Haneul Park (or Sky Park) is a park located in the Mapo-gu district of Seoul.ย It is one of the four parks of the World Cup Park.ย A former landfill, this place has now become an ecological park very popular with locals and tourists.ย
The history of the park
Haneul Park is part of the World Cup Park which is divided into 4 parks:
- Pyeonghwa Park (Peace Park and Peace Park)
- Haneul Park (Sky Park)
- Noeul Park (Sunset Park or Park sunset)
- Nanjicheon Park
The World Cup Park site was originally an island in the Han River named Nanjido and contained many wildflowers and migratory birds. In 1978, the capital transformed this place into a very large landfill until 1993.
A project to rehabilitate the site then began. Then, on May 1, 2002, the World Cup Park was built to commemorate the 17th FIFA World Cup which took place in South Korea and Japan.
When is the best time to go to Haneul Park?
Haneul Park is pleasant to discover all seasons of the year. However, in the fall , the park is particularly known for its magnificent expanses of muhly rose grasses !
What to see and do in Haneul Park?
Relax and take a stroll
Haneul Park is an ecological park ideal for relaxing and enjoying nature away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. It includes many benches to take a break.
It is also a very pleasant place to go for a walk, because the park is very large! Finally, if you want to have a bite to eat, note that a mini-market is available on site.
Observe Seoul from above from Haneul Park
Haneul Park is located at the highest point of World Cup Park. The parkโs various observatories offer a panoramic view of Seoul.
I advise you to go there around sunset time: the capital is magnificent to see with all its lights!
Seoul Silver Grass festical
The park hosts the Seoul Silver Grass Festival every year in October. We can first observe the fields of Eulalie, but also the grass of pink muhly and summer cypress which I told you about above.
Several events also take place such as music concerts or exhibitions.
Finally, this festival is a unique opportunity to be able to go to the park at night. Indeed, to respect its wildlife, the park usually closes in the early evening. On this subject, I tell you about the opening hours of the park at the end of the article.
- Festival date:ย In October (canceled in 2020)
- Price:ย free
How to go to Haneul Park?
- Address:ย 487-48 Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (์์ธ ๋งํฌ๊ตฌ ์์๋ 481-72)
- Getting there by metro: Take line 6 and stop at theย World Cup Stationย (์๋์ปต ๊ฒฝ๊ธฐ์ฅ ์ญ).ย Then takeย exit 1.ย From there, two options are possible to go to the heart of Haneul Park: walk to the park or take a shuttle bus.
- Walk:ย To get there on foot, just walk straight after takingย exit 1ย of the metro.ย You will see on your right two bridges with a bus stop.ย Go under these bridges, then cross the road.ย You should see a large parking lot in front of the zebra crossing.ย Once you have crossed, continue to the right and then turn left. You will see a blue footbridge.ย You have to climb this footbridge to then access theย 291 stepsย that will take you to Haneul Park!ย The walking time is approximately 31 minutes. Walking route from the metro station to Haneul Parkย and below I added a picture with the path.
- With the Shuttle Bus:ย If you want to avoid climbing the 291 steps, there is a paid shuttle bus to get to Haneul Park.ย In the image below, the yellow square is the Nanji parking lot where the bus stop is located.
- Map of the bus stop located at Parking Nanjiย :ย Naver Map
- Directions from Metro Station to Nanji Parking:ย Naver Map
- Opening hours:ย From March to November: 10:00 a.m. โ 8:00 p.m. // From December to February: 10:00 a.m. โ 6:00 p.m.
What are the opening hours of the park?
Opening hours vary from month to month and the park is closed at night to protect its wildlife.
| Month | Opening time |
|---|---|
| January | 07:00 โ 18:00 |
| February | 07:00 โ 18:30 |
| March | 06:00 โ 20:00 |
| April | 05:30 โ 20:00 |
| May | 05:00 โ 20:00 |
| June | 05:00 โ 20:30 |
| July | 05:00 โ 20:30 |
| August | 05:30 โ 20:30 |
| September | 05:30 โ 20:30 |
| October | 06:00 โ 20:00 |
| November | 06:30 โ 20:00 |
| December | 07:00 โ 18:00 |
