Best Hikes in Seoul

This fall, I had some time on my hands, especially after my morning classes on Wednesdays and Tuesdays, so I decided to go on some solo hikes. The awesome thing about Korea is that it is very safe, so you don’t have to worry when hiking and/or walking alone, especially during the middle of the day. In my opinion, the best month to hike in Korea is October. This is when the weather cools down a bit (June-September are really hot months and hiking is a little bit miserable) but it’s before the temperature plummets and it’s too cold to hike. Also, October is when you’ll see the most beautiful fall foliage. The most beautiful colors are towards the end of October—around October 20th up until the beginning of November. I also recommend doing these hikes on weekdays if you have the chance. The trails get crowded on weekends. Here are my favorite hikes:

1. Ingwansan

Ingwansan is one of my favorite hikes because you can experience Seoul’s history, while getting your exercise for the day. This hike can get pretty steep at times, but I’d still say it’s pretty moderate, and never too difficult. You’ll get to climb up along the Seoul Fortress Wall and eventually reach a great viewpoint of the city.

2. Ansan Mountain

If you’re at Yonsei University, this hike is very convenient since it’s close to campus. It’s a bit easier than Ingwansan, in my opinion, and between an easy and moderate level of difficulty. I recommend making a slight detour to Bongwansa Temple, a beautiful UNESCO world heritage site and Buddhist temple.

4. Bukhansan National Park

This is personally my favorite place to hike because it feels disconnected from the city and you get more of a nature experience. I entered the park near Bukhansan Ui Station. If you’re feeling like a treat before or after the hike, I recommend going to Cafe Relax and sitting outside to see the foliage.