Jade Garden in Gapyeong is the arboretum I keep coming back to. We visited in peak autumn color with my parents and my nephew, and the Jade Garden Gapyeong trails delivered the full fall package: a European-style entrance, themed plant zones, and a proper workout of a hillside walk.
The European-style entrance
The parking lot is wide and well organized. The entrance building has a European feel and looks lovely every time, though the prettiness is concentrated right here at the gate.
My father pushed the stroller as we headed in, past plantings that change with the themes.
Autumn colors and a drama shoot
The maples were out in force, and we stopped under them for my parents’ photos.
Mid-walk, a crew asked for quiet: a drama was filming on the grounds. From a distance we spotted the actor on the hill, and we tiptoed past taking sneaky photos.
Themed gardens
Unlike flat botanical gardens, Jade Garden Gapyeong is basically a mountain hike, which this exercise-hater found tiring, but the themed zones keep it interesting.
My parents collected plenty of keepsake photos along the way.
Fountains, reeds and moss
The fountains made for a hilarious staged photo of my mother and nephew.
I am always the photographer on family trips, so no photos of me exist. Then came the reed forest, small but enough for an autumn mood, and the moss garden, surprisingly lush for such a dry spot.
Summit rest stop and architecture
Another pleasure of Jade Garden Gapyeong is its varied architecture. At the very top sits a rest stop serving ice cream and coffee with a view.
Lunch at the garden restaurant
Hungry, we hiked back down to the garden’s only restaurant. With no competition, it is spacious, and we ordered a spread: pork cutlet, bulgogi, and octopus.
Tasty overall in a rich, savory-sweet way, though on the pricey side.
On the way out
Leaving, we passed banners from the drama filmed here and signposts for the school drama set, then the caricature stand. We had ours drawn here years ago with questionable results, a fun souvenir to end the walk.
Admission was around 4,000 won with a discount at the time of our visit, worth checking before you go.
Prices, hours and details in this post are from our visit in July 2016 and may have changed, so check the latest information before you go.