Bukhansan National Park
Bukhansan National Park
4.5
About
Popular among hiking enthusiasts, Bukhansan National Park is located just outside the city of Seoul. Embark on the popular and easiest Bukhansanseong Course to Baegundae Peak, which is the park’s highest point. Seasoned hikers can take on the more challenging Uisangneungseon Course to Nahangon Peak. Otherwise, take the short but steep course to Uisanbong Peak. Plan your visit for autumn, where the park comes alive with stunning fall colors. The trails are well demarcated but, if you’re afraid of getting lost, opt for a private hiking tour, with the option to relax in a sauna after the hike. – Tripadvisor
Duration: More than 3 hours
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See what travellers are saying
- Heather FPotomac, Maryland1 contributionBukhansan what a magical hike mahaloJuly 30 2023 This is a beautiful hike. It is long. The mountains so beautiful with water streams and waterfalls everywhere. It was a perfect day for me. I went up at 1:00. I am very slow I stopped met people made friends. It was a dream come true. Some areas at top are scary if you are afraid of heights. I was fortunate to have the clouds cover me. Less feeling of exposure. So beautiful. Enjoy. I went after three days of rain. So might have been more waterfalls.Visited July 2023Travelled soloWritten 9 August 2023
- RichardTanChaiBoonSingapore, Singapore651 contributionsMy longest and most challenging 6 km walkMy advice for first time visitors should be First stop to the Visitors’ Centre to ask for direction and advice on which route to take. We were told to take the easier route to Daeseongmun Gate which is about 3 km and take about 3 hrs on a full trip back. Considering that my partner and I are quite fit, we thought it will be a piece of cake. But 45 minutes later, we found the route very challenging with steep slope laid with stones and the route became tougher with steep steps. We took 1 hr 45 mins to reach Daeseongmun Gate. And another 1 hrs 35 mins to return to base. Total : 6 km. I must say that we were shagged and our legs muscles sore. Being part of nature does not come easy. The efforts were worth it as the hike was very peaceful with plenty of fresh air and shades. Do bring along your own bottle of water.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 2 September 2023
- Rob NesbitWarsaw, Poland3,399 contributionsGood exercise and well worth the effort, but it was a hard climb.Hiking to the top was long and hard. Even though we started quite early and was on the trail by about 8, it still took us a few hours to get to the peak. Many stone and rocks to be climbed over and it is quite steep at times. At the top there is quite a few people so it can take a little while to actually reach the peak as some of the trail gets narrow. Coming down we were happy that we got up early to do it, as we found the crowds going up were quite big. I can imagine starting it in the middle of the day would take much more time, as you also have to factor in waiting for people to move along. As for the sights, they were great from the top. The peak is a bit hairy as well, if you don't have a good head for heights it might not be the best mountain to climb to the top. The day we did it it was quite windy so a little tense at the very top. Some people were braver than us and going to the edge of the large rocks and slabs of stone......we were happy to keep within the ropes and chains. Good exercise and well worth the effort, but it was a hard climb. (to add: crowds were due to the weekend and it was also a national holiday weekend)Visited September 2023Travelled soloWritten 17 October 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
1,117 reviews
Excellent
817
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264
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28
Poor
5
Terrible
3
Taehyung Jeon
Seoul, South Korea22 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
A breathtaking experience. I recommend going with a professional that knows the place but it is so worth the walk. Not fit for disabled persons however
Written 15 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
its_like_that
73 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
For those looking for a timeline, I hiked from the bottom to Bogungman Gate in the wet and it took 1h15min.
Written 28 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rob Nesbit
Warsaw, Poland3,399 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
Hiking to the top was long and hard. Even though we started quite early and was on the trail by about 8, it still took us a few hours to get to the peak. Many stone and rocks to be climbed over and it is quite steep at times.
At the top there is quite a few people so it can take a little while to actually reach the peak as some of the trail gets narrow.
Coming down we were happy that we got up early to do it, as we found the crowds going up were quite big. I can imagine starting it in the middle of the day would take much more time, as you also have to factor in waiting for people to move along.
As for the sights, they were great from the top.
The peak is a bit hairy as well, if you don't have a good head for heights it might not be the best mountain to climb to the top. The day we did it it was quite windy so a little tense at the very top. Some people were braver than us and going to the edge of the large rocks and slabs of stone......we were happy to keep within the ropes and chains.
Good exercise and well worth the effort, but it was a hard climb.
(to add: crowds were due to the weekend and it was also a national holiday weekend)
At the top there is quite a few people so it can take a little while to actually reach the peak as some of the trail gets narrow.
Coming down we were happy that we got up early to do it, as we found the crowds going up were quite big. I can imagine starting it in the middle of the day would take much more time, as you also have to factor in waiting for people to move along.
As for the sights, they were great from the top.
The peak is a bit hairy as well, if you don't have a good head for heights it might not be the best mountain to climb to the top. The day we did it it was quite windy so a little tense at the very top. Some people were braver than us and going to the edge of the large rocks and slabs of stone......we were happy to keep within the ropes and chains.
Good exercise and well worth the effort, but it was a hard climb.
(to add: crowds were due to the weekend and it was also a national holiday weekend)
Written 17 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katy K
Buford, GA93 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
Beautiful park not far from Seoul. Baegundae peak is such a fun hike. It’s a little challenging (scrambling up a bunch of rocks), but worth the views from the top!
Written 3 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jobes888
Hong Kong, China9 contributions
Sept 2023 • Family
I have hiked 1000 kilometres in Bhukhansan over the past year with my 6 year old.
Park rangers have threatened us with arrest and yelled at us for:
Eating lunch in a hammock
Taking pictures near stream
Putting feet in stream
Taking off shirt by stream
Inadvertently waking out of bounds
Randomly falsely accusation of drinking
You can see Korean enjoying all of these activities unmolested. The park ranger staff is extremely racist and on the hunt for confrontations with foreigners.
Beware
Park rangers have threatened us with arrest and yelled at us for:
Eating lunch in a hammock
Taking pictures near stream
Putting feet in stream
Taking off shirt by stream
Inadvertently waking out of bounds
Randomly falsely accusation of drinking
You can see Korean enjoying all of these activities unmolested. The park ranger staff is extremely racist and on the hunt for confrontations with foreigners.
Beware
Written 23 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RichardTanChaiBoon
Singapore, Singapore651 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
My advice for first time visitors should be First stop to the Visitors’ Centre to ask for direction and advice on which route to take.
We were told to take the easier route to Daeseongmun Gate which is about 3 km and take about 3 hrs on a full trip back. Considering that my partner and I are quite fit, we thought it will be a piece of cake. But 45 minutes later, we found the route very challenging with steep slope laid with stones and the route became tougher with steep steps.
We took 1 hr 45 mins to reach Daeseongmun Gate. And another 1 hrs 35 mins to return to base. Total : 6 km. I must say that we were shagged and our legs muscles sore.
Being part of nature does not come easy. The efforts were worth it as the hike was very peaceful with plenty of fresh air and shades.
Do bring along your own bottle of water.
We were told to take the easier route to Daeseongmun Gate which is about 3 km and take about 3 hrs on a full trip back. Considering that my partner and I are quite fit, we thought it will be a piece of cake. But 45 minutes later, we found the route very challenging with steep slope laid with stones and the route became tougher with steep steps.
We took 1 hr 45 mins to reach Daeseongmun Gate. And another 1 hrs 35 mins to return to base. Total : 6 km. I must say that we were shagged and our legs muscles sore.
Being part of nature does not come easy. The efforts were worth it as the hike was very peaceful with plenty of fresh air and shades.
Do bring along your own bottle of water.
Written 2 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ukrandomtraveller
uk490 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
I really enjoyed Bukhansan park....so much I went 2 days in a row! It was quite easy to get to...I used metro line 3 to stop 320 gulpabal and from outside there were buses 34 and 704 to bukhansanseong fortress entrance. If you need to buy any hiking gear, there are numerous outdoor shops at this entrance
There are a huge variety of trails, from simple walks in the woods to some a little more hardcore. In some areas the tracks go over quite smooth slabs of rocks which have handrails....it makes it possible...but by no means easy on a wet day! In other places full staircases are in place ...otherwise it would be full on climbing! Hidden away there are also some small temples.
I had a wonderful enjoyable time
There are a huge variety of trails, from simple walks in the woods to some a little more hardcore. In some areas the tracks go over quite smooth slabs of rocks which have handrails....it makes it possible...but by no means easy on a wet day! In other places full staircases are in place ...otherwise it would be full on climbing! Hidden away there are also some small temples.
I had a wonderful enjoyable time
Written 17 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather F
Potomac, MD1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Solo
July 30 2023
This is a beautiful hike. It is long. The mountains so beautiful with water streams and waterfalls everywhere. It was a perfect day for me. I went up at 1:00. I am very slow I stopped met people made friends. It was a dream come true.
Some areas at top are scary if you are afraid of heights. I was fortunate to have the clouds cover me. Less feeling of exposure. So beautiful. Enjoy. I went after three days of rain. So might have been more waterfalls.
This is a beautiful hike. It is long. The mountains so beautiful with water streams and waterfalls everywhere. It was a perfect day for me. I went up at 1:00. I am very slow I stopped met people made friends. It was a dream come true.
Some areas at top are scary if you are afraid of heights. I was fortunate to have the clouds cover me. Less feeling of exposure. So beautiful. Enjoy. I went after three days of rain. So might have been more waterfalls.
Written 9 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
2 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
I took a tour from Tripadvisor named "Bukhansan National Park: The Summit Course" and Koa was an amazing guide. The weather was just right and very pleasant. The view was just spectacular and this was the highlight of my trip.
Written 4 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meg68080419788
United States3 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
It was amazing to see a national park located within 1 hour from the heart of the city. And the scenery was just so amazing, I couldn't believe it.
Written 2 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leo
Mainburg, Germany
Hey, I'm planning my trip to Seoul right now & I want to get out of the crowded town during the weekend. I'm just wondering, are the hiking trails on weekends also more crowded? Is it better to go on Saturday or Sunday?
ukrandomtraveller
uk490 contributions
I only went on a wednesday and thursday...both days were fairly quiet....I imagine it is busy at the weekends as it is so easy to get there by public transport. But there are many routes so maybe avoid the highest peaks? Baegundae Peak has a steep narrow section near the top...which can be quite slippy and challenging...so I am sure there would be bottlenecks here
Is the Bukhansan Park closed on certain days? Planning to go on March 26.
C D
Ghent, Belgium171 contributions
I don't think the park closes.
Be sure to check the weather conditions as the paths are very slippery in bad weather conditions.
Mavis
Singapore, Singapore1 contribution
would you recommend going to bukhansan national park on new year's day?
C D
Ghent, Belgium171 contributions
I can imagine that it can be absolutely beautiful in wintertime but you definitely need good climbing material. Be careful en be sure to check the weather conditions before you leave. The more difficult parts can be very slippery, so you will need microspikes and ... a good condition
Dora Mylania
Indonesia1 contribution
Is it safe if we are going to this place on winter?
livingthedreem
Staffordshire, UK252 contributions
Hello,
We went in the spring, so not able to help on this occasion.
Stasia T
Singapore, Singapore5 contributions
We will be driving, can we reach the top of National Park by driving? Any car parks?
Thank you.
phatso
Singapore17 contributions
You can't reach the top by driving. Anyway, the final part to the peak are steep climb, made possible by steel cables. And the peak has space for about 5 pax to comfortably take pictures. Have fun!
Riccha S
18 contributions
Is there a cable car service to go on top or its just a hike?Some reviews mention about the cable car but no clear information on the same.
Ken
Penang Island, Malaysia369 contributions
No cable car .
There is a cable car service at the smaller hill in north part of Seoul itself.
Kristina M
Vilnius, Lithuania11 contributions
Is it ok to take active 4years old child, or its more for fit adults?
CelebrateBS
6 contributions
In my opinion, most definitely not fit for children unless you have the strength to be hiking with them on your backs. It was a 2hour hike to the top, and that was CONTINUOUS stair/stone climbing, not trail walking. Also, at the peak, the stones are rather smooth and slippery and you are hanging on for dear life to the cable ropes to get a step up, any slip ups would result in a loony way down the cliff
Does anyone have any advise on what to bring for the hike which can be useful?
nancy e
Round Rock, TX154 contributions
Hiking shoes ,lunch, water and gloves. Gloves are for holding on to steel ropes when climbing. We took thin working gloves from hardware store and found they worked really well.
Is there any nearby eateries at Bukhansan?
JHL
Seoul, South Korea8,839 contributions
Yes.There are many near starting points.
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Claim your listingBUKHANSAN NATIONAL PARK: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Bukhansan National Park
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Bukhansan National Park:
- Private Bukhansan Hiking Tour (More Members Less Cost per Person) (From S$225.97)
- Private Hiking tour to Bukhansan Peak(Baegundae: 836.5m) with Mountain Expert (From S$225.97)
- Activity - Mt. Bukhan Hiking Guided Tour (From S$201.76)
- Private Hiking to Bukhansan & Korean Style Spa(Include Lunch) (From S$244.81)
- Mt.Bukhansan Hiking and Korean Sauna Tour with Sauna Scrub Service&Korean BBQ (From S$336.27)
- Hotels near Bukhansan National Park:
- (10.33 km) Hotel Skypark Myeongdong 3
- (8.92 km) Hostel Tommy
- (9.87 km) LOTTE HOTEL SEOUL Executive Tower
- (10.31 km) Hotel Skypark Myeongdong 1
- (8.84 km) May Place Seoul Dongdaemun
- Restaurants near Bukhansan National Park:
- (7.51 km) Jihwaja
- (8.84 km) 853
- (8.52 km) Tosokchon Samgyetang
- (8.90 km) Brew 3.14
- (3.85 km) Woody Plate
- Attractions near Bukhansan National Park:
- (10.83 km) Seoul Metro
- (0.94 km) Doseonsa Temple
- (9.13 km) Seoul City Tour
- (7.60 km) OnedayKorea Tours
- (9.09 km) Seoul N Tour - Day Tours