Seoul's Longest Rose Path Opens This Weekend — 2026 Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival

The rose tunnel along Jungnangcheon opens this weekend.

The 18th Jungnang Seoul Rose Festival begins May 15.

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Dates, Venue & Admission

• Dates: Friday May 15 ~ Saturday May 23, 2026 — 9 days
• Venue: Jungnang Rose Park (Jungnangcheon area between Mukdong Bridge and Gyeomjae Bridge)
• Admission: Free (some hands-on programs are paid)
• Hours: 10:00–21:00 / Rose viewing available anytime

The main Grand Rose Festival runs May 15–17 (Fri–Sun) around Junghwa Sports Park, and the Jungnang Artist Festival closes things out on May 23 (Sat) at Myeonmok Sports Park.

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Why It's Famous

One reason.

"It's way longer than you'd expect."

The rose tunnel stretches approximately 5.45 km from Mukdong Bridge to Gyeomjae Bridge — the longest of its kind in Korea.

Rose arches, walking paths, photo spots, night lighting, and riverside views continue without a break the entire way.

You'll understand why people say it doesn't feel like central Seoul once you get there.

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Evening Beats Daytime, According to Most Visitors

Rose viewing is available anytime, so you can wander from early morning through late night.

From dusk onward, the lighting, the sunset, and the riverbank atmosphere layer together and really bring the walk to life.

The time slot most recommended by photographers is 5–7 PM.

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Things to Know Before You Go

No parking.

There's no dedicated festival parking. A nearby elementary school lot opens partially on weekends but is limited to 40 cars and runs 10 AM–6 PM only. Public transit is the much better option.

Traffic restrictions May 14–18.

Bus route 2113 will skip certain stops, and one-way traffic will be enforced on Jungnangcheon-ro.

Wear sneakers.

You'll inevitably end up walking quite a bit more than just a few photo stops.

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Getting There by Subway

Two lines both work.

• Line 5, Junghwa Station Exit 2 → 10-minute walk → Mukdong Bridge (north end of the route)
• Line 7, Myeonmok Station Exit 2 → 5-minute walk → Gyeomjae Bridge (south end of the route)

If you want to walk the full 5.45 km stretch from start to finish, begin at Junghwa Station and head south toward Myeonmok Station.

At a relaxed pace, the full walk takes about 1 to 1.5 hours.

There are benches and rest spots along the way, so stopping to take a break is easy.

On the way back, just hop on Line 7 from Myeonmok Station — the two stations are on different lines, so you don't need to retrace your steps.

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18 Years of This Festival

It started in 2008.

Back then it was a small neighborhood event. Today it draws 1–2 million visitors over 9 days and has become one of Seoul's signature spring festivals.

Jungnang-gu invested in this stretch of Jungnangcheon for good reason — the riverbank has long, straight sections with wide open space on both sides, ideal conditions for installing and maintaining rose arches. The district began cultivating it as a rose destination in the early 2000s, and the festival grew out of that effort.

Over 18 editions, the scale, the programming, and the public profile have all grown steadily.

It's now one of those spring events that comes up without prompting whenever someone asks about Seoul in May.

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You don't have to go far.

If you're looking for a place to really feel the season in May Seoul, the Jungnangcheon rose tunnel is a pretty solid answer.