Late October is when Seoul turns red and gold. This guide brings together the 2026 peak forecasts from Korean agencies, six foliage spots you can reach by subway, three day trips by public transport, and what each one costs. Fees and opening times were checked on official sites on October 24, 2026. Anything we could not confirm has been left out.
Quick answer — 3 things to know before you go
- Peak for Seoul and nearby is about October 29 to November 2, 2026. Capital-area forecasts put maples at October 29, ginkgo at October 31 and oaks at November 2.
- Book two places in advance: the Changdeokgung Secret Garden (online from 10:00, six days ahead) and Hwadam Forest (reservation only). The other spots in this guide need no booking.
- Avoid Mondays, when Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Hwadam Forest are closed, and go early on a weekday.
The 2026 Forecast When Seoul Peaks
Peak dates published by Korean agencies for 2026. None of them gives a date for central Seoul, so use the capital-area figures.
| Place (source) | 2026 peak |
|---|---|
| Korea National Arboretum, Gyeonggi (Korea Tourism Organization & Korea National Arboretum map, Oct 8) | Maples Oct 29 · Ginkgo Oct 31 · Oaks Nov 2 |
| Yumyeongsan Recreation Forest, capital area (Korea National Recreation Forest Office) | Oct 31 |
| Nationwide maples and oaks (Korea Forest Service map, Sep 22) | Oct 31 (0.8 days later than the 5-year average) |
| Bukhansan, Seoul (Korea Meteorological Administration) | Normal peak Oct 28 (1991–2020 average); first color seen Oct 14, 2026 |
| Seoraksan, for comparison (Korea Forest Service) | Oct 20, already past |
Best window for Seoul and nearby: about October 29 to November 2. That is where the capital-area forecasts cluster. “Peak” also means different things: the Korea Forest Service counts the day half the leaves on observed trees have turned, while the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) counts the day 80% of a mountain has turned from the summit down. For the same mountain the two dates can be 3 to 10 days apart.
Forecasts can move. The Korea National Recreation Forest Office notes that a late warm spell delays the color, and that autumn rain and strong wind can strip the leaves early and shorten the peak. For live status, check the KMA’s famous-mountain foliage page before you go. Sources: Maeil Shinmun, Oct 16, Wikitree, Oct 8, Segye Ilbo, Oct 16.
Spots in Seoul by Subway
Six places inside the city. Fees are for adult foreign visitors, as listed on official sites in October 2026.
Book ahead Changdeokgung Secret Garden (Huwon)
Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 3, 389 m. The garden can only be seen on a timed tour: ₩5,000 for the garden plus the ₩3,000 palace ticket, which you also need. English tours start at 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30; Japanese at 13:30 on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays; Chinese at 12:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Each tour takes 100 people: 50 tickets go on sale online from 10:00 six days before the visit (not counting the visit day) until the day before, and 50 are sold on site from 09:00 on the day. The walk from the main gate to the garden entrance takes more than 15 minutes, so enter the palace at least 20 minutes before your tour. Late arrivals are not admitted or refunded.
Free · open late Deoksugung Stone Wall Road
City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2), Exit 1, 168 m. The walkway along the palace wall is free and open all year. Deoksugung itself costs ₩1,000 and is open 09:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00), much later than Changdeokgung, so it works as an evening stop.
Free Namsan Park
Myeong-dong Station (Line 4), Exit 3, 846 m. The park is free, and the cable car costs ₩15,000 round trip for adults. The Namsan Night Festival is on from October 23 to November 14, 2026.
Free Olympic Park
Mongchontoseong Station (Line 8), Exit 1. Free, and walkers can enter 05:00–22:00. Follow the Mongchontoseong earthen-fortress path (about 2.3 km) and look for the “Lone Tree”, a single tree standing alone on the lawn.
Free · 24 h Seoul Forest
Seoul Forest Station (Suin-Bundang Line), Exits 3 and 4, 242 m, or Ttukseom Station (Line 2), Exit 8. Free and open 24 hours.
Festival over Haneul Park (silver grass)
The 2026 Seoul Silver Grass Festival ran from October 17 to 23 and has finished. The park sits on a hill: Seoul city’s festival notice gave about 40 minutes on foot from World Cup Stadium Station or Mapo-gu Office Station (Line 6), and an electric shuttle has run from the information center at the bottom to the top entrance in past seasons (2026 operation after the festival not confirmed). Visit Seoul lists the park as free and open 07:00–18:00, but we could not confirm its 2026 hours after the festival.
Sources: palace fees and hours from the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center; stations and park details from Visit Seoul, the Olympic Park website and Seoul city.
Day Trips by Public Transport
Further out, with bigger color. Journey times are the ones given on each official site.
Train + ferry Nami Island
Take the ITX-Cheongchun from Yongsan (about 60 min) or Cheongnyangni (about 42 min), or the Gyeongchun Line from Sangbong (about 50 min), to Gapyeong. The ferry wharf is 1.5 km from Gapyeong Station: about 20 minutes on foot, or about 5 minutes by bus 10-4 or taxi. Admission includes the round-trip ferry: ₩19,000 for adults, ₩16,000 for middle and high school students and people aged 70 and over, and ₩13,000 for children from 36 months through elementary school. Tickets bought before 08:00 for a ferry before 08:00 also get the ₩13,000 rate, and in the autumn season (September 18 to November 22, 2026) the first ferry leaves at 07:30 every day. A direct shuttle bus run by Ktourstory leaves daily from Hongik University Station Exit 4 at 9:00, the Namsan Yejang bus parking lot near Myeongdong at 9:40 and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station Exit 9 at 9:50, arriving at 11:30; it leaves the island at 16:30.
Hike Bukhansan National Park
Free. From Gupabal Station (Line 3), Exit 2, take bus 704 to the Bukhansanseong Fortress entrance; the visitor center is about 700 m up the road. The popular Bukhansanseong–Daenammun trail is 10.2 km, takes about 4 hours 10 minutes and is rated advanced. From March to November the trails are open 04:00–17:00. The KMA’s normal peak for Bukhansan is October 28, and in 2026 the first color was seen on October 14. Last year, 10.21 million national park visits fell in October and November alone, so go on a weekday morning if you can.
Reservation only Hwadam Forest (Gonjiam)
Entry is by advance online booking only, and the autumn peak season runs from October 23 to November 15, 2026. Booking opened on September 16 on the official site, which passes you to the NOL ticketing service, and Korean media report that no tickets are sold on site in the foliage season. Admission is ₩11,000 for adults, ₩9,000 for seniors and youth and ₩7,000 for children, with discounts suspended in October and November. The monorail costs extra (₩5,000, ₩7,000 or ₩9,000 by section), and on October 24 most departures from Station 1 were shown as sold out. Standard hours are 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00), closed on Mondays, and the forest says hours can change by season. Getting there: Gyeonggang Line to Gonjiam Station, then a taxi or Gwangju bus 9 (about 30 min).
Sources: Nami Island fees, directions and ferry times; Visit Seoul (Bukhansan); Hwadam Forest. For more trips out of the city, see our Gyeonggi Province day trip guide.
Tips for Foreign Visitors
Small things that decide whether the day goes well.
Mondays are a trap
Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Hwadam Forest are all closed on Mondays. Save Monday for the free parks, Bukhansan or Nami Island, which is open 365 days a year.
Wednesday or hanbok means free palace entry
The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center lists every Wednesday as free admission, except Gyeongbokgung and the Secret Garden, and visitors wearing hanbok also enter free. The Secret Garden tour fee still applies.
Arrive early
Changdeokgung’s FAQ says that in peak season the ticket machines, ticket booths and gates get crowded with long lines, and suggests arriving about an hour early. Go on a weekday, and for Nami Island take one of the early ferries.
Mornings are cold
Seoul’s average November morning low is 3.5°C. Layer up and bring a light padded jacket. See our autumn weather and what-to-wear guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
No agency publishes a date for central Seoul. Capital-area forecasts for 2026 put the peak at October 29 for maples, October 31 for ginkgo and November 2 for oaks (Korea National Arboretum), and October 31 for Yumyeongsan Recreation Forest. Plan for about October 29 to November 2, and check the live status before you go.
It is strongly recommended. The garden can only be seen on a timed tour of 100 people: 50 tickets online from 10:00 six days before your visit until the day before, and 50 on site from 09:00 on the day. When the on-site tickets sell out, there is no way in. English tours are at 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30.
No. Hwadam Forest admits visitors by advance online booking only, and no tickets are sold on site during the autumn peak season (October 23 to November 15, 2026). Without a ticket, choose one of the free parks in Seoul instead.
Adult admission is ₩19,000, including the round-trip ferry. Take the ITX-Cheongchun from Yongsan (about 60 min) or Cheongnyangni (about 42 min) to Gapyeong, then walk about 20 minutes or take bus 10-4 or a taxi (about 5 min) to the wharf. A direct shuttle bus also runs daily from Hongik University, Myeongdong and Dongdaemun.
Namsan Park, Olympic Park, Seoul Forest, the Deoksugung Stone Wall Road and Bukhansan National Park are all free. The palaces charge a small fee: ₩1,000 for Deoksugung and ₩3,000 for Changdeokgung, plus ₩5,000 for the Secret Garden.
Mondays, when Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Hwadam Forest are closed. Weekends are the most crowded. Wednesday is a good palace day because admission is free, except at Gyeongbokgung and the Secret Garden.
No. The 2026 festival at Haneul Park ran from October 17 to 23. The park is free, but we could not confirm its 2026 opening hours after the festival, so check before you go.
The Bottom Line
Aim for the last days of October and the first days of November, book the Secret Garden six days ahead, avoid Mondays, and dress for cold mornings with our autumn weather and what-to-wear guide. All fees and times were checked on official sites in October 2026. Forecasts move with the weather, so check again the day before you go.