Hiking in Seoul for Beginners: Borrow Gear, Pick an Easy Trail and Know the Winter Rules
First time hiking in Seoul? Borrow gear at a hiking center, pick an easy trail, and know the winter rules
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Hiking has become one of the things visitors do in Seoul, and the city runs three Seoul Hiking Tourism Centers that lend gear to foreign tourists. This guide uses the centers’ own site, the Seoul City Wall site and the official hiking guidebook, and flags where sources disagree.
Baegundae on Bukhansan · Photo: Jo Hanshin / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Borrow your gear: the three centers
The centers are run by the Seoul Tourism Organization. Their site says the rental service is available for foreign tourists and for Koreans who visit with their global friends.
| Center | Where | Closed | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bukhansan | 5F, 52 Samyang-ro 173-gil, Gangbuk-gu | Mondays and holidays | 1533-2608 |
| Bugaksan | 1F, 88 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu | Tuesdays | 1533-2158 |
| Gwanaksan | B1, 23 Sillim-ro, Gwanak-gu (inside Gwanaksan Station) | Wednesdays | 1533-2162 |
All three open 09:00–18:00, but the official guidebook says hours may vary, so check the site before you go. Booking links on the English site lead to each center’s reservation page, and Klook is the booking platform.
Seoul Hiking Week, autumn 2026 runs October 26 to November 15. Week 3 (November 9–15) is the Bugak week. Registration is through the centers’ linktr.ee page. The spring 2026 edition drew about 6,700 people. The next edition has not been announced.
Hiking gear · AI-generated illustration
Which trail? The official difficulty scale
The Seoul Tourism Organization’s guidebook rates trails as Easy (flat dirt, light sneakers fine), Average (boots needed, steps and rock) and Advanced (rocky, ladders or ropes).
| Trail | Distance and time | Official rating |
|---|---|---|
| Naksan (Seoul City Wall) | 3.2 km, about 1 h | Easy: 2 stars on the City Wall site, “relatively easy due to its gentle slope” |
| Bukhansan Dulle-gil, Uiryeong-gil | 6.42 km, about 2 h | Easy |
| Inwangsan City Wall trail | 4.1 km, about 2 h 10 min (guidebook) | Average (guidebook). The City Wall site rates its Inwangsan course 5 stars and says to take extra care on rocky sections, especially in winter |
| Bukhansan Samobawi–Bibong | 6 km, about 3 h | Average |
| Namsan (City Wall course) | 6.7 km, about 3 h | 3 stars, open 24 hours |
| Bukhansan Baegundae via Ui Gugok | 9.98 km, about 4 h 20 min | Advanced. Summit 835.6 m. The guide lists Yeongbong Peak (604 m) as an alternative if Baegundae is too hard |
| Bukhansanseong–Daenammun | 10.2 km, about 4 h 10 min | Advanced |
Seoul Fortress Wall at Naksan · Photo: Rtflakfizer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Getting to the easy walks
| Place | Official access |
|---|---|
| Naksan Park | Hansung Univ. Station Exit 4 (3 min on foot) or Hyehwa Station Exit 1 (5 min) |
| Namsan trail | Dongguk Univ. Station Exit 5 (2 min), Chungmuro Station Exit 4 or Hoehyeon Station Exit 4 (5 min) |
| Inwangsan | Dongnimmun Station Exit 2 (20 min walk), Muakjae Station Exit 2 (30 min) or Seodaemun Station Exit 4 |
We could not read the live Korea National Park Service pages for Bukhansan, so we do not give entrance hours or fees. Ask at the Bukhansan center, which is the official starting point.
Inwangsan · Photo: MonasteryInwang / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Winter and safety
Korea’s news in October included a rescue of foreign hikers who climbed a mountain at night without lights. Choose a trail that matches your gear and daylight.
Bottom line
🏨 Compare Seoul hotels on Agoda
Going to see the city’s sights too? Read KPop Demon Hunters in Seoul: real vs inspired, which includes Naksan Park.
We have not hiked these routes for this guide. Information comes from the sources below, which may change. As of October 31, 2026.
Cover: AI-generated illustration created for this site.
- Seoul Hiking Tourism Center — official site
- Seoul Tourism Organization — official hiking guidebook (Dec 2024)
- Korea Times — Seoul Hiking Week autumn 2026 (Oct 20)
- Korea Times — Global trekkers climb Seoul's rocky mountain trails (Oct 28)
- Korea Herald — foreign hikers (Nov 2025)
- Seoul City Wall — Naksan course
- Seoul City Wall — Namsan course
- Seoul City Wall — Inwangsan course
- Korea JoongAng Daily — K-hiking (May 2025)
