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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanHaneul Park Silver Grass Festival 2026: Sunset by Subway
Checked Oct 17, 2026
The Seoul Silver Grass Festival (서울억새축제) runs Oct 17 to 23, 2026 at Haneul Park (하늘공원) in Seoul's World Cup Park, and it is free. The easy way from central Seoul is Subway Line 6 to World Cup Stadium Station (월드컵경기장역), then about 30 minutes on foot to the foot of the Haneul Stairs and about 8 minutes up them. I went on opening day and was on top from 5:05 pm to about 6:10 pm. The sun was already sitting on the haze above the Han River at 5:36 pm, and the lighting show starts at 7:00 pm.
My first apartment after I got married was right beside World Cup Park, and I walked here a lot. When our first child was born we came here too. I still remember the stairs lit up at night and a spotlight shining from the top at the first festival. I had not been back for years, and I did not even know it was opening day until I got there. So this is a walk I know well, timed for the light.
Jump to: What time to arrive · By subway · Stairs or shuttle · On top at sunset · Lighting show · With Hongdae · FAQ
What time should you arrive for the sunset?
Be on the stairs around 5:00 pm. Silver grass looks best with the sun low and behind it, so the hour before sunset is the one to aim for. I climbed at 4:56 pm, reached the top at 5:05 pm, and the light was already warm by 5:15. By 5:36 pm the sun was touching the haze above the Han River, about 17 minutes before the calculated sunset time.
The sunset times are my own calculation for central Seoul with the NOAA sun formula: about 5:53 pm on Oct 17, 5:49 pm on Oct 20 and 5:45 pm on Oct 23. The official table from the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute can differ by a minute or two. At 6:00 pm the sky had gone gray, and by 6:08 pm the city lights were on below.
How do you get to Haneul Park by subway?
Take Line 6 to World Cup Stadium Station and leave by Exit 1. Seoul's night-view page for the park gives Exit 1 and about 2 km on foot, and the English Wikipedia entry for the station lists Exit 1 as the one for the stadium and Peace Park. Mapo-gu Office Station (마포구청역) is the other station people use, also about 40 minutes on foot to the top according to news reports on the festival.
I did not walk straight to the park. I went into the stadium building on the side where the cinema is, which I remember as a CGV and which is now a Megabox. The second floor has a food court and several places to eat, so I had lunch there. Then I did not go back down. A footbridge runs from the stadium over the road to World Cup Park, and I walked it and kept going slowly toward the entrance of Haneul Park.
From the station gate at 3:58 pm to the first stair at 4:56 pm took 58 minutes, but about half an hour of that was lunch in the stadium. So plan on roughly 30 minutes of walking if you do not stop. If you come from a different direction, show the Korean name 하늘공원 to a taxi driver or search for it in Naver Map.
Should you take the stairs, the winding path or the electric shuttle?
Near the entrance there is a small bridge. On my walk the path split there: to the right is where you board the electric shuttle (맹꽁이 전동차), and to the left is the winding path that zigzags up to the top. The Haneul Stairs go straight up the middle. I took the stairs.
| Way up | Cost | What I saw |
|---|---|---|
| Haneul Stairs (하늘계단) | Free | About 8 minutes from the first stair to the top by my GPS (about +44 m). A long line of people climbed together, and you can stop for photos. |
| Winding path (둘레길) | Free | Longer than it looks. I did not walk it this time, but it is a calm way up if you want to talk. |
| Electric shuttle | Adult 2,000 won one way, 3,000 won round trip. Child (4 to 12) 1,500 won one way, 2,200 won round trip. | I did not ride it. I saw people queueing for it near the top at 5:10 pm and again at 6:01 pm. |
The shuttle fares match both the Korea Tourism Organization's World Cup Park page (route 1) and a news report from Oct 12. Seoul's night-view page says the shuttle to the top leaves from Nanji Stream Park (난지천공원), so it is not the same place as the subway station. For the 2026 last-run times, check the signs at the stop; I did not find them confirmed in an official source. Our full festival guide covers the regular schedule and the walk back down.
What is on top at sunset?
Turn right after the top of the stairs and the grass starts. This year there was a small convenience stand, a flea market and a stage with performances. I did not try to see everything. The best way is to walk until a photo spot appears, take the shot and move on. The views of Seoul are different at each edge of the hilltop, so it is worth walking out to a few corners.
There were structures I had not seen on earlier visits. There was also a small field of pink muhly and cosmos, and kochia bushes (댑싸리) turning pink and green, one of the plants the city lists for the festival. Silver grass in the wind with music coming from far off is what stayed with me. For the first time in a long while I could watch the sun go down with no building in my way.
When is the lighting show, and when does the park close?
The festival board at the top of the stairs lists the lighting show for Oct 17 to 23 at the central stage of Haneul Park. On weekends (Oct 17 and 18) it runs at 7:00, 7:30, 8:00 and 8:30 pm. On weekdays (Oct 19 to 23) it runs at 7:00, 7:30 and 8:00 pm. The city's festival listing describes it as music and colored lights mixed with the silver grass. I left before it started, so I cannot tell you what it looks like.
On opening day (Sat Oct 17) the same board lists the opening ceremony from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, with the lighting ceremony and a lighting show at 6:40 pm.
Hours are the part to read carefully. The city lists the festival as 10:00 to 21:00. The sign at the park says that in October to December the park is open from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm, that the closing time is flexible (sunset plus 2 hours), and that entry is shut 30 minutes before closing. It also says the city limits use of the park after sunset for safety, because the hill is a former landfill with gas vents. So do not plan to arrive late. If you want the lights, be on top well before 8:00 pm.
Going down after dark is slower. I started down the stairs at 6:12 pm, when the stairs and path lights were already on, and I was on the Line 6 platform at 6:51 pm.
Can you add Hongdae in the same afternoon?
Yes, and it is a good plan if you have time before dark. I did not go to Hongdae that day, but the thought is simple: do your shopping or a date there in the afternoon, then cross over to the hill in the evening. From Hongik Univ. Station (홍대입구역) on Line 2, Hapjeong Station (합정역) is one stop. At Hapjeong change to Line 6 and ride three stops to World Cup Stadium Station: Mangwon, Mapo-gu Office, then World Cup Stadium. Count 30 minutes of walking from the station to the first stair, so be on Line 6 by about 4:15 pm to start climbing at 5:00 pm. If you need help with fares and cards, see Seoul Subway Basics for First-Timers.
Naver Map pins
| # | Place | Naver Map |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | World Cup Stadium Station, Exit 1 (월드컵경기장역 1번 출구) | Open |
| 2 | Seoul World Cup Stadium (서울월드컵경기장) · food court on the 2nd floor | Open |
| 3 | Peace Park (평화의공원) | Open |
| 4 | Haneul Park (하늘공원) | Open |
| 5 | Nanji Stream Park parking lot (난지천공원 주차장) · shuttle | Open |
| 6 | Hongik Univ. Station (홍대입구역) | Open |
FAQ
What time is the lighting show at Haneul Park?
From the festival board: 7:00, 7:30 and 8:00 pm on weekdays, plus 8:30 pm on Sat and Sun, from Oct 17 to 23, 2026.
How long is the walk from World Cup Stadium Station to the top?
On my walk it was about 30 minutes to the first stair without lunch, then about 8 minutes up the stairs.
How much is the electric shuttle?
An adult pays 2,000 won one way or 3,000 won round trip. A child aged 4 to 12 pays 1,500 won one way or 2,200 won round trip.
Can you stay for the lighting show?
The festival is listed until 9:00 pm, but entry to the park is shut 30 minutes before closing and the sign says closing time can change. Be on top before 8:00 pm.
How do you get from Hongdae to Haneul Park?
Line 2 from Hongik Univ. Station to Hapjeong, then Line 6 three stops to World Cup Stadium Station, then walk.
Next time I go
I want to come back on a weekday and stay for the lights. When I do, I will add what the show looks like and when I got down. If a time on the sign changes during the week, I will fix it here and change the Checked date.
More festivals and getting around
Watch the video
Sources
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Korean), Seoul Silver Grass Festival listing: festival page
- Seoul Metropolitan Government culture portal (Korean), Haneul Park night-view page: Exit 1, shuttle, free entry
- Korea Tourism Organization, World Cup Park: Korea Trip Tips page with shuttle fares · news report of Oct 12, 2026 (Korean): shuttle fares and walking time
- Signs photographed at the park on Oct 17, 2026: the festival board (opening ceremony and lighting show times) and the Haneul Park hours sign (Seobu Park Leisure Center)
- Station facts: English Wikipedia, World Cup Stadium station · Mapo-gu Office station · Hapjeong station
- Sunset times: my calculation for Seoul (37.57°N, 126.98°E) with the NOAA sun formula, not the official table
- GPS trace and timings: my phone on Oct 17, 2026 (my measurement, not an official figure). Photos: taken by me on Oct 17, 2026 (faces blurred, location data removed)
— SeoulAslan
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