Bukhansan hiking guide: Baegundae trails, transport and timing

Where to sleep, and which side of the mountain to start from

Bukhansan has two main summit approaches, on opposite sides of the mountain, and your hotel should suit the one you choose. The Ui-dong side in Gangbuk-gu, to the east, is where the shortest summit trail starts. It is the end of the line on the Ui-Sinseol light-rail line, at Bukhansan Ui station. The Bukhansanseong side in Eunpyeong-gu, to the west, is reached from Gupabal station on subway Line 3. The KNPS route description for this side runs from Jongno 3-ga, so a hotel in central Jongno works well for it.

Most visitors simply stay in central Seoul and treat the mountain as a day out. If you want to be on the trail early, sleep at the foot of the mountain. Visit Seoul lists Paraspara Seoul, a resort with pools and saunas in the pine forest at 689 Samyang-ro, Gangbuk-gu, and Eungjeongheon, a hanok guesthouse in Eunpyeong Hanok Village that takes one group of guests a day. Visit Seoul also describes the Ui-dong Family Camping Ground, which has tent decks and glamping. Bookings open on Interpark at 14:00 on the 10th of each month and go quickly.

Baegundae from Ui-dong: the shortest way to the summit

KNPS calls this the park's signature route. From the Ui-dong bus terminus, a paved road of a little over 2 km climbs along the Doseonsa temple road to Doseon Plaza (about 30 minutes, says KNPS). Taking a taxi from the station to the Baegun Visitor Center saves that road walk. From the visitor center the trail runs 1.9 km to the summit, which KNPS times at about 1 hour 30 minutes one way. It is about 0.8 km of earth and stone path to Harujae Pass, then 0.6 km of stone steps and rock with wire ropes to the Baegun Shelter. The last 0.5 km, through Baegunbongammun gate, is very steep: the path narrows and you climb with the help of fixed wire ropes.

This is a rocky, steep route, and KNPS warns that the climb to the summit can be badly delayed by crowds at weekends. Plan around your fitness and the sunset time, rest at the shelter before the last section, and wear proper boots. If the last pitch looks like too much, Visit Seoul suggests Yeongbong Peak (604 m) as an alternative, reached from Harujae Pass and facing Insubong, the rock face popular with climbers. The path from Harujae to Yeongbong is itself steep and slippery, Visit Seoul warns. Its full Baegundae–Ui Gugok loop, taking in both peaks, is 9.98 km and rated advanced, with an average time of 4 hours 20 minutes.

• Rest stop before the final pitch: Baegun Shelter, 0.5 km below the summit (KNPS).
• At the top: an unobstructed view across Seoul and into Gyeonggi-do, and a Korean flag that flies all year.
• Stay on marked paths. KNPS says the closed areas around Baegundae carry a high risk of falls.

The Bukhansanseong side: fortress gates and the gentler Daenammun valley

On the western side, the trails start at the Bukhansanseong Visitor Center, which has large car parks. KNPS has two routes from here. The Bukhansanseong course passes Daeseomun, the fortress's main gate, and Borisa Temple, then climbs to Baegundae: 3.4 km one way, about 2 hours 40 minutes. It starts on a gentle paved road. The roughly 500 m stretch from the Yaksuam hermitage site up to Baegunbongammun is, says KNPS, the hardest climb on any route to the summit.

The Daenammun course is the better choice if you want a long but steady walk. It follows the fortress valley past Jungseongmun Gate, a row of old memorial steles and the turn-off to the site of the temporary royal palace, and ends at Daenammun Gate: 5.8 km one way, about 3 hours. KNPS calls it easier than the park's other routes and possible with children, and recommends it for autumn colour. Visit Seoul explains the history behind it: after the invasions of 1592 and 1636, King Sukjong strengthened the capital's defences with Bukhansanseong Fortress. A temporary palace stood below Sangwonbong Peak until a landslide destroyed it in 1915.

Easier days: the Dulle-gil and Uiryeong-gil

If you do not want to climb a peak, walk part of the Bukhansan Dulle-gil. KNPS describes it as a low, mostly level 71.8 km trail around the foot of the mountain. It links existing paths into 21 themed sections of streamside track, forest path and village lanes, and you can walk just one section.

Section 21, Uiryeong-gil, is the unusual one. The pass between Bukhansan and Dobongsan was closed for about four decades after the failed 1968 raid by North Korean commandos, and it reopened in July 2009, Visit Seoul explains. Visit Seoul describes it as an easy 6.42 km walk of about 2 hours. When we checked, entry needed a reservation made at least a day ahead on the KNPS reservation system. Visit Seoul listed access hours of 09:00–18:00, with last entry at 16:00 (15:00 in winter), and said ID is checked at the trailhead.

Timing, gear and closures

Bukhansan uses the national parks' system of designated entry hours. When we checked on 2026-10-03, KNPS listed entry from 04:00 on the Bukhansan trails, and no entry after 17:00 from March to November or after 16:00 from December to February. Visit Seoul listed admission to the park as free. Sections also close for repairs. In late September 2026, for example, KNPS closed the 0.3 km from Baegunbongammun to the summit for path works and reopened it on 2 October. Check the park's notices on knps.or.kr the day before you go.

The Seoul Hiking Tourism Center – Bukhansan Branch is about five minutes' walk from Bukhansan Ui station. It is on the 5th floor at 52 Samyang-ro 173-gil, near the start of the Baegundae–Ui Valley course. When we checked, Visit Seoul listed it as open 09:00–18:00 and closed on Mondays, at Seollal and at Chuseok. It gives trail advice in English, Chinese and Japanese and rents hiking boots, clothing, trekking poles, backpacks and crampons, and you can reserve gear in advance. It also has luggage storage, so you can arrive with a bag and hike light.

Getting to the trailheads by subway and bus

For Baegundae from Ui-dong, take the Ui-Sinseol line to its last stop, Bukhansan Ui, and use Exit 2 for the hiking center. Or follow the KNPS route: subway Line 4 to Suyu station, then city bus 120 from the Gangbuk-gu Office stop to the Ui-dong terminus. Visit Seoul says you can also take a taxi from the station straight to the Baegun Visitor Center.

For the Bukhansanseong side, take subway Line 3 to Gupabal and use Exit 2. KNPS lists bus 704 or Yangju bus 37 from there to the Bukhansanseong entrance stop, and Visit Seoul notes that the visitor center is about 700 m up the road. Routes can also cross the mountain: Visit Seoul's Bukhansanseong–Daenammun trail ends at the Gugi Visitor Center on the south side (10.2 km, about 4 hours 10 minutes, rated advanced). Plan your return from wherever you finish.