Explore Seoul: My Favorite Hikes In Seoul

A snowy spring hike on Dobongsan

Seoul may not be what first springs to mind when you think about hiking, but it is actually a city of mountains and there are a plethora of hikes accessible by a subway or short bus ride. With the number of hikers on the trails every weekend, hiking seems like Korea’s national pastime, and has a big hiking culture. I was an avid hiker before I moved to Korea, and hiking was one of my top motivations for exploring the country. Some of my ideas around hiking completely changed with hiking in Korea, granola bars for a snack? I don’t think so, Korean hikers will pack a full on meal in their packs, and you can often find ramyeon and makgolli for sale on the top of the mountain, not mention there are always a plethora of restaurants at the bottom of the mountain for that post hike meal before heading home. While you can get some great views of Seoul from Lotte Tower, the best views by far come from the mountains.

Bukhansan National Park: Baekundae

Probably the most popular place to hike in Seoul is Bukhansan National Park, it’s so popular with both visitors and residents that it is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the most visitors per acre annually. The park was established in1983, it has numerous peaks and hiking courses, with the three most popular being Baekundae, Insubong, and Mangnyeondae. The park is also home Bukhansanseong Fortress and 9.5-kilometer section of defensive wall that was originally built in 132 AD to protect, it was expanded in size in 1711 and was reconstructed after the Korean War as it was damaged during the conflict. When the weather is clear the park’s multiple peaks provide stunning views of Seoul and is quite spectacular in the fall. Bukhnsan is also popular with climbers and there are several courses available to climb, from atop Baekundae, you can often witness climbers navigating the smaller surrounding peaks.

Gwanaksan

Another popular and decidedly easier hike is Gwanaksan in southern Seoul. The main campus of Seoul National University is at the base of the mountain, and it is home to numerous temples including Wongaska at the peak. There are numerous hiking courses that vary in length from various starting points. The name Gwanak means "hat shaped peak" in reference to its peak looking like a gat, which is a traditional hat worn by men. Gwanaksan is considered to be one of the 5 representative peaks of Gyeonggi-do. Easily accessed by public transportation, the mountain sees around 5 million hikers annually.

Achasan

One of the easier hikes in Seoul and a favorite of mine for a nighttime hike as it affords great

Night views of Seoul from Achasan

views of the Seoul lit up at night, or a view of the Hangang and the city during the daytime, Achasan has an elevation of 287 meters. The mountain boasts multiple viewing platforms where you can catch views of COEX in Gangnam, the 63 Building in Yeoido, and Namsan Tower. If you’re in the mood for a bit of a longer hike you can hike from Achasan to Yongmasan, between the two peaks you can find the ruins of a small fort from the Goguryeo era.

Bukhansan National Park: Dobongson

Located about an hour subway ride from central Seoul in Bukhansan National Park, Dobongson is considered one of the best mountains by hiking enthusiasts. The mountain boasts impressive and dramatic granite features, the mountain is surrounded by about 60 temples that are situated the scenic valleys. Dobongson stands at 740 meters and has well maintained trails that wind through the forest, close to the top the granite formations do require some scrambling, which is quite fun, and the hike takes about five hours.

Seoul Fortress Wall

Strolling along Seoul fortress wall

The Seoul Fortress Wall hike is a trek that will take you along the route of the old fortress wall that surrounded Seoul to protect it from invaders. The wall was first built during the Joseon Dynasty when the city was called Hanyang, it has also been called Hansung. The wall stretches for 18.6 kilometers and traverses over the ridges of Seoul’s four inner mountains: Bukhansan, Naksan, Namsan, and Inwangsan. The trail is divided into six sections which makes it easy to break down and do over several days, or you can make a full day and hike it in one go, if you go this route it’s best to start quite early. There is a “passport” for the Fortress Wall hike, Seoul operates the Hanyangdoseong stamp trail, which divides the hike into 6 trails: Baegak Mountain Trail, Naksan Mountain Trail, Heunginjimun Gate Trail, Namsan Mountain Trail, Sungnyemun Gate Trail, and Inwangsan Mountain Trail. As you come to each section there is a stamp box where you can stamp your "passport", which makes for a cool souvenir.

Inwangsan

Another easy hike with a height of 388 meters is Inwangsan, sitting in Jongno-gu, the name Inwangsan means "mountain of the generous king". Inwangsan is known for its many granite peaks, which distinguish it from the other mountains in Seoul. Many of the rocks are named after the characteristics that they resemble such as: chima bawi (skirt rock) and moja bawi (hat rock). The view from Inwangsan is so famous that a number of Korean painters have used it as inspiration for their work. A section of the Seoul Fortress Wall runs through Inwangsan along with Guksadang shrine. The mountain overlooks the Blue House, which is where the president resides, an assassination attempt of a prior president resulted in a section of trail being closed to the public for 38 years. Access to the trail is now controlled by the military and photography of the blue house is discouraged, there are typically soldiers patrolling along this section of trail and it is closed on Mondays. To enter the trail to the mountain, you will need to show a formal ID such as a passport or ARC.

Namsan

Sitting above the shopping district of Myeongdong and home to the North Seoul Tower,

Namsan Tower during Cherry Blossom season

Namsan has an elevation of 262 meters with various options to reach the top: you can hike, ride the cable car, or take a bus. Some people may consider this more of a stroll than a proper hike, which makes it friendly for all levels of fitness and families, or a date. At the top of the mountain you can enjoy views of the city from both North Seoul Tower and the viewing platforms. There is also a smoke signal station called Mongmyeoksan Bongsudae, which was part of an emergency communication system until 1985. Occasionally you can catch a changing of the guard and lighting of the signal station being performed on Namsan. Leaving a love lock on the railings surrounding the mountain is a popular activity for couples who visit the mountain. I have an unexplainable love of Namsan, it's one of my favorite places in Seoul to visit no matter the season.

No matter your hiking level, Seoul offers accessible hikes with wonderful views of the city and a chance to learn more about Korea’s hiking culture. It also offers a break from the hyper activity of Seoul and a chance to relax in nature. I have so many great memories and experiences hiking in Korea and some of the best interactions have been with others I have met while hiking.