Seoul Autumn Foliage 2026: When It Peaks and Where to Go

Seoul’s autumn color builds from about October 30 and should peak in early November; that is our estimate for 2026, set out below. For one day of foliage without hiking, start at Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbokgung Station, Line 3, Exit 5), walk the ginkgo streets along its wall, Hyoja-ro and Samcheong-dong-gil, and finish at Deoksugung, which stays open until 9 p.m. Go Wednesday to Sunday: Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays and Deoksugung on Mondays. From October 29 to November 15, 2026, the four palaces and Jongmyo are free; before that, a foreign adult pays ₩3,000 at Gyeongbokgung and ₩1,000 at Deoksugung.

When does Seoul’s foliage peak in 2026, and which palaces are free?

Our estimate: color builds from about October 30 and peaks in the first days of November. The window is bounded by two forecasts: the Korea Forest Service’s national species dates at the early end and a private forecast for Bukhansan at the late end.

Source	2026 date	Type
Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA)	Bukhansan first color October 14, one day earlier than usual (October 15) and eight days earlier than 2025	Observed
Korea Forest Service and National Arboretum	Peak across Korea in late October: ginkgo October 30, maples and oaks October 31	National species forecast
Korea Tourism Organization, forecast by Weatheri	Bukhansan first color October 23, peak November 4	Private forecast

Status on November 2: the KMA’s Bukhansan page (Korean-language page) shows peak, photographed October 26.

Free palaces: from Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 15, Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo are free for everyone during the Korea Grand Festival (notice, Korean-language page). The Changdeokgung Secret Garden is excluded, and so are closing days. Jongmyo becomes walk-in for the period (details).

Closures inside the window: Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung on Mondays, November 2 and 9; Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo on Tuesdays, November 3 and 10. From November 10 to 15, Changgyeonggung closes to general visitors at 5:30 p.m. for a booked night program (Korean-language page).

Which foliage forecast should I trust?

Trust the KMA for what has already happened and the National Arboretum for a forecast. The forecasts disagree because they measure different things:

KMA (press release, Korean-language page): its Seoul Metropolitan Office observes Bukhansan (837 m). First color means about 20% colored from the summit down; peak means about 80% of the whole mountain. Dates are reported from photos, after the fact.
Korea Forest Service and National Arboretum (forecast, Korean-language page): peak means 50% colored, so it comes earlier than the KMA’s. The headline dates are national forecasts per tree species, not for a particular street.
Weatheri, a private forecaster, supplies the Korea Tourism Organization’s forecast, which gives no definition of peak.

Are Seoul’s palaces free during foliage season?

Not normally: a foreign adult aged 19 to 64 pays ₩3,000 at Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung and ₩1,000 at Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung (fees, Korean-language page). In 2026 they are free from October 29 to November 15 (see above).

Palace	Closed	November hours	Station	Korean address
Gyeongbokgung	Tuesday	9 a.m.–5 p.m., last entry 4 p.m.	Gyeongbokgung (Line 3), Exit 5	서울 종로구 사직로 161
Changdeokgung	Monday	9 a.m.–5:30 p.m., last entry 4:30 p.m.	Anguk (Line 3), Exit 3	서울 종로구 율곡로 99
Changgyeonggung	Monday	9 a.m.–9 p.m., last entry 8 p.m.	Hyehwa (Line 4), Exit 4, 12 minutes	서울 종로구 창경궁로 185
Deoksugung	Monday	9 a.m.–9 p.m., last entry 8 p.m.	City Hall (Lines 1 and 2), Exit 2	서울 중구 세종대로 99
Jongmyo	Tuesday	9 a.m.–5:30 p.m., last entry 4:30 p.m.	—	서울 종로구 종로 157

Sources: hours and closing days and directions for Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung, all Korean-language pages.

Our pick for late light: Deoksugung, open until 9 p.m. The Jeongdong walk starts at City Hall and passes through it.

Is the Secret Garden worth it in foliage season?

Yes, if you can get a ticket: it is the palace garden best known for autumn color. The garden costs ₩5,000 on top of Changdeokgung admission, English sessions include 10:30 a.m., and online booking opens at 10 a.m. six days before your visit. Our Secret Garden guide has the full session list and booking steps.

Where can I see autumn leaves without hiking?

Hyoja-ro and Samcheong-dong-gil are the two best: ginkgo streets along Gyeongbokgung’s wall that join up with a palace visit. Both are on the Seoul city government’s list of autumn foliage streets (Korean-language page), as are the Namsan roads below.

Place	Best for	Access
Hyoja-ro	0.8 km of ginkgo and plane trees beside the Gyeongbokgung wall, on the road toward Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential compound	Walk from Gyeongbokgung
Samcheong-dong-gil	1.2 km of ginkgo along the palace wall and past the Samcheong-dong galleries	Walk from Gyeongbokgung
Deoksugung-gil	0.3 km of ginkgo and zelkova by the palace’s stone wall	City Hall Station, Exit 2
Namsan north loop road	3.5 km of cherry and maple trees on a car-free road	Dongguk University Station (Line 3), Exit 6, then Namsan circular bus 01B to the North Loop Road Entrance stop (Seoul Parks, Korean-language page)
Namsan south loop road	2.5 km of ginkgo, plane and maple trees	—
Sowol-ro	2.9 km of ginkgo following Namsan Park	—
Inwangsan Jarak-gil	2.5 km forest and deck path to Suseongdong Valley, beginner level, about 1 hour 30 minutes	Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3, then bus 1020, 7022 or 7212 to Jahamun Pass or the Yun Dong-ju Literary Museum (Seoul trails, Korean-language page)
Naksan	2.1 km along the Seoul City Wall from Hyehwamun to Heunginjimun, about an hour, with views over the city; open at all hours	Hyehwa Station (Line 4), Exit 2, 10 minutes (Seoul Parks, Korean-language page)

Our pick for one walk: Hyoja-ro into Samcheong-dong-gil, after Gyeongbokgung.

Is Bukhansan worth the climb for foliage?

Yes, if you are fit and start early: it is the mountain the KMA observes for the Seoul area, so its status is the best-documented in town. The Korea National Park Service (Korean-language page) rates the Bukhansanseong course, from the Bukhansanseong Visitor Center to Baegundae peak, as medium: 3.4 km, about 2 hours 40 minutes. The summit section from Baegunbongammun to Baegundae reopened on October 2, 2026 (Korean-language page).

Trail entry is controlled: you may start on Bukhansan’s trails from 4 a.m., and the last entry is 5 p.m. in the warm months and 4 p.m. in winter (entry hours, Korean-language page). The park’s page lists November under both seasons, so in November start before 4 p.m.

Where can I see foliage on a day trip from Seoul?

Nami Island, about an hour by train from Yongsan plus a short ferry. Our Nami Island guide covers trains, the ferry and tickets.

How do I check live foliage status?

What has happened: the KMA’s Bukhansan page (Korean-language page) shows dated photos for 단풍전 (before), 첫단풍 (first color) and 절정 (peak). Its map covers 21 mountains across Korea.
When a place should peak: on the National Arboretum’s peak-date search (Korean-language page), type a Korean address, such as the palace addresses above, or click the map. The Arboretum puts its accuracy at about 70%.

What if Secret Garden tickets are sold out online?

If online Secret Garden tickets are gone, on-site tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. on the day, first come, first served.

Steve OH edits Seoulpin. Steve runs Standardpin, a Seoul-based web studio that also builds websites for clinics; that work has no effect on whether or how any clinic appears here. Articles are drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed and reviewed by Steve before publishing. How we work