The park is one of the five parks which were created in 2002 to commemorate the FIFA World Cup. These five parks also known as World Cup Parks. This area used to be one of the landfills of Seoul. In 2002 it was converted into these five parks to conserve the ecology of the city. Haneul means Sky in Korean. The reason behind the name seems to be because of its location. It is situated at the highest altitude among these five parks.
Website: english.seoul.go.kr
This is also one of the most popular parks in Korea, especially in autumn. The park becomes really crowded during the silver grass festival which is held in autumn of every year when silver grass blooms to its peak. Other than silver you can also spot some of the field covered in pink Muhly grass. The silver grass festival is usually held for a week. Various photo zones and lightings are set up during the festival. You can click your pictures at various photo zones. Generally, the park is closed down little, but during the silver grass festival, it is kept open until late at night. Visitors can also enjoy various events during the festival.
The silver grass spread all over the park looks really pretty. The golden glow of the grass when the sun shines over it makes it breathtakingly beautiful. Although not as crowded in other seasons, during autumn season tourist numbers reaches to the peak. The park is also famous as a place for wedding photoshoot. I love to visit this park in summer as well as in autumn. To my surprise, there were only a few people during summertime in the park. If you are looking for some solo time or want to go away from the hustle-bustle of the city, I suggest you visit this park in summer.
The park has various observation decks. From one direction of the park, you can look at the Han River, from the other direction you can see the world cup stadium, and from one direction you can look at the other world cup parks. The autumn looks of other parks from Haneul Park is really beautiful.
The scene of silver grass with Hangang and Skyscrapers in the background is mesmerizing. Most of the people prefer to visit the place during evening hours.
The sunsets from the Haneul Park are really pretty. Every observation deck has a different view but a stunning view. You can spot many photographers with their big cameras and tripods to capture the beauty of evening hours and sunset. Donโt miss going to Haneul Park if you are visiting Seoul in autumn. Because it is not only really beautiful but the weather is also pleasant. Sometimes evenings are a little cold so make sure to carry an extra thin layer of clothes with you.
There is a โslow mailboxโ installed in the park from there you can send a letter to your loved ones. You can get the postcard for free. The reason behind this calling a slow mailbox is because the delivery of letters is done only twice in a year i.e. Korean New Year holidays and Korean Thanksgiving holidays.
Although one can take the electric train to reach up to the park. But climbing stairs has its charm. I love looking at the beauty of Seoul from various points of the stairs. Also, it is a good exercise for the body which I usually donโt do.
If you get tired easily then I advise you to take an electric tram while going upwards and walking down while coming down.
| Electric Train Fare | One Way | Round Trip |
| Adults | 2,000 | 3,000 |
| Children | 1,500 | 2,200 |
Facilities- At the top of the park washroom is available. You can also find a cart of snacks and water. However, it might not be there when the place is not that crowded. So make sure to bring your water bottle especially if you are climbing up all the 291 stairs: P
Reaching there
You can reach the park via bus or subway. If you are planning to get there via subway take line 6 and get down at World Cup Stadium station. However, I prefer to take the bus because the bus stop is far nearer to the park than the subway station. If you are not in the mood of walking for around 20-25 minutes to reach the park I suggest you take a bus to reach there.
Address: 95 Haneulgongwon-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Nearby attractions
If you are visiting Haneul park and looking for nearby attractions. I suggest you visit the World Cup Stadium if you are interested in football, or to visit the recently opened oil cultural tank park. You can also visit the other four World Cup parks. These four parks are Noeul Park, Nanjicheon Park, Pyeonghwa (Peace) Park, and Nanji Hangang Park.
