2026 Seoul International Garden Expo

Seoul's city center becomes a giant garden for six months

When I first heard the word "garden expo," I pictured some arboretum on the outskirts. But when I got there, it was Seoul Forest, right next to Seongsu-dong in the heart of Seoul, reachable by subway. The 2026 Seoul International Garden Expo runs for a full 180 days, from May 1 to October 27. The theme is 'Seoul, Green Culture.' With 131 gardens created in Seoul Forest, plus the Hangang riverside area and the Seongsu-dong and Konkuk University area, a total of 167 gardens spread out across about 150,000 pyeong, making it the largest event ever.

From my visit, this was not just a flower exhibition. From artist gardens by world-class landscape masters to more than 50 corporate and local-government gardens, and even gardens designed directly by citizens, each one had a different character, so the walk around never felt boring. I stood for a long time in front of a garden designed by an Indian artist with an unusual plant composition, and in a sculptural garden made by welding metal thousands of times, I was impressed by how the light scattered along the texture. From the fresh greenery of May to the autumn leaves of October, the same space becomes a completely different scene each season, and that is the real charm of this expo.

No admission fee and no reservation needed — just arrive and walk in

The first thing I want to tell foreign friends is this. The admission fee is completely free, and general visits do not require any advance reservation. Just go without worrying about sold-out tickets or advance bookings. Seoul Forest itself is a public park open 24 hours, so you can freely stroll through the gardens even before or after the official operating hours. Since there is no entrance fee, you do not need to think about paying by card or cash.

Getting there is really easy. It is a 2-minute walk from Exits 3, 4, and 5 of Seoul Forest Station on the Suin-Bundang Line. If you take Line 2, it is about an 11-minute walk from Ttukseom Station Exits 7 and 8, and I quite liked walking in along the Hangang riverside promenade. Buses 13, 121, 2014, 2224, and 2413 stop at the Seoul Forest bus stop. If you are thinking about bringing a car, think again. Parking competition is really fierce on weekends and holidays, so public transportation is the answer.

It is good to remember the operating hours. The regular hours are noon to 7 p.m., but during the intense heat of July and August, they switch to night operations from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you go on a summer evening, you can enjoy the different mood of walking through illuminated gardens while avoiding the heat. Let me also ease your language concerns. Each garden has a QR code, so you can receive instant guidance in nine languages, and customized docent tours for foreigners and people with mobility challenges are offered around Seoul Forest and the Seongsu-dong area. However, docent-style guided programs do require advance reservation, so make sure to arrange that in advance.

Pokemon Garden and food trucks — this is how I enjoyed it on-site

If you have kids or like characters, there is a place you should not miss. It is Pokemon Secret Forest, created over 2,800 square meters in the gingko grove of Seoul Forest, where you can meet more than 10 kinds of Pokemon such as Pikachu, Eevee, and Squirtle among flowers and trees. However, since waiting lines formed from dawn on the opening day, it is extremely popular, and entry is done in order after registering on the on-site waiting tablet. It is scheduled to run until June 21, so if this garden is your main goal, check the schedule first. Some MD merchandise is purchased online via NFC tags and picked up on-site, so it helps to have a mobile payment method ready.

You do not need to worry about food. Food trucks line the outdoor plaza, and under the bridge there is a shaded dining area with parasols and wooden tables. In particular, there are many different dining spots near Exit 10, and I rested there for quite a while. At the "Seoro Market" near the entrance, direct sales of farm and specialty products from across the country continue alongside shops selling succulents at low prices, so even just browsing was fun.

What to bring before you go so you do not waste a trip

The most important thing is shoes. Since the area is as large as 150,000 pyeong, comfortable sneakers are essential if you want to see everything. Do not get greedy and try to see it all at once; I recommend coming multiple times, separately in spring and fall. If you bring a picnic mat, you can relax more comfortably on the lawn. There are plenty of shady spots, but midday in midsummer is hot, so if you go in summer, it is much more pleasant to visit in the evening during the night-operation hours.

It is also good to plan your route in advance. If you head over to the nearby Seongsu-dong cafe street after seeing Seoul Forest, your day will naturally fill up. The strength of this expo is that garden viewing, city strolling, and restaurant tours can all be combined in one outing. At the end of the event in October, a special autumn garden-culture festival linked with Maehyeon Citizens' Forest is planned to close with a finale themed around autumn leaves and healing, so autumn visitors may want to plan for both places together.

If you want a quiet garden, aim for early morning or a weekday. On weekends at midday, especially around popular pop-up gardens, it gets crowded. In the end, this festival is perfect for people who like both flowers and city walks, and for travelers who want to enjoy Seoul's greenery properly without spending a single won. A place where you can spend a half day this fully for free is rare in Seoul. Put on comfortable shoes and take a walk.