Seoul’s fall foliage should peak between about 30 October and 4 November 2026. The Korea Forest Service expects ginkgo to peak nationally around 30 October and maples around 31 October, and forecaster Weatheri puts Bukhansan, Seoul’s big mountain, at peak on 4 November. Aim your trip at the last days of October and the first week of November.
Sunbae Says: Set an alarm for 10am Korea time exactly six days before your Secret Garden date. The online tickets go in seconds, and a weekday morning slot in the first week of November is the single best autumn hour in Seoul.
Picture it: you come up out of Anguk Station at 10am, the air is cold enough to see your breath, and ten minutes later you are standing by a royal pond ringed with red maples. Here is how to get that morning, plus free spots for the rest of your trip.
The 2026 Forecasts, Side By Side
Two forecasts matter. The Korea Forest Service publishes the government view, which Seoul Shinmun reported on 22 September (in Korean). Weatheri, a private forecaster, publishes the one VisitKorea shares with tourists. Both are still the current forecasts as of 4 October. Treat every date as expected, not guaranteed.
| Place | Forecast peak | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seoraksan (Gangwon) | 20 Oct | Korea Forest Service |
| Seoraksan (Gangwon) | 25 Oct | Weatheri |
| Ginkgo, national | 30 Oct | Korea Forest Service |
| Maple, national | 31 Oct | Korea Forest Service |
| Bukhansan (Seoul) | 4 Nov (first colour 23 Oct) | Weatheri |
| Naejangsan | 4 Nov (Weatheri: 11 Nov) | Korea Forest Service |
| Hallasan (Jeju) | 6 Nov (Weatheri: 13 Nov) | Korea Forest Service |
The season has officially started. The Korea Meteorological Administration logged the first colour on Seoraksan on 28 September, four days earlier than last year (in Korean) and right on the 30 year average. Weatheri had expected 3 October, so the north is running slightly ahead of its forecast. Nothing yet suggests the Seoul dates will move, but I’ll be watching Bukhansan around 23 October.
Colour moves from the mountains down into the city, so Seoraksan blazes in the third week of October while downtown is still mostly green. For everything else on, check our events calendar.
Which Week Should You Come?
| Option | Best For | Cost | Time | My Take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 to 26 Oct | Seoraksan day trip, silver grass at Haneul Park | Free to a bus fare | Mountains first, city still green | Great if you want mountains; too early for palaces |
| 27 Oct to 2 Nov | Ginkgo streets, Jeongdong Night Walk | Mostly free | Forecast ginkgo and maple peak | My pick. The best odds of gold and red in the same trip |
| 3 to 9 Nov | Secret Garden maples, Bukhansan | 8,000 won for the garden | Forecast Bukhansan peak | Close second; colder mornings, deeper reds |
| 10 to 20 Nov | Seoul Forest leaf carpets | Free | After peak | A solid backup, but one windy day can strip the trees |
The Best Seoul Foliage Spots
Changdeokgung Secret Garden (Huwon)
This is the one. The royal rear garden admits visitors in timed groups, so it never gets mobbed, and its ponds and pavilions sit inside old woodland.
Here is how it works in 2026. You enter at a set time with a guide, then you can stay with the tour or wander the open areas on your own, per the palace’s official FAQ (in Korean). Each session takes 100 people: 50 booked online, 50 sold at the palace from 9am. Online booking opens at 10am, six days ahead, first come first served. English entry times are 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30 from March to November, and the garden ticket is 5,000 won for adults and 2,500 won for ages 7 to 18 on top of the 3,000 won palace ticket, according to Visit Seoul. In December the 15:30 English slot drops.
Heads Up: Your Secret Garden ticket is a live mobile ticket that activates shortly before your slot, and screenshots are refused at the gate. Unpaid online bookings also cancel themselves, so pay straight away.
Changdeokgung is closed on Mondays, and from November it runs 9am to 5:30pm, per the Royal Palaces and Tombs hours page (in Korean). Free hanbok entry covers the palace but not the garden.
Getting there: Anguk Station (Line 3, orange), Exit 3, about 360 m or a six minute walk to the main gate.
[SUNBAE FIELD TEST: on a late October weekday, what time the on site Secret Garden queue starts at the Changdeokgung ticket booth, and whether the morning English slots sell out by 9:30am]
[AFFILIATE: Agoda hotels in Jongno near Anguk Station]
Gyeongbokgung Palace
The big palace does its colour in the quieter rear grounds, not the paved main courtyards. Adults pay 3,000 won and anyone under 19 or over 65 enters free. From November it opens 9am to 5pm (last entry 4pm), and it is closed on Tuesdays. Wear complete hanbok and you get in free, per Visit Seoul’s palace page.
Getting there: Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit 5, about 490 m; or Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5, purple), Exit 2, about 470 m.
Heads Up: The palaces do not share a closing day. Changdeokgung and Deoksugung close on Mondays, Gyeongbokgung on Tuesdays. Plan your palace morning around that or you will be staring at a locked gate.
Namsan North Loop Road
Locals call it 북측순환로, the north loop. Namsan has been closed to private cars since 2005, so its loop roads belong to walkers. The north side of the Namsan Dulle-gil runs 3.4 km, per Seoul’s parks office (in Korean), and Seoul’s own media channel has called it the mountain’s best foliage route. It starts beside the National Theater of Korea. Short on time? Visit Seoul’s 1.3 km Southern Walking Path leaves the same intersection toward Namsan Tunnel 3.
Getting there: Dongguk University Station (Line 3), Exit 6, then about 15 minutes uphill on foot to the National Theater; or ride the green Namsan circulation bus 01A or 01B from Chungmuro or Dongguk University Station.
Seokchon Lake
A 2.5 km loop around two lakes with Lotte World Tower overhead. Allow 30 to 40 minutes. It is free and open 24 hours, which makes it a good evening walk after a day in Jamsil.
Getting there: Jamsil Station (Lines 2 and 8), Exit 2, about 280 m.
Seoul Forest
About 600 ginkgo trees stand together here, so it reads as a golden block rather than a single street. Seoul’s Mediahub news service reported the fallen leaf carpet was still going on 27 November 2025, which makes this your late season backup. It is free and open around the clock.
Getting there: Seoul Forest Station (Suin Bundang Line), Exit 3 or 4, about 240 m; or Ttukseom Station (Line 2, green), Exit 8, about 540 m.
Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway
The classic gold street: a palace wall, ginkgo and zelkova, and the old churches of Jeongdong. It is free, flat and best late in the afternoon. Our ginkgo walks guide covers it with Samcheong-dong and the 500 year old tree at Sungkyunkwan.
Getting there: City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2), Exit 1, about 170 m.
Bukhansan National Park
For hikers only. Weatheri puts the first colour here on 23 October and the peak on 4 November. Trails are rocky and steep, so wear real shoes and start early. The Ui LRT ends at Bukhansan Ui Station on the eastern side; check Naver Map for the exit to your trailhead and the Korea National Park Service site for trail notices.
Worth It Or Skip It
Worth It: the Secret Garden in the first week of November. It costs 8,000 won all in and it is the best maple scene in the city. Close behind: Seokchon Lake at dusk, which costs nothing.
Skip It: the Gyeongbokgung main courtyard at noon on a weekend. It is paved, packed and nowhere near the trees. Head for the rear grounds or come on a weekday morning.
Pick Your Version
If It’s Your First Time
I’d do the Secret Garden in the morning and the Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway at dusk, and nothing else that day. Two great autumn scenes beat six rushed ones. If you land in late October, our Seoul in late October guide has what else is on.
If You’re Bringing Kids
Seoul Forest and Seokchon Lake are your friends: flat paths, room to run, no tickets. I’d save the Secret Garden for kids who can handle a long walk on uneven paths, and let little ones kick through the ginkgo leaves at Seoul Forest instead.
If You’re Travelling Solo
Go early and midweek. I’d be on the Namsan North Loop by 8am, then walk down for breakfast. Solo, you also have the best shot at an on site Secret Garden ticket, because one spare place is easier to grab than four.
If You’re Here For A Reset
The Namsan loop and Seokchon Lake are two of the calmest walks in the city this season. I’d walk one slowly every morning of your trip, phone in pocket.
Sunbae’s Picks
My pick for the single best hour: the Secret Garden, 10:30 English entry, on a weekday in the first week of November. Follow the guide for the first stretch, then peel off and sit by the pond.
If I only had one evening, I’d walk Seokchon Lake at sunset with the tower lighting up overhead. Free, 40 minutes.
My late season backup: Seoul Forest. After 24 autumns here, it is where I send people who arrive after peak.
[AFFILIATE: Klook hanbok rental near Gyeongbokgung]
Offers Worth Knowing
Complete hanbok gets you into Gyeongbokgung and the main Changdeokgung grounds free. Under 19s and over 65s enter Gyeongbokgung free. Seoul Forest, Seokchon Lake, Namsan and the Deoksugung walkway cost nothing. The Seoul Autumn Festa runs citywide until 29 November, with outdoor performances worth catching between walks. A short tourist transit pass covers every subway leg in this guide; our transit card guide explains which one to buy now that the 30 day card is gone.
What Locals Know
Koreans chase the week before peak. The weather agency calls first colour when about 20% of a mountain has turned and peak at about 80%. Korean bloggers keep repeating that leaves, like flowers, look best just before full peak. So if your dates sit a few days early, relax.
Ginkgo goes fast. Seoul’s Mediahub notes that once a ginkgo starts dropping, it can be bare within days. Ginkgo makes up 34.7% of Seoul’s street trees, so when they turn the whole city goes yellow at once, then it is over. Do the gold streets the moment you see them.
The city publishes its own leaf map. Every autumn Seoul releases a list of foliage roads: 110 routes covering 167 km in 2025 (in Korean), each pinned on the Smart Seoul Map. The 2025 list came out on 29 October, so the 2026 edition will probably land late in the month. Locals use it to find the tree lined street two blocks from their hotel, and so can you.
What’s Changing In 2026
Palace tickets go up in January. Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung have cost 3,000 won since 2005. The heritage service plans to announce new fees in November and apply them from 1 January 2027 (in Korean). Autumn 2026 is the last season at the old price.
More people under the same trees. Korea had a record 18.94 million foreign visitors in 2025, 8.2% above 2019, and the first half of 2026 ran 21% higher again. That is why the Secret Garden’s online tickets vanish in seconds. Book the moment the window opens, and do palaces on weekdays.
Pair It With An Event
The Seoul Silver Grass Festival at Haneul Park runs 17 to 23 October, 10am to 9pm. Jeongdong Night Walk fills the streets beside Deoksugung’s ginkgo lined wall from 29 to 31 October, right at forecast ginkgo peak, with the official opening on the evening of 30 October. If you are staying into the next month, our Korea in November guide picks up from there.
Getting There: A Simple Two Day Foliage Plan
Day one, palaces and gold streets. Subway to Anguk Station (Line 3, orange), Exit 3, and walk six minutes to Changdeokgung for your Secret Garden slot. Lunch in Bukchon, then walk about 20 minutes west to Gyeongbokgung’s rear grounds (skip this on a Tuesday). Finish on the Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway at dusk, about a 25 minute walk south down Sejong-daero under more ginkgo.
Day two, parks and the lake. Seoul Forest in the morning from Seoul Forest Station, then ride to Jamsil (change to Line 2 (green) at Wangsimni) for a Seokchon Lake loop at sunset.
Rides cost from 1,550 won by card. Keep our Seoul subway map open, and load the navigation apps from our Korea travel apps guide before you land. Early November mornings are cold, so check our what to wear guide too.
[SUNBAE STORY: a favourite autumn morning in a Seoul palace or park, and the small detail that made it]
Word Of The Stop
단풍 (danpung): autumn leaves. Add 놀이 (nori, play) and you get 단풍놀이 (danpung nori), the national sport of going out to look at leaves. Bonus word for the forecast pages: 절정 (jeoljeong), peak.
Map And Directions
- 1Changdeokgung Secret Garden (Huwon) 창덕궁 후원Area pin3Anguk StationEXIT3
Timed entry only; online tickets open 10am six days ahead, 50 more on site from 9am; 5,000 won plus 3,000 won palace ticket; closed Mondays
- 2Gyeongbokgung Palace 경복궁3Gyeongbokgung StationEXIT5
Colour in the rear grounds; 3,000 won, free in complete hanbok; Nov hours 9am to 5pm; closed Tuesdays
- 3Namsan North Loop Road (start at National Theater) 남산 북측순환로3Dongguk University StationEXIT6
Car free 3.4 km loop; about 15 min uphill walk from the exit, or Namsan bus 01A or 01B
- 4Seokchon Lake 석촌호수Jamsil StationEXIT2
Free 2.5 km loop, open 24 hours; best at sunset
- 5Seoul Forest 서울숲Seoul Forest StationEXIT3 / 4
About 600 ginkgo trees; free, open 24 hours; the late season backup
- 6Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway 덕수궁 돌담길Area pinCity Hall StationEXIT1
Free ginkgo street; Jeongdong Night Walk 29 to 31 Oct
- 7Bukhansan National Park (Ui side) 북한산국립공원Bukhansan Ui Station
Hikers only; forecast first colour 23 Oct, peak 4 Nov; check Naver Map for the exit to your trailhead
Your Tickets
Seoul area bus colours: Blue bus · 간선 Green bus · 지선 Red bus · 광역 Yellow bus · 순환
Last Mile
- Anguk Station EXIT3 → Changdeokgung main gate about 6 min
- Changdeokgung → Gyeongbokgung rear grounds about 20 min
- Gyeongbokgung → Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway about 25 min
- Seoul Forest Station → Jamsil Station about 25 min
- Jamsil Station EXIT2 → Seokchon Lake about 4 min
Tap a button to open directions on your phone. In Korea, Naver Map and KakaoMap give full walking directions; Google Maps covers subway and bus but, as of September 2026, still has no turn by turn walking or driving here. Pins marked “Area pin” show a neighbourhood, not a door.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Is Peak Fall Foliage In Seoul In 2026?
Expected around 30 October to 4 November. The Korea Forest Service forecasts national ginkgo peak on 30 October and maple on 31 October; Weatheri forecasts Bukhansan at peak on 4 November. Weather can shift this by several days.
Has The 2026 Foliage Started Yet?
In the mountains, yes. Seoraksan showed its first colour on 28 September, four days earlier than 2025. Downtown Seoul usually turns from late October.
How Do I Book The Secret Garden?
Online at the Royal Palaces and Tombs site from 10am Korea time, six days before your visit, or at the palace ticket office from 9am on the day. Each session has 50 online and 50 on site places.
Is Seoul Still Colourful In Mid November?
Often, yes. Ginkgo leaves carpet the ground after peak, and Seoul Forest was still golden on 27 November 2025. Mountain maples fade first.
Next Stop
- Seven Golden Ginkgo Walks In Seoul: the yellow half of the season, street by street.
- Nami Island In Autumn: a day trip with a longer colour window if you miss peak in the city.
- Seoraksan In Autumn From Seoul: the mountain that turns first, by bus.
Resources
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center: palace hours, closing days and the Secret Garden booking link (in Korean, with an English switch).
- KMA Weather Nuri (in Korean): the weather agency’s site, which tracks foliage on 21 major mountains until late November.
- VisitKorea foliage forecast: Weatheri’s 2026 first colour and peak dates.
- Seoul autumn foliage roads: the city’s own map of leafy streets (in Korean).
- 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: free English help, 24 hours, +82 2 1330 from a foreign phone.
- Naver Map or KakaoMap: exits, walking routes and live bus times.
How I Checked This
On 4 October 2026 I rechecked both forecasts (Korea Forest Service via Seoul Shinmun, Weatheri via VisitKorea) and the KMA’s Seoraksan first foliage report. Palace hours and booking rules come from the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center; prices and exits from Visit Seoul, VisitKorea, Seoul’s parks office and the National Theater of Korea. Every peak date is a forecast, Seoul’s 2026 foliage road list is not out yet, and I could not verify a Bukhansan Ui Station exit.
Sources
- Seoul Shinmun: Korea Forest Service 2026 foliage forecast (Korean)
- Kyunghyang Shinmun: Korea Forest Service 2026 foliage forecast (Korean)
- VisitKorea: 2026 Fall Foliage Forecast (Weatheri)
- Financial News: KMA first foliage on Seoraksan, 28 Sep 2026 (Korean)
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center: Changdeokgung FAQ (Korean)
- Royal Palaces and Tombs Center: viewing hours (Korean)
- Visit Seoul: Changdeokgung Secret Garden
- Visit Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace
- VisitKorea: Gyeongbokgung Palace
- Star News: palace fee rise from January 2027 (Korean)
- Seoul Parks: Namsan Park (Korean)
- National Theater of Korea: directions (Korean)
- Seoul Mediahub: Namsan autumn walks, November 2024 (Korean)
- Visit Seoul: Namsan Southern Walking Path
- Visit Seoul: Seokchon Lake Park
- Visit Seoul: Seoul Forest
- Seoul Mediahub: Seoul Forest ginkgo, November 2025 (Korean)
- Visit Seoul: Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway
- Seoul Mediahub: 110 Seoul foliage roads, 2025 (Korean)
- Korea National Park Service (Korean)
- Seoul Festival portal: Jeongdong Night Walk 2026
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Silver Grass Festival 2026 (Korean)
- Maeil Ilbo: Seoul Autumn Festa 2026 (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: Climate Card FAQ (Korean)
- Yanolja Research: Korea inbound tourism in 2025
- Korea JoongAng Daily: tourist arrivals, first half 2026
- Daum: Secret Garden online tickets sell out in seconds (Korean)
Written by your sunbae. 24 years living in Seoul, former Korean TV and radio presenter, university professor, and two decades behind the decks in the city’s clubs. Every fact here is checked against official sources and, wherever possible, on the ground.
Beep Check: verified 4 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and dates change; confirm with the official source before you travel.