The views from the top of Inwangsan Mountain are phenomenal and when it comes to effort vs reward ratio, it’s a hard hike to beat. The fact you can reach the peak with just a 1km climb makes it the best sunset walk in the city.
Many of Seoul’s mountains would make great sunset hikes, but they require much longer descents in the dark, whereas with Inwangsan you can make it all the way down in the twilight and even if you linger on top it doesn’t matter as the path is illuminated after nightfall.
Even if you’re not looking for a sunset adventure, this short hike should definitely be on your must do list when visiting Seoul because the views have the wow factor at any time of day.
The walk can be done by public transport or you can catch an Uber which is really affordable in South Korea. Here’s everything you need to know about the hike.
The Inwangsan Mountain hike
The stats
Distance: 3km (total distance inc the side trail)
Elevation gain: 280m
Difficulty: Moderate (would be easy by Korean standards)
Trailhead: Inwangsan Trailhead, Seoul
Summary: There are a myriad of routes that snake their way up and down Inwangsan Mountain and in this guide we’re covering the most direct route up and a slightly shallower route down. You’ll ascend one side of the mountain and descend another (going from south to north) so you get to enjoy two different sets of views.
This works well if you don’t mind catching an Uber back to the city as there isn’t a metro station nearby on the return route. If not you can return the same way (the southern side) or head back on the path to Sajakdan Temple which is a short walk from Gyeongbokgung Station.
Following our route, the way up is 1.1km and mainly on well maintained staircases, but there is a little bit of light scrambling towards the end. There are rails along this section for added security. The route is somewhat steep with minimal relief, but even if you’re not in shape, it’s such a short walk that it shouldn’t feel too difficult and there are several rest stops with great views.
The way down is 1.4km, doesn’t have any scrambling involved and is on maintained stairs for the vast majority of the track. There are one or two spots with rougher terrain, but overall all it’s a great path down. There are quite a few stairs though, so if you have any trouble with your knees you may want to bring poles.
Getting to and from the trailheads
The route we recommend taking up the mountain starts on Inwangsan Road, you can see the exact spot here on Naver maps.
We caught an Uber from Insadong and it took around 30 minutes to get there and cost ₩14000 (US$10).
You could easily catch the metro instead, getting off at Dongnimmun station, which is just a 20 minute walk from the trailhead.
You can walk back the same way, but it’s much more fun to use a different route, so if you walk the same way we did, for the return journey you will come off the trail in a totally different area, you can see where at Naver maps here.
The journey time by Uber to Insadong was fractionally longer, but the traffic was very heavy. The cost was ₩18,000 (US$13).
The ascent (1.1km)
There’s no messing around with this track, to get up to the peak in the shortest amount of time means it’s stairs right from the off.
The fact they are brilliantly well maintained stairs does make it a bit easier though! There is next to no shade on the route up to the peak but if you’re walking around sunset that doesn’t really matter.
The first couple of hundred metres is wooden steps followed by concrete slope and then you will reach the city wall.
The path, made of shallow stone steps, now snakes up the mountain with increasingly stunning views when you stop to look behind you.
There’s a metal platform part way up but the views are special throughout the climb.
At the 600m mark you’ll reach some metal stairs and then a few steps cut into the rock which lead to a large rock platform offering truly superb views.
I honestly thought it couldn’t get better after this point but in fact it does!
Normally I am all about wild views, give me nothing but nature as far as the eye can see, but somehow this view of Seoul sandwiched between dense forest and rugged mountains absolutely wowed me.
From here there’s a very minor descent on metal stairs before the one brief flat section that I can remember from the walk.
There may have been another but it definitely felt like the rest was all uphill!
From here you can see the peak you’re aiming for, it doesn’t look too far away, but there’s definitely another decent hump to climb!
The climb is on a mix of stairs, steps cut into the rock and then a bit of a scrambly section. The scramble lasts for around 200m and involves climbing up rock, which though very uneven, does have distinct tiers for good hand and foot placements - it’s not like walking up a granite slab as you do on many other trails in Seoul!
There are rails along much of it and though most people will use their hands at times, you can also walk up most of it, so it’s scrambly, but probably not what you would call a full on scramble.
It’s fairly steep so you will make quick work of this last part of the climb.
Just before you reach the top there are normal stairs again.
The top of Inwangsan Mountain
The real top of the Inwangsan Mountain isn’t really where it’s at when it comes to views. The last slope just before the top is where you’ll have truly stunning panoramic views of the city, which is especially picturesque in the golden light of sunset.
I was totally blown away by the views, you can see all of Seoul’s major landmarks from up here, including the sprawling Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul Tower, Lotte Tower and Baegundae Mountain.
The only negative I have to say is that the ropes and CCTV camera do obscure the majesty slightly. That’s being picky though as the view really is special.
You can climb up onto a large boulder which has footholds carved into it if you want to stand at the very highest point, but the best view in my opinion is the one just before you reach this point.
You can also walk a few metres down on the other side to the fenced viewing area, but the foliage means you don’t have a completely clear view and there are better vistas of the same landscape on the way down.
Though Inwangsan is a popular sunset spot, from the top you aren’t really looking at the sunset itself (or at least not year round) but the glorious soft light makes it well worth going for golden hour nonetheless.
The real sunset views can be found along the descent route we used and if you have a tiny bit of energy to spare you can take the short detour to a small peak which has direct sunset views and no crowds!
And on the note of crowds, Inwangsan wasn’t bad, but we definitely weren’t alone. I think weekends would probably be crowded, but for us on a weekday in October there were maybe a dozen or so people at the top at any one time.
The descent - 1.4km
I can’t fathom why but almost everyone descended back the same way they came, yet taking the trail heading north towards Changuimun Gate (also spelt Changulmum Gate) is easier and gives you the chance to see a whole different set of views. And the views are both spectacular and look directly towards the sunset.
To find the track you head left from the rock slope just before the top of the mountain, you’ll see a signpost here so you can’t go wrong.
Follow the path downhill which is on good steps and looks directly towards rugged mountains which were glowing red like embers in the sunset light.
You’ll pass around a giant boulder before reaching another picturesque section of the city walls. After following the wall for 100m there’s a wide open viewing area which offers great views of Seoul and the sunset.
This is the point at which you can choose to make the short 250m (each way) detour to Gichabawi Rock (also spelt Kichabawi Rock).
There is a minor amount more uphill involved and some of it is a bit rougher terrainwise, but no more so than the final section up to Inwangsan was.
The Gichabawi Rock detour (500m return)
We’d recommend making the short detour for some more great views and the high chance you’ll enjoy them alone.
From the junction you’ll head left, down the metal steps (the rock is signposted). There’s a brief flat section through a pine forest and then you will climb up to the viewpoint.
It’s a mix of dirt track and rocky sections with some footholds cut into the rock. A light covering of pine needles and dirt on some of the rocky bits did make it a touch slippery in places, but nothing awful.
There’s a little opening in the trees partway up which has a lovely view and then another spot just beyond this which has an unusually shaped rock.
I hadn’t seen any pictures of it before, but the fact there’s a sign warning you about falling off a cliff suggests it’s probably a local photographers spot! Again you can see the sunset from here and it’s very special to be there alone.
A roped viewing area is just metres beyond this point and from here you could take a completely different track down from the mountain, but we personally chose to return to the original route we’d planned instead.
The final descent
Once back at the junction you continue descending the main trail and by this point, if you’re here after sunset, all the trail lighting will have begun switching on.
There are one or two places on the descent where the steps become uneven, or it’s a slight bit more of a leg stretch, but the vast majority of the track is very nice evenly spaced stairs. It’s steepish but as it’s not too long it doesn’t give you jelly legs.
Roughly 300m beyond the point you re-joined the trail you’ll come to another junction and keep straight. Roughly 100m later you’ll see a small signpost about a tree, which we nearly missed in the dark.
It’s worth stopping because you can see two trees joined together by a long branch, formed when one was dying and the other tree provided nourishment and kept it alive - or something to that effect!
Keep straight at this junction and you will soon arrive at the main road. From here you can catch an Uber back to the city (or maybe a bus but we didn’t look into it!).
Where to stay in Seoul
We spent almost two weeks in Seoul and stayed in a few different hotels, all in Insadong as this area is really our vibe, with loads of cool cafes and restaurants. You can walk to so many of the city’s top attractions and It’s not so busy and in your face as Myeongdong.
In fact, despite the fact it's a pricey part of Seoul, after staying there the first time I wouldn't look anywhere else. It is perfect for a first time trip and I think staying in this area really made our stay.
These are the hotels we personally stayed in and would recommend:
The Magpie Hotel
The lobby of the Magpie Hotel is the stuff Korean dreams are made of; a calm, clean and soothing aesthetic with beautiful Korean touches we didn't find anywhere else on our trip. The corridors are scented with eucalyptus as are all the gorgeous bathroom products.
The rooms are a mixed bag. The standard rooms are tiny, I mean miniscule. We did get used to ours but it was a big adjustment at first.
On our second stay we upgraded ourselves to a deluxe room and this is the pick. The rooms are of a normal size, positively large by Seoul standards! The bathrooms in both rooms are compact but really lovely. The shower is great and it has a very high end feel.
One thing to note though it that it's brilliant location comes with a downside. If you stay on the Jong-ro side of the hotel you will get street noise. Ask for a room on the other side of the building.
Jak by Anook
The rooms here are diddy so this is good for a short stay but not so much a longer one, however, this was the quietest hotel we stayed at in Seoul with a 10/10 location.
The bed was also a bit softer than most. The bathroom is a wet room and couldn't get much smaller, but the shower is good.
There's a free laundry as well as free noodles and other things downstairs in the lobby. For this location at this price it was great, but I wouldn't stay here for a long trip or it would start to feel too small. Having said that I just saw they do have some bigger rooms which weren’t available for our dates and I think that would make a big difference.
The Best Western Insadong
The Best Western is in a reeeally busy location, but the sound proofing to the outside world is unparalleled.
The internal sound proofing not so much which lets it down a bit, but the room is good and not overly small, the bathroom has a great shower and it's not a wet room.
The metro is quite literally outside the front door, I have no idea what witchcraft is used to make it so quiet inside! As with all three hotels you can walk to loads of the city's best attractions and eateries.
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Everything you need to know about the Inwangsan hike, including the best routes, what it’s like to go for sunset and how to get there via public transport or Uber.