Seoul City Wall, Korea: Six Sections, One 600-Year-Old Walk
There is a walk in Seoul that begins at a subway exit and ends, a few hours later, on a mountain ridge above the palaces. It follows a stone wall built in 1396, when the Joseon dynasty made Hanyang — today's Seoul — its capital. The wall runs 18.6 kilometres along four inner mountains, and the city has marked it as six walking sections. You can walk one section in an hour, or link them into a full circuit of the old capital.
There is a good reason to go this week. On Saturday, October 17, the last restricted stretch of Mount Baegak — the wall's highest mountain — opens to the public. After nearly sixty years of phased reopening, the mountain's trails will be connected, and open around the clock.
Why now: Baegak's final stretch opens October 17
Mount Baegak, also known as Bugaksan, sits behind Gyeongbokgung Palace and the Blue House. Public access was restricted after North Korean commandos attempted to raid the Blue House on January 21, 1968. The mountain reopened in stages: a 2.2-kilometre trail along the northern wall in 2020, then a 3.0-kilometre forest section on the southeastern slope in 2022.
The final piece, announced by the Korea Heritage Service, is a 1.32-kilometre trail along the southwestern slope toward Cheongun-dong. It opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, and like the existing trails it will be open 24 hours a day.
The wall in brief
Hanyangdoseong, the Seoul City Wall, was first built in 1396 to defend the new capital and mark its boundary. It follows the ridges of four mountains around the old city centre: Baegak in the north, Naksan in the east, Namsan in the south, and Inwangsan in the west. Four main gates and four auxiliary gates controlled passage in and out of the city, and the wall served as the capital's fortification from 1396 until 1910.
The stonework shows the rebuilds: rough boulders from the first construction, trimmed stone from later work, and inscribed blocks on the Naksan section naming the office responsible for each stretch. Much of the wall was lost in the twentieth century to roads, housing, and war, and restoration has been under way since the 1970s. Seoul has put the wider Capital Fortifications of Hanyang — Hanyangdoseong together with Bukhansanseong and Tangchundaeseong — forward for UNESCO World Heritage consideration.
The six sections at a glance
The city divides the wall into six signed trails. Figures below are the official Seoul City Wall numbers for each section; they include street stretches where the wall itself is missing.
| Section | Route | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baegak Mountain Trail | Changuimun Gate – Hyehwamun Gate | 4.7 km | about 3 hours |
| Naksan Mountain Trail | Hyehwamun Gate – Heunginjimun Gate | 3.2 km | about 1 hour |
| Heunginjimun Gate Trail | Heunginjimun Gate – Jangchung Gymnasium | 1.8 km | about 1 hour |
| Namsan Mountain Trail | Jangchung Gymnasium – Baekbeom Square | 6.7 km | about 3 hours |
| Sungnyemun Gate Trail | Baekbeom Square – Site of Donuimun Gate | 1.8 km | about 1 hour |
| Inwangsan Mountain Trail | Site of Donuimun Gate – Changuimun Gate | 4.0 km | about 2 hours 30 minutes |
Three sections to start with
Baegak: the high ridge
Baegak (342 m) is the highest of the four inner mountains and the hardest walk, rated five stars for difficulty on the official trail pages. Start at Changuimun Gate, the only auxiliary gate whose tower survives — destroyed in 1592, rebuilt in 1741. On the descent, a pine tree still bears bullet marks from the 1968 gun battle — the trail guide counts about fifteen. Sukjeongmun, the north gate, is the only gate still connected to the wall on both sides, though its tower is a 1976 addition. From Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3, Exit 3), take green bus 7212, 1020, or 7022 to Jahamungogae Ridge, then walk two minutes to Changuimun.
Naksan: the easy evening walk
Naksan (124 m) is the lowest of the four mountains and the gentlest section, rated two stars. The trail runs from Hyehwamun Gate (built 1396 as Honghwamun, renamed 1511, rebuilt 1994) to Heunginjimun Gate (current form, 1869 rebuild). On the way, Ihwa Village has carried colourful murals and sculptures on its walls since 2006, and Naksan Park looks out over the old city. Start at Hansung University Station (Line 4, Exit 4), three minutes on foot, or Hyehwa Station (Line 4, Exit 1), five minutes.
Inwangsan: rock and poetry
Inwangsan (339 m) is a rocky mountain of unusual formations — Chimabawi (Rock of the Women's Skirt), Seonbawi (Rock of the Meditating Monk), and Gichabawi (Rock of the Train). Like Baegak, access was closed after the 1968 infiltration; it reopened to the public in 1993. The trail passes Yun Dong-ju Hill and the museum named for the poet who lived nearby. The museum is open 10:00–18:00 from March to October and 10:00–17:00 from November to February, closed Mondays and on the Chuseok and Seollal holidays. The rocky stretches need care, especially in winter. Start at the Site of Donuimun Gate, two minutes from Seodaemun Station (Line 5, Exit 4), and finish at Changuimun Gate.
The two city sections
The Heunginjimun and Sungnyemun sections are street-level walks through the modern city, where the wall often survives only as traces, markers, and gate buildings. Highlights include Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Namdaemun Market. Sungnyemun (Namdaemun), the main gate, was built in 1395–1398; its wooden upper structure burned in February 2008 and was restored by May 2013 with an 83-metre section of adjoining wall. The gate is open all year except Mondays, 09:00–18:00 (09:00–18:30 in June–August, 09:00–17:30 in November–February).
The Namsan section runs from Jangchung Gymnasium to Baekbeom Square, passing Namsan Park (270 m). N Seoul Tower stands on the summit: built in 1969 for telecommunications and broadcasting, it has been open to the public since 1980 and rises 480 metres above sea level. The Namsan cable car runs 10:00–23:00.
Walking notes
- Hours: The Baegak, Naksan, Namsan, and Inwangsan trails are listed as open 24 hours. Individual sites keep their own hours — Sungnyemun closes Mondays, and the Yun Dong-ju Literary Museum closes Mondays and on the Chuseok and Seollal holidays.
- Keep it quiet in residential areas: The official trail pages ask visitors to be considerate in Bukjeong Village on the Baegak section and in the Jangchung-dong residential area on the Heunginjimun section.
- Stamps: A stamp tour runs along the wall. Collect stamps at the four great gates to claim a commemorative badge.
- Shoes and water: Baegak and Inwangsan involve staircases and, on Inwangsan, rock. Wear walking shoes and carry water; shops are scarce on the ridges.
- One section or the full loop: If you have one morning, walk Naksan. If you have a full day, walk Baegak and Naksan together — they meet at Hyehwamun Gate.
Read the wall as a line through a living city — past mural villages, markets, palaces, and tower blocks, with the mountains always at the edge of the view.
Plan Your Seoul City Wall Walk
Want this walk built into a Seoul trip, with transport, stays, and timing sorted? Off Map Korea designs self-guided walking trips around your dates.
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