Namsan: Hanok Village to the Tower
Old houses at the foot, forest paths, the tower on top, and the cable car down
≈3.4 km · ≈45 min walking · Hilly · Jung-gu · Yongsan-gu · Start: Chungmuro station · End: Myeongdong station
Five Joseon-era houses moved to the foot of Namsan, a forest walk up the mountain's north side, the tower and its view over the whole city, then the cable car down towards Myeongdong.
Stops
- Namsangol Hanok Village (남산골한옥마을)
Five traditional houses from around Seoul rebuilt here in a small garden, with a pond and pavilion. Free entry; closed on Mondays. - Namsan Park (남산공원(서울))
Namsan, the 262 m 'south mountain' of old Seoul, is now a large forest park. Stairs and footpaths follow parts of the city wall up to the summit beacon mounds. - N Seoul Tower (N서울타워)
A broadcasting tower built in 1975 and opened to the public in 1980. The observatory looks out over all of Seoul, and the railings are hung with lovers' padlocks. - Namsan Cable Car (남산 케이블카)
Running since 1962, Korea's first passenger cable car takes about three minutes from the summit down to Hoehyeon-dong, a short walk from Myeongdong.
Best time: Start at about 4 pm to reach the tower at sunset; ride the cable car down after dark.
Tips
- The climb is steep in places; the yellow Namsan circulation buses (01A/01B) go up if you'd rather not walk.
- Tower observatory and cable car tickets are paid separately.
Access
The walk up Namsan uses long flights of stairs. For a step-free way up, take a Namsan circular bus to the tower, or the Namsan Oreumi inclined lift to the cable car.