What are the best things to do in fall in South Korea?

The iconic stops: Naejangsan National Park, Seoraksan National Park, Nami Island. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.

What are the best things to do in autumn in South Korea?

Autumn — autumn (September–November) — is peak season here. Pair the color with Naejangsan National Park, Seoraksan National Park, Nami Island; each is on the map above with the window to catch it.

When do the leaves change in South Korea?

Name: South Korea
Address: South Korea

Maple and ginkgo set Korea's granite mountains ablaze each October, with Seoraksan traditionally first to turn before color sweeps south to Naejangsan and Jeju.

Naejangsan National Park in South Korea — 📍 Naejangsan National Park, South Korea· Photo: Tung Thanh Dang / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Known for

Seoraksan National Park
Naejangsan maple valleys
Seoul ginkgo-lined streets

Things to do in fall in South Korea

3 iconic stops — scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.

Naejangsan National Park

National park

South Korea's most famous foliage destination: a natural amphitheater of ridgelines packed with native maples, plus a planted maple-tunnel entrance road that draws the country's biggest fall crowds every late October.

Don’t miss: Maple tunnel entrance road · Naejangsa Temple · Baekyangsa Temple

Seoraksan National Park

National park

Korea's fall color starts here in late September, working down bare granite peaks and the jagged Ulsanbawi ridge. The cable car up to Gwongeumseong fortress and the walk to Sinheungsa Temple are the two classic ways to see it.

Don’t miss: Gwongeumseong cable car · Sinheungsa Temple · Ulsanbawi rock

Nami Island

Garden

A half-moon island in the Han River planted with tree-lined avenues. The central ginkgo walk turns solid gold by late October, and the metasequoia allée made famous by Korean television draws crowds through November.

Don’t miss: Ginkgo tree avenue · Metasequoia allée

Understand the season in South Korea

Short explainers on why and when the color arrives here.

Colorful songpyeon rice cakes prepared for the Korean Chuseok holiday

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Chuseok: Korea's Autumn Thanksgiving

Chuseok is Korea's biggest holiday: ancestral rites, half-moon rice cakes, and a nationwide trip home timed to the harvest moon.

2026-07-17 · 4 min read

Glowing paper lanterns hung for the Mid-Autumn Festival

Holidays & Celebrations

The Mid-Autumn Festival: Mooncakes, Lanterns, and the Harvest Moon

The Mid-Autumn Festival explained: why East Asia's biggest lunar harvest holiday centers on mooncakes, lanterns, family reunion, and the year's fullest moon.

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Frequently asked

What are the best things to do in fall in South Korea?: The iconic stops: Naejangsan National Park, Seoraksan National Park, Nami Island. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
What are the best things to do in autumn in South Korea?: Autumn — autumn (September–November) — is peak season here. Pair the color with Naejangsan National Park, Seoraksan National Park, Nami Island; each is on the map above with the window to catch it.

See it on the map

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Cities in South Korea

Local peak timing and things to do in fall, computed for each city.

Seoul