Travel
Experience a nature-filled summer break in Seoul’s parks with gardening and eco activities
Haps Magazine Korea
July 6, 2025
(Image: Seoul Metropolitan Government)
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is launching 95 hands-on nature programs across 14 city parks this summer vacation, offering children and families a chance to enjoy nature without leaving the city.
The initiative includes a mix of gardening, ecology exploration, cultural experiences, and nighttime adventures under the umbrella theme, “Haechi’s Summer Garden Journey.”
Running from July 10, the “Haechi’s Summer Garden Journey” includes 16 eco-friendly programs such as insect observation, gardening classes, and night tours at parks like Seoul Forest, Namsan Park, Naksan Park, and the Garden Culture Healing Centers. Participants can collect special Haechi keyrings, and those who gather three and upload a photo at a designated photo zone can enter a draw to win a home gardening set.
A highlight program, “Haechi’s Summer Garden School,” runs from July 28 to August 13 for 1st–3rd graders and their guardians. Held at the Seoul Garden Culture Healing Center and around Namsan’s Palgakjeong, this 3-day course includes leaf stamping, birdwatching with binoculars, and planting personal pots, ending with a certificate for full participants.
Evening programs offer a way to escape the heat while enjoying the sounds of cicadas, city night views, and eco tours. These include Namsan’s Nighttime Insect Exploration and Moonlit Historical Walks, and Naksan’s Nighttime Fortress Wall Trek.
In addition to the garden-themed experiences, 79 other summer programs are available across Seoul’s major parks:
Seoul Forest: nighttime insect tours, ecology discovery, and storytelling under the stars.
Maeheon Citizen’s Forest: tree games, cicada sound exploration, and boardgame creation.
Gildong Ecological Park: aquatic insect observation, eco-soap making, and indigo silk dyeing.
Namsan, Naksan, Yongsan Family Park: archery, etiquette school, tea ceremony, and nature missions.
World Cup Park: insect lectures with entomologist Dr. Jeong Boo-hee, and sustainable garden activities.
Boramae Park: bird exploration and forest ecology experiences.
North Seoul Dream Forest & Jungnang Camping Forest: night insect hunts and cicada discovery programs.
Changpowon & Gyeongchun Forest Trail: aquatic plant studies and stories of old railways.
Seoul Botanic Park: 26 programs for all ages, including Monet-themed lotus painting, Botanic Kids Lab, and English gardening classes. Exhibition tours are also available.
Seoul Children’s Grand Park: monthly weekend nature workshops, including rice paddy exploration and scarecrow building.
All programs require registration via Seoul Public Service Reservation (yeyak.seoul.go.kr). Some allow on-site participation.