Hiking in South Korea: Seoraksan, Hallasan and Bukhansan

South Korea has 22 national parks and one of the highest rates of hiking participation of any country in the world. Mountains are woven into Korean daily life - on autumn weekends, Bukhansan fills with Seoul office workers in serious technical gear. For foreign visitors, three mountains are the priority: Seoraksan in Gangwon Province, Hallasan on Jeju Island, and Bukhansan in Seoul itself.

Seoraksan National Park

Seoraksan (설악산) in northern Gangwon Province is consistently ranked as Korea’s most dramatic mountain landscape. The park covers 398 square kilometres of granite peaks, deep valleys, waterfalls, and Buddhist temples. The highest point is Daecheongbong at 1,708m.

Gateway city: Sokcho. See our Sokcho guide for accommodation and transport options.

Key trails:

Trail	Distance	Difficulty	Duration
Sinheungsa Temple → Gwongeumseong (via cable car)	1.2km from cable car top	Easy	1 hour
Biseondae Valley	6km return	Moderate	3 hours
Daecheongbong Summit (Inner Seoraksan)	13.5km return	Hard	8–10 hours
Ulsanbawi Rock	4.5km return	Moderate	3 hours

Entrance fee: KRW 3,500 adults as of 2026. Cable car (optional, for Gwongeumseong) is KRW 14,000 return as of 2026, operated by Seoraksan Cable Car Co.

Season: The park closes some trails for reforestation during winter and early spring. Check the Knps.or.kr website for seasonal closures.

Best for: Dramatic granite formations, autumn colour, Buddhist temple architecture (Sinheungsa, Baekdamsa).

Hallasan National Park, Jeju Island

Hallasan (한라산) is South Korea’s highest mountain at 1,950m and the centrepiece of Jeju Island. The volcano’s cone is covered in snow for several months of the year and the crater lake (Baengnokdam) at the summit is one of Korea’s most iconic views.

Getting to Jeju: Flight from Seoul Gimpo (55 minutes) or Incheon (1 hour 10 minutes). See the Jeju Island guide for orientation.

Summit trails (advance reservation required):

Trail	One-way Distance	Duration Up	Note
Seongpanak	9.6km	4.5–5 hours	Gentler gradient
Gwaneumsa	8.7km	5–6 hours	Steeper, more dramatic

Reservation link: hallasan.go.kr. Book at least one day ahead; quotas fill quickly in autumn and winter.

Non-summit trails (no reservation needed):

• Eorimok Trail: 5.8km one way, 2.5 hours up. Access via Eorimok car park on Route 1100. Offers good views without summit commitment.
• Yeongsil Trail: 3.7km one way, 2 hours up to Witse Oreum viewpoint. The most popular non-summit option.

Entrance fee: Free (as of 2026).

Season notes: Summit trails close when wind or ice conditions make them unsafe - closures are often not announced until the day. Check the park website or call +82-64-713-9950 on the morning of your planned hike.

Bukhansan National Park, Seoul

Bukhansan (북한산) is extraordinary for being a proper mountain park inside a capital city. The granite peaks rise sharply above apartment blocks, and viewpoints across Seoul are the reward at every summit.

Getting there: No entrance fee, no reservation required.

• Dobongsan approach: Metro line 1 or 7 to Dobongsan Station. Walk from the station entrance to the trailhead (15 minutes). The Jaunbong peak trail is 3.4km one way with steep sections near the top.
• Bukhansan Ui approach: Metro line 3 to Gupabal, then bus 34 to Bukhansan Ui National Park entrance. Baegundae (the main summit at 836m) is approximately 4.3km from this entrance.

Trail summary:

Peak	Approach	One-way Distance	Duration Up
Baegundae (836m)	Bukhansan Ui	4.3km	2.5–3 hours
Bibong	Bukhansan Ui	2.8km	1.5–2 hours
Jaunbong (740m)	Dobongsan Station	3.4km	2–2.5 hours

Tips: The park is extremely crowded on autumn and spring weekends. Aim for early starts (before 08:00) or weekday visits. The main trailheads have snack stalls and rental lockers.

Jirisan: Honourable Mention

Jirisan (지리산), straddling the South Cholla/South Gyeongsang border, is Korea’s largest and longest national park and a favourite among serious trekkers. The main ridge traverse (Seseok to Cheonwangbong) is a two to three-day route with mountain huts (산장, sanjang) at intervals, bookable through the Korean National Park Service reservation system (reservation.knps.or.kr). One-way hut fees are approximately KRW 10,000–15,000 per person as of 2026.

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Practical Notes

Footwear: Proper hiking boots or trail shoes with ankle support are standard. Korean hikers take footwear seriously - trail sections at Seoraksan and Hallasan involve exposed rock and metal chain handholds.

Water: Bring at least 1.5 litres per person. Mountain springs in national parks are not officially certified for drinking without treatment.

Navigation: Kakao Maps and Naver Maps both show trail paths within national parks. The Korean National Park Service app (국립공원 공식앱) provides offline trail maps.

Operators: Guided hiking tours from Seoul to Seoraksan are available through GetYourGuide (typically one-day tours departing early morning, KRW 70,000–120,000 as of 2026, including transport from Seoul and a guide).