Seven Golden Ginkgo Walks In Seoul

Seoul’s ginkgo trees turn gold from late October, and the Korea Forest Service expects the national ginkgo peak around 30 October 2026. Your best walks are the Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway, Samcheong-dong, the 500 year old tree at Sungkyunkwan, Seoul Forest’s grove, Olympic Park, Garosu-gil and Sejong-daero. All are free, and all are on the subway.

Sunbae Says: Walk on the leaves, never on the little orange berries. Squash one and your shoes will smell like old cheese for the rest of the day.

Here is your afternoon: you climb out of City Hall Station, turn the corner by the palace wall, and the whole street is yellow above you and under your feet. Office workers slow down to take the same photo you are taking. That is ginkgo week in Seoul.

Why Seoul Goes Gold

The ginkgo has been Seoul’s official tree since 3 April 1971, picked because it is long lived and tough against city pollution and pests, according to the city’s own symbols page (in Korean). Newsis counted 102,070 ginkgo street trees in October 2025, so in the right week whole avenues glow.

Timing, 2026: the Forest Service forecasts the national ginkgo peak on 30 October and maples on 31 October (forecasts, not promises), as Kyunghyang Shinmun reported (in Korean). Downtown Seoul usually holds its colour into the first week of November, and the fallen leaves keep the streets gold for a while after that. For the maples, see my Seoul fall foliage 2026 guide.

Which Walk Should You Do?

Option	Best For	Cost	Time	My Take
Sejong-daero into Deoksugung	First timers, dusk photos	Free	About 1 hour	My pick. Central, flat, palace wall and old churches.
Munmyo tree at Sungkyunkwan	Early risers, one perfect tree	Free	45 min plus the walk in	The most moving single tree in the city.
Seoul Forest grove	Families, late arrivals after peak	Free	1 to 2 hours	The best backup if you land in mid November.
Olympic Park	Long walkers, joggers	Free	2 hours plus	Big skies, but it is a trek from downtown.

If you only have one afternoon, do the downtown loop. If you have a spare morning, add Sungkyunkwan at opening time.

1. Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway And Jeongdong-gil

The classic. The stone wall of Deoksugung Palace, lined with ginkgo and zelkova, runs into Jeongdong-gil and its old churches and embassies. Seoul’s list of autumn foliage roads (in Korean) gives the palace road at 0.3 km and Jeongdong-gil at 0.5 km, so this is a short stroll you can stretch with a coffee.

Timing bonus: Jeongdong Night Walk runs on 30 and 31 October 2026, with warm up events on the 29th and an opening concert at 7pm on the 30th. Historic buildings open late, court music plays and buskers line the wall, right on forecast peak. It is on my events calendar.

Getting there: City Hall Station (Lines 1 dark blue and 2 green), Exit 1, 168 m, per Visit Seoul.

Heads Up: Jeongdong Night Walk packs the narrow wall path on 30 and 31 Oct evenings. Walk it in daylight first for photos, then come back for the night programme.

[AFFILIATE: Agoda hotels near City Hall Station]

2. Samcheong-dong-gil

A 1.2 km road of ginkgo and zelkova along the side of Gyeongbokgung, with galleries and cafés on the other side. Pair it with a palace visit or a wander into Bukchon.

Getting there: Anguk Station (Line 3, orange), Exit 2, about 780 m, roughly 10 minutes on foot, per Visit Seoul.

Heads Up: Gyeongbokgung is closed on Tuesdays. The street stays open, but if you planned the palace plus Samcheong-dong combo, pick another day.

3. The Munmyo Ginkgo At Sungkyunkwan

One tree, and it is the reason to come. The ginkgo in front of Myeongnyundang hall at the old Confucian academy is Natural Monument No. 59, as VisitKorea notes. It was planted in 1519 and stands about 21 m tall.

Fun detail: it is a male tree, which means no smelly berries underneath. Entry is free. Korean travel sites list the grounds as open 9am to 6pm to the end of October and 9am to 5pm from November, but I could not confirm this officially, so check at the gate.

Getting there: Hyehwa Station (Line 4, sky blue), Exit 4, then about 1.2 km on foot through the university area.

[SUNBAE FIELD TEST: check the Myeongnyundang gate opening time and how busy the tree is at 9am on a weekday in peak week]

4. Seoul Forest Ginkgo Grove

About 600 ginkgo trees stand close together here. Seoul’s Mediahub news service (in Korean) described a golden carpet of leaves on 27 November 2025, a full four weeks after the national peak. That makes this your best bet if you arrive late.

Getting there: Seoul Forest Station (Suin-Bundang Line, yellow), Exits 3 to 5, under five minutes; or Ttukseom Station (Line 2, green), Exit 8, 10 to 15 minutes. Mediahub lists buses 141, 145, 148, 2014 and 2413.

5. Olympic Park, Wiryeseong-gil

The longest walk on this list. Seoul’s autumn road list gives the Olympic Park ginkgo route on Wiryeseong-gil at 2.7 km. Add a loop of the park itself, which is free and open to walkers from 5am to 10pm.

Getting there: Olympic Park Station (Lines 5 purple and 9 gold), Exit 4, then about 1.1 km, per Visit Seoul.

6. Garosu-gil, Sinsa-dong

The name literally means “tree lined street”, and those trees are ginkgo on both sides. It is short and more about boutiques and cafés than nature.

Getting there: Sinsa Station (Line 3 orange and Shinbundang Line red), Exit 8, 454 m.

7. Sejong-daero

Right in the middle of the city, Seoul lists 0.9 km of ginkgo and other trees on Sejong-daero. Walk it from Gwanghwamun Square south towards City Hall and you land at walk number one. Together they make a compact downtown ginkgo loop.

Getting there: Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5, purple), then walk south. My subway map shows how Lines 1, 2 and 5 connect here.

Worth It Or Skip It

Worth It: the Munmyo ginkgo at Sungkyunkwan. It is free, rarely as busy as the palaces, and standing under a tree planted in 1519 is humbling.

Skip It: Garosu-gil if you only have one afternoon. It is a lovely shopping street, but for pure gold, Seoul Forest and Deoksugung give you far more trees per step.

What Locals Know

Koreans track the leaves by street, not by forest. The city publishes its list of foliage roads every autumn, and its 2025 list ran to 110 roads. When Seoulites say “단풍 보러 가자” (let’s go see the leaves), it can just as easily mean a downtown street at lunchtime as a mountain.

The smell is a city service problem, and the city treats it like one. From 1 September, Seoul and its districts send ginkgo fruit teams out with lift trucks, excavator mounted shakers and nets to strip seeds before they drop, Newsis reported (in Korean). In 2025 they targeted 23,116 female trees, about 22.6% of the total.

Male trees are the quiet upgrade. Districts swap female trees for males after complaints. The Korea Economic Daily reports (in Korean) that Gangbuk District replaced 1,053 roadside female ginkgos in 2020 and 2021 and odour complaints fell from 93 to zero. That is why some streets smell and the next one over does not.

Pick Your Version

If It’s Your First Time

Do the downtown loop: Sejong-daero into the Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway. It is flat, central and on Lines 1 (dark blue), 2 (green) and 5 (purple), and you see a palace wall, old churches and the gold in an hour. I’d time it for late afternoon, when the light goes warm. Peak week is also Halloween week, so read my Halloween in Seoul guide before you plan your evenings.

If You’re Bringing Kids

Seoul Forest and Olympic Park give children space to run and leaf piles to jump in, well away from traffic. I’d skip the narrow pavements of Samcheong-dong with a pushchair on a weekend. My Seoul with kids guide has more family stops.

If You’re Travelling Solo

Be at Sungkyunkwan when the gates open and you may have the Munmyo tree almost to yourself. I’d then walk down through the university area for breakfast. More solo routes are in my solo Seoul guide.

If You’re Here For A Reset

A slow morning loop in Seoul Forest, before the families arrive, is the gentlest reset I know in this city in autumn. Leave the headphones in your bag and listen to the leaves under your feet.

Sunbae’s Picks

My pick for one perfect hour: the Munmyo ginkgo at opening time on a weekday, then coffee nearby.

If I only had one evening, I’d walk Sejong-daero into the Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway at dusk, and on 30 or 31 October stay for Jeongdong Night Walk.

I’d skip Garosu-gil for leaves and go for the shopping only, if at all.

My after peak rule: after 24 autumns here, I head for Seoul Forest once the streets start to bare. The grove holds its carpet longest.

Offers Worth Knowing

Everything on this list is free: public streets, free parks and free entry to the Sungkyunkwan grounds. Jeongdong Night Walk is free to walk around. If you add a palace, Gyeongbokgung is free when you wear complete hanbok, which makes the Samcheong-dong walk next door a natural pairing.

[AFFILIATE: Klook hanbok rental near Gyeongbokgung for Samcheong-dong photos]

A One Day Ginkgo Route

Start at Hyehwa Station (Line 4, sky blue) for the Munmyo tree when the gates open. Take a taxi across to Anguk, about 10 minutes, and walk Samcheong-dong-gil down past Gyeongbokgung. Continue south along Sejong-daero, then finish on the Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway at dusk. On 30 or 31 October, stay on for Jeongdong Night Walk. Save Seoul Forest for another morning.

Every leg is inside Seoul, so a 1 to 7 day tourist pass covers the subway parts; my transit card guide explains which one fits, and my travel apps guide covers the map apps that show live exits. Dress for a cold start with my what to wear guide.

About That Smell

Ginkgo is beautiful and it stinks. Only female trees produce the fleshy seeds, and when they drop and split they release a sour smell from butyric acid that Koreans complain about every autumn. You will still meet the odd squashed patch, so watch your step and keep leaves, not seeds, under your shoes.

What’s Changing In 2026

The smelly trees are slowly disappearing. Female ginkgo street trees fell from 28,216 in 2021 (27.1% of the total) to 22,982 in 2025 (23.1%), and 10 of Seoul’s 25 districts, including Gangnam, Gwangjin, Yongsan and Dobong, plan to replace 792 ginkgo trees this year, according to the Korea Economic Daily. My read: the famous smell is fading street by street, but the gold is not going anywhere, because male trees turn just as yellow.

Experts are pushing back a little. The same report quotes specialists who want replacement decisions to weigh tree health, foot traffic and maintenance cost, not complaints alone. Expect the pace of swaps to stay gradual.

Word Of The Stop

은행나무 (eunhaeng namu): ginkgo tree. Here is the joke every Korean kid knows: 은행 (eunhaeng) also means “bank”. So the ginkgo is, word for word, the bank tree. Different Chinese characters, same sound.

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Map And Directions

Frequently Asked Questions

When Do Ginkgo Trees Turn Yellow In Seoul?

From late October. The Korea Forest Service expects the national ginkgo peak around 30 October 2026, and downtown Seoul usually stays gold into early November, with fallen leaves lasting longer.

Where Is The Most Famous Ginkgo Tree In Seoul?

The Munmyo ginkgo at Sungkyunkwan, Natural Monument No. 59, planted in 1519. It stands in front of Myeongnyundang hall and entry is free.

Why Do Ginkgo Trees Smell?

Only female trees produce seeds with a fleshy outer layer, and that layer smells sour when crushed. Seoul removes seeds from September and is replacing some female trees, but step around any you see.

Where Can I Still See Ginkgo In Mid November?

Seoul Forest. Its grove of about 600 trees still had a golden carpet on 27 November 2025.

Are Seoul’s Ginkgo Walks Free?

Yes. Every walk here is on public streets or in free parks. The only paid option nearby is a palace ticket, and Gyeongbokgung is free in complete hanbok.

Next Stop

• Seoul Fall Foliage 2026: the red half of the season, with both official forecasts.
• Seoul In Late October: everything else on in ginkgo week.
• Nami Island In Autumn: the island famous for its ginkgo lane, and whether it is worth the trip.

Resources

• Seoul autumn foliage roads: the city’s official street by street list, in Korean.
• Seoul festival portal: Jeongdong Night Walk: dates and programme.
• Visit Seoul: official directions with exit numbers.
• Korea Travel Hotline 1330 (+82-2-1330 from abroad): English help 24 hours a day.
• Naver Map or KakaoMap: live exits and walking routes; search 은행나무길 for ginkgo streets near you.

How I Checked This

On 5 October 2026 I rechecked walk lengths on Seoul’s foliage road list, the city tree on the symbols page, the 2026 forecast in Kyunghyang Shinmun, Jeongdong Night Walk on the Seoul festival portal and in Herald Business, exits on Visit Seoul and Seoul Mediahub, and the tree counts in Newsis and the Korea Economic Daily. Still unconfirmed: the Sungkyunkwan grounds hours, Seoul’s 2026 foliage road list and 2026 harvesting figures. Peak dates are forecasts.

Sources

• Seoul Metropolitan Government: city symbols, ginkgo as official tree since 3 April 1971 (in Korean)
• Seoul Metropolitan Government: autumn foliage roads, 2025 list with lengths (in Korean)
• Kyunghyang Shinmun: Korea Forest Service 2026 foliage forecast (in Korean)
• iNews24: Forest Service 2026 foliage peak map (in Korean)
• Seoul festival portal: Jeongdong Night Walk 2026
• Herald Business: Jeongdong Night Walk 2026 (in Korean)
• Visit Seoul: Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway
• Visit Seoul: Samcheongdong
• VisitKorea: Munmyo and Seonggyungwan
• Korean Wikipedia: Seoul Munmyo ginkgo tree (in Korean)
• Telltrip: Myeongnyundang ginkgo opening hours (in Korean)
• Visit Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University directions
• Seoul Mediahub: Seoul Forest ginkgo grove, November 2025 (in Korean)
• Visit Seoul: Olympic Park
• Visit Seoul: Garosu-gil
• Visit Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace, free entry in hanbok
• Newsis: Seoul ginkgo seed harvesting 2025 (in Korean)
• Korea Economic Daily: female ginkgo replacement figures, September 2026 (in Korean)

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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 5 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and dates change; confirm with the official source before you travel.