Family Travel Friendly (가족 여행 프렌들리),  Gyeonggi-do (경기도)

The Prettiest Autumn Spot In Korea: Yangju’s Nari Park

Having lived in Korea for more than a decade, I have seen A LOT of this country and I can honestly say Yangju’s Nari Park (양주나리공원) is one of the prettiest places I’ve seen in the whole country of South Korea. There are numerous parks around the country and each is a bit different in what they offer. Nari Park in Yangju just north of Seoul is purely for the flower lover within you.

Expansive plot after plot of curated flowers await in colors like purples, pinks, oranges and bright reds. As the autumn sun heats up the days with cool breezes blowing in, this is where to go to appreciate the changes of the season. Learn more about fall in Korea if you’re headed this way in the later months of the year. It’s a gorgeous time to visit.

Kochia flowers, Yangju Nari Park, Yangju, Korea

Get ready to head to a gorgeous flower garden in South Korea:

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How To Get To Yangju Nari Park

Address: 731 Gwangsa-dong, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기도 양주시 광사동 731)

Parking: If you’re driving, there are a number of parking lots near the park and some further away when it’s really busy. There are plenty of signs that will point you to wear to park.

By Subway/Bus: Take the subway up to Yangju Subway Station and take exit 2. Cross the street to find bus stop 39439 and take the small local bus 2-4. Ride the bus for 9 stops, approximately 10 minutes, and get off at Mansong-dong 1-tong. Cross the street and follow the road which is a bit like a back alley road to a main road, cross this and walk continuing to follow the street you just came from. Turn left onto a park path and you’ll see the flower fields.

Join A Tour: Klook has the easiest way to get up to the park and back down into the city if riding on the subway for a couple hours isn’t your jam. The tour will also stop at a famous filming location along with the flower gardens so it’s even better. See more and worry less about the transportation. Book Your Tour Now!


Yangju Nari Park Admission Fees

Admission: While the park was free to enter in 2017, as of 2018 there was a small fee to enter the park. It isn’t too hefty at just W5,000, but there is an admission charge now so keep that in mind.


What To See

Kochia flowers, Yangju Nari Park, Yangju, Korea
Kochia flowers, Yangju Nari Park, Yangju, Korea

Kochia Scoparia (꽃담싸리)

The Kochia scoparia flowers (꽃담싸리) are a shrub that also go by the name of Mexican Fire Brush, Fireball, or Burning Bush and this annual shrub goes from green to deep red come autumn. Walking through this section of the park really had me feeling as though I were walking in some other country or planet. They are just so different in their shape to anything I’ve seen in Korea and the pinks and reds were incredibly gorgeous and left me feeling grateful to have come here.

Kochia are sturdier than many of the other more delicate flowers in the park which also made them interesting to walk among. These have really become wildly popular in parks around Korea and were planted in the gardens at World Cup Park as well as a few other spots around the city of Seoul.

Nari Park, Seoul, Korea: Hallie Bradley
Globe amaranth, Yangju Nari Park, Yangju, Korea

Globe Amaranth (천일홍)

The most substantial plots are for the Globe Amaranth (천일홍). This flower is known as the 1000 days unchanged flower as it doesn’t change color even after being dried. Symbolizing eternal and unchanged love for Koreans, you can imagine these fields are extremely popular with young lovers and couples.

While many areas of the plots are roped off, it’s easy to see where photo zones are and where you can step in to get those wanted nonchalant sitting among the flowers shots… because we all know how often we do that. While they are popular, again, they are the most substantial plots, so there is plenty of space to spread out and get pictures.

Nari Park, Yangju, Korea: Autumn Flowers

Whirling Butterflies (나비바늘꽃)

We walked into the park and headed straight to the cloud of moving butterflies. The Whirling Butterflies (나비바늘꽃) come in pinks and whites and while they look delicate are pretty sturdy flowers. The park is quite long so make sure to walk around and take it all in. After the whirling butterflies were orange cosmos flowers and there were other plots too.

Like I said, the park was just considerable plot after considerable plot of flowers. Some were small and some were tall. Some were bushy and some were delicate, but all of them were gorgeously blooming in the autumn sun… which turned out to be pretty hot since there weren’t any trees to sit beneath.

Nari Park, Seoul, Korea: Hallie Bradley


Nearby

If you’ve got a bit of energy after the fun at the park and don’t want to head straight back into the city but want to continue your trek, try to find this next place… I dare you! Yes, I got a little lost finding my way, but in the end, it was so worth it.

Uijeongbu Art Library (의정부미술도서관)

There is a really interesting and very eye catching library in Uijeongbu which is very close to the park if you want a little quiet indoor time after the or before the flower viewing. The Art Library of Uijeongbu won the 2020 Korean Architecture Award’s Grand Prize and is a cultural complex that combines an art gallery with a library.

The interior is very eye catching and you’ll want to take a seat with a good book and just enjoy the space while learning about art. We greatly enjoyed our visit to this one-of-a-kind library in Korea.

  • Address: 248 Millak-ro, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기 의정부시 민락로 248)
  • Hours: Tuesday – Friday: 10:00am ~ 9:00pm; Weekends: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm
비루개, Greenhouse cafe, Seoul, Korea

Bilugae (비루개)

For an added surprise, if you’re out in the Yangju area, then I’d highly recommend continuing on and trying to find your way up to 비루개.  I’m not saying this will be easy, but it IS worth it.

Bilugae is just about impossible to get to if you don’t have a car.  I’m not exactly sure what Bilugae goes by in English or what it means. When I asked my husband what it means, he said he had no idea. I CAN say, this place is SUPER unique. It’s three greenhouse structures that are combined to make one large greenhouse cafe. The design is really something else. The standard chairs and tables to overlook the beautiful mountain views in Namyangju, but there are also hovels with large pillows, nets to lie in, swinging chairs and more.

  • Address: 227 Yongam-ri, Byeolnae-myeon, Namyangju-si, Korea (경기도 남양주시 별내면 용암리 227)
  • Hours: Thursday – Monday: 11:30am ~ 9:00pm

If heading up to Yangju is a bit far, there are plenty of other places to visit to enjoy autumn in Korea. There are beautiful places with autumn flowers. This would also be a great time to walk around the Seoul City Wall, get the views, see the foliage and see the city while you’re at it.

If you like off the beaten path flower gardens and parks then also be sure to check out the off the beaten path Dream Park in Incheon which is still relatively unknown. Or if you want to find something more easily accessible, head to World Cup Parks to find the pink muhly, kochia, and other autumn blooms. Or head out of the city and find Farm Kamille in Taean-gun.

Autumn is a gorgeous time to get out and about and see what you can see. I hope you enjoy the vie

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6 Comments

    • Hallie

      This year they seemed to get read a bit late. But it stayed warmer a lot longer than usual so it’s difficult to say. I think mid to late October they were almost all red.

  • Karen Reyes

    Hi, I’ve been following your blog for quite some time now and I really enjoy reading all the places you’ve been to esp in Korea. I want to ask if Nari Park is as pretty in April? I love parks but managed to visit only a few although I’ve been to Korea twice already. The people I’m usually with love the city life so not enough time for me. April 2019 will be my first solo trip in korea and I’ve been listing the picturesque parks to see 🙂 thank you and can’t wait to read more from you.

    • Hallie

      I’m not sure what is in Nari Park in April. I was just there this week and can definitely say the curators for the garden are becoming more aware of the popularity of the flowers. Last year there was no entrance fee or parking lots, this year there is a W2,000 fee and parking lots have been paved. But I only saw autumn blooming flowers. By next year, they might open it up to spring AND autumn blooms, but I can’t say what their plans are. As of now, it’s only an autumn spot to check out. But that could definitely change next year. I’d keep an eye on it on Instagram if I were you. ^^

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