Seoul Grand Park

Seoul Grand Park lies in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, but is run by the City of Seoul. It brings together Seoul Zoo, the largest zoo in Korea, a botanical garden, themed gardens and forest trails. The facilities are spread around a central reservoir, so you can combine animals and a forest walk in one day. Subway Line 4 stops right outside, making it a favourite family day out from Seoul.

History: from Changgyeongwon to Gwacheon

Seoul Zoo traces its roots to the Changgyeongwon zoo, which opened on 1 November 1909 when the Japanese turned Changgyeonggung Palace into an amusement park with a zoo and botanical garden. To restore the palace, a plan for a new park to house the animals was announced in 1977. Construction began on the present site in 1978, and the zoo opened on 1 May 1984, followed by the botanical garden in 1985.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art opened its Gwacheon branch inside the park in 1986, and the Seoul Land amusement park followed in 1988. To mark its centenary in 2009, the zoo was renamed Seoul Zoo. In 2013 it made headlines by releasing Jedol, an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin kept at the zoo, back into the sea off Jeju.

What to see

• Seoul Zoo: figures for its collection vary between sources, from around 300 species and 2,000 to 3,000-plus animals. There are Asian elephants, giraffes, Siberian tigers, gorillas and orangutans, as well as Korean natural monuments such as Asiatic black bears and oriental storks. Some species, including gorillas, can be seen nowhere else in Korea.
• Botanical garden and themed gardens: a display greenhouse, themed plant gardens and a rose garden, with flowers changing through the seasons.
• Lake and trails: paths along the central reservoir connect with a forest bathing area and a trail around the whole park.
• Elephant train and chairlift: handy for getting around the large site.
• Plant collection: the botanical garden holds 1,262 species and about 31,500 plants, and it was Seoul's first public arboretum.
• Forest and camping: a forest bathing area, a healing forest and a campsite let you stay all day.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours (zoo and themed gardens): March–April and September–October 09:00–18:00, May–August 09:00–19:00, November–February 09:00–17:00. Last entry one hour before closing; open every day of the year. The display greenhouse is open 10:00–17:00.
• Admission: zoo adults KRW 5,000, teenagers KRW 3,000, children KRW 2,000; themed gardens adults KRW 2,000. Free for children aged 5 and under and visitors aged 65 and over. Seoul Land and the art museum charge separately.
• Getting there: take Subway Line 4 to Seoul Grand Park station and walk.
• Time needed: the zoo alone takes 3 hours or more; add the botanical garden and you need a full day.
• Watch out: animals may be taken indoors early depending on the weather or their condition. Mornings are the best time to see them active.