Hwadam Botanic Garden 2026: Monorail & Fall Foliage Guide

When it comes to autumn foliage spots,

Hwadam Forest is a place you simply can't miss! 🍁

As an ecological arboretum boasting 16 themed gardens and over 4,000 species of plants,

it's the perfect place to enjoy the autumn scenery

with a leisurely stroll.

I visited in early November myself,

and truly, the autumn leaves were stunning everywhere I looked.

However, during the peak autumn foliage season, Hwadam Forest gets incredibly crowded,

making reservations quite a challenge.

I didn't actually succeed in reserving a ticket right away;

I managed to snag a canceled weekday ticket!

I also tried to ride the monorail,

but unfortunately, I couldn't get a reservation... 😥

So, I ended up walking the entire park without the monorail.

Taking photos and exploring at a relaxed pace,

it took about 2 hours in total.

I'll share everything from how to reserve your Hwadam Forest tickets, entrance fees,

monorail prices, recommended routes,

and even my personal experience walking through it.

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📌 Hwadam Forest Key Information

Location: 278-1 Dochukwit-ro, Docheok-myeon, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do

Operating Hours: 09:00~18:00 (Last admission 17:00)

Adult Admission: ~$8

Monorail (1-stop ticket): ~$4

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1. How to Reserve Hwadam Forest Tickets & Peak Season Ticket Release

Hwadam Forest operates on an online pre-reservation system,

so you'll need to book your tickets before visiting.

Especially during the autumn foliage season,

competition for Hwadam Forest reservations is incredibly fierce.

Autumn peak season tickets

opened on Wednesday, September 16th, at 1 PM.

The peak season runs from

Friday, October 23rd to Sunday, November 15th.

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From October 23rd to November 1st:

08:00~18:00

Last admission 17:00,

From November 2nd to November 15th:

08:00~17:00

Last admission 16:00.

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Operating hours vary depending on the period,

so be sure to check when making your reservation.

I visited on a weekday in early November.

When I first checked,

my desired time slot was already fully booked…

I thought, ‘Oh no… will I not be able to go this time?’

But as I kept checking the reservation page occasionally,

a canceled weekday ticket popped up!

Thanks to that, I successfully snatched a cancellation!

So, even if your preferred date is fully booked,

if you're able to visit on a weekday,

don't give up right away

and try to snag a cancellation.

Of course, there's no guarantee that cancellation tickets will appear,

so if your schedule is firm,

it's always best to book right when reservations open. 👍

▼ Reserve Hwadam Forest Tickets Here ▼

🐣 Hehehohi Travel Tip

Don't give up immediately if you fail to reserve Hwadam Forest tickets for the autumn peak season! I managed to snatch a weekday cancellation myself! 👀

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2. Hwadam Forest Monorail Price & My Failed Reservation ❌

Turns out, successfully reserving Hwadam Forest admission isn't the end of it.

I also wanted to ride the monorail…

But I couldn't get a ticket in the end. 😂

One of the **most popular sections on the Hwadam Forest Monorail** is the **first section**, which goes up from Station 1 to Station 2.

This 1.9km section takes about 5 minutes by monorail, or approximately 40 minutes if you walk.

The price for a 1-stop monorail ticket is ~$4.

One option is to comfortably ride the monorail up the initial uphill section,

then get off at Station 2 and explore the rest of the park on foot. 🚡

Since I couldn't reserve a monorail ticket…

I just walked the entire way 🚶‍♀️

But what I found after walking it myself was that

if you're visiting as adults,

you don't need to be too disappointed

if you couldn't get monorail tickets.

I walked while taking photos

and slowly admiring the autumn leaves,

and the entire route took roughly 2 hours,

and it wasn't as difficult as I expected.

In fact, walking slowly,

I really enjoyed admiring the autumn leaves 😊

However, if you're visiting with kids,

it might be a bit different.

Since you have to walk uphill from the very beginning,

if you're visiting with children,

it might be a good idea to take the monorail for the first section, from Platform 1 to Platform 2,

and then slowly walk the rest of the way

from there.

Since I didn't actually ride the monorail myself,

this isn't a review of the ride,

but rather based on my experience of actually walking the entire route!

🐣 Hehehohi Travel Tip

If you're visiting as adults, walking without the monorail wasn't too strenuous. Conversely, if you're going with children or if uphill walks are a concern, be sure to check out Monorail Section 1 in advance 🚡

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3. Hwadam Botanic Garden Autumn Leaves in Early November: My 2-Hour Walking Review

When I visited,

it was early November.

The autumn leaves were…

absolutely stunning! 🍁✨

It was so beautiful that it was hard to pick just one spot

and say it was the prettiest.

Along the walking paths,

I kept finding myself taking photos📸

Thanks to (or perhaps because of?) not getting monorail tickets,

I walked the entire route from start to finish.

I took photos,

admired the scenery,

and by walking slowly, the entire visit

took about 2 hours.

For adults,

it wasn't as strenuous as I had expected,

and in fact, walking slowly

allowed me to fully appreciate the autumn leaves 🌿.

So, if you're visiting as adults,

you might think, 'Oh no, I couldn't get monorail tickets…'

but you don't need to worry too much.

I couldn't ride it either,

but I still had a fantastic time seeing everything! 😂

And what I also fondly remember

were the photo zones scattered throughout.

Since it was autumn leaf season, there were many tourists,

but when we went to the photo zones, strangers were taking group photos for each other📸

We also took photos for others,

and asked them to take our group photos!

Without anyone having to ask first,

there was a natural atmosphere of people helping each other with photos,

and that's something I fondly remember too 😊.

Most importantly, the autumn leaves themselves

were truly beautiful everywhere you looked.

Now I understand why

reservations for Hwadam Botanic Garden become so competitive every autumn.

Going there in person made it clear 🍂.

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4. Hwadam Botanic Garden: Parking & Food Options

I visited by car,

and parked at the Konjiam Resort area 🚗.

From where I parked,

it was about

a 10-minute walk to the Hwadam Botanic Garden entrance!

I thought I'd have to walk quite a distance after parking,

but it was closer than I expected, which was great 👍.

If you're visiting by car,

search for Hwadam Botanic Garden or Konjiam Resort on your navigation system,

and upon arrival, follow the parking signs.

Inside Hwadam Botanic Garden,

there are also places where you can grab a quick bite and relax.

In front of the Mandarin Duck Pond,

you'll find 'Bunjieopneun Jumak' (a traditional Korean eatery),

and at Hwadam Botanic Garden Café & Shop,

they sell coffee, beverages, souvenirs, and more ☕.

To the right of the ticket office,

there's Cafe & Bakery 'seed green' and

a convenience store.

Lockers are located to the left of the ticket office,

The usage fee is ~$1.

Outside food isn't allowed,

so keep this in mind too📌

Before I entered Hwadamsup,

I had lunch in nearby Gonjiam and then headed over.

After lunch, I made my way to Hwadamsup,

and leisurely explored for about two hours.

It perfectly fit the bill for a day trip itinerary!

딱 괜찮더라고요😊

After getting my entrance ticket,

I even tried to book the monorail,

hoping for a more leisurely exploration...

But my monorail reservation failed🥲

In the end, I ended up walking the entire path,

from start to finish🚶‍♀️

Still, since it was just adults walking at a leisurely pace,

it wasn't overly strenuous, and actually,

walking for those two hours allowed me to truly soak in the autumn leaves.

Especially in early November when I visited,

the fall foliage was stunning everywhere I looked,

I remember being busy taking photos!

However, if you're visiting with children,

considering the initial uphill climb,

it might be a good idea to book Monorail Section 1 as well.

And if you miss out on reservations for Hwadamsup during peak autumn season,

don't give up immediately!

You might get lucky like me and snag a weekday cancellation ticket!

For those planning to visit for the autumn leaves,

make sure to grab your entrance tickets well in advance😊