DAY
City Walls / 3 hours
Tour Highlights
- City Wall Walking
The tour does not operate on Mondays. Passport required on tour.
Hongryeonsa site - Sukjeongmun - Candlestick Rock - Baekakmaru - Changuimun (- - -)
Enjoy a walking at a relaxed pace while overlooking the panoramic views of Seoul. The trail is very easy to enjoy. The 17km-long city wall was built in 1396 which crept over Namsan, up the east and west side of the valley, and turn up to the top of the Bugaksan mountain. The wall was about 6m thick at the base and stood between 3m to 6m high.
There were all eight gates built into the wall, which included the two famous landmarks in Seoul. Much of the walls and gates were demolished by urban planning during the Japanese colonial rule and destroyed by Korean War. The Seoul Wall in the Bugak area had been limited to the public access since 1960s for security reasons. However, with its opening on April 5, 2007, the 4.3km long wall became one of the special charms of Seoul and lures many visitors. You will admire the beauty of architectural design of the wall and appreciate the panoramic view of Seoul offering mixture of old and new. The hiking is possible either from east or west, but the choice of the day is trekking westward.
After your passport check at Hongryeonam temple site, the adventure begins with a rather steep ascend of about 15 minutes to the Sukjeongmun Gate. Then a very easy trail continues all the way up to Baekaksan. Chotdaebawi is a 13-meter tall candlestick-shaped rock situated 400 meters from Sukjeongmun. Before getting to Cheongundae, there is a small gate, allowing visitors to get to the outside of the walls and view the wall from outside. A short walk from the gate is Baekaksan (342m), the highest point of the wall. With time to relax, continue your walk down to the Changuimun Gate though well over 980 steep steps.
