It’s another edition of “Plants on the Peninsula” – which has become much more of a thing here on the blog than I thought it would be. Honestly, I’ve never paid much attention to plants in my life. But Koreans make a HUGE deal over ALL the seasonal plants – and it’s really hard not to get excited myself. And so, when I heard of the Gunpo Royal Azalea Festival, I knew I wanted to experience it for myself. Brandon couldn’t have cared less, so I packed a few snacks, loaded up the five kids, and drove the 55 minutes to Gunpo for a mini adventure.

Royal Azaleas Hill in Gunpo

I’ve learned to have pretty realistic expectations for our adventures these days. USUALLY we make it to where we intend to go – and USUALLY we have a really great time. But there have been times when either we haven’t been able to find where we wanted OR it was such a pain in the butt to get there that the destination was a little underwhelming (like our journey to find Anyangcheon Stream Walkway in Seoul). I couldn’t find a tried-and-true Naver pin for the Royal Azaleas Hill, and so I was just really hoping the address I’d found online was the right one. We headed out, not completely sure we were heading to the right place, but hopeful.

We found some street parking and then walked about half a kilometer to where Naver told me the festival was. It wasn’t TOO difficult to find – there were many people (mostly Ajummas and Ajushis) heading the same way, so we mostly just followed them. We found some steps that were lined on one side by Azalea bushes and started climbing – hoping (but by this point kind of doubting) that there was a giant hill covered with flowers on the other side that we just couldn’t see.

We got to the top of the stairs, rounded the corner, and were immediately hit by one of the more incredible sights I’ve ever seen. It was more than I could have ever hoped for – a sea of purple, red, and white against a city backdrop. I think the only way I can really describe it is “other-worldly” – and my pictures 100% do NOT do it justice. There were a lot of people walking along the paths that cut through the plants (and MANY people snapping pictures of me and my kids… I’ll need to figure out how to ask “Can you text me that picture?” in Korean. Ha!), but it was honestly a pretty slow day at the hill. I’m guessing the rain had something to do with that – plus we arrived at about 11 in the morning. If you’re planning to make the trip, I recommend going as early as you can (or, if you’re lucky, hit it on a day that’s drizzling).

This was the perfect Tuesday morning adventure for me and the kids. We enjoyed the fresh air (even though it was a little colder than we had hoped for) and everyone was so patient with our kids as we regularly blocked paths and smacked people with umbrellas by accident. Oops. But, as I said, everybody was so nice and so understanding and LOVED playing with H who was content being carried on my back. If you have a chance in the next few days, I HIGHLY recommend checking out Royal Azaleas Hill.

’til next time…

Ash

How to visit the Gunpo Royal Azalea Festival

Dates: This year, the festival runs from April 28 – April 30, but you can go see the flowers before (and I assume after) those dates as well. I’m not sure how long the flowers last after April 30th.

Directions: If you paste 경기도 군포시 번영로 407 into Naver, it will take you to Royal Azalea Park. Walk through the park and follow the signs to Royal Azaleas Hill. When in doubt, follow the crowds!

Cost: It is free to visit Royal Azaleas Hill anytime.

Parking: There is plenty of street parking down the road from Royal Azalea Park. However, on a busier day (or during the festival), I would guess that parking fills up fast. There is a parking garage close by – I don’t know whether or not they take American cards, but I would GUESS that they accept AMEX, as most garages seem to.

Bathrooms: Yes, by one of the entrances to the hill.