Olympic park

Olympic Park is an impressive park with modern sports stadiums, eco-friendly forest and spacious grass fields. Olympic Park was originally built for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and nowadays the park is the South Korea’s largest sports arena. Also it has become a place with wide range of cultural, sporting and leisure opportunities where Seoul residents come to relax. 

This park spreads across approximately 1.45 million square meters. Olympic Park surrounds the land that was once Mongchontoseong Fortress and Mongchonhaeja (manmade lake) from the early Baekje period. 

Olympic Park is divided into four zones: arts and culture, recreation and sport, environment and history. The History Experience Park dedicated to the area’s rich historic heritage. 

In the northwest of the park are the environment and history zones featuring a walking trail along the ancient fortress and places to learn about the natural world. The southern part of the park that has the arts and culture zone is home to the SOMA Museum of Art and an outdoor sculpture park. Actually, Olympic Park is one of the world’s top 5 sculpture parks featuring over 200 sculptures by national and international artists including both famous names and emerging talents.

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Olympic Park is so large and takes over three hours to explore. Therefore it is better to familiarize with entrances and exits and travel routes before the start. To further save time, visitors can ride the Road Train (“Hodori Train”) located next to Peace Square. 

How to get there

By Subway

The easiest and cheapest way is by subways. There are three  different subway stations that are close to the gates. 

• The Line 8: Mongchontoseong Station, Exit 1
• Line 9: OlympicPark Station, Exit 3 / Hanseong Baekje Station, Exit 2
• Line 5: OlympicPark Station, Exit 3

By bus

Get off at Olympic Park Bus Stop.

• Green Bus: 3214, 3220, 3319, 3412

Get off at Olympic Park Peace Plaza Bus Stop.

• Green Bus: 3412, 3413
• Blue Bus: 340

Get off at Olympic Center Bus Stop.

• Green Bus: 3318, 3319, 3411, 4318
• Blue Bus: 340, 341, 351

Here I will leave link for the  detailed map from the official website.

Operating Hours

• Pedestrian and bicycle access: 05:00–22:00 (Plaza area until 24:00)
• Access by car: 06:00-22:00
• Prohibited from entering park except for Peace Square and Meeting Square after 22:00 for facility safety and personal protection

Fun things to do at Olympic Park

Olympic Park is considered as being one of the best date spots. There are many fun things to do there. It starts from biking, having picnic, taking beautiful pictures and etc.There is always families with small children, people playing sports and couples.

Wild Flower Garden

So, as the first place at the park to start with visiting, I will recommend the Wild Flower Garden. This big park is always a great place for a photo opportunity. Even though Seoul has millions of people and probably thousands visiting the park on the weekends, there’s always enough space to take photos with beautiful flowers. Depending on season of the year types of blooming flower are different.

• Red Poppies in Spring (May – Jun)
  
• Yellow Cosmos in Autumn (Sep – Oct)
  
• Sensation Cosmos in Autumn (Sep – mid Nov)

Olympic Park Ice Skating

In winter (End Dec – Early Feb) there is ice skating rink and it operates near World Peace Gate at Olympic Park every Winter . The admission fee is affordable (from 3,000 won) and includes skates and helmet rental.

Bicycle Rental at Olympic Park.

This is probably the most popular activity  during the summer and autumn says.There are always families, friends and couples  riding bike around the main entrance’s lakes and paths.

There are different types of bicycles: a two wheeled or four-wheeled bicycle. The bicycle rental shop is located between SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium and Woori Art Hall.

Operating hours is 10:00 to 18:00. It is closed on Mondays.

• Rental Charges: Two-wheeled bicycle – from 3,000 won / Four-wheeled bicycle – from 7,000 won / 30 mins.

One tree hill

When visiting Olympic Park, do not forget to stop by One Tree Hill. It is one of the park’s top nine highlights. The singular tree in the middle of a vast field creates a landscape not unlike a painting and is a great spot for photos. It’s extremely popular as a venue for wedding photos. Although you’ll see many families and couples taking photos.

Olympic Park is one of my favorite places to go with my boyfriend or to hang out with friends. It is beautiful and spots are large. It offers a variety of activities from having picnic to sports if you love enjoying the nature.

424, Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 송파구 올림픽로 424 (방이동)