Olympic Park is vastly huge—spanning over 1.4 million square meters—so I created this post to help you pin down exactly where to head when the seasonal colors of autumn hit!

Brief Introduction About Olympic Park

Built originally to host the 1988 Summer Olympics, Olympic Park is a seamless blend of world-class cultural art, historic Baekje Dynasty fortress ruins (Mongchontoseong), and massive open green spaces. When autumn arrives, thousands of mature deciduous trees transform the park into one of Seoul’s most breathtaking urban foliage destinations.

When to catch the autumn peak: The last week of October to the first week of November. The series of pictures in this post were captured on October 28th, right at the sweet spot of peak vibrancy.

While there are tons of flora and fauna spots to enjoy throughout this vast recreational park, here are the unmissable locations where autumn colors are captured best:

1) The Road Leading to Soma Museum of Art

The Shot: This is where the viral, highly coveted view of the golden ginkgo tree tunnels with the majestic Lotte World Tower towering in the background is captured.

Photography & Navigation Tip: To frame the Lotte World Tower perfectly against the golden canopy, use a telephoto lens or zoom in slightly from a distance to compress the perspective, making the skyscraper look dramatically close to the tree line.

2) The Flower Field Near Arirang Music Studio

The Shot: A massive seasonal landscaping zone that shifts its identity with the calendar. While famous for cheerful poppies in spring, autumn brings a stunning transition with waves of delicate cosmos and fiery, bushy Kochia (summer cypress).

Visual Breakdown: The Kochia transitions from a vibrant lime green in late summer to a striking crimson-red by mid-to-late October, offering a wonderful textural contrast against the soft, swaying pink and white cosmos petals.

3) Rose Plaza

The Shot: Surprisingly, you can enjoy blooming roses almost all year round (except in winter) in this European-style sunken garden!

The Autumn Bonus: In fall, you get the unique juxtaposition of late-flowering, deeply colored roses framed by a golden perimeter of towering ginkgo trees reaching their peak right behind the stone arches and pergolas.

4) Gaeul Danpung Gil (Autumn Foliage Path)

The Shot: As the name (Autumn Foliage Road) suggests, this is where you can completely immerse yourself in a magical tunnel of amber and gold. It is a long, beautifully maintained pedestrian pavement running along the Wiryeseong Trail (위례성길), stretching from the World Peace Gate down toward the Rose Plaza.

Flora Detail: The walkway is flanked by dense, fully grown ginkgo trees whose fallen leaves create a thick, rustling golden carpet—ideal for low-angle shoe or leaf-throw portraits.

Pro Tips for Your Autumn Photo Walk 📸

Best Time for Light: Aim for 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM. Morning sunlight creates a gorgeous golden-hour backlighting effect through the translucent ginkgo leaves, and you’ll beat both the heavy afternoon crowds and harsh overhead shadows.

Subway Navigation Strategy: Olympic Park is massive and surrounded by 9 different exits.

• For the Rose Plaza: Use Olympic Park Station (Line 5 or 9), Exit 3.
• For the Soma Museum of Art ginkgo road: Mongchontoseong Station (Line 8), Exit 1 is significantly closer and cuts down your walking time.

Logistics & Facilities: The park features convenience stores, automated ticket/info kiosks, and clean public restrooms distributed near major plazas, but it pays to carry a small bottle of water since walking between zones easily adds up to 10,000+ steps.

Gear Recommendations: Pack a polarizing filter if you shoot with a standalone camera to cut glare off wet autumn leaves, and bring a wide-angle lens if you want to capture the soaring scale of the trees alongside the Lotte World Tower.

Final Verdict

Olympic Park is easily one of the most efficient, rewarding places in Seoul to experience full-scale autumn foliage without hiking out to Bukhansan or remote mountain temples. Because of its zoning and massive scale, it never feels overwhelmingly claustrophobic if you map your route beforehand. Whether you’re hunting for that viral skyscraper-and-ginkgo shot or looking for a peaceful afternoon stroll under a golden canopy, this guide will save your feet and elevate your gallery. Grab your camera, dress in layers, and go enjoy peak autumn in Seoul!

Olympic Park Autumn Photo Spots

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