Looking for best spots to fully enjoy the beauty of fall foliage in Korea? 🍂🍂
Mountains are arguably the best place to view the gorgeous display of colors of fall foliage in Korea. 
Everywhere you look, leaves painted in scarlet, golden, amber hues will show off their seasonal beauty. If you are looking for a colorful, natural landscape to feast your eyes on, then look no further than mountains during fall.
👍 Most popular 3 foliage mountains to visit in 2018
1. Naejangsan (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
2. Seoraksan (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
3. Daedunsan (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
First, let’s quickly review the weather forecast for Autumn 2017.
(Credit: Kweather)
1. When to go for Fall Foliage in Korea?
Although October and November are usually the best months, the foliage forecast differs depending on the region. Below is the tour schedule for 4 mountains. This should give you a general idea about the peak foliage period!
| Mountain | Tour Season | Available Tour Days |
| Odae | Oct 10 – Oct 19 | Tue, Thu, Sun |
| Seorak | Oct 16 – Oct 30 | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat |
| Daedun | Oct 23 – Nov 4 | Mon, Sed, Sat |
| Naejang | Nov 1 – Nov 15 | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat |
Travelling time to Autumn foliage mountain from Seoul
Seoul -> Seorak, Odae or Songni mountain: takes 2.5 – 3 hours
Seoul -> Daedun, Deogyu or Naejang mountain takes 3.5-4.5 hours.
*Traveling time on Saturday may take 1-2 hours more, depending on traffic conditions.
Overall, the peak period for viewing perfect fall foliage is not super long. Hence, make sure to plan out your mountain tours in advance!
2. What to bring for hiking the mountain in Fall?
At this time of the year, the daily temperature range tends to fluctuate greatly. Temperatures can range from about 10 ℃ – 25 ℃ in October and then 0 ℃ – 15 ℃ as it gets cooler in November. Although it’s best to do a last minute weather check before you start the tour, remember to wear layered clothing! Even if it feels warmer at the bottom of the mountain, it will feel cooler and possibly windier as you go up. Make sure to bring an extra outer garment! Also, you’ll probably need some sunblock 🙂
In addition, don’t forget to bring your camera! You will absolutely want to take pictures of the breathtaking fall foliage scenery.
- For those of you wondering, Indiway’s one-day mountain tours include not only round-trip transportation from Seoul, but also entrance tickets, breakfast (bread), a bottle of water, and English/Chinese speaking staff.
3. Who can go for hiking mountain in Fall?
We got many questions about “Children or Elderly tourists can join the tour?”. And the answer is…
Yes! 🙂 Anyone who would love to see nature’s best colorful scenery should definitely join one of these mountain tours. The mountain courses for all 6 of our tours are easy enough for even children and elderly tourists. Although certain parts of some trails (e.g. Daedunsan, Deogyusan) may be a bit more challenging, those parts are completely optional. If you would like to stay on the easy trails, ask the tour operators for guidance.
**Difficulties of hiking for each mountain
– ★(very easy), ★★(easy), ★★★(average difficulty)
★: Naejangsan, Seoraksan, Odaesan, Dukyusan, Songnisan, Daedunsan(with observatory)
★★: Dukyusan
★★★: Daedunsan(with ski-bridge)
Although certain parts of some trails (e.g. Daedunsan, Deogyusan) may be a bit more challenging, those parts are completely optional. If you would like to stay on the easy trails, ask the tour operators for guidance.
However, if you are more adventurous, the tour operators will give you directions and/or a guide map so for more exploration on your own. In any case, you will get plenty of guidance while on the mountain!
4. What to eat near Fall foliage Mountain?
You’ll get to spend a total of about 4 hours on the mountain, including lunch time. This should give you a decent amount of time to enjoy the scenery.
For lunch, you will get to choose from a variety of Korean dishes at a nearby food court. There will be bibimbap, spicy pork stir fry (Jeyuk bokkeum), various stews, and more!
💡 Indiway Tip (1) At Songnisan Mountain and Daedunsan Mountain, we would recommend you to spend more time in the mountain area because there isn’t too much to see near the restaurant area.
💡 Indiway Tip (2) For Muslim visitors, the tour staff can assist a vegetarian menu because there is no Halal restaurant near those Mountain. Just remember to leave a memo during the booking process!
Finally, last but not least …
5. What can see in the mountain in Fall?
1) Daedun Mountain
Striking fall (autumn) foliage view from Daedunsan Mountain. A picture is worth a thousand words, and here you have 3 pictures.
You’ll get to see all this atop Daedunsan Cable Car!
2) Naejangsan Mountain
No words can fully express the sheer beauty of Naejangsan Mountain.
A healthy walk along this mesmerizing road would be very rejuvenating. Naejangsan Mountain absolutely deserves your time!
These are just 2 of the mountains – so much more awaits!
If you would like to stay in Seoul for autumn foliage, check out our blog post about great Autumn Foliage Tours Near Seoul.
➡ Seoul Autumn Foliage One Day Shuttle Bus Tour might be the perfect one for you.
💡 For those of you in Busan, check out the ➡ Busan Autumn Foliage Mountain One Day Tour 🙂
In any case, we hope you can find the best fall foliage activity of your interest at INDIWAY! 🙂
