Autumn in Seoul, South Korea

Autumn. It's the time of the year when the shades of crimson and orange dominate the landscape. There are reasons why it is easy to fall in love with Autumn - the climate is not too cold, I get the chance to wear layers of clothes and coats, something that I can't do in the Philippines where it is forever hot and humid, and the changing landscape is just scenic.

Last week, I got the chance to revisit Seoul again, this time in the middle of the Autumn season.

Okay, let me tell a short story. Prior this trip, I was expecting that the average temperature in Seoul during our stay would be 12 to 14 degrees. I even double checked every reliable weather apps and websites about the prevailing weather in Seoul during our stay. I intentionally left my thermal gloves and earmuffs because we won't experience snow, to say at least. But, I was wrong. Very, very wrong.

We arrived at Incheon International Airport before 10 in the evening. Upon exiting the blue line, we got caught off guard with the cold. We walked for another 10 minutes to our guest house. I thought it would get warmer as days go by. Little did I know, it will get colder a few days after.

The following day, we woke up early and left our guest house before 8 in the morning. First stop was Nami Island. When I visited Seoul last January, Nami Island was included in my itinerary. The whole island was covered with snow, and most trees were dead because obviously, it was in the middle of the winter. I was looking forward to visiting Nami Island during the Fall season because it's more dramatic.

This is the famous sequoia path of Nami Island.

There were so many tourists visiting the island, but it still retained its charm.

Striking a pose.

Holy shit, I was in awe upon arrival at Nami Island. Despite being jam-packed with tourists, the whole island still retains its charm. You can never go wrong with Nami Island during the Autumn season. Everything's picturesque.

Nami Island isn't just a perfect place to visit in Seoul during the Fall season. Actually, the whole metropolis of Seoul was screaming crimson and orange! Here are some of the photos taken at Petite France, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Cultural Village, and N Seoul Tower:

Facade of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

National Folk Museum

Buckchon Cultural Village

While strolling, we passed by this fancy looking coffee shop.

Namsan Tower

Downtown Seoul and the Autumn foliage

But, that's not all! My favorite part of the trip was when we visited Haneul Park, located near Seoul's World Cup Stadium. This is where Anne and Erwan shot their prenup photos.

World Cup Stadium

Haneul Park

Sample photo of our shoot!

Here are some things that you should expect should you visit Korea in the middle of their Autumn Season:

1) Nami Island is full of tourists, but there's no need to buy reservations online. We bought our tickets there for KRW 8,000, that includes roundtrip tickets to and from the Gapyeong Port.

2) It can get really cold in Seoul even if it's still Autumn. The highest temperature when we got there was only 7 degrees Celsius. At night, it can plunge as low as -3 degrees Celsius. Better pack an extra layer of clothing, gloves, and scarves to keep you warm and comfy.

3) Autumn smells like shit. No, it doesn't smell like cinnamon or pumpkin spice. Although bearable, the scent is brought about by the rotting leaves. It's a natural cycle, yes, I'm aware of that, but I'm just giving you a heads up.

4) The day after we flew back to Manila, Seoul experienced its first snow. I just fucking hate snow.

Now, I'm thinking of spending the Autumn season in Osaka Prefecture next year. What do you think?


Author's note:

All photos were taken using a Canon EOS M10, post processed in Adobe Lightroom CC.