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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanNamsan Fall Foliage (2026): Peak Dates, Walking Trails
Checked Oct 12, 2026
Namsan's leaves are forecast to peak around Oct 31 to Nov 2, 2026, on the Korea National Arboretum's peak-date map (a model with about a 70% hit rate, looked up on Oct 12). Seoul city's own notices for 2021 and 2025 put Namsan's peak around Nov 10, so keep the whole span in mind. The classic walk is the North Ringway (북측순환로), 3.42 km of gentle, car-free path that Seoul says strollers and wheelchairs can use. The step-free Sky Forest Trail (1.45 km of deck) and a 0.5 km stair path both lead on to N Seoul Tower.
I should say this up front: I really don't like crowds. The last time I went up Seoraksan, it was a little after the announced peak, and I climbed all the way to the top. That autumn, two years ago, stayed warm for a long time, and near the summit the leaves had already burned out and fallen.
Namsan is a different kind of walk, a hill in the middle of the city. I'm from Korea. Years ago, before it was called N Seoul Tower and long before there was a wall of padlocks in front of it, I went up Namsan in winter with my uncle. We went for exercise, and we hurried up the stairs, panting the whole way. This guide covers the paths you can choose now, and when the leaves are ready.
Jump to: Peak dates · Trails · Where the colour is · To the tower · Step-free · Toilets and rest · Getting there · FAQ
When do Namsan's autumn leaves peak in 2026?
Around Oct 31 to Nov 2 on the newest government forecast, and around Nov 10 on what Seoul city has said in past years. They are different kinds of source, so I list all three.
| Source | What it says for Namsan |
|---|---|
| Korea National Arboretum 2026 peak-date map (a statistical model fed by 829 citizen scientists; the site says about 70% hit probability and that real dates can differ) | Oct 31: N Seoul Tower, Palgakjeong pavilion, cable car upper station · Nov 1: Baekbeom Square, Namsan Library, North Ringway, Sky Forest Trail, outdoor botanical garden · Nov 2: Yejang Park, Myeongdong Station, Namsangol Hanok Village. I looked up each point on Oct 12, 2026. |
| 2026 foliage map, Korea Tourism Organization with the Arboretum (released Oct 8) | Reports say the capital region and Gangwon are expected to peak from late October. The reports don't single out Seoul or Namsan. |
| Seoul city notices for its autumn Namsan Dulle-gil events (2021 and 2025) | Leaves start to turn after mid-October and peak around Nov 10. These are past-year notices, not a 2026 forecast. |
The span from the Arboretum's Oct 31 to Seoul's Nov 10 is ten days (my arithmetic), so plan for that window rather than one date. The Arboretum model puts the hilltop one to two days ahead of the lower paths. To look up your own spot, use the Arboretum's peak-date lookup and click the map. Seoul's festival also runs a guided Autumn Foliage Walk on Oct 23, 24, Nov 6 and 7: see the Namsan Night Festival guide.
Which Namsan trail should you walk?
Seoul's park leaflet splits the Namsan Dulle-gil (남산둘레길) into six pieces. The two that matter most for autumn walkers are the flat North Ringway and the newer Sky Forest Trail.
| Trail | Length | From and to | What it is like |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Ringway (북측순환로) | 3,420 m | The rest area at the cable car entrance to the North Ringway entrance at the National Theater of Korea | The longest and widest piece, gentle slope. Cars and bicycles are banned. Seoul calls it barrier-free for strollers and wheelchairs. |
| North Forest Trail (북측숲길) | 0.5 km | The North Ringway near the cable car station up to N Seoul Tower | Wooden deck stairs, steep. Seoul says about 20 minutes to the summit. |
| Sky Forest Trail (하늘숲길) | 1.45 km of deck (1.63 km in total) | Sowol Garden next to Namsan Library to the Namsan fitness area | Barrier-free deck, a zigzag through a metasequoia forest, 8 viewpoints. Opened Oct 25, 2025. |
| History & Culture Path | 640 m | Sowol Garden to the North Ringway rest area | Passes the Namsan Public Library and the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Museum. |
| Natural Ecology Path | 1,650 m | Outdoor botanical garden rest area to Sowol Garden | The leaflet calls it relatively steep in places. |
| Wildflower Path and Forest Path | 880 m and 910 m | Forest Path to the wildflower garden, then to the botanical garden rest area | Mostly forest trail. |
The full Dulle-gil loop was 7.5 km, about 3 hours, in Seoul's 2021 and 2022 notices. With the Sky Forest Trail added, the park leaflet's total is 9.1 km. For the North Ringway alone, 3.42 km at a relaxed 3 to 4 km/h is roughly 50 to 70 minutes one way (my calculation, not an official time).
Cost. All of these paths are free to walk. Only the N Seoul Tower observatory charges: 29,000 won for an adult, no reservation, in the N Seoul Tower guide.
Where is the autumn colour on Namsan?
Seoul city names the North Ringway as the best foliage walk. Its Nov 2021 release says it is where to go for the leaves, and its 2025 notice lists a guided foliage tour on the route.
On the Sky Forest Trail, Seoul's October 2025 articles point to the round Solbit viewpoint (솔빛전망대) for 360-degree autumn scenery and to the Wind Viewing Bridge (바람전망다리) for a view over the metasequoia forest. There is a shaded rest area at the zelkova viewpoint (느티나무 전망대). The deck itself is step-free, but some of the lookouts, the Solbit viewpoint among them, take a few stairs to reach, according to Seoul's October 30, 2025 media hub report and the Kyunghyang Shinmun's Nov 2, 2025 report.
The photo above is from a different path, the Namsan Jarak Forest Trail (남산자락숲길) at the foot of the hill, which has viewpoints back up toward the tower. And along the old fortress wall (남산성곽길), fallen leaves cover the path in November. This is the view the Korea Tourism Organization photographed there in 2011.
How do you walk on to N Seoul Tower?
There are two ways from the paths to the summit, and Seoul describes both.
Stairs: the North Forest Trail. Seoul city opened it on July 28, 2025: 0.5 km of wooden deck stairs from the North Ringway up to the tower, cutting the walk from about 1 hour on the older ring trail to about 20 minutes. Expect it to be steep.
Step-free: the Sky Forest Trail. Seoul says it is a barrier-free deck built so that wheelchair and stroller users can reach N Seoul Tower.
One combined day. You can go up one way and come down the other, then carry on toward Namdaemun. That is the shape of the one-day route in Namsan, Myeongdong and Namdaemun in one day. The cable car is the other way up: see the Namsan Cable Car guide.
Is there a step-free route on Namsan?
Yes, two. The North Ringway is described by Seoul as a barrier-free path that strollers and wheelchairs can use, in notices from 2021 and 2022. The Sky Forest Trail is a barrier-free deck.
The approaches are the hard part. For the cable car end of the North Ringway, the free Namsan Oreumi incline elevator helps, as covered in the cable car guide.
Where are the toilets, rest areas and information?
- Cable car station: the cable car's page lists a restroom and rest area on B1 and a nursing room on 2F, at the North Ringway's cable car end.
- Namsan Park Information Center (남산공원안내센터): beside the 01 bus stop near the tower. Seoul city articles from early 2023 describe free stroller and wheelchair loans (ID needed), a family lounge and nursing room, and staff or volunteers who help in English and Chinese. In 2023 it was open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, so call the Namsan Park office (02-3783-5900) before you rely on it.
- Along the paths: Seoul's park leaflet marks restrooms, rest areas and traditional rest stops on its map (Korean and English PDF) but lists no locations in text.
The Namsan Dulle-gil leaflet is worth saving to your phone before you start.
How do you get to the trails?
North Ringway, National Theater end. Take the Namsan shuttle bus 01A or 01B from Chungmuro Station (Lines 3 and 4) or Dongguk Univ. Station (Line 3). The route has a stop at the National Theater of Korea. The fare is 1,500 won by transportation card only, according to the N Seoul Tower's English page; for a card, see T-money vs Climate Card vs WOWPASS.
Sky Forest Trail, Sowol Garden end. Seoul's media hub says to take Subway Line 4 to Hoehyeon Station Exit 4, head into Namsan Park, and follow the road beside Namsan Library down to Sowol Park. Bus 01A and 01B also stop at Namsan Library, and the park leaflet lists blue bus 402.
North Ringway, cable car end. This is the rest area at the cable car station, reached by the walk from Myeongdong Station Exit 3 or by the Oreumi: see the cable car guide.
You can't drive up. The tower's page says general vehicle access to Namsan has been restricted since May 1, 2005.
Naver Map pins
| # | Place | Naver Map |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Theater of Korea (국립극장) · North Ringway end, bus stop | Open |
| 2 | Namsan Cable Car (남산케이블카) · other end of the North Ringway | Open |
| 3 | N Seoul Tower (N서울타워) | Open |
| 4 | Namsan Palgakjeong (남산 팔각정) | Open |
| 5 | Namsan Park Information Center (남산공원안내센터) | Open |
| 6 | Namsan Library (남산도서관) · Sky Forest Trail end | Open |
| 7 | Hoehyeon Station, Exit 4 (회현역 4번 출구) | Open |
| 8 | Baekbeom Square (백범광장) | Open |
| 9 | Chungmuro Station (충무로역) · bus 01A / 01B | Open |
| 10 | Dongguk Univ. Station (동대입구역) · bus 01A / 01B | Open |
New to Naver Map? Naver Map vs Kakao Map vs Google Maps in Korea explains how to use it.
FAQ
When is the best time to see autumn leaves on Namsan in 2026?
The Korea National Arboretum's model gives Oct 31 to Nov 2 for the main Namsan points (about 70% hit probability), and Seoul city's notices in 2021 and 2025 said around Nov 10. Plan for Oct 31 to Nov 10.
How long is the North Ringway on Namsan?
3,420 m, from the cable car entrance rest area to the entrance at the National Theater of Korea, according to Seoul's park leaflet. It has a gentle slope and no cars or bicycles.
Is there a wheelchair or stroller route on Namsan?
Seoul describes the North Ringway and the Sky Forest Trail as barrier-free, and says the Sky Forest Trail lets wheelchair and stroller users reach N Seoul Tower. The Sky Forest Trail is a 1.45 km wooden deck.
Can I walk from Myeongdong to N Seoul Tower?
Yes. Seoul city says the North Forest Trail, 0.5 km of stairs, takes about 20 minutes to the summit from the North Ringway, which you reach from the cable car station. Add the walk from Myeongdong Station to that point.
Are the Namsan trails free?
The paths are free to walk. N Seoul Tower's observatory costs 29,000 won for an adult.
The Namsan autumn notice
I'll check the Arboretum's map again as the season moves, watch for Seoul's 2026 Namsan Dulle-gil autumn notice, and fix this page if a date changes. The tower's own guide is here.
More Namsan & nearby
- N Seoul Tower: History, Hours, Tickets, How to Get There (2026)
- Namsan Night Festival 2026: Dates, Booking for Foreigners
- Namsan Cable Car (2026): Fares, Hours, How to Get There
- N Seoul Tower at night: last entry, cable car, locks
- Namsan, Myeongdong and Namdaemun in one day
- Namdaemun Market Guide: Eat, Buy, Closed Days (2026)
Sources
- Korea National Arboretum, 2026 Korean Peninsula peak foliage date lookup (statistical model, about 70% hit probability), points looked up Oct 12, 2026
- Reports on the 2026 foliage map by the Korea Tourism Organization and the Arboretum, Oct 8, 2026 (Korean): Kyunghyang Shinmun · Sukbak Magazine · Newspim
- Seoul Metropolitan Government (Korean): Namsan Dulle-gil foliage notice, Nov 2, 2021 · autumn picnic notice, Oct 17, 2025 · media hub notice, Oct 16, 2025 · Dulle-gil notice, Oct 24, 2022
- Seoul Parks, Namsan Dulle-gil leaflet (Korean and English PDF)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government media hub (Korean): North Forest Trail, Jul 28, 2025 · Sky Forest Trail opening, Oct 23, 2025 · Sky Forest Trail report, Oct 31, 2025 · foliage on the Sky Forest Trail, Oct 27, 2025 · Sunset viewpoint report, Oct 30, 2025 · Namsan information center, Feb 1, 2023 · Dulle-gil opening, Nov 2, 2015 · North Forest Trail walk
- Kyunghyang Shinmun, report on the Sky Forest Trail, Nov 2, 2025 (Korean)
- N Seoul Tower, official site, English: getting here by bus · admission · FAQ
- Namsan Cable Car, official site, home page (facilities)
- Photos: Korea Tourism Organization photo gallery, Korea Open Government License Type 1 (credited; cropped to size)
— SeoulAslan
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