Seoul Olympic Park is open every day of the year, and entry is free. Walkers and cyclists can come in from 05:00 to 22:00, and the plaza areas such as Peace Square stay open until midnight. Cars can enter from 06:00 to 22:00.
The closest subway exits are Exits 3 and 4 of Olympic Park Station on Lines 5 and 9, Exit 1 of Mongchontoseong Station on Line 8, and Exit 2 of Hanseong Baekje Station on Line 9. Parking is free for the first 10 minutes, then 600 won per 10 minutes for a small car. The hours and rules below follow the park’s Korean-language official park information page.
What is Olympic Park, and why is it worth a walk?
Olympic Park is a large city park at 424 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, in southeastern Seoul, run by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO). Construction began in 1984 for the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and the park was finished in 1986. At its center sits Mongchontoseong, a restored earthen fortress from the Baekje kingdom, with six sports venues arranged around it in a half circle.
According to the park’s own figures, about 5.23 million people visited in a year as of 2017, or roughly 14,000 a day. Most of the ground is flat and the paths branch in many directions, so it suits strollers, older relatives and anyone who wants an easy walk rather than a hike. What makes it different from other Seoul parks is the mix: stadiums and concert halls, outdoor sculpture, grassy ramparts and quiet lakes all sit within one fence line.
There are about 211 sculptures by Korean and international artists scattered across the grounds. The “9 Views of Olympic Park,” a set of photo spots recommended by a Korean photographers’ association, starts at the World Peace Gate and ends at the Rose Garden, and you can collect stamps for each one through the official park app. The main phone number is +82-2-410-1114 (02-410-1114 inside Korea).
What are the opening hours and parking fees?
The park has no closing day and charges no admission. Walkers and cyclists may enter from 05:00 to 22:00, with plaza areas open until 24:00, and vehicles may enter from 06:00 to 22:00. Parking is free for the first 10 minutes, then 600 won per 10 minutes for small vehicles (20,000 won daily cap) and 1,200 won per 10 minutes for large ones (24,000 won daily cap).
| Item | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Closing days | None, open all year | Free admission |
| Entry on foot or by bicycle | 05:00–22:00 | Plaza areas until 24:00 |
| Vehicle entry | 06:00–22:00 | Exit hours differ by gate |
| Small vehicle parking | First 10 minutes free, then 600 won per 10 minutes | Up to 20,000 won a day |
| Large vehicle parking | First 10 minutes free, then 1,200 won per 10 minutes | Up to 24,000 won a day |
Can I visit at night?
After 22:00 the inner park is closed for safety, and only the plaza areas such as Peace Square and Meeting Square remain open. The Mongchontoseong fortress area is also closed outside official hours to protect the heritage site. If the fortress walk is the main reason for your trip, plan to arrive in daylight.
How much will parking cost, and where should I park?
The rates come from the park’s parking fee notice posted on 12 June 2026. As a worked example based on the official rates (our calculation, not a posted fare), a small car parked for two hours pays for 110 minutes after the free first 10, which is 11 units of 600 won, or 6,600 won. The daily cap runs from midnight to midnight, so a car left overnight starts building up charges again after 00:00.
Drivers with a disability, national merit holders, compact cars, low-emission cars and multi-child card holders get 50% off, and discounts cannot be combined. If you are heading straight for the Lone Tree and the fortress, the West Gate 2 parking lot by the Olympic Parktel is the closest. On big concert days there is no parking discount for ticket holders, and the park itself recommends public transport, so the subway is the calmer choice on weekend evenings.
Which walking route should I take?
For a first visit, the Fortress Path (2,210 m, about 30 minutes), which loops along the top of the Mongchontoseong walls, is the easiest pick. If you are short on time, try the Lakeside Path (1,302 m, about 18 minutes); if you have a free afternoon, take the Lovers’ Path (4,290 m, about an hour). Routes for all five courses are on the park’s official walking and jogging course page.
How do the five routes differ?
The Lakeside Path is the shortest, running from Peace Square across Gommal Bridge, past the SOMA Museum of Art and back to Peace Square. The Fortress Path stays on top of the earthen walls the whole way, which makes it the most popular route, and it includes one short, steep climb that locals jokingly call the “breathless hill.” The Nostalgia Path (Chueok-ui Gil) (3,350 m, about 45 minutes) starts at Gommal Bridge and winds through the middle of the fortress, the wildflower study area and the picnic grounds before returning.
The Lovers’ Path makes a long loop around the fortress and the 88 Lake area, while the Youth Path (3,150 m, about 40 minutes) follows the outer bicycle ring road and is used for running races. The full 9 Views stamp route covers about 3.8 km and takes around two hours. Paths inside the fortress give priority to pedestrians, so bicycles, inline skates and ride-on electric devices are not allowed there.
How do I find the Lone Tree?
The Lone Tree, View 6 of the 9 Views, is an oriental arborvitae about 10 meters tall that has appeared in many films, TV dramas and commercials. It is said that it came to stand alone in 1985, when about 30 houses inside the fortress were cleared before the Games and only the tallest, best-shaped trees were kept. To reach it, walk the fortress trail down to its end, keep straight to the right, then turn left at the three-way junction in front of the toilets, and the tree appears across the lawn.
Mongchontoseong was designated a Historic Site in 1982, and its wall runs 2,285 meters around. Between 1983 and 1988 the Seoul National University Museum carried out five rounds of excavation and found gates, a moat, traces of a wooden palisade, pit dwellings and Baekje pottery. As you walk, a rebuilt palisade and wide grassy mounds line the route, which makes for easy photos.
What should I know before visiting in late October?
A free planting activity runs on the afternoon of 22 October, and parking gets crowded on the concert weekends of 23–25 October and 30 October to 1 November. Works around the Rose Garden continue until 30 November, and around KSPO DOME and SOMA until 25 December, with some sections closed in turn. The Baekje house-site exhibition hall of the Hanseong Baekje Museum is closed until July 2027.
The free planting event on 22 October
The park’s ESG planting activity, called “Put Green in My Cup,” takes place on 22 October from 14:00 to 16:00 between Wildflower Hill and the Rose Garden. It is free and open to the first 200 people, and participants fill in a short survey on site. Bring a clean used coffee cup or a small pot to plant in.
Concert weekends and works in progress
On 23–25 October and from 30 October to 1 November, concerts at KSPO DOME, Olympic Hall and other venues are likely to fill the parking lots. If you plan to visit on one of those weekend afternoons, the subway will save you a lot of stress. The construction is done section by section with partial closures, so if a path near the Rose Garden or KSPO DOME is blocked, follow the detour signs.
The Hanseong Baekje Museum on the south side of the park is a good add-on, but its Baekje house-site exhibition hall on the Nostalgia Path stays closed until July 2027. The surrounding paths remain open for walking. Cooking is not allowed anywhere in the park, smoking is limited to designated areas, and dogs must be leashed, owners must carry waste bags, and pets are not allowed on the lawns.
If you would like to finish the day with a view over Seoul from Lotte World Tower next door, pair your walk with our Seoul Sky observatory ticket guide. For opening times and fees at the SOMA Museum of Art and the Seoul Olympic Museum, check each venue’s official information before you go.
Frequently asked questions
These are the four questions visitors ask most often before a trip. The numbers match the official figures used above.
Is there an entry fee for Olympic Park?
No. The park is open all year, and admission is free.
Until what time can I enter?
On foot or by bicycle you can enter from 05:00 to 22:00, and by car from 06:00 to 22:00. Plaza areas such as Peace Square stay open until 24:00.
How much does parking cost?
The first 10 minutes are free. After that, small vehicles pay 600 won per 10 minutes (up to 20,000 won a day) and large vehicles 1,200 won per 10 minutes (up to 24,000 won a day).
Which subway exit is closest?
Use Exits 3 or 4 of Olympic Park Station on Lines 5 and 9, Exit 1 of Mongchontoseong Station on Line 8, or Exit 2 of Hanseong Baekje Station on Line 9.
Sources
- Olympic Park official park information (year-round opening, entry hours, free admission, park rules)
- Olympic Park parking fee notice (12 June 2026)
- Olympic Park walking courses, 9 Views, directions and on-site notices (October event and construction notices)
- Featured photo: World Peace Gate and Lotte World Tower (April 2022), Woohyun Photos / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Body photos: Hahyejin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hyeonyoung Lee 21 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ziggymaster / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Firadrn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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