin₩16,000 adultrequired

Hwadam Forest (화담숲), Gwangju

Hwadam Forest monorail Hwadam Forest monorail · Photo: Thqkrdl, 2021 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

A landscaped forest garden next to Konjiam Resort. A monorail loops through the slopes.

  • Address: 278-1 Dochuk-witro, Dochuk-myeon, Gwangju-si
  • Peak season: Oct 23 – Nov 15, open every day
  • Hours: 08:00–18:00 until Nov 1, then 08:00–17:00 (last entry one hour before)
  • Fees: adult ₩11,000 (about $8), teen/senior ₩9,000, child ₩7,000. Monorail full loop adult ₩9,000
  • Booking: advance booking only, sold on NOL (Yanolja). As of Oct 24, monorail rides from Station 1 are nearly sold out. Rides from Stations 2 and 3 are sold at ticket machines on site
  • Getting there: Gyeonggang Line to Gonjiam Station, then taxi or bus Gwangju 9 (about 30 minutes)
  • Official: https://www.hwadamsup.com

You can walk the whole trail without the monorail; the loop ride is 1,213 m and takes about 20 minutes.

Korea National Arboretum (국립수목원), Pocheon

  • Address: 509 Gwangneungsumogwon-ro, Soheul-eup, Pocheon-si
  • Hours: 09:00–18:00 in October, 09:00–17:00 from November (last entry one hour before). Closed Mondays
  • Fees: adult ₩1,000, teen ₩700, child ₩500. Free under 6 and over 65
  • Booking: if you drive, parking must be booked online in advance (up to 30 days ahead); cars without a booking are turned away. On foot or by bus, just buy a ticket at the gate (capped at 4,500 visitors a day)
  • Parking: ₩3,000 per car
  • Getting there: Jinjeop Station (Line 4), then bus 21 (about 25 minutes)
  • Official: https://kna.forest.go.kr

The arboretum sits in Gwangneung Forest, a royal tomb forest protected for more than 500 years. The forest museum is closed for renovation until December.

Namhansanseong (남한산성), Gwangju

A UNESCO-listed mountain fortress southeast of Seoul. The walk along the walls is the reason to come.

  • Address: 731 Namhansanseong-ro, Namhansanseong-myeon, Gwangju-si (World Heritage Center)
  • Fees: the fortress is free. Haenggung (temporary palace) ₩2,000 adult, closed Mondays
  • Parking: ₩3,000 on weekdays, ₩5,000 on holidays for regular cars
  • Shuttle: free on weekends and holidays until Nov 30, 09:30–18:30
  • Getting there: Sanseong Station (Line 8) exit 2, then bus 9, 52 or 9-1 (holidays) to the last stop
  • Official: https://www.gg.go.kr/namhansansung-2/main.do

Trail 4 (3.8 km, about 1 h 20 min) is the one usually recommended for leaves. The full wall loop is 7.7 km, about 3 h 20 min.

Yongmunsa Ginkgo Tree (용문사 은행나무), Yangpyeong

A natural monument ginkgo at Yongmunsa temple, about 60 m tall and estimated at over 1,100 years old.

  • Address: 515-2 Sinjeom-ri, Yongmun-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun (Yongmunsan Tourist Site)
  • Parking: ₩3,000 for small cars (county tourism page)
  • Admission: not confirmed on an official page
  • Getting there: Yongmun Station on the Gyeongui–Jungang Line is the closest

Forecast ginkgo peak here is Oct 29.

Soyosan (소요산), Dongducheon

  • Address: 406-65 Pyeonghwa-ro 2910beon-gil, Dongducheon-si
  • Getting there: Soyosan Station (Line 1) exit 1; buses 36, 39, 53
  • Event: Soyo Foliage Festival (소요단풍문화제), Sat Oct 31, at the outdoor stage. Performances and a historical procession
  • Admission and parking: not confirmed on an official page

A ridge hike over six peaks takes 1 to 4 hours. Easy to reach from Seoul by subway.

Mulhyanggi Arboretum (물향기수목원), Osan

Maple at Mulhyanggi Arboretum Maple at Mulhyanggi Arboretum · Photo: 웨제, 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

  • Address: 211 Cheonghak-ro, Osan-si
  • Admission: free (since July 2025)
  • Hours: 09:00–18:00 in October, 09:00–17:00 from November. Closed Mondays
  • Parking: ₩2,000 for up to 3 hours
  • Getting there: Osan College Station (Line 1) exit 2, about 5 minutes on foot
  • Official: https://forest.gg.go.kr/forest/10320

The latest peak in Gyeonggi (Nov 6), so a good backup if you missed the others. There is no shop or restaurant inside.

Seoul Grand Park (서울대공원), Gwacheon

Road to the zoo at Seoul Grand Park Road to the zoo at Seoul Grand Park · Photo: Ethan Doyle White, 2019 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

  • Address: 102 Daegongwongwangjang-ro, Gwacheon-si
  • Fees: zoo adult ₩5,000, theme garden ₩2,000. The park paths are free
  • Parking: ₩4,000 for 2 hours (₩3,000 if paid in the app)
  • Getting there: Seoul Grand Park Station (Line 4)
  • Official: https://grandpark.seoul.go.kr

The lakeside path around Cheonggye Lake is the spot named in the Korea Tourism Organization’s 2026 foliage map. You can walk on to the MMCA Gwacheon museum.

Hoam Museum of Art, Heewon Garden (호암미술관 희원), Yongin

  • Address: 38 Everland-ro 562beon-gil, Pogok-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si
  • Hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 (tickets until 17:00). Closed Mondays
  • Fees: combined exhibition and garden ticket ₩16,000 adult, ₩8,000 for youth and seniors
  • Booking: advance booking only, opens 14 days ahead at 10:00
  • Getting there: Jeondae·Everland Station (Everline) exit 3, then 300 m to the shuttle stop
  • Official: https://www.leeumhoam.org/hoam

Heewon is a traditional Korean garden by a small lake, run by the Samsung-founded museum.

Also worth a look

Autumn on Myeongseongsan Autumn on Myeongseongsan · Photo: DiligentEagle, 2010 · CC BY 2.0, Flickr

  • The Garden of Morning Calm, Gapyeong: chrysanthemum show until Nov 15. Adult ₩11,000 (from a news report; I could not open the official site)
  • Sujongsa temple, Namyangju: a ginkgo over 500 years old. Bus 58 from Ungilsan Station (Gyeongui–Jungang Line), then a 10–15 minute walk up
  • Sanjeong Lake and Myeongseongsan, Pocheon: the silver grass festival ended Oct 18, but the grass and the lake path are still there
  • Suwon Hwaseong Fortress: the wall walk is free. Night opening of Hwaseong Haenggung ends Nov 1

References