5 Parks To Go in Gyeonggi-do When You Want To Get Out of Seoul, Korea

Have you heard about “Gyeonggi-do (경기도)”?

It’s the province that surrounds Seoul and has the most population in Korea. A lot of people live in Gyeonggi-do to work or to go to school in Seoul. It usually takes about 1~2 hours by public transportation.

Gyeonggi-do surely has a different vibe than Seoul. It’s not as “country” as other provinces of Korea, but not as “city” as Seoul. It’s somewhere in the middle.  If you’re traveling to Korea and want to get out of Seoul just for a short amount of time, what about visiting parks in Gyeonggi-do?

1. 광교호수공원

If you want to enjoy a clean park at a modern city, this park is for you. Opened in 2013, Gwanggyo Lake Park is located in a new town with newly-built apartments and malls. It’s huge, connecting two lakes, Woncheon lake and Sindae lake, in the shape of 8. It was named the “Best Landscape of the Year” in 2014.

???? 165, Gwanggyohosu-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do

2. 남한산성 도립공원

If you want to walk around at a historical site, Namhansanseong Provincial Park is a must-visit place. Namhansanseong fortress was built between the 16th and the 18th century during the Joseon Dynasty period to protect the capital city. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014. 

???? San131-1, Eunhaeng-dong, Jungwon-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do

3. 북한산국립공원

If you love hiking, try going to Bukhansan (Bukhan Mountain) National Park. Even if you don’t like hiking, you can feel the fresh air just by walking around this park. It’s one of the most popular hiking sites in Korea. Spanning between Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, it’s the highest mountain within Seoul city boundaries.

???? 375, Daeseomun-gil, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do

4. 일산호수공원

If you want to see a huge lake, visit Ilsan Lake Park. It’s one of the largest man-made/artificial parks in Asia, with 1,157,100 square meters of area. With a large lake in the center, various facilities, including walking paths, bicycle paths, gardens, etc. are built around it. 

???? 731, Hosu-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do

5. 율동공원

Yuldong Park has a bungee jumping spot! If you want to jump off the cliff, you can do that in this park 🙂 Opened in 1999, it has a “not-too-fancy”, comfortable vibe where family and friends casually walk around and ride bicycles.

???? 72, Munjeong-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do