Hiking

Most visitors hike in Korea as a half-day add-on to a city stay. In Seoul, walk the Seoul City Wall over Bugaksan or Inwangsan (2.5–3 hours) or climb Bukhansan (a full day); on Jeju, book the free Hallasan summit slot or walk a route of the Jeju Olle. Mountain trails have fixed entry hours, and many high trails close for fire season from about mid-November.

Hiking is a mainstream weekend pastime in Korea, so popular trails are busiest on Saturdays and Sundays, above all in October. Steps and handrails are common on steep granite, and most big cities have a trail you can reach by subway or bus.

Which hike fits your trip?

Pick by where you are sleeping and how much time you have.

Your base and time	Hike	Distance and time	Level
Seoul, half day	City Wall, Baegak section (Bugaksan)	4.7 km, about 3 h	Steep stairs
Seoul, half day	City Wall, Inwang section (Inwangsan)	4.0 km, about 2.5 h	Moderate
Seoul, full day	Bukhansan to Baegundae (836 m)	Full day	Hard near the top
Busan, half day	Galmaetgil coastal sections; Oryukdo cliff path	2–4 h per section	Easy to moderate
Jeju, one day	Hallasan summit (booking needed)	Full day	Hard
Jeju, half day	One Jeju Olle route, or Seongsan Ilchulbong	30 min to a full day	Easy to moderate
East coast, 1–2 days	Seoraksan from Sokcho	Half day to full day	Moderate to hard

City Wall distances and times from the Seoul City Wall office; checked 14 October 2026. If you have one free morning in Seoul, the City Wall is the easiest win: no special gear, views over the palaces, and buses back to the centre. Save Bukhansan or Seoraksan for a day you can start early.

Easy hikes in central Seoul

The Seoul City Wall (Hanyangdoseong) runs for 18.6 km over the four inner hills of the old capital, and the trail beside it is split into four sections. Two are proper hikes:

• Baegak section (Changuimun → Hyehwamun): 4.7 km, about 3 hours, rated the hardest of the four. From Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3, take green bus 7212, 1020 or 7022 to the Jahamun Pass stop. It ends near Hansung University Station (Line 4).
• Inwang section (Donuimun site → Changuimun): 4.0 km, about 2.5 hours, with wide views over Gyeongbokgung and the city.
• Naksan (3.2 km, about 1.5 hours) and Namsan (6.7 km, about 3.5 hours) are gentler walks through neighbourhoods and parkland.

The wall path is open around the clock, but the office recommends walking the Baegak section 09:00–17:00 in November–February, 07:00–18:00 in March–April and September–October, and 07:00–19:00 in May–August. There are no toilets for about two hours once you start the Baegak or Inwang sections and no convenience stores on the way, so buy water before you set off. Do not climb on the wall itself.

For a longer challenge, the Seoul Trail circles the whole city: 156.5 km in 21 courses averaging about 8 km, mostly through forest. Stamp books are free at the trail information centres and Seoul City Hall, and collecting all 28 stamps earns a completion certificate.

Borrow hiking gear in Seoul

Few visitors pack boots for a city trip. The Seoul Tourism Organization runs three Seoul Hiking Tourism Centers that rent hiking gear to foreign visitors and to Koreans hiking with them, and offer coin lockers, a lounge and trail information. Reserve gear through the centres’ website.

Centre	Where	Closed
Bukhansan	5F, 52 Samyang-ro 173-gil, Gangbuk-gu	Mondays
Bugaksan	1F, 88 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu	Tuesdays
Gwanaksan	B1, inside Gwanaksan Station, Gwanak-gu	Wednesdays

All three open 09:00–18:00 and also close on major holidays; checked on the official site 14 October 2026. Rental prices are not published on the centres’ own pages, so check the booking page before you go.

Long-distance walking trails

Korea also has signed long-distance trails, built for walking one day-length stage at a time. You do not need to walk them end to end.

• Jeju Olle Trail: 27 routes, about 437 km, looping Jeju’s coast, including routes on small offshore islands. The first route opened in 2007. For a single day, the southern routes around Seogwipo are a popular choice.
• Busan Galmaetgil: 278.8 km in nine courses, split into shorter sections along Busan’s coast, rivers and hills. In summer the trail office advises walking before 09:00 or in the evening, and telling someone your route if you walk alone.
• Korea Dulle-gil: a walking route of about 4,500 km around the whole country, made of four trails — Haeparang (east coast, from Busan’s Oryukdo to Goseong in Gangwon), Namparang (south coast), Seohaerang (west coast) and the DMZ Peace Trail. The Korea Tourism Organization’s Durunubi app and website show every course with QR stamp points.

Trail hours, closures and rules

In national parks, each trail has an entry window: you may start from a set time before dawn, but must pass the control point before the last-entry time, which moves earlier in winter. Bukhansan’s Baegundae route from the Baegun centre, for example, is open 04:00–16:00 in December–February and 04:00–17:00 the rest of the year. Many high trails also close for wildfire prevention; in 2025 the autumn closures ran from 15 November to 15 December. The details for each park are on our national parks page.

• Stay on marked trails; closed trails are fined.
• No cooking, campfires, smoking or camping outside designated sites.
• Drinking on summits is a target of ranger patrols.
• In summer, start early and carry plenty of water; heat and humidity are the main risk on exposed ridges and coastal boardwalks.
• If you walk alone, tell someone your route. The emergency number for rescue and ambulance is 119.

What to bring

Trainers or light trail shoes are fine on the City Wall and most Olle routes; Bukhansan, Seoraksan and Hallasan need proper hiking boots for bare granite and rocky steps. From December to March, carry light crampons: shaded stretches are icy even when the city has no snow. Bring a refillable bottle, a snack, a T-money card for buses to the trailhead, and a layer for the summit wind. For buses, subways and cards, see the transportation guide.