Should you ask me what is the best season to travel in South Korea, my answer will always be autumn~ Autumn in South Korea is usually around September to November. To me, it is the best time to travel because the weather is pleasant (not too hot nor not too cold). So, what are the worth visiting attraction during autumn in Korea? Scroll down to find out my favorite place that you should visit during the autumn season, Haneul Park!
Haneul Park
“Haneul” means “sky” in Korean, just like its name, this park is located on the highest part of World Cup Park and offers you a breathtaking view of the whole Seoul city. It was a famous must-visit place during the autumn season because this place will be totally covered with the silver grass or also known as Eulalia or pampas grass. Besides that, you can also find the Pink Muhly Grass here~
Over the years, Pink Muhly Grass has gained huge popularity. Haneul Park is definitely one of the most instagrammable places for your Pink Muhly Grass photo collection. You can catch this romantic Pink Muhly Grass around October to November. I will recommend you check the official website before visiting to check if it has turned pink~ Some claimed that these Pink Muhly will still green in early September and looked beautiful pink starting from October.
Aside from that, Haneul Park is also popular for its annual Pampas Grass Festival in October when the Pampas grass is in full bloom. Visitors can enjoy strolling in the pampas grass field till late, pampas grass crafts, and other activities. This is the only period that you can be here at night as Haneul Park is closed to visitors usually at night to protect local flora and fauna at the park.
Can you imagine that this attraction was once a landfill? Originally, this place was a low flatland where peanuts and sorghum grew. However, it eventually became an enormous mountain of garbage. Thanks to the Korean government, it has turned into an incredible huge ecological park. There are a total of 22 lookout points here!
Check out the artistic-looking observation deck. Remember to climb up there and have a full view of the “Lalang Land”.
You know this place is really worth coming if I told you that I have come here thrice during the last autumn~
You do not have to worry about the crowds as this field is so huge. Each one will definitely have his own little patch of silver grass to disappear into and take pictures! There are also many couples here to take their wedding photos~
This is also definitely one of the best places to see the sunrise and sunset. I personally will like to recommend to you all to come at least 2 hours earlier before the sunset. After strolling around the land of silver grass, catch the sunset and enjoy the view of the whole city at the golden hour. The best spot to gaze over these views will be the cozy rest areas at the edge of the park. There are even benches that facing the Han River and Seoul city.
Although this is a nice attraction to have a stroll and enjoy the view, it is not a good idea to spend an hour or two reading your book or picnicking here! Because there will be lots of small flies around you. Although these little flies will not bother you, the sight of a whole bunch of flies flying above your head might be a little disgusting as well.
How to Get There?
You can easily walk up this hill, either taking the steep stairways or taking a slightly longer route along the roads. The climb lasts an astonishing 291 steps. To me, I prefer walking up the hill and going down by stairs~ It might be a little exhausting to climb up there. Nevertheless, the effort is well worth it for this, I really love the view of going up there~ It took me around 45 minutes to walk up the hill and 15 minutes to go down using the stairs.
Nowadays, you can also take the golf-cart shuttle service departing from the park’s entrance. one way ride will cost you 2,000 won whereas round trip will cost around 3,000 won. Unfortunately, the queues for the shuttle service can be incredibly long during the peak season, so make sure to arrive well ahead of time. If you arrive at the main entrance and see no long queue over there, why not paying a little extra and ride on the shuttle?
- Official website: parks.seoul.go.kr
- Address: 121-250ย ย 95 Haneulgongwon-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Subway:ย Line 6 World Cup Stadium 25 minutesโ walk from Exit 1
Haneul Park is one of those places that you just want to come back to again and again. I canโt wait to visit it again during the upcoming autumn season. If you visit there, I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It was a real treat!
