Seoul Grand Park

Seoul Grand Park lies just south of the city in Gwacheon, at the foot of Cheonggyesan, and it is less a zoo than a day's worth of grounds. The zoo itself is large and spread up a hillside, with big-cat and primate houses, a children's zoo and a rose garden that peaks in late spring. A chairlift and a road train carry people up from the gate, which matters more than it sounds, because the walk from the station to the far enclosures is long. Seoul Land, a modest older theme park, sits next door, and the national museum of modern and contemporary art stands in the same grounds. Subway line four runs to the entrance.

What you actually see

• The hillside zoo - the large enclosures spread up the slope above the main gate.
• The chairlift - the sky lift running from the entrance area up to the zoo.
• The rose garden - the formal beds between the gate and the zoo, best in late spring.
• The art museum - the national modern art collection housed in the same grounds.

When to go

Spring and autumn, when the walking is comfortable and the roses or the colour are on. Summer is humid and many animals stay out of sight in the heat; winter closes some outdoor areas. Weekdays are far calmer. Arrive early, because covering the zoo, the museum and the theme park in one day means a lot of ground.

Honest expectations

The site is enormous and the distances between the station, the gate and the enclosures are tiring, especially with small children; the train and chairlift cost extra and queue at weekends. Some of the older animal housing shows its age, and views on keeping large animals this way differ. In hot or cold weather many enclosures look empty.

Nearby

Cheonggyesan's walking trails start beside the park and central Seoul is about forty minutes by subway.