If anyone were to ask me what my favourite season is, I would answer, “Autumn” in a heartbeat. My first encounter with Autumn was 5 years ago in Korea, after which I had published some posts of the places I visited.
Having booked my recent Autumn trip back to Korea for the 2nd week of November, I was cautious not to keep my hopes high since the peak of fall foliage usually lies between the last week of October and 1st week of November.
Alas, I reached Seoul and was greeted with good news and bad news. Good news – there were still plenty of foliage in certain parts of Seoul. Bad news – due to the unusually warm autumn this year, many leaves could not turn yellow/orange/red. You can spot that in my photos below too.
Still, I am grateful to catch the end to autumn (and an insanely quick transition to winter).
Here were the 3 spots in Seoul where I caught the vibrant colours of fall.
- Sungkyunkwan University – Myeongnyundang Hall (성균관대학교 – 명륜당)
Standing majestically in the Myeongnyundang Hall in Sungkyunkwan University are a pair of gingko trees, one of which is the Natural Monument No. 59 of Korea. There are also several other gingko trees in the area. This is a well-known spot for both locals and tourists alike, so I recommend heading there early in the day to avoid the crowd.
Directions: The nearest subway station is Hyehwa, from which there is about a 20mins walk from Exit 4. I’ll recommend taking a bus which brings you closer to the campus.
2. Hyoja-ro – Staff Picks (효자로 – 스태픽스)
The Hyoja-dong neighbourhood, including the Seochon Hanok Village, is one of my most frequented areas whenever I’m in Seoul. Compared to the adjacent Bukchon Hanok Village and palaces, this area is much less touristy and has many good independent cafes and bookstores.
Hyoja-ro is the road which outlines one side of the palace walls of Gyeongbokgung and I particularly love the stretch of gingko trees lining the pathway.
Nearby, there is Staff Picks café which is strategically situated next to 2 large gingko trees.
Directions: From Gyeongbokgung Station, a 12 mins walk from Exit 1 will lead you to Staff Picks Café. Exits 2, 3 or 4 can lead you to Hyoja-ro.
3. Bukhansan Ui-dong + Café Relax (북한산 우이동 – 카페릴렉스)
It was my first time going out of my way to this neighbourhood situated at the foot of the Bukhan mountain. In this little neighbourhood where the Ui-dong stream flows across, I found several bakeries, cafes and restaurants. One of which is Café Relax, which offers different sections of seating areas where you can get a good view of the fall foliage, especially the maple leaves. Unfortunately, I came a week or two too late and missed out on the best views.
Directions: I took a train to the Bukhansan Ui station, exited via Exit 1 and walked about 20mins to the café. Buses do not go up to this area.
Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog 
All beautiful – Thank you Crystal ♥
Thank you for the kind words!