Yangju Nari Park & the Cheonilhong Festival 2026: A Captivating Autumn Garden near Seoul

In autumn, Yangju Nari Park is one of the most captivating gardens near Seoul. While it’s famous for hosting the annual Cheonilhong Festival and having Korea’s largest globe amaranth colony, you’ll also find stunning, expansive fields of pink muhly grass, bright orange cosmos, and fiery red kochia bushes spread across the grounds. This place belongs right at the top of your fall itinerary.

I checked out the Yangju Nari Park in mid-October, and the whole area was lovelier than I expected. If you’re planning a visit, I’d budget at least an hour or two to wander around, snap some gorgeous pictures, and take in all the wonderful autumn landscapes around you.

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Yangju Nari Park Autumn Day Trip Guide | 양주 나리공원

While Yangju Nari Park is famous for its pretty pink muhly, and thousands and thousands of globe amaranth flowers, the farm is actually a sprawling floral paradise featuring dozens of unique autumn plant varieties.

The entire property is divided into a series of manicured plots with flat walking pathways cut between them, making it incredibly easy to navigate and enjoy the spectacular colours of fall in Seoul.

Nari Farm is only open to the public for approximately 6 weeks every year, so if you’re lucky enough to be visiting South Korea at that time, make sure to make the day trip north of Seoul to see it. It’s worth it!

Is there pink muhly grass at Yangju Nari Park?

Yes! Yangju Nari Park is one of the best places near Seoul to see pink muhly grass fields.

There’s a large plot full of some of the fluffiest, cotton candy pink grass I’ve seen near Seoul.

Time your visit for late September to late October, and you’re sure to catch it. Just make sure to get to Yangju Nari Farm before it closes to the public on October 25th, 2026.

My understanding is that all the pink muhly gets cut down around that time anyway. So if your goal is pink – I personally wouldn’t risk missing it by going too late.

When is the best time to visit Yangju Nari Farm?

Autumn is not only the ideal time to visit, it’s pretty much the ONLY time.

Nari Park is an actual operating farm, so opening dates for visitors are limited to just a few months of every year. In 2026, these dates are scheduled for September 18th to October 25th (the opening date was shifted 1 week later due to a lingering heat wave in Korea).

At this time, 28 different fall flowers and grasses are expected to be in full bloom. If you can swing it, weekdays are much quieter inside the garden than weekends, with mornings the quietest times of all.

There’s also various experience programs, a food street area, and a local marketplace in operation during these weeks too.

Yangju Nari Park Opening Hours

The park is open daily from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM during the six-week festival window, but keep in mind that the ticket booth closes 1 hour before the park shuts down at 7:00 PM. I recommend showing up by mid-afternoon at the absolute latest if you want enough time to stroll through the flower fields without feeling rushed.

It’s worth noting that this year, Yangju city extended the opening hours until 8:00 PM to showcase the flower fields under night lights. If you stay just past sunset, the illuminations will be turned on, and the garden will have a completely different vibe.

The Cheonilhong Festival at Nari Farm | 천일홍 축제

Every September in Korea, Yangju Nari Park celebrates its massive globe amaranth colony (cheonilhong in Korean), with a gorgeous autumn festival. And this year, the Cheonilhong Festival has been expanded into October. Keep in mind that while the park itself is open daily for a full six weeks, these official festival events only run for a few select weekends.

For Koreans, the Cheonilhong (천일홍) represents eternal and committed love, because it keeps its vibrant colour, even after being wilted and dried – so you’ll likely see many couples taking pics among these vibrant blooms.

During the main festival weekends, you can also enjoy busking performances, local street food, hands-on activities and more.

Not to worry if you can’t make it during the specific Cheonilhong Festival dates though – the flowers and the main food streets are always there throughout the entire six-week opening window at Yangju Nari Park.

Fun Fact: Cheonilhong translates to 1000 day flower.

How to get to Yangju Nari Park from Seoul?

The easiest, fastest way to get to Nari Park in Yangju is to drive, but if you don’t have access to a car, public transit is fairly simple too. It does take quite a bit longer though, so make sure to budget your time effectively.

If you’d like to rent a car to explore other rural areas in Korea (recommended), you can check prices here.

How to take Subway Line 1 from Seoul to Yangju Nari Park

Using the subway to visit Yangju Nari Park is incredibly straightforward. Just note that local transit routes have changed recently, so older blogs directing you to take other routes are out of date.

For instance, a lot of inaccurate guides still tell you to look for Bus 2-4. Avoid that one entirely now. The city altered that route, and if you take it today, it drops you off way down a residential back alley, leaving you to wander down dirt roads just to find the gate. Stick to Bus 80 or Bus 77-1—they are the fastest, most direct options.

Here’s exactly how to do the trip step by step:

1. Get to Yangju Station on Seoul Subway Line 1. This takes around an hour from central neighbourhoods like Myeongdong or Jongno.
2. Go out Exit 2 and turn left. Cross the street to the bus stop on the left-hand side.
3. Hop on Bus 80 or 77-1. Get off at either the Haedong Village (해동마을) or Nari Park stops. I highly recommend getting off at Haedong Village because it drops you right next to the entrance gate. If you miss it and end up at the Nari Park stop, you will just have to walk back a bit.
4. Budget around 25 minutes for the bus ride. The bus interval runs between 15 to 30 minutes depending on the day and time, so factor in a bit of waiting time.

Alternatively, you can just jump in a taxi from the station to Nari Farm. It takes about 10 minutes and costs less than 8,000 won, which is well worth it if you are travelling with a small group and want to skip the waiting.

Taking the Express Bus From Jamsil Station

If you’re staying on the south side of the river or anywhere near Gangnam, skipping the long Line 1 subway ride and taking the express bus is a more convenient way to go. Express buses use the highway system to head straight north, and are very comfortable with a seat for every rider.

Here’s the easiest way to find the underground terminal and catch the express bus to Yangju Nari Park:

1. Get to Jamsil Station on Seoul Subway Line 2.
2. Follow the signs to the Jamsil Metropolitan Transfer Center. This is on the B1 level, in the underground plaza between Lotte World Mall and Lotte Department Store.
3. Take red bus G1300 and get off at the Yuseung Hannaedeul Apt 9-danji / Hanyang Sujain Apt 2-danji stop. The total bus ride takes about 40 minutes.
4. Cross the road and take green bus 80 for 3 stops to the Sports Centre stop. It only takes a few minutes.
5. Walk 200 metres straight to the Yangju Nari Park entrance.

Alternatively, you can skip that second bus transfer and walk directly to Yangju Nari Farm from the red bus stop in about 20 minutes. Just keep in mind how much walking you’ve already got ahead of you inside the park before you commit to that extra stretch.

Make sure you rely on Naver Maps or Kakao Maps to navigate your way around. Google Maps is notoriously bad for walking directions across Korea and will just end up frustrating you.

Yangju Nari Park Admission Fees & Ticket Prices

Nearly every online source says the admission fee for Nari Park is a couple thousand won, but this is outdated information. Admission fees for Nari Park in 2026 are as follows:

How to Actually Spend the Yangju Love Gift Certificate

When you pay at the gate, they hand you a 5,000 won Yangju Love Gift Certificate. It’s basically a local coupon that works like cash, but only within the Yangju district. Instead of wandering around the neighbourhood trying to find a store that takes it, here are the easiest ways to use it up before you head back to Seoul.

The Snack Booths at the Back: Walk right through the flower plots to the very back of Yanju Nari Park garden. This is where the main cluster of snack stalls is set up, and it’s the best spot to immediately burn through your voucher on street food staples like eomuk fish cake broth, tteokbokki, or a cold drink.

By the Front Gate: If you just want something small right when you arrive, there are usually a couple of basic snack options set up near the main ticketing entrance where you can grab a quick water or ice cream before starting the walk around the garden.

Neighbourhood Cafes and Restaurants: If you prefer to leave the grounds to escape the direct sun, take a short walk out toward Gwangsa-dong street. The city actually registered around 400 local business affiliates in the area that accept the Yangju Love Gift Certificate coupons, so you aren’t just limited to what’s inside Yangju Nari Park.

Keep an eye out for a small orange and green window sticker on the storefronts that says 양주사랑상품권 가맹점. Most independent coffee shops, bakeries, and traditional Korean restaurants within a kilometre of the park will gladly take them instead of cash.

Personally, I recommend using the voucher right away at the snack stalls located at the rear of Yangju Nari Park.

I had a similiar type of coupon when I visited Goseokjeong Flower Garden last year, and it was great for buying snacks and drinks on-site.

Autumn Flower Plots at Yangju Nari Farm

While the globe amaranth and pink muhly definitely steal the spotlight, the farm is split into vast, colour-coordinated plots highlighting distinct autumn botanical varieties.

Globe Amaranth (천일홍)

This massive, purple-magenta sea is the main visual anchor of Yangju Nari Park, forming Korea’s largest single cultivation colony. The flowers are split into expansive, beautifully manicured rows that make it incredibly easy to step between the plots for clean, wide-angle landscape photos.

Kochia Scoparia / Burning Bush (댑싸리 / 꽃담싸리)

These quirky, round, structural shrubs completely alter their personality as the autumn chill settles over Gyeonggi-do. They transition rapidly from a bright lime green to a deep, fiery crimson hue by mid-October, making them a dream to walk amongst.

Whirling Butterflies / Gaura (나비바늘꽃)

This delicate white and pastel pink flower field creates a spectacular moving cloud effect when the autumn wind picks up. The petals dance on tall, thin stalks, perfectly mimicking a swarm of real butterflies resting in the garden plots.

Cockscomb & Pink Asters (맨드라미 / 아스타국화)

Wander deeper into Yangju Nari Park to find beautifully layered, velvet-textured cockscomb alongside neon-purple pink asters. These hardy varieties stay resilient and colourful through the very final weeks of October.

Yellow & Orange Cosmos (노랑코스모스)

Unlike the traditional soft pink and white cosmos found scattered across Seoul’s riverbanks, Nari Farm features dense fields of vibrant orange and yellow cosmos. They grow tightly packed along the main walking paths under the clear autumn skies in Korea.

Essential Tips for Visiting Yangju Nari Park

Here are my personal tips for visiting Yangju Nari Park that can help make your time more enjoyable.

Bring your own shade and sun protection

Even though the weather in Korea is pretty much ideal in autumn, the sun at Nari Farm can still be very strong, and there’s not a lot of shade. It’s useful to wear sunglasses and a hat, or carry a sunbrella / parasol with you.

If you burn easily, you’ll definitely want to slather on the sunscreen. The sun here is direct and intense.

Wear comfortable shoes

Nari Farm is quite large, with over 3.5-km / 2.2-miles of walking routes, covering 33-acres of land. The pathways have some gravel or dirt, so you’d be most comfortable in closed toe shoes or sneakers vs sandals.

Carry your own water

While there is a snack area at the entrance of Nari Park in Yangju, and a food stall area in the back corner, there mostly isn’t water or beverages easily available on the rest of the farm. You’ll get thirsty from all the sun and walking, so make sure to stay hydrated by carrying your own water.

Find the Best Yangju Nari Park Picture Spots

There are so many wonderful places to take pictures, you could literally spend hours doing just that.

You can create your own spots like the one above, or wander around and find the props they’ve set up in pretty areas around Yangju Nari Park.

It takes a little bit of extra planning to make the trip out to Yangju Nari Park, but if you love autumn landscapes and want to see some of the most vibrant flower fields in Korea, it’s absolutely worth the effort. Just make sure to double-check the seasonal opening dates and hop on the correct bus route, so you can spend your day enjoying the flowers instead of wandering around the neighbourhood lost.

I loved my time there, and I’m sure you will too!

Yangju Nari Park: FAQs

I originally researched, wrote & published this guide on July 24, 2025. I review & update my content for accuracy regularly. Watch out for copycats.This post was last updated on October 4, 2026. Copyright © 2025–2026 Travel-Stained. All rights reserved.