Korea Forest Service picks 5 arboretums to visit for fall foliage and festivals

The Korea Forest Service on Thursday highlighted five arboretums from its "2026 Top 10 Arboretums to Visit" list where visitors can enjoy fall foliage, autumn flowers and a variety of cultural events.

Autumn at an arboretum is a season for encountering trees ablaze in different hues, ripening fruit and plants preparing for winter. Visitors can stroll forest paths at a leisurely pace, take in the changing seasons, and enjoy a range of festivals, exhibitions and hands-on activities.

Hantaek Botanical Garden in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is holding a "Fall Foliage Festival" through Nov. 8. Every Saturday during the festival, a botanical commentary program called "Time of Autumn Leaves" invites visitors to walk the foliage trail alongside a gardener and collect memories of the season.

Cheollipo Arboretum in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, will host an outdoor book fair, "2026 Cheollipo Arboretum Chaekbaseum," on Saturday and Sunday. The event is followed by "2026 Cheollipo Arboretum Autumn Walk," during which visitors can explore the "Secret Garden," an area not normally open to the public, and soak in the atmosphere of the season.

Gicheonsan Botanical Garden in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, offers autumn scenery created by spicebush, Chinese elm and maple trees, among others. Visitors who come around Oct. 30 can enjoy a walk through the forest at peak foliage. Those who book a forest interpretation tour in advance can also hear about the ecosystems of more than 2,000 species of native Korean plants.

Shingu University Botanical Garden in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, welcomes visitors with a chrysanthemum exhibition and a variety of autumn events. A display titled "Chrysanthemums: From Field to Garden," along with a chrysanthemum photo zone, runs through Nov. 1. From late October, the garden will also present a range of exhibitions and hands-on programs, including "Chrysanthemum Bonsai with Volunteers" and a "Flowers and Illustration Artists Exhibition."

Ilwol Arboretum in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, will hold an "Autumn Flower Festival" on Saturday, featuring a garden concert, a special flower exhibition, woodworking and pressed-flower workshops, and a flea market.

Every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 31, the arboretum will also run "Night Light Garden," a nighttime opening until 9 p.m. that lets visitors enjoy an evening stroll among autumn flowers.

The Korea Forest Service is also providing a predicted peak foliage map covering 30 private and school arboretums nationwide to help visitors plan their autumn outings. Visitors can use the projected timing for each arboretum to schedule their trips, though actual foliage conditions may vary depending on weather.

Choi Hyeon-su, director of the Korea Forest Service's Arboretum and Garden Policy Division, said autumn arboretums are spaces where foliage, flowers and fruit come together to convey the richness of the season. "We hope you will walk the forest paths with family and friends, enjoy the diverse cultural events, and fully savor the deepening autumn," he said.