One of the best things about traveling to Seoul is that you can pretty much do all kinds of activities: from museums to nightlife and even hiking. By the way, hiking is a big deal in Korean culture, and once you will see that Korean people of all ages go hiking with their families or just for the sake of exercising. In this post I will introduce to you the Inwangsan Moutain: a great mountain to visit if youโre just a hiking beginner like me.
Starting by how to Inwangsan
Which is super easy since the mountain in the middle of the city: take the subway to Gyeongbokgung Station on line 3 and drop off at exit 3. After the subway, you have to catch a bus (7212, 1020, or 7022) at the bus stop located just after Starbucks. If youโre fast enough the transfers from the subway to the bus is free and youโll pay only for the extra distance. You have to get off at the Jahamun stop. From there take a left onto the road where the museum is located and turn right at the first police post. Finally, just take a wood staircase up to the fortress wall and follow the track until the peak.
The whole walk is around 3km long, and the whole path is really easy to follow. Not only because itโs a small distance but also because thereโs a track during the whole path. I advise you to wear comfortable sneakers and clothes to protect you from the wind โ no matter how hot the weather is, it will be very windy and the wind in Korea can be freezing sometimes. Another good thing to prepare before going is light snacks, water, and sunscreen. And of course full battery on your phone to take lots of pictures!
Once you start the hike to the top of the mountain, you will see a lot of Korean Pine trees, which are symbol trees of the Korean flora. The best thing about this hike is that no matter where you stop you can see an amazing view and take really good pictures of the city. And of course, see the incredible contrast between nature and city landscapes. When you reach the areas near the peak you will have a large view of Seoul city, including the famous Namsan tower and also other mountains where you can hike in Seoul. At the peak, there is a lot of space to seat and just enjoy the view for a while โ believe me when I say you will want to seat there for hours straight.
My personal recommendation
If youโre not afraid of walking in the dark, wait for the sunset! Itโs so beautiful itโs magical.
After the peak, there is the walk back, which is really light! You will pretty much walk down on stairs for the most time. Gowing up takes around 1 hour with shortstops, and going down takes around 40 minutes with no stops โ there are fewer spots to stop when youโre going down.
Cost
The whole hike is completely free apart from the subway and bus ride!
