Official K Subway Tour Guide
A Date from Seoul Grand Park Station: Zoo and Seoulland After Dark
A Seoul Grand Park Station date with autumn zoo paths, a garden break and Seoulland’s evening lights. Our two-person spending, timings and map.
Autumn trees at the zoo, a blanket break before sunset, then Seoulland’s evening lights: this was a date that gave us two very different outings from one Line 4 station.
I’ve been going to Seoulland since primary school, around twenty years ago, so coming back brings a lot of memories with it. On 17 October 2026, my girlfriend and I made an afternoon of Seoul Zoo first, then used an evening ticket for the amusement park.
The route at a glance
Seoul Grand Park Station → Seoul Zoo → Marine Hall Café → Giraffe Food Court → garden break outside Seoulland’s main gate → Seoulland
We started at 14:00 and headed home at 18:50: 4 hours 50 min. Our actual total for two was ₩64,000: ₩5,000 in zoo admission, ₩8,000 for coffee and churros, ₩23,000 for food, ₩20,000 in Seoulland tickets and ₩8,000 for elephant-train rides. Subway fares and shopping are outside that total.
Our zoo admission payment was less than the cost of two full-price adult tickets. The standard adult zoo price is ₩5,000 each, so budget ₩10,000 for two adults unless a valid discount or free-entry category applies.
- Start
Start at Seoul Grand Park Station
I started at Seoul Grand Park Station on Line 4 at 14:00. This station serves the wider park area in Gwacheon; the zoo and Seoulland have separate entrances and tickets.
Seoul Grand Park Station on Line 4. 
The elephant train makes the park approach part of the outing. We used the elephant train for some of the movement around the park and spent ₩8,000 in total. The current adult fare is ₩2,000 per one-way ride. Don’t treat one ticket as an unlimited pass. Check the official train route and operating times before planning the return journey.
- Arrived
Autumn paths and animals at Seoul Zoo
I arrived at Seoul Zoo at 14:30 and started from the lower part, walking uphill through the grounds. The autumn trees made the walking itself a big part of the date.
We looked at ostriches, big cats, primates and other animals along the way. I especially wanted a tiger photo because it could be used for the Seoulland offer we’d found. Give yourself time to stop and look rather than trying to cover the whole zoo quickly.
An ostrich along our zoo route. 
My tiger photo became useful for the evening ticket offer. There is plenty of walking here. A paid skylift is another way to reach an upper area before walking down. The official adult price is ₩9,000 for one section or ₩16,000 for two; zoo entry is separate unless you choose a package. Check the sections and current fares. The park has also announced a planned skylift closure on 30 December 2026 for replacement work, so check the operating notice for a later visit.
Zoo hours: Mar–Apr and Sep–Oct 09:00–18:00; May–Aug 09:00–19:00; Nov–Feb 09:00–17:00. Open daily, with admission ending one hour before closing. Animals may go indoors earlier. Official zoo admission and hours.
- Arrived
Coffee and churros after a long walk
I arrived at Marine Hall Café at 15:39, ready to sit down. By this point, I reckon I’d walked around 9,000 steps. An iced Americano and a churro, ₩4,000 each, felt well timed.
The coffee was a packaged coffee pouch poured into an ice cup, rather than an espresso pulled at the counter. That’s useful to know before ordering. For a drink inside the zoo after all that walking, I was happy enough with it.
A ₩4,000 churro during our café break. The area right by the counter was crowded when we arrived. A little farther downhill, there were tables where we could take a break. I’d look there if the first seats you see are full, while remembering that availability will depend on the day.
Hours: A separate weekly opening, closing or break-time schedule isn’t currently displayed on the café’s Naver listing. Check the counter on arrival; the zoo’s opening hours don’t guarantee that every food outlet is open throughout.
- Arrived
An early dinner at Giraffe Food Court
I arrived at Giraffe Food Court at 16:40. We ordered tonkatsu for ₩14,000 and fish cake udon for ₩9,000, spending ₩23,000 on the two meals.
Tonkatsu with rice and side dishes. 
Fish cake udon for our other meal. We sat outside, where magpies were hopping around and picking at things on other tables. I kept wondering whether one would come toward our food, but nothing happened. The birds stayed outside while we were there.
The counter closed at 17:00 on our visit. That made this an early dinner before Seoulland, rather than a meal to leave until the zoo closed.
Hours: I couldn’t verify a current standalone weekly schedule or last-order time from the food court’s listing. Ask when orders finish as you arrive. The 17:00 closing above describes our visit, not a guaranteed daily schedule.
- Rest stop
A blanket break outside Seoulland’s main gate
At 17:20, we stopped at the hydrangea garden just outside Seoulland’s main entrance. We’d brought a blanket so we could sit comfortably while waiting for the evening entry time.
It was one of my favorite parts of the day: a lovely view, few people around us, and time to rest together after walking through the zoo. I’d bring a small picnic blanket again for a pause like this.
This was the garden by Seoulland’s main gate, rather than Seoul Grand Park’s separate ticketed Theme Garden. The downloadable map groups this break with the Seoulland area; it doesn’t mark our exact place on the grass.
- Entered
Seoulland as the lights come on
We entered Seoulland at 17:50. Our tickets were After 6 tickets, but staff admitted us ten minutes early that day. Plan around the advertised 18:00 entry time rather than expecting the same exception.
We paid ₩10,000 each using a promotion for zoo visitors who showed their own tiger photo at the on-site ticket counter. The official Seolho photo offer had an After 6 ticket price of ₩10,000 from 1 September 2026 (it was active during our visit, but ended on 31 October 2026). Check current ticket prices and promotions before budgeting for a future outing.
Seoulland’s rides and lights after sunset. 
Ghost-themed decorations during the autumn festival. The autumn Ghost Festival setting brought costumed visitors, decorations and lots of places to take photos. It didn’t feel especially crowded to me for a Saturday, but I wouldn’t use that one evening to predict another weekend’s queues.
I kept recognizing places from my childhood. I also came across a dinosaur-themed area that was new to me. We were happy wandering around and taking in the atmosphere; if rides are your main reason to come, I’d arrive earlier and give the park more time.
Hours and events: Seoulland’s closing times and ride schedules vary by date. Use the official operating calendar and performance listings for your visit. An evening ticket doesn’t mean every attraction runs until the park closes.
- Heading home
Time to head home
We headed home at 18:50 after an afternoon at the zoo and a short evening visit to Seoulland.
My take
5 / 5
Autumn walking at the zoo, a quiet break together and Seoulland’s lights made this a 5 / 5 date for me. The evening brought back childhood memories, while the garden gave us a chance to slow down between the two parks.
If I go again, I’ll try Seoulland in daylight too. We only spent about an hour there this time, so I’d give it more time if I wanted to make rides the focus.
Practical information checked on 20 October 2026. Use the linked venues for updates.
Names to copy into your map app:
S. Seoul Grand Park Station (대공원역)
1. Seoul Zoo (서울동물원)
2. Marine Hall Café (해양관카페 서울대공원)
3. Giraffe Food Court (기린푸드코트)
4/5. Seoulland and the garden break by its main gate (서울랜드 · 정문 앞 수국정원)
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