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On nowFreeKorea Tourism Organization·Event
Hwangmaesan silver grass and Gangjin reed festivals — free, both open 24–25 October 2026
Two free autumn festivals of Korea's grassland landscapes open a week apart: the Hwangmaesan Silver Grass Festival in Hapcheon runs from 17 to 25 October 2026, and the Gangjin Bay Dancing Reed Festival from 24 October to 1 November. They overlap only on the weekend of 24–25 October. At Hwangmaesan the festival shuttle runs on weekends only and the county park car park charges KRW 5,000 for a car in October; Gangjin runs a daily shuttle from the town. No booking is needed anywhere, but programmes and signs are in Korean and both are four to five hours from Seoul by bus.
17 Oct – 1 NovHwangmaesan County Park, Hapcheon (South Gyeongsang) · Gangjin Bay Ecological Park, Gangjin (South Jeolla)
In 5 daysFreeNational Museum of Korea·Exhibition
Dunhuang sutras on show for the first time at the National Museum of Korea — free until 24 Jan
The National Museum of Korea in Seoul is putting four Buddhist sutra scrolls from Dunhuang on public display for the first time, in its Central Asia Gallery from 23 October 2026 to 24 January 2027. The museum has owned them since 1913, and one, the Treatise on the Great Wisdom, chapter 12, is thought to have been copied in 593 under the Sui dynasty. The display is inside the free permanent galleries, so there is no ticket and no booking for individual visitors: walk in. The catch for non-Korean readers is the labelling — the museum's English page lists the display, but whether the case labels are bilingual had not been announced.
23 Oct – 24 JanCentral Asia Gallery, 3F Permanent Exhibition Hall, National Museum of Korea, Seoul
Year-roundFreeKorea Tourism Organization·Event
Hongcheon Ginkgo Forest opens free each October — 2026 dates unannounced
The Hongcheon Ginkgo Forest, a privately owned grove of about 2,000 ginkgo trees in Naemyeon, Hongcheon County (Gangwon), opens to the public free of charge for roughly one month around October each year — in 2025 from 3 October to 2 November, 10:00–17:00. As of 16 October 2026 Hongcheon County had posted no official notice of this year's dates, so call the Hongcheon tourist information centre (033-433-1259) or the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline before you set off. There is nothing to book: you simply walk in during opening hours.
686-4 Gwangwon-ri, Naemyeon, Hongcheon County, Gangwon State
On nowFreeKorea National Park Service·Programme
Chiaksan: free weekend shuttle to Guryongsa — to 15 Nov
From 3 October to 15 November 2026, Chiaksan National Park in Wonju runs a free shuttle bus on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between the car park outside the park office and Sinheung-dong car park at the entrance to Guryongsa temple, the start of the park's best-known autumn walks. Buses run 08:30–17:30 every 20–30 minutes and need no booking — you simply board at the stop. The catch: there is no service on weekdays, and the trail beyond Seryeom Falls towards the summit closes in the early afternoon, so a summit day has to start early.
3 Oct – 15 NovGuryong area, Chiaksan National Park, Wonju
In 5 daysKorea Tourism Organization·Event
Korea's autumn chrysanthemum festivals 2026 — five dates, one paid entry, and the weekend all are open
Five large chrysanthemum festivals open across Korea this autumn: Hampyeong and Iksan on 23 October, Buyeo and Yeongam on 30 October, and Masan in Changwon on 31 October. Only Hampyeong's Korea Chrysanthemum Festival charges admission (adults KRW 7,000 at the gate, 10% less if booked by 22 October); the other four are free according to the Korea Tourism Organization's festival listings. All five are open at the same time only on the weekend of 31 October – 1 November; Iksan closes first, on 1 November, and Yeongam runs longest, to 15 November. Advance tickets for Hampyeong are sold through Korean platforms that generally expect a Korean account, but every festival is walk-in at the gate.
23 Oct – 15 NovFive towns — Hampyeong, Iksan, Buyeo, Yeongam and Masan (Changwon)
On nowNational Institute of Ecology·Exhibition
Orangerie at the National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon — potted olives and palms until 15 November
The National Institute of Ecology (NIE, 국립생태원) in Seocheon has lined the entrance to its Ecorium with olive trees, Canary Island date palms and jelly palms planted in large movable containers rather than in the ground — a landscape display called "Orangerie: A History of Moving Plants", open until Sunday 15 November 2026. There is no separate charge: it is included in NIE admission (adults KRW 5,000, card payment only), and the site is closed on Mondays. No booking is needed or possible for general admission — you buy tickets at the gate, and sales stop at 4:30 pm.
28 Apr – 15 NovEcorium entrance, National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon
산림청·News
Korea's 30 Beautiful Private Gardens 2026 — the full list by region and type
On 21 September 2026 the Korea Forest Service named 30 of Korea's 194 registered private gardens as its '30 Beautiful Private Gardens', chosen by expert site visits and an online vote of 19,204 people. Half are in Jeonnam-Gwangju in the south-west. Admission and opening hours differ by garden and were not announced. Most gardens are rural and easiest to reach by car, and on-site information is likely to be in Korean only.
In 40 daysNational Museum of Korea·Exhibition
Kunsthaus Zürich masterpieces at the National Museum of Korea — KRW 12,000 early bird until 17 Dec
The National Museum of Korea in Seoul shows 85 works from the Kunsthaus Zürich (Monet, Kandinsky, Klee, Giacometti, Munch and more) in Birth of Modern Art, from 27 November 2026 to 18 April 2027. Early-bird tickets on Ticketlink cost KRW 12,000 at any age, against KRW 20,000 for an adult at full price. The catch: they are only valid for a date and 30-minute slot you choose between 27 November and 17 December, with a limit of four per person. We could not confirm that the booking page accepts a foreign phone number.
27 Nov – 18 AprSpecial Exhibition Hall 1, National Museum of Korea, Seoul
On nowFreeKorea National Park Service·Event
Nungnungi pop-up at Juwangsan National Park's shop — 23 Oct–15 Nov, preview 16–18 Oct
The National Park Shop inside the Sangui Visitor Centre at Juwangsan National Park (Cheongsong, Gyeongsangbuk-do) hosts a pop-up by the young Korean character brand Nungnungi from 23 October to 15 November 2026, daily 9:00–18:00, with a three-day preview on 16–18 October. No booking and no admission fee: you walk in, browse and pay for what you want. Everything is labelled in Korean, but nothing about the visit depends on reading it, and the shop sits at the start of the flat 2.7 km Juwanggyegok foliage trail, which peaks from mid-October to early November.
16 Oct – 15 NovNational Park Shop, Sangui Visitor Centre, Juwangsan National Park (146 Gongwon-gil, Juwangsan-myeon, Cheongsong-gun)
On nowFreeKorea Tourism Organization·Event
Six autumn food festivals in Korea — pine mushrooms 15–18 Oct, jeotgal, apples, and shrimp until 8 Nov
The Korea Tourism Organization's 'K-Local Food Journey 33' names seven October specialities: soy-marinated crab (Incheon), hanwoo beef (Hoengseong), Chodang soft tofu (Gangneung), Yangyang pine mushrooms, Geumsan ginseng, octopus (Muan) and Jeju black pork. Six festivals put the same produce on the table: Hongseong's Namdang Port Shrimp Festival (until 8 November), the Bonghwa Pine Mushroom and Ganggyeong Jeotgal festivals (15–18 October), Yangyang's Pine Mushroom & Salmon Festival (16–18 October), the Mungyeong Apple Festival (17 October – 1 November) and the Cheongsong Apple Festival (4–8 November). Entry is free at all six; only Yangyang's paid mushroom hunt and salmon catching need booking, through a Korean-language app — everything else is walk-in.
4 Sept – 8 NovSix sites nationwide — Hongseong, Bonghwa, Nonsan, Yangyang, Mungyeong, Cheongsong
On nowFreeKorea Heritage Service·Event
Tongdosa, Cheongju, Yeosu: heritage media art to 8 Nov, free
Of the twelve stops on Korea's 2026 Heritage Media Art tour, three are still running as of 13 October: Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan (until 18 October), the Iron Flagpole district of old Cheongju (until 24 October) and Jinnamgwan in Yeosu (until 8 November). All three are free. Tongdosa and Yeosu are walk-in; only Cheongju's two guided walks need a booking, through a Korean-language app. Yeosu closes every Tuesday and Tongdosa stops admitting people at 8 pm, so check the day before you travel.
28 Sept – 8 NovTongdosa Temple, Yangsan · Yongdusa Iron Flagpole district, Cheongju · Jinnamgwan, Yeosu
On nowFreeNational Palace Museum of Korea·Exhibition
Odaesan's Annals Museum revives King Jeongjo's army in light — free until 13 December
The National Museum of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, at the foot of Odaesan in Pyeongchang, runs its autumn theme exhibition "The Day of the Military Rites at Hwaseong: The King's Army Revived in Light" from 8 October to 13 December 2026 in the second-floor special gallery. Two royal protocol books record King Jeongjo's 1795 procession to Hwaseong, and an immersive video restages the military review on a panoramic screen. Admission is free and there is nothing to book: walk in during opening hours. Closed Mondays, and from November the doors shut at 5 pm.
8 Oct – 13 DecNational Museum of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, 2nd-floor special gallery (Odaesan, Pyeongchang)
Last dayFreeRoyal Palaces and Tombs Center·Event
Changdeokgung Secret Garden: read inside a royal library — until 18 October
Seonhyangjae, the royal library in the Yeongyeongdang compound of Changdeokgung's rear garden (Huwon, the 'Secret Garden'), is open inside as a reading room from 7 to 18 October 2026, 10:30–16:30. Sitting in it is free and needs no sign-up, but it lies inside the Secret Garden, so you need both a Changdeokgung ticket (KRW 3,000) and a Secret Garden ticket (KRW 5,000). Secret Garden tickets go on sale online six days ahead and sell out fast in October; half of each slot is held back for sale at the gate from 9 a.m. on the day.
7 Oct – 18 OctSeonhyangjae, Yeongyeongdang, Changdeokgung Secret Garden (99 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul)
On nowRoyal Palaces and Tombs Center·Event
Joseon royal tomb forest trails open for autumn — until 29 November
Forest paths inside nine Joseon royal tombs around Seoul — 19.04 km in all, from Donggureung in Guri to Yungneung and Geolleung in Hwaseong — are open from 1 October to 29 November 2026. There is nothing to book: the trail is included in the tomb's own ticket, KRW 1,000 for adults (KRW 500 at Yeongneung in Yeoju), bought at the gate. The catch is the clock: the listed trail hours end at 17:00 in October and 16:30 in November, which is the tombs' last entry, not closing time, so arrive early enough to walk the whole loop. Closed on Mondays.
1 Oct – 29 NovNine Joseon royal tombs (Seoul, Guri, Namyangju, Paju, Hwaseong, Yeoju)
In 20 daysFreeKorea Tourism Organization·Event
Busan Fireworks Festival 2026 — seats, free spots, 7 November
The 21st Busan Fireworks Festival lights up the sea in front of Gwangan Bridge at 7 pm on Saturday 7 November 2026 for about an hour, and watching from the beach or the hills around it is free. Reserved seats on the sand cost KRW 100,000 (R) or KRW 70,000 (S). International visitors can book in English on NOL World with passport verification until 17:00 on 6 November; the new 10% discount is for Busan residents only and needs a Busan address on your ID.
7 Nov – 7 NovGwangalli Beach, Busan
On nowFreeKorea National Arboretum·Exhibition
Korea National Arboretum weeds exhibition — hands-on, to 29 Nov
The Korea National Arboretum in Pocheon, north-east of Seoul, has turned its Children's Garden into a hands-on exhibition about weeds, Small but Great: Weeds, running from 30 September to 29 November 2026. Visitors look at botanical illustrations of common roadside plants, take woodblock rubbings of five weeds and layer rubber stamps of four more; there is no charge beyond arboretum admission (KRW 1,000 for adults). The catch is the car park: only pre-booked vehicles may enter, but anyone arriving on foot, by bus or by taxi walks in without a booking.
30 Sept – 29 NovChildren's Garden, Korea National Arboretum
National Museum of Korea·News
MU:DS Regional Heritage Collection — 100 museum goods from 13 national museums
On 1 September 2026 the National Museum Foundation of Korea released the MU:DS Regional Heritage Collection: 100 goods based on signature artefacts from the 13 regional branches of the National Museum of Korea, from the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok in Gyeongju to the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje in Buyeo. Every museum has a fan-and-handkerchief set (KRW 42,000) and a bookmark (KRW 14,000); the craft pieces run up to KRW 1,100,000. The catch for visitors: the collection is sold through the Korean-language online shop and eight museum shops in Korea, not through the English-language MU:DS global store.
Korean online museum shop (museumshop.or.kr); museum shops at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul and the Gyeongju, Gwangju, Jeonju, Daegu, Jinju, Jeju and Iksan National Museums
In 13 daysNational Museum of Korea·Event
Sori: the Seongdeok Bell in concert at the National Museum of Korea — 31 Oct & 1 Nov
Sori: King Seongdeok's Divine Bell, a concert staged by the National Museum Foundation of Korea, plays twice only — at 3pm on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November 2026 — in Theater Yong, the performance hall inside the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. Over about 80 minutes, a saenghwang (mouth organ) player, a yanggeum (hammered dulcimer) player and the band Seodo retell how the 8th-century bronze bell was cast, how it rings and what it was meant to carry. Seats cost KRW 70,000 (VIP), 60,000 (R) and 40,000 (S). The catch for visitors: booking runs through Ticketlink's Korean site or a Korean-language phone line, and the show itself is music and projected images with Korean narration and captions, not an English production.
31 Oct – 1 NovTheater Yong, National Museum of Korea
Korea National Park Service·Notice
Jirisan's Guryong Valley trail reopens Oct 9 — waterfall route restored
The 0.5 km section of the Guryong Valley trail in Jirisan National Park, closed since a rockfall in May, reopens at 4 a.m. on Friday 9 October 2026 after repair work. Walkers can once again follow the 3.1 km valley route from the Guryong ranger station to Guryong Falls, about two hours each way, and the park service will keep patrolling the repaired stretch. There is nothing to book and no entrance fee — the only catch for visitors is getting there, since the trailhead is outside Namwon and public transport to it is sparse.
From 9 OctGuryong Valley trail, Jirisan National Park (Namwon, Jeonbuk)
On nowKorea National Park Service·Programme
Odaesan: a car to Sangwonsa for less-mobile visitors — to 15 Nov
Until 15 November 2026, Odaesan National Park drives disabled visitors, pregnant women, children aged five and under and people aged 70 and over the 9.1 km from the Woljeongsa car park up to Sangwonsa temple, the far end of the Seonjae-gil valley trail. You can book on the Korea National Park Service reservation site or join the first-come queue at the car park on the day. The catch: the service may not run in bad weather or on crowded peak-season days, and the fee and timetable are not published, so phone the park office before you set out.
1 Sept – 15 NovWoljeongsa car park, Odaesan National Park
Last dayFreeKorea Heritage Service·Event
Tongdosa Temple media art nights, Yangsan — free until 18 October
The 2026 Korea Heritage Media Art festival at Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan runs every evening from 7 to 9 pm until Sunday 18 October 2026. Entry is free and there is nothing to book, but the gate at the temple entrance closes at 8 pm, or earlier if the grounds get crowded. The main show, a projection-mapping and sky-hologram piece called 'Flower of the Mind', plays twice a night at 7:30 and 8:30 pm. The catch for visitors is getting there and back: cars cannot enter the grounds, so plan on a 20-minute forest walk in and a bus or taxi out from a rural stop.
28 Sept – 18 OctTongdosa Temple, Yangsan
In 61 daysNational Museum of Korea·Exhibition
Marie Antoinette Style at Seoul’s National Museum — from 18 Dec
The National Museum of Korea and London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) are jointly staging the special exhibition Marie Antoinette Style in Special Exhibition Gallery 2 in Seoul, from 18 December 2026 to 31 March 2027. The museum lists more than 190 objects. The catch for now: as of 5 October 2026 the museum has published neither the ticket price nor how or when tickets go on sale, so there is nothing to book yet — only a date to hold.
18 Dec – 31 MarSpecial Exhibition Gallery 2, National Museum of Korea
On nowMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism·Event
Korea's autumn stage season: 1,700 shows, SPAF and the KRW 10,000 coupon — 1 Oct to 30 Nov
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Arts Management Service are running the ‘2026 Korea Stage Festa’ (대한민국은 공연중) campaign from 1 October to 30 November, gathering about 1,700 performances nationwide on one website, kstagefesta.kr. Over the same weeks a KRW 10,000 performance coupon is handed out every Tuesday at 10:00 on five Korean ticketing sites, two per person per site. The catch for visitors: the coupon lives on Korean-language sites that need Korean identity verification, so most short-term travellers cannot claim it. The Seoul Performing Arts Festival (8–25 Oct) does sell to foreigners through NOL World, with a 20% passport discount worth KRW 8,000–13,000 on its KRW 40,000–65,000 seats, and the shows we checked carry English surtitles.
1 Oct – 30 NovTheatres nationwide, Korea
Korea Tourism Organization·Notice
Hadong panda stamp zone at Hwagae Market — to November 2026
The Hadong stop of the Korea Tourism Organization and Everland campaign Rui & Hui's Every Corner of Korea has its stamp zone in front of the tourist information office at Hwagae Market, and the stamp tour runs until November 2026. Stamps go on a leaflet that comes only with the Rui & Hui companion plush sold at Everland, so there is no way to join without buying one. Of the four places on the suggested route, Jirisan National Park's Hwagae Visitor Center closes on Mondays and the Jirisan Ecology Science Museum charges KRW 1,000 for adults. Hwagae itself is a worthwhile day out by intercity bus from Seoul or Busan, stamps or not.
Hwagae-myeon and Akyang-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do