Spring has finally come. It’s time for us to put our blankets away and breathe in the fresh air of the outdoors. Seoul’s green spaces are also busy acclimating to spring. Let’s go out to where the sprouts are sprouting and flowers flowering to have a spring picnic. Just bring one thing with you—a heart, excited and ready to welcome the new season.
# Seoul Botanic Park
At long last, Seoul is opening its own botanical garden. The Park is currently busy with preparations for its grand opening in May. Seoul Botanic Park will introduce many different plants and botanic cultures. It is also a place designed to help the public become closer with nature. The Park will be the size of 70 soccer fields put together; in other words, a giant garden is opening in the heart of Seoul.
The Seoul Botanic Park is divided into major sections, including the Open Forest, the Theme Garden, the Lake Garden, and the Wetlands Garden. The Botanic Cultural Center inside the Theme Garden is already nearly complete and open to visitors. Inside the Center, there is a permanent exhibition, a greenhouse divided into tropical and Mediterranean sections, a Seed Library where you can rent seeds, and a café. There is something special waiting for you at each turn, so you should explore every nook and cranny.
Outside the Botanic Cultural Center, a Theme Garden is being built. The Garden will be divided into eight sections each consisting of native Korean plants and its own unique flair. A building that was once a pump station that provided water to residents 90 years ago has been transformed into the Magok Cultural Center, where a variety of special exhibitions take place. The Children’s Garden offers a range of interactive and educational programs for children, and it is already well known. The Lake Garden is beloved as a walking trail, where visitors can enjoy the blue skies and a lake inspires peace in their hearts. The Wetland Garden, which will be introduced to visitors just in time for the official opening of the Park, and the Theme Garden that is in the process of spring theme preparations, are both highly anticipated.
* info
- - Address: 161, Magokdong-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul
- - Hours of Operation: 9:00 to 18:00 (entrance closed at 17:00), March to October / 9:00 to 17:00 (entrance closes at 16:00), November to February / The Theme Garden is closed every Monday
- - Website: http://botanicpark.seoul.go.kr/
- - Parking: Available from 8:00 to 22:00 for KRW 200 every 10 minutes
- - Pamphlets available in Korean, English, Japanese, and Mandarin
<Information regarding the Partial Closing of the Seoul Botanic Park’s greenhouse (March to April)>
From March 12th to March 31st the Tropical House is closed
From April 1st to April 30th the Mediterranean House closed
※ Though greenhouse sections are unavailable for entry during the aforementioned dates the outdoor section of the greenhouse will be open to visitors
※ Hours of operation for open sections: 9:00 to 18:00 (entrance closes at 17:00), closed every Monday
# Hangang Park & Nanji Camp Ground
The 10 riverside parks along the Hangang River, from Gwangnaru to Yangwha, welcome you to celebrate spring. If you are around the Hangang River, you can enjoy a walk in any of the parks along the way. Although the Yeouido Hangang Park seems to be the most beloved, each park has its own charms that make it inviting. Enjoying the unique charm of each park is fun.
Out of all these parks, a particularly special place on the lower north end of the river may surprise you. This place is the camp ground at the Nanji Hangang Park. Where else could you possibly find such a large campground in the middle of Seoul? It offers all the amenities that one would need to go camping, as well as barbecue spaces for those who would just like to have a barbecue party at the Park. Enjoy your barbecue while looking at the beautiful sunset, then treat yourself to a peaceful night by the Han River.
* info (Nanji Campground)
- - Address: 22, Hangangnanji-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: 02-304-0061 (call 1544-1555 for reservation inquiries)
- - Hours of Operation: Picnic areas open at 10:30 and check-in for the campground begins at 11:00 / Check-out is at 9:30
- - Entrance Fees: KRW 4,000 for anyone over 13 years old, KRW 2,000 for children 6 to 7 years old, and it is free for kids under 5 years old
- - Camping fees:
- · Tent for a family of 4: KRW 33,000 (entrance fees for 4 people included)
- · Tent for a family of 6: KRW 44,500 (entrance fees for 6 people included)
- · Tent for a family of 6 (AC/Heater included) KRW 62,500 (entrance fee for 6 people included, utility bill not included)
- · Mid-sized Mongolian tent (for 4 to 6 people): KRW 40,000 (entrance fees not included)
- · Mid-sized Mongolian tent (for 4 to 6 people/ AC and heater included) KRW 58,000 (entrance fees and utility bill not included)
- · Large-sized Mongolian tent (for 6 to 10 people) KRW 50,000 (entrance fees not included)
- · Large-sized Mongolian tent (for 6 to 10 people / AC and heater included) KRW 68,000 (entrance fees and utility bill not included)
- · Extra-large Mongolian tent (for 15 to 20 people) KRW 70,000
- - Website: http://www.nanjicamp.com/
- - Parking: 30 minute minimum for KRW 1,000 and KRW 200 for every 10 minutes after that (campers can use the discounted parking ticket, which will provide a 50% discount at the automatic pay station when leaving the campgrounds)
# West Seoul Lake Park
40 different fountains will spray water up in the air every time a plane flies by, as if in celebration of each flight. The West Seoul Lake Park found a fun way to distract people from the sounds of planes taking off and landing at Gimpo International Airport, which is located right next to the Park. This space is where the Sinwol Filtration Plant was located, which provided fresh water to the areas surrounding Sinwol-dong for 50 years, until it was transformed into a Park. The theme of the park is water and recycling and there are multiple installations across the Park that fit this theme. This park is located at the foot of Neunggolsan Mountain and is a local favorite for walks and picnics.
Amongst the many facilities that the Park offers, the Mondrian Garden is a must-visit. It is named after Piet Mondrian, a Dutch artist, because they used the Mondrian method to reconstruct the space that used to be a sewage tank for the water filtration plant. The harmonious blend between of the remnants of the filtration plant and nature will make you feel as if you were entering Mondrian’s world of art.
* info
- - Address: 20, Nambusunhwan-ro 64-gil, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: 02-2604-3004
- - Hours of Operation: 24 hours
- - Website: http://parks.seoul.go.kr/lakepark
- - Parking: Available 24 hours / KRW 50 per 5 minutes or KRW 9,000 for full-day parking
# National Museum of Korea & Yongsan Family Park
Visit Yongsan Family Park where you can enjoy a walk in the park, relax, and take a trip back in time. Walk along the forest trail and enjoy a spring picnic using one of the picnic tables under the shade. You could also enjoy sunbathing in the grassy field. The trail is over 4km and has over 10,000 trees planted along the way that paint a verdant path. The various installations all across the park also add a unique touch to it.
If you are already at the park, you cannot miss out on the National Museum of Korea, nor the National Hangeul Museum. At the National Museum of Korea there are always artifacts that represent Korean history and culture being exhibited. Here, you will get a chance to take a close look at anything from hand axes to golden crowns and belts dating back to the Silla Dynasty, a cross-legged Buddha painting, a celadon incense burner with openwork decorations, and other national and cultural treasures. The National Hangeul Museum introduces how Hangeul was created and the various ways that it is used. There is a Hangeul Playground for children, as well as a Hangeul Education Center for foreigners wanting to learn Korean.
* info (National Museum of Korea)
- - Address: 137, Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: 02-2077-9000
- - Hours of Operation: 10:00 to 18:00 daily (open until 21:00 every Wednesday and Saturday)
- - Closed on: New Year’s Day, Day of the Lunar New Year, Day of Chuseok
- - Entrance fee: Free
- - Website: http://www.museum.go.kr/
- - Parking: Compact car parking is KRW 2,000 for the 2 hour minimum with KRW 500 for every 30 minutes after that, to a maximum of KRW 10,000 per day / Mid-sized to large car parking starts at KRW 4,000 for 2 hours with KRW 1,000 added for every 30 minutes after that, to a maximum of KRW 20,000 per day (available from 8:00 to 22:00).
- - Pamphlets available in Korean, English, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Russian, and Arabic
- - Official tours available in English, Mandarin, and Japanese (English tours available 4 times per day on weekdays and twice on weekends / twice per day for Mandarin and Japanese tours)
- - Reservations for official tours: A Walk of Famous Artifacts in the Museum (reservations must be made at least one day in advance on the website or through phone call.
- - For English tours: 02-2077-9683, for Japanese tours: 02-2077-9676, for Mandarin tours: 02-2077-9686)
- - An audio guide is available on “The National Museum of Korea” smartphone app<
* info (National Hangeul Museum)
- - Address: 139, Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- - Contact: 02-2124-6200
- - Hours of Operation: 10:00 to 18:00 daily (open until 21:00 every Wednesday and Saturday)
- - Closed on: New Year’s Day, Day of Lunar New Year, Day of Chuseok
- - Entrance fee: Free
- - Audio guide rentals available in Korean, English, Japanese, and Mandarin
- - Pamphlets available in Korean, English, Japanese, and Mandarin
# Seoul Grand Park
If you want to take a day trip to somewhere out of the city, Seoul Grand Park is the perfect place for you. From the walking trail around the reservoir, the Skylift to fly you through the skies, the Elephant Train to take you on a ride down memory lane, to the cherry blossoms that paint the park pink every spring. There are plenty of things to help you enjoy spring.
Take a walk around the Seoul Zoo. The Dullegil, along which you can pass by all the main sections of the Zoo, is very pleasant. Here, you can meet the many animals that are waking up from their hibernation and opening their eyes to the new season. There is a small botanical garden available, too, where you can enjoy the sights of various trees and flowers. There is a forest trail for those who want a true experience of nature in spring. The Dullegil, an 8km trail that circles around the Seoul Zoo, is ready to welcome both you and spring.
* info
- - Address: 102, Daegongwongwangjang-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
- - Contact: 02-500-7335
- - Hours of Operation: 9:00 to 19:00 daily
- - Entrance fees (for the Zoo): KRW 5,000 for adults / KRW 3,000 for adolescents / KRW 2,000 for young children
- - Fees for the Elephant Train: KRW 1,000 for adults / KRW 800 for adolescents / KRW 700 for young children
- - Fees for the Skylift: KRW 6,000 for one ride, KRW 11,000 for two rides, and KRW 15,000 for a day pass for adults / KRW 4,500 for one ride, KRW 8,000 for two rides, and KRW 11,000 for a day pass for adolescents / KRW 4,000 for one ride, KRW 7,000 for two rides, and KRW 10,000 for a day pass for young children
- - Website: http://grandpark.seoul.go.kr/
- - Parking: KRW 5,000 for regular cars / KRW 2,500 for compact cars / KRW 10,000 for buses for 25+ people
- - Seoul Zoo pamphlets available in Korean, English, Mandarin, and Japanese
- - Ecology classes on featured animals available (in Korean)