An Autumn Morning Stroll in Seonyudo Park, Seoul, South Korea

So Much Foliage, So Little Time

If you’ve been following me for awhile you know that autumn is My JAM! The cool, crisp air, the deep blue skies, and the ever-changing foliage – from green to yellow to orange to red to scarlet. I loved fall in New York, on Long Island, in the city, and upstate. I thought there was nothing better. Until I came to Korea – and Japan! Sorry, Korea, but I think especially Japan. The way the delicate Japanese maple branches drape over centuries-old temples…it’s breathtaking. I hope to get back there for another fall.

But right now, at the start of November 2026, I am on the hunt for all the best foliage spots in Korea. Today, November 4, we’re juuust about to hit peak…some places peak earlier than others, even within the city. The little microclimates are different everywhere.

And just to share a pet peeve…I think those sites that share the fall foliage forecast dates do a disservice to travelers. People literally schedule their trips around these “official” forecasts…and I find them to always be too early. The issue is that they are based on mountain areas…not…sea level? Ground level? Ha. Not sure of the right terms here, but…”non-mountains.” For weeks I’ve been reading on social sites, “hurry, hurry, you’re about to miss it!” When it’s still just barely starting.

Still, you can’t wait til peak to start visiting all the good foliage sites – there are just too many, and peak only lasts 1-3 weeks…less if there’s a lot of rain or wind. So I like to start with the lower hanging ~~fruit~~ leaves…the places that are sort of B List…nice places, but spots I wouldn’t devote prime time to. That’s how I schedule my time with so many places to see.

And that’s how I wound up at Seonyudo Park, a bit of an outlier of top foliage spots. It’s a little far to get to, and because it’s quite literally an island, there’s nothing nearby – no cafes or cute shops or alleyways. It’s just on a highway that runs across the river.

You’re really selling it, Bettye.

Seonyudo Park

Seonyudo Park sits on a small island in Seoul’s Han River. From 1978 to 2000, it was a water purification plant supplying tap water to southwestern Seoul. Which may not sound particularly scenic, but…stay with me.

When it opened as a park in 2002, they kept much of the old concrete infrastructure and built the gardens around it. Former filtration basins became water gardens, and concrete columns now stand among the greenery. So you get this interesting mix of industrial leftovers and plants growing around them.

There are paths to wander, seasonal flowers and foliage, and views across the Han River. A former water treatment plant might seem an odd choice for an outing, but it makes a pretty interesting place to explore.

Because it is, literally, in the middle of the Han River, it’s very quiet and peaceful. The only nearby roadway is the river-crossing highway that leads to it.

In addition to the serene vibe and closeness to nature, it gets two thumbs up from me for the plentiful seating (I always say the entire WORLD doesn’t have enough seating). In addition to numerous benches and tables across the park, there were these great porch-swing-esque swings with push bars for your feet to really “push” them like a regular swing. That was fun! I could have sat there all day, just swinging, looking out over the river.