One of the most relaxed parts of the Seoul City Wall Hike is the Naksan Mountain Trail, connecting Hyehwa with Dongdaemun. Personally, my favourite stretch and very scenic and easily reachable.
You do have to do some climbing (unless you want to take a taxi up to the top, which I’ve seen people do.) So, let me share my tips and experiences with you on hiking in Seoul.
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How to get there
Since the Naksan trail is part of the overall loop trail, you could access it from both ends (or somewhere in the middle).
This means: you either pick Hansung University or Dongdaemun for your metro station as entry point to the trail.
That being said, a fun third option that involves art and arduous uphill walking is getting off at Hyehwa station, walking through Marronnier park and up to Ihwa-Dong mural village.
I’ll break down the parts further for you.
Tourist tip: You can download the free PDF brochure from the official Seoul website here. (Download should start automatically)
Is it wheelchair accessible?
No. There are a lot of stairs and walking on the gravel next to the wall.
However, you can take the taxi or bus (Green line 03) up to the top of Naksan mountain and enjoy a view from there. Up top, there is a big square.
How long is it?
The Naksan section between Hyehwa and Heunginjimun Gate is about 23km and takes one hour to complete. Naksan mountain itself is 124m (0.08 miles) in height.
Of course, it’s easier if you start at the North and walk downwards. But it’s overall not a difficult trail.
What to see on the Naksan Trail
At the northern tip, you can see Hyehwa Gate and across the road, the trail takes you up wooden stairs. From there, you walk along the ancient city walls with a view over the city below.
There is a nice café called 369 Masil, where you can enjoy beverages and specialty stone-shaped cookies. (Can recommend! They’re yum.)
Walk further and you will eventually get to the peak of Naksan Mountain. At the top, there is a square with a gazebo.
You can take the steep stairs down into Ihwa-dong, to see the popular murals or attend a local show. There are many things to do in Ihwa-dong. I wrote an entire article for you about that.
Or, you can keep following the city wall down into Dongdaemun.
Again, there are great views, especially during golden hour.
Plus, there’s a nice selection of cute cafes along the way. This allows you to sip on a nice tea or coffee, digging into cake while looking out over the black tiled rooftops and watching the world go by. Very calming!
Three of the cafes I have personally checked out and can recommend to you are:
- cafe reading cat (책읽는고양이) – super cute cat decor everywhere
- Hauke (하우크) –get a cake that is shaped like crocs
- Cafe San 1-1 (산1-1) – delicious panini
On your descend into Dongdaemun City Wall Park, you will pass the Historic Wall Museum, which is free to visit. It educates you on the development of the wall from its development in the Joseon Dynasty all the way into the present. There are permanent exhibition halls as well as temporary exhibitions.