Seoul City Wall (한양도성)

It started with a trip to a government office. We had completed the Seoul Trail and wanted to get our souvenir certificates. The correct office wound up being surprisingly hard to find – but on our way, we were introduced to the Seoul City Wall Trail.

‘Have you done this?’ a City Hall volunteer called after us, pamphlet in hand. She’d just finished pointing us in the right direction, but correctly guessed that we might be interested in another stamp tour. We’ve been on the Seoul city wall several times. Would we like to go back for a stamp tour? Absolutely!

A horizontal photograph in which a vertical wall slices through the frame at a diagonal. It is obvious that this section of Seoul City Wall is unrestored, because it contains rocks of various shapes and sizes, and is partially covered with plant growth. Forest grows close on either side of the wall. This ancient structure is the only man-made object in the photo! — A beautiful, unrestored section of the Hanyangdoseong

We were visiting Seoul in May, and the weather was beautiful. We were at loose ends between our April of Adventures (including races like Luang Prabang and Mt. Apo!) and moving to Qingdao. A stamp tour of Hanyangdoseong (한양도성) had all the makings of a perfect day.

And indeed it was! We set off early to enjoy the quietest time in Korea. The sun was rising on a warm, still day with bright blue skies: it was a great morning to be outside. And we were excited to enjoy a brand new adventure!

A selfie of the author and her husband at Hyhwamun gate, at the start of their Seoul City Wall adventure. Kent is on the left, close to the camera. Carrie is on the right, holding up a map in the middle of the image. The historic gate rises above the pair in their matching grey sweaters. — Selfie at the start!

We kicked off this adventure at Hyehwamun gate, which was close to where we were temporarily living. The decision to make a clockwise loop had us running straight south at first, on the Naksan trail section. The trails were all our own on this mini mountain.

The wall where we started was intact, which made navigation nice and simple. It was pleasant, easy running over the well-groomed trails, and we zipped from a quaint neighborhood into the forest.

A lovely image taken early in the day which encapsulates the experience of running along the Seoul City Wall Trail. The author runs down a gravel trail alongside a high stone wall. The trail curves as it descends towards a massive gate, seen from the side. Above the wall and the gate, the skyscrapers of Seoul rise into a cloudy sky.

On the other side of Naksan, we entered the city and collected our first stamp at Dongdaemun gate. We made a mess of our first stamp, as the ink was really runny! It was necessary to take a bit of a break here in order to dry our maps.

A full-length portrait of a disgruntled Kent. He's standing in the patchy grass near Dongdaemun, with a trail map in either hand. He's waving the maps in an attempt to dry them after the first stamps had too much ink. The trail information center is in the background. — Drying duty

Then it was off on the Heunginjimun Gate Trail! This flat, urban section links Naksan with its more famous neighbor, Namsan. Despite being able to see the landmark mountain ahead, we got lost in this section. There are a few places where the wall is not continuous, and there you have to pay attention to the trail markings! We obviously did not and spent several minutes jogging in circles around downtown Seoul until we got back on track.

A vertical image from the slopes of Namsan, one of Seoul's most famous mountains. The author is standing on a wooden platform with her back to the camera, taking in the views. To the left is the old stone city wall, topped by a green forest. Seoul sprawls beyond in a haze. — Isn’t Namsan nice?

The track up Namsan was scenic, and new to me! It wasn’t the winding, familiar stone trail we’ve used before. Here we were climbing steeply up wooden steps! This route offered great views over the city, and we were soon at the top. There, we remembered spending good times with friends and family in Seoul Tower.

An action shot of the author running down a set of stone steps below a colorful gazebo on top of Namsan. She's looking towards her feet but smiling, and her arms are raised higher than seems strictly necessary.

But we were not playing tourists today! We had places to go – or so Kent kept reminding me as I lingered on Namsan. It was hard to leave: there were gazebos to visit, more views to be had and spring blooms to sniff!

This picturesque scene is found just below Namsan on the west side. There are several stone monuments of varying shapes and sizes, all bearing inscriptions in Chinese. (Yes, Chinese. This is common for mountain steles and other monuments. A majority of Koreans are proficent at Hanja, as they call their use of Chinese characters.) — Stone forest

Eventually, we moved on. The trail deviates from the wall on the way down the mountain on the west side. This time, we managed to stay on track, and soon found ourselves at the dramatic Namdaemun gate!

Another action shot of the author, leaping into the air in front of Namdaemun gate in the heart of Seoul. She's grinning, her arms are raised, feet tucked and her ponytail swishes out to the side. — Namdaemun!

We did a little more city running, including a jaunt down the street that’s home to the Canadian embassy! Our next stamp stop was not at a gate, but rather the remains of one. Seodaemun gate is no more, but the Seoul City Wall Trail commemorates it.

A portrait of the author standing outside the Canadian embassy in Seoul. She's got her arms spread wide and her smile too. She's below the Canadian crest that's affixed to a concrete wall outside the embassy. — Sorry for so much me, but…yay photos?!

The next section of trail was the very same one we followed on the Seoul100k course. It quickly rises from the city onto the slopes Inwangsan. The wall is continuous here – and it’s beautiful. Steps lead up the high stone wall on the ridge of a rocky mountain.

The caption contains a joke: the stairs running through the center of the image are quite vertical, as is the angle of this image. Additionally, the spring forests of Inwangsan to either side of the trail, are strikingly green! — Vert.

It doesn’t matter how many times I hike or run here, I’m always struck by how cool it is. It’s classic – and one of my favorite spots in Seoul!

A happy portrait of the author, running in one of her favorite places. She's high on the slopes of Inwangsan, separated from a steep drop-off by a rope railing. She's approaching the camera and grinning, one leg in mid-air. The wall cuts a winding shape over the tops of the lower mountain ridges below. Also striking are the hundreds of tall buildings of the city, all grey in the haze. Namsan, topped by Seoul Tower, rises in the distance.

Here, the author and her husband pose with the wooden summit stele for Inwangsan. They're holding hands on top of the tall wooden board, and standing to either side. Both are grinning at the photographer in this rare, non-selfie summit photo!

But I was especially excited for the final section: the Baegak mountain trail. This section would take us up to a new peak on a restricted-access route!

We’d been informed that we’d need to show IDs in order to access this part, but it turned out to be really simple. Security personnel handed out tracking tags to us and all of the hikers. We wore these around our necks and just gave them back on the way out of this section.

The highest point on the Seoul Trail is Baegaksan at 342 meters - and that's wher the author is now! She's standing alongside the small stone summit stele, resting her fingertips on it. She's got her other hand on her hip, and is looking down as she laughs about something. There's a wooden railing behind the summit area, with a forest of green beyond.

The peak of Bugaksan was just off the trail, and of course we had to go. At 342 meters, it’s the highest point on the Seoul City Wall Trail! The views were limited, as there is a nice forest of Korean pines in this area. But it was just as well, as photos of the view are restricted.

Heading downhill, we passed Bukdaemun, which is quite a contrast to the other main gates of Seoul. It’s perhaps less dramatic without the juxtaposition of the neon urban sprawl, but seems perhaps more historic, somehow. It’s got a unique setting, high in the mountains.

Although we hadn’t yet returned to our starting point, we had collected all of the stamps! So when we handed in our tracking tags at the Malbawi Information Center, we also showed the staff our completed maps. In return for our morning’s efforts, we received two shiny new pins which we immediately stuck to our vests.

In this selfie, taken just after the pair got their Seoul City Wall Trail pins, the author is making a funny face. She's just put an energy jelly in her mouth, and can't smile normally! Kent, taking the photo, smiles and appears normal. THe background is the outside of Malbawi Information Center. — Pins! (And trying to hide the fact that I’m eating!)

Then we just had to run home. There were still several scenic kilometers of wall left. For a while, we stayed high on the mountain slopes. When we dropped down into the city, it was in an old neighborhood with lots of character.

A cute image of the author and a cat. Carrie's face appears alone and detached from her body in the top left-hand corner of the frame. The focus is on the cat that appears to investigate one of the spotlights for the wall at the side of the trail. — Friendship?

Back at Hyehwamun gate, we closed the loop and completed the Seoul City Wall trail. With our bonus peak and a couple of wayfinding errors, we’d run 22.2 kilometers – a little over the official 18.6. We’d also taken our time in order to enjoy the sights of Seoul, spending nearly the whole morning on the trail. Time for celebration!

Know and Go! Seoul City Wall (한양도성)

Transportation

The Seoul City Wall Trail is extremely well-connected to Seoul’s public transit network. If you’re based near Gyeongbokgung, Insadong or Myeongdong (some of Seoul’s most popular tourist neighborhoods), you can simply walk your way to the trail.

If you’re coming from outside the city center, you’ve still got lots of convenient options. Coming from the southwest, head to Hoehyeon (light blue line 4, exit 5), City Hall (green line 2, exit 9) or Seoul Station (blue line 1, exit 3/4) and start at Namdaemun. In the northeast, start at Hyehwamun, using Hansung University station (light blue line 4, exit 4/5). Dongdaemun station (blue lines 1 & 4, exit 6), of course, is located right next to Dongdaemun gate in the east. Dongdaemun History and Culture Park station (lines 2, 4 & 5, exit 3) is the closest transit to the trail in the southeast.

Hike & Run

The Seoul City Wall Trail consists of an 18.6 kilometer loop around central Seoul, north of the Han River. The attraction of this trail is that the old city wall is mainly still intact, so this trail is both simple to follow and extremely scenic. Aside from the wall, you’ll get a full sampling of the diversity of downtown Seoul. Cross the Cheonggyecheon streaw, dip a toe into city life and play on some of Seoul’s most famous mountains – all in a day or broken up into smaller-sized chunks.

Highlights of the Seoul City Wall Trail include Namsan and Inwangsan and the four historic gates. If you can’t commit to the whole trail, I’d opt for the stretch in the northwest, between Namdaemun and Inwangsan. You can continue on to Baegaksan if you like it too much to quit!

If you’re a veteran of the Seoul Trail or the 4 Rivers cycling trails, you’ll be happy to learn that you can collect also stamps here! There are four stamps to collect on the Seoul City Wall Trail, located at the four main gates of the city.

Starting from the east, these are: Dongdaemun, Namdaemun, Seodaemun and Bukdaemun (also named Heunginjimun, Sungnyemun, Donuimun and Sukjeongmun on your map). Note that Seodaemun/Donuimun no longer exists, so the stamp can be found near its original site at Kangbuk Samsun Medical Center. Similarly, while Bukdaemun/Sukjeongmun is still standing, the stamp is actually located in Malbawi Information Center.

Collect a memento of your journey in the form of a pin when you complete your journey at any of the four information centers. Be aware that you may not be able to do this on Mondays or after office hours.

Stay & Eat

Stay anywhere you fancy in downtown Seoul. Insadong is a popular spot for cute cafes and crafts – and is close to shrines, temples and palaces. Myeongdong attracts crowds of shoppers and fills up with street eats at night. Options abound, both inside and outside the wall.

Other Notes

Kent and I completed the Seoul City Wall Trail in early May of 2019. Although Hanyangdoseong has been around for ages (literally), the stamp tour seems quite new. The evidence: our stamp map is dated September 2017!

This is definitely a lovely way to explore Seoul, stamps or no. If you’re just visiting the city, it’s a great way to get outside and get a workout in while seeing the sights. Plus, it’s easy to combine it with a number of other Seoul attractions: Seoul Tower is on Namsan’s peak, and Gyeongbokgung is just inside the wall on Inwangsan.

You can pick up a map that doubles as a stamp book at any one of the information centers (found at the four traditional entrance gates to the city). Or, do a little more research before you go by heading to the official website here. Happy (historic) trails!