How to Visit Asan Ginkgo Tree Road and its 350 Magnificent Ginkgo Trees

If your fall foliage dreams are filled with golden yellow leaves, Asan Ginkgo Tree Road in Chungcheongnam-do is definitely where you want to be. To say that I was awe-struck by the spectacular beauty of this place would be an understatement.

Asan Ginkgo Tree Road is what fall foliage dreams are made of.

Asan Ginkgo Tree Road might be a bit of a trek from Seoul, but trust me, it’s worth the trip!

Asan Ginkgo Tree Road | 아산 은행나무길

Picture a 2-km long avenue that’s lined on both sides with magnificent mature ginkgo trees. They form a luminous amber cathedral in the sky. Then brilliant golden leaves start to float down to the ground by the thousands, creating a scene so striking, it’s too beautiful to be real.

But it is.

Asan Ginkgo Tree Road is the most famous yellow-leafed road in Korea. With good reason. It’s breathtaking.

Asan Ginkgo Tree Road is spectacular © travel-oriented (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Created as part of the Seongyeoksa Temple Project in 1966, this gorgeous avenue stretches from Chungmuhyo Bridge to Hyeonchungsa Shrine. Most of the trees on Asan Ginkgo Tree Road are well over 50 years old, so you can just imagine how magnificent they are.

It’s also right next to Gokgyocheon Stream, which is scenic in its own right.

There are no cars on Asan Ginkgo Tree Road © travel-oriented (CC BY-SA 2.0)

This is a pedestrian pathway that’s closed to traffic, so you can wander around safely without worrying about wayward cars. Good thing, because you’ll likely be gawking open-mouthed at the insane beauty of deep amber leaves, set against a blazing blue sky.

Best Time to Visit Asan Ginkgo Tree Road

The best time to visit Asan Ginkgo Tree Road is undoubtedly during South Korea’s autumn season.

While you’re sure to see some colour in late October, it’s best to aim for early to mid-November for a deeper golden palette. And if your goal is a romantic carpet of golden gingko leaves to walk upon, then mid-November is good timing for better odds.

Asan Ginkgo Tree Road is one of the most picturesque avenues in Korea during autumn

For reference, we visited on November 13th. As you can see from the photos, there were still a ton of leaves on trees, as well as a yellow layer of ginkgo leaves on the ground – with the added bonus of being less crowded.

READ NEXT: Korea in November Guide | Weather, Best Festivals + What to Wear and Pack

How to Get to Asan Ginkgo Tree Road

Address: 259-2 Baekam-ri, Yeomchi-eup, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do | 충남 아산시 염치읍 백암리 259-2

Asan Ginkgo Tree Road is in Chungcheongnam-do Province, which runs through the middle of Korea, on the Western side. This is one of the wealthier provinces in the country, known for being the former seat of the Baekje Dynasty.

While it’s usually off-the-beaten path for most travelers, I’ve loved every single one of my visits there for the slower pace, and authentic experiences.

Gongju is off the beaten path, but well worth a visit.

If you’ve got time in your Korea itinerary, I definitely recommend checking out the small city of Gongju. With several UNESCO sites, an amazing art park, and purpose built hanok village, it’s time well spent.

And of course, we can’t forget about Jangtaesan Recreational Forest in Daejeon. Along with Asan Ginkgo Tree Road, it’s another must-visit autumn destination in Chungcheongnam-do.

Jangtaesan Recreational Forest is another autumn hotspot in Chungcheongnam-do.

From Seoul

By Car: It takes 90 minutes to 2 hours to reach Asan Ginkgo Tree Road from Seoul, in ideal traffic conditions. There are 2 parking lots near Asan Ginkgo Tree Road, but it can understandably be challenging to get a spot during peak fall foliage season. Go earlier for a better shot at nabbing a spot.

The crunch of fallen ginkgo leaves is accessible via public transit from Seoul or Busan.

By Public Transit: Take the KTX fast train from Seoul Station to Cheonan-Asan Station (around an hour). If you have more time or are on a budget, you can hop on Subway Line 1, and get to Asan Station in about 2 hours. From here, it’s a 20 minute taxi ride to Asan Ginko Tree Road.

READ NEXT: 14 Awe-Inspiring Places to See Ginkgo Leaves during Fall in South Korea

From Busan

By Car: Asan Ginkgo Tree Road is 330-km and 4 hours away from Busan by car. It’s best to search on Naver Maps for the best route and driving directions from your specific location.

Asan is a few hours from Busan by KTX high speed train © Lee Bumsu, Korea Tourism Organization

By Public Transit: There are no direct express buses making the journey from Busan to Asan, but you can hop on a KTX fast train to Cheonan-Asan Station. It costs around 47,000 won, and takes about 2 hours. From Cheonan-Asan station, take a local bus or taxi to Asan Ginkgo Tree Road.

Things to do near Asan Ginkgo Tree Road

You’ll likely spend most of your time slowly meandering around, admiring magnificent trees, and taking gorgeous autumn pics for your feed. However, there are actually a few other things to do near Asan Ginkgo Tree Road.

There’s more to do than look at trees. 😉

Visit Hyeonchungsa Shrine | 현충사

Address: 126, Hyeonchungsa-gil, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do | 충청남도 아산시 염치읍 현충사길 126

At one end of Asan Ginkgo Tree Road, you’ll find Hyeonchungsa Shrine. Constructed in 1706, it pays tribute to one of Korea’s most revered military generals – General Yi Sun-Shin.

Hyeonchungsa is a shrine to General Lee Sun Shin © Jeon Hyeongjun, Korea Tourism Organization

Hyeonchungsa Shrine contains several historical treasures, including Sipkyeongdo, a pictorial biography of General Lee Sun-Shin, the Nanjung Diary (National Treasure No. 76), and even his Long Sword (Treasure No. 326).

You can also see the general’s former house, an archery range, and a Geobuksun (turtle ship).

The tombs of Lee Sun Shin’s descendents are at Hyeonchungsa Shrine © Jeon Hyeongjun, Korea Tourism Organization

Rent a bike from Asan Eunhaengnamu-gil Bicycle Rental

Address: 502-11 Baekam-ri, Yeomchi-eup, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do | 충남 아산시 염치읍 백암리 502-11

Exploring Korea by bicycle is always affordable, easy, and a real pleasure. Asan Eunhaengnamu-gil has 200 bikes available to renters from 9AM until 6PM, with the last rental at 5:30PM.

It’s possible to rent bicycles affordably all over Korea.

There are options for the entire family, including mountain bikes, children’s, and couple’s bicycles. For 2 hours, it costs just 1,000 won for regular bicycles, and 2,000 won for 2-seater bicycles. 500 won is added for every 30 minutes over 2 hours.

Admire the View from a Cafe

This IS Korea, so you can count on a number of cafes to relax in, while enjoying vivid yellow views. It’s easy to stop into one that strikes your fancy, since they’re all concentrated pretty close to each other on the north side of Gokgyocheon Stream.

Admire the view from the comfort of a cafe © HeungSoon.

If you’d like more direction, these are the cafes that are closest to Asan Ginkgo Tree Road:

• Tataseu Bagel Asan Eunhaengnamu Gil Branch | 충남 아산시 염치읍 송곡남길 87-31 1층
• Obeeo Coffee | 충남 아산시 염치읍 송곡남길 87-37 1층
• Gallery Cafe Monet | 충남 아산시 염치읍 송곡남길 87-19
• Eunhaengnamu Gwangjang Cafe | 충남 아산시 염치읍 은행나무길 293 1층카페
• Eondeohil | 충남 아산시 염치읍 송곡남길 90 1층 카페 언더힐
• Eunhaengnamu Gil Cafe & Tarot | 충남 아산시 염치읍 송곡남길 88 112-133

Try Korean Street Food

If you get the munchies while exploring, check out these cute little food kiosks that line Asan Gingko Tree Road. Try out Korean street food favourites, like tteokbokki, hot dogs, and odeng.

If you get hungry, hit one of these super-cute food trucks.

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Asan Ginkgo Tree Road is one of the best places to see golden leaves during fall. Is it on your Korea bucket list?