Is there a good autumn walk in Bukchon for ginkgo trees and fall foliage?

The visit-time rule before you set out

In the Bukchon Special Management Area — the “red zone” of about 34,000㎡ around Bukchon-ro 11-gil — tourist visits are allowed from 10:00 to 17:00, and outside those hours tourist visits are prohibited. From 1 March 2025 a fine applies to violations. If your route takes in the alleys off Bukchon-ro 11-gil, keep to that window.

Samcheong-dong-gil: ginkgo street trees and the palace wall

Samcheong-dong-gil is on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s list of autumn foliage roads. The section runs from Dongshipjagak to the Samcheong Tunnel, and the street trees are ginkgo. In the city’s description, the road is one where the Gyeongbokgung wall sits alongside the galleries and craft workshops of Samcheong-dong, and Seoul groups it among the foliage roads “good for walking in the city centre”.

Ginkgo is the most common street tree in Seoul, and when the leaves turn yellow it makes the city’s signature autumn scene. On Samcheong-dong-gil you can see the ginkgo street trees together with the Gyeongbokgung wall and Samcheong-dong’s galleries and craft workshops.

Samcheong Park: extend your autumn walk

An article on Naesonan Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s media hub, describes an autumn foliage outing that starts with the ginkgo along the Gyeongbokgung stone wall, continues along Samcheong-dong-gil where the museums and galleries are gathered, and runs on to Samcheong Park. The same article introduces Samcheong Park as a foliage spot and covers the forest library inside the park.

The park sits at the foot of Bugaksan, so it feels like deep mountains even in the middle of the city. Follow the sound of the stream a little further, then take a cup of tea from the library café and sit down.

Changdeokgung rear garden: autumn inside the palace

If you want the palace side of autumn in the plan, the rear garden of Changdeokgung is the candidate. The Seoul Metropolitan Government article describes the autumn foliage seen through the windows of Seonhyangjae during a reading event held there. Check Changdeokgung’s official guidance for the current way to visit before you go.

Where to rest on the way

Bukchon Wellness Museum, a pharmacy at 33-2 Gyedong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 1st–2nd floors, is a 3-minute walk from Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 3. It is open every day of the year from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and English, Chinese and Japanese are spoken. Immediate tax refunds (Tax Refund) are offered for foreign visitors.

Fitting it into one day

If you plan to visit the Changdeokgung rear garden, check the official visiting guidance first and then set the rest of the day. Walk through Samcheong-dong-gil, sit once in Samcheong Park, and keep the Gyedong-gil pharmacy for before or after the walk — it is a 3-minute walk from Anguk Station Exit 3.