Yeouido Han River Park
Han river or Hangang is the main river flowing through the city of Seoul to the Yellow Sea, dividing the city north and south. This river is the most important symbol of the city for its beautiful nature and historical value. When visiting Seoul, itโs hard to miss the Han River lined with parks that make it the perfect place to rent bikes, go on cruise by the river, enjoy bird-watching, having romantic picnic during the summer months and enjoy the cherry blossom festival during spring months.
A brief history
Since the ancient times of Joseon Dynasty Han River has been a valuable river for transportation of trade with China and other countries. However the river is no longer actively used for navigation, because itย is at theย borders of the two Koreas. Geographical fact about Han River is that it is 494 kilometre in length and 2.5 meters in depth. There are also several islands in the river, such as Yoido located within the city.
In this post I will show the most beautiful ones that worth to see and explore. So, there are several parks but the most easily accessible park along Han River is Yeouido Han River Park. This park is very famous for its the largest ยซI Seoul Uยป sign in the city, which is pretty photographic and can be very good Instagrammable place in Seoul.
How to get there
- Yeouinaru Station ( Seoul subway line 5) exit 1
- Yeouido Station (Seoul subway lines 5, 9) exit 3
Address
68 Yeouigongwon-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
Renting a bike
As mentioned before the Han River are lined with pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths, public parks and Yeouido Han River Park is the best spot for these activities. The price for renting a bike there is less than 5,000KRW per hour for a single bike and for a tandem bike for couples. Riding a bike gives a chance to explore beautiful views to the city around the river and also good exercise for body, in case you get tired you can stop and sit on the grass whenever you want.
In this blog I will specify on picnic at the park Yeouido. In front of the station exit you can buy special picnic blankets for about 3000won or even rent a tent. After you decide where to sit you can choose food from ordering chicken, pizza or making ramen from convenient stores, which is 2000-3000won.
Snacks
Aside from the biking or having picnic, there is also a Han River Cruise which I strongly recommend. It is a different way see the cityscape. One of the famous cruise is The ELand Han River Cruise which operates tours for English speakers.
There is a website www.elandcruise.com where you can book the tickets for cruise, but it is in Korean.
According to my experience the best time to visit Yeouido Han River Park is spring with its Cherry Blossom festivals and late summer for picnic and biking rides.
