Bukhansan Trails
북한산 등산로
About
Granite peaks 30 min from downtown. Baegundae is the summit.
Bukhansan's trail network is Seoul's standing miracle: real granite peaks thirty minutes from downtown, with Baegundae — the 836-meter summit — as the crown. The mountain's gift is options: the Baegundae push with its cable-assisted final scramble and city-to-horizon payoff, quieter valley walks, and the fortress-wall routes tracing the old Bukhansanseong ramparts. Trailheads connect to the subway grid, which means hiking here requires no logistics beyond shoes and water — and explains the mountain's legendary weekend crowds, when Seoul's famously equipped hikers turn the trails into a Gore-Tex fashion week. Go on a weekday if possible, start early regardless, and take the summit scramble seriously: the granite is polished by millions of boots. Few world capitals offer an honest mountain on a transit card; Seoul's is this one, and it's free.
Local tips
- The final stretch to Baegundae is a rocky section where you climb while holding onto handrails.
- The area just below the summit gets crowded on weekends. Weekdays or early mornings are more comfortable.
- There are many routes, so decide on your starting and ending points in advance.
- Make sure to get water before you start climbing.
Opening hours
- Sunday
- 00:00–23:59
- Monday
- 00:00–23:59
- Tuesday
- 00:00–23:59
- Wednesday
- 00:00–23:59
- Thursday
- 00:00–23:59
- Friday
- 00:00–23:59
- Saturday
- 00:00–23:59