Seoul Forest and a Seongsu Bakery: A Half-Day Guide

Seoul Forest is a large city park in Seongdong-gu, and the neighborhood of Seongsu-dong sits close by. This guide covers the park, one bakery stop and a simple plan for the day. The most useful point comes early: the park is open 24 hours, but the facilities inside it keep their own hours and closed days.

We have not visited these places for this guide. It is a summary of what the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) says, checked on 12 October 2026. Distances marked as estimates are straight lines between listing coordinates, not walking routes.

Quick answer

Go to Seoul Forest (서울숲) for a green, slow day. KTO lists it as open 24 hours, all year, with four themed parks.
Check the hours of any facility you want to visit on the park website. KTO says closed days vary by facility.
Stop at Ongeundal (옹근달) in Seongsu-dong for pastries. KTO lists it as open 11:00 to 23:00, last order 22:30.
The two are about 1 km apart in a straight line (our estimate). We did not verify a walking route.

An aerial view of a large green park with tall towers and a river bridge beyond it — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1)

Where to Go: Seoul Forest

KTO says Seoul Forest opened on 18 June 2005 on the site of a former water treatment facility. It describes four themed parks spread across a large area, appreciated by city residents and visitors. The address is 273 Ttukseom-ro, Seongdong-gu.

KTO lists the park as open 24 hours, with a note that hours may vary by facility. It lists no closed days for the park as a whole, again with a note that closed days vary by facility and that you should check the website in advance. Parking is listed as available. The information line is +82-2-460-2905.

A red figure sculpture stands among bare trees beside a green sign reading Sculpture Park — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1)

The photo above shows a green sign reading Sculpture Park (조각정원) and a red figure sculpture among bare trees. It is one place to look for inside the park. Which of the four themed parks it belongs to is not in our source.

A wooden walkway runs beside a pond under tall green trees, with two people walking — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1)

Another photo shows a wooden walkway beside a pond under tall green trees. A third shows tall towers mirrored in a still pond.

Tall apartment towers reflected in a still pond, with trees along the far bank — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1)

The photos show different seasons, so what you see will depend on when you go. We could not confirm crowd levels, ticketed facilities or their prices.

What KTO’s photos show

KTO’s photo set for the park also includes a large white 서울숲 (Seoul Forest) sign among bare trees and spotted deer standing on a dirt yard. Where and when you can see the deer is not in our source, so check the park website.

A large white sign reading 서울숲 stands among bare trees, with a hill in the distance — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1)

What to Eat: Ongeundal

Ongeundal (옹근달) is a bakery at 41-1 Seongsui-ro 7-gil, Seongdong-gu. KTO says it is gaining popularity for its cruffin, a hybrid of a croissant and a muffin. The menu also lists canelé, pound cake, crumble and mille-feuille.

A plate with a croissant topped with cream and orange slices and a canelé, beside a green drink, an iced tea and a pound cake — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

KTO says the building was remodeled from an old factory and has a courtyard with thick bushes and a small square pond. It describes a two-story building with floor-to-ceiling windows.

A two-story building front with large glass windows, a rooftop railing and a pink staircase visible inside — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

The counter photo below shows rows of croissant-style pastries and cream-topped cups, each with a small label card. We did not confirm any prices.

A counter lined with croissant-style pastries and cream-topped cups with small label cards — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

Rows of small canelé on white trays with labels such as chocolat, matcha and earl grey — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

Hours. KTO lists 11:00 to 23:00, last order 22:30, open all year, with parking available. The information line is +82-2-499-5012.

To order. Point at what you want and say 이거 주세요 (igeo juseyo), which means “This one, please.” This is a general phrase. We found no information on prices, English menu, card payment or waiting times. If you have allergies, ask staff about ingredients, because we found no source on them.

Another Option: Seongsunoru for a Later Meal

If you want a grilled-meat dinner instead of pastries, KTO also lists Seongsunoru (성수노루) at 110 Achasan-ro, Seongdong-gu. It is about 1.3 km from Seoul Forest in a straight line (our estimate), so we would treat it as an evening stop, not a lunch next to the park.

KTO describes it as a restaurant for grilled hanu (Korean beef) gopchang, meaning small intestines. It says staff grill the meat, so it comes crispy outside and soft inside. The menu list includes hanu modeum (an assortment of Korean beef), hanu daechang (large intestines), hanu makchang (tripe) and hanu yeomtong (heart). KTO also names yukhoe (beef tartare), cheese fried rice, kimchi noodles and soft bean curd jjigae as popular add-ons and side dishes.

A restaurant front at night with a white-tiled sign reading 성수노루 and customers seated at tables behind large windows — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

A round grill plate with coiled and sliced grilled intestines, raw beef slices, mushrooms, onion, garlic and green onions — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

A pot of red stew with sliced mushrooms and vegetables on a portable burner — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

Hours. KTO lists 16:00 to 23:00, last order 22:00. The only listed closed days are Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day). Parking is listed as available, and KTO says the restaurant has a corkage fee system. The information line is +82-507-1388-1936.

Before you go. This is an organ-meat restaurant, so it will not suit everyone. We found no information on prices, spice level, English menu, card payment, reservations or waiting times, and no allergen, halal or vegetarian information. Ask staff about ingredients and sauces. The red stew in the photo is not named in our source, so we do not say what it is.

Plan Your Visit: Park First, Bakery Second

This order is our suggestion, based on the listed hours.

Seoul Forest. Walk the park. It is open 24 hours.
Check facility hours. Before you visit any facility, check its hours and closed days on the park website, as KTO advises.
Walk toward Seongsu. About 1 km in a straight line (our estimate). Route not verified.
Ongeundal. It opens at 11:00, so a morning park walk fits before it.

Hours at a glance

First-Timer Tips

These are our suggestions, not sourced facts.

Check the park website before the day if you want to visit a specific facility.
Use a map app for the walk between the park and the bakery.
Go to the bakery after 11:00, since it does not open earlier.

FAQ

Is Seoul Forest open 24 hours? KTO lists it as open 24 hours, with hours varying by facility.

Does anything inside the park close? KTO says closed days vary by facility, so check the website.

What is Ongeundal known for? KTO says it is gaining popularity for its cruffin.

Is there parking? KTO lists parking as available at both places.

What We Could Not Confirm

Names, hours, prices and closed days of individual facilities in the park.
The nearest station, exits and walking times.
Prices, English menu, card payment and waiting times at Ongeundal and Seongsunoru.
Where and when you can see the spotted deer.

Related guides

We post short first-timer guides on Instagram too: @rolo.koreaguide.

Sources

Checked on 12 Oct 2026.

Korea Tourism Organization, TourAPI (English service): Seoul Forest (content ID 789696, KOGL Type 1 photos), Ongeundal (3409453, KOGL Type 3 photos), Seongsunoru (3489526, KOGL Type 3 photos). Photographs used unaltered. The Ongeundal photos carry a blogger credit mark inside the image, which was left as supplied.
Distances: straight-line calculations from the KTO listing coordinates, not walking routes.