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Gilpost · Festival calendar · Gwangju-si

FestivalAutumn 2026

Hwadamsup Autumn Foliage

화담숲 가을

This edition · Data as of · Published · Compiled by

Hwadamsup is a hillside botanic garden run by the LG Foundation at Gonjiam, an hour south-east of Seoul, and its autumn foliage season is one of the most sought-after tickets in the Seoul area: gentle boardwalks wind through a moss garden, birch wood, pine garden and bonsai collection, with a monorail looping above. Entry is by advance online ticket only — nothing is sold at the gate. The 2026 peak season runs 23 October – 15 November. We read Korean blog posts from people who went in autumn 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Hwadamsup Autumn Foliage
화담숲 (2)화담숲 (3)화담숲 (4)화담숲 (5)화담숲 (6)화담숲 (7)
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type1, Type3). Shown uncropped, as supplied.

What’s on

From Hwadamsup's notices (checked 12 October). Open daily in peak season: 08:00–18:00 until 1 November (last entry 17:00), then 08:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00).

The whole garden

Garden entryBooking₩11,000 ₩11,000
23 Oct – 15 Nov · 08:00–18:00; to 17:00 from 2 Nov
₩11,000 adults, ₩9,000 seniors and teens, ₩7,000 children.
NOL only (Korean app/site; NOL World in English), account required, up to six tickets. Nothing sold at the gate; same-day cancellations can be bought up to an hour before.
Check availability on NOL (Yanolja) →

From station 1

MonorailBooking
23 Oct – 15 Nov · Timed
₩5,000 / ₩7,000 / ₩9,000 by route (adults). Ticket holders only; leftovers sold on site.

Entrance

Hwadamchae media-art hallWalk-in₩5,000 ₩5,000
23 Oct – 15 Nov · Before entering the garden
₩5,000; garden ticket required.

Sources: Hwadamsup notices, visitor guide and FAQ; the NOL ticket listing.

The essentials

Dates2026-10-23 – 2026-11-15
Where278-1 Docheogwit-ro, Docheok-myeon, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi (inside Gonjiam Resort)
CostAdults ₩11,000, seniors and teens ₩9,000, children ₩7,000 · monorail extra ₩5,000–9,000 · online booking only
OrganisersHwadamsup (LG Foundation) · +82 31-8026-6666
Address경기도 광주시 도척면 도척윗로 278-1
Contact · www.hwadamsup.com
ProgrammePeak season 23 Oct – 15 Nov, open daily — see “What’s on” below.

What 30 visitors said

We searched Naver, the blog platform most Koreans use, for 30 posts from each autumn season, read every one to the end, kept only people who went that autumn (28, 29 and 15), and took ten per year. Sponsored and official-supporter posts were dropped and no writer is counted twice. Every number counts the posts that mentioned something. Hwadamsup is not a festival but the garden's autumn peak season.

What people liked

Beautifully kept themed gardens12 of 30 posts

Pine garden, birch wood, moss garden, bonsai 23-02 23-07 23-12 23-19 24-03 24-18 24-28 25-11 25-15 25-25 25-26 25-29

Gentle boardwalks all the way up11 of 30 posts

Step-free paths beside the stairs; rest stops and toilets throughout 23-01 23-02 23-07 23-12 23-19 23-28 24-18 24-19 24-22 25-21 25-24

Timed tickets keep crowds down4 of 30 posts

Entry is capped by time slot 23-02 23-04 23-12 24-18

A stamp trail for children9 of 30 posts

A seasonal magnet for completing it; insect and fish halls, squirrels 23-01 23-19 24-08 24-09 24-19 24-28 25-15 25-24 25-26

What people struggled with

Leaves not yet turned19 of 30 posts

Mostly green in late October; peak in early November 23-02 23-04 23-05 23-07 23-13 24-03 24-07 24-08 24-09 24-12 24-18 24-19 24-22 25-11 25-21 25-23 25-25 25-26 25-29

Monorail tickets sold out12 of 30 posts

Sold out online and at the gate; standing room only 23-01 23-05 23-07 23-12 23-19 24-07 24-08 24-18 25-11 25-17 25-21 25-24

Food inside is crowded and pricey6 of 30 posts

No outside food; queues and prices at the tavern 23-07 23-12 23-19 23-28 25-26 25-29

Queues after parking9 of 30 posts

Waits for the free lift or shuttle from the lower car parks 23-12 23-17 23-28 24-08 24-09 24-22 25-15 25-26 25-29

These are raw counts, not percentages. Someone who did not mention something is not someone who disagreed.

Who goes, and when

Families with children, people with their parents, couples. Timed entry means several found it calmer than expected, but 11 of the 30 posts call it crowded, with queues at the photo bridges and the pink muhly. Allow two and a half to three hours. In late October the leaves were often still green — 19 posts said so — while those who went on 5–6 November found them at their peak.

Who they went with

With friends2 of 30 posts
With children10 of 30 posts
With parents or adult family4 of 30 posts
As a couple5 of 30 posts

9 of the 30 posts did not say.

Time of day

Afternoon11 of 30 posts
Morning12 of 30 posts

7 of the 30 posts did not say.

Visiting from abroad

None of the posts mention foreign visitors. The garden has an English website whose booking link goes to NOL World (the international version of Korea's Yanolja); when we tried it on 12 October it showed an error, so allow time to book. Tickets go on sale weeks ahead and weekend slots sell out; cancellations reappear a day or two before. Food is not allowed in (drinks are), and there is a Korean tavern inside.

Weather and crowds

It is a hillside: cold in the shade and windier the higher you go, so bring a light down jacket and gloves — though some days hit 25°C. In November it closes at 5pm.

Getting there and access

Most drove (about an hour from Seoul; weekend traffic on the approach). Parking is free, but when the upper lots fill you park at the resort below and take a free chairlift (uphill only) or a shuttle bus — many waited 10–15 minutes. The first time slot gets you parking near the gate. By public transport: Gyeonggang line to Gonjiam station, then a taxi or bus 9 (about 30 minutes; infrequent). QR tickets worked from 30 minutes before to two hours after the booked time.

The whole garden is on gentle boardwalks — pushchairs and wheelchairs can go all the way (only the stepped shortcuts are off-limits). None are lent, so bring your own. The chairlift does not take pushchairs; say you have one, a wheelchair or are pregnant and staff direct you to the upper car park by the ticket office. Toilets are frequent; nursing rooms were cramped by some accounts, well equipped by others. No pets except guide dogs.

Year by year

Autumn 2023

20 October – 12 November. Cookies for on-time entry; the monorail was under repair some days; leaves 30–50% turned in late October.

Autumn 2024

18 October – 17 November. Late colour, peaking around 5–6 November; weekend monorail seats went fast.

Autumn 2025

24 October – 16 November. A new media-art hall (Hwadamchae, ₩5,000) and a shuttle every ten minutes from the lower car park.

Tips from people who went

  • Peak colour is usually the first week of November
  • The first time slot makes parking easy
  • Book the monorail with your ticket; cancellations appear a day or two before
  • Walking without it is fine
  • Get a stamp map at the gate (hard to finish if you take the monorail)
  • Walking shoes, a jacket, water
  • With a pushchair, ask for the upper car park

The 30 posts we read

  1. 23-01 · 2023-10-20 곤지암 화담숲 유모차 끌고 축제 첫날 아이와 방문후기 (수유실, 단....
  2. 23-02 · 2023-10-21 경기도 광주 화담숲 2023 가을 단풍 축제 현황 토요일 주말 도보 후기....
  3. 23-04 · 2023-10-23 경기도 가볼만한곳 화담숲 단풍시기,단풍축제
  4. 23-05 · 2023-10-23 수도권 단풍구경 명소 곤지암 화담숲 절정은 아직, 모노레일 현장발....
  5. 23-07 · 2023-10-24 10월 단풍 화담숲 8시30분 | 주차 | 이벤트 | 기념품 | 참고사항
  6. 23-12 · 2023-10-28 화담숲 예약,주차,리프트,모노레일정보, 화담숲 소요시간
  7. 23-13 · 2023-10-28 화담숲 방문 후기 (23.10.28 단풍현황)
  8. 23-17 · 2023-10-30 가을 단풍명소 곤지암 화담숲 단풍축제 (2023. 10. 28 단풍상황) / 지각....
  9. 23-19 · 2023-10-31 서울근교 단풍명소 곤지암 화담숲 단풍시기 절정 8세와 도보완주
  10. 23-28 · 2023-11-03 [광주] 화담숲 가을 단풍 축제(입장료/입장시간/11월초)
  11. 24-03 · 2024-10-23 [광주] 곤지암 가을 단풍명소 '화담숲' 2탄 (관람)
  12. 24-07 · 2024-10-25 24년 10월 23일 오후, 곤지암 화담숲 가을 단풍 축제 후기 (실시간 단....
  13. 24-08 · 2024-10-28 경기도 광주 화담숲 현장예매 모노레일 주차 10/27 방문후기
  14. 24-09 · 2024-10-28 경기도 광주 가볼만한곳ㅣ곤지암 화담숲 단풍 실시간 (모노레일, 마....
  15. 24-12 · 2024-10-30 2024 곤지암 화담숲 가을 단풍 현황 예약 주차 꿀팁
  16. 24-18 · 2024-11-03 경기 화담숲 가을여행 단풍시기 모노레일 예약
  17. 24-19 · 2024-11-04 [화담숲 단풍 현황] 11월 3일 실시간 방문 후기
  18. 24-22 · 2024-11-05 서울 인근 경기 단풍명소 화담숲 단풍시기 예약방법
  19. 24-25 · 2024-11-06 경기 광주 화담숲 가을 단풍 평일 방문, 11월 운영시간, 스탬프투어 ....
  20. 24-28 · 2024-11-09 2024 광주 화담숲 11월 6일 단풍현황 스탬프투어
  21. 25-11 · 2025-10-26 화담숲 10월말 단풍 즐거운 서울근교 단풍 구경
  22. 25-15 · 2025-10-28 2025 화담숲 가을시즌 실시간 단풍 주차장 셔틀버스 번지없는주막
  23. 25-17 · 2025-10-29 2025 화담숲 단풍축제 절정 시기에 예약하고 실시간 다녀온 후기
  24. 25-21 · 2025-10-31 2025년 10월 말 화담 숲 실시간 현황, 화담채 소요시간 등 (15개월 아기....
  25. 25-23 · 2025-10-31 2025 곤지암 화담숲 예약 실시간 단풍시기 모노레일
  26. 25-24 · 2025-11-01 2025년 11월 화담숲 단풍 실시간 현황 | 예약 시간 6개월 아기랑 주말 ....
  27. 25-25 · 2025-11-03 25년 화담숲(단풍, 모노레일)
  28. 25-26 · 2025-11-03 경기도 광주 화담숲 단풍 및 예약 방법
  29. 25-29 · 2025-11-04 화담숲 서울근교 수도권 단풍명소 2025년 11월 후기 예약방법 가는법
  30. 25-30 · 2025-11-05 [곤지암 맛집] 배연정소머리국밥 화담숲 맛집 내돈내산 후기

All posts are in Korean. We summarise them in our own words rather than quoting.