Walking up Namsan: the routes, the times and the better half
The routes
The Hoehyeon approach from Myeongdong is the standard one and the one most visitors mean when they ask whether you can walk up. It climbs steadily on paved path and stair sections and puts you out at the plaza in twenty to twenty-five minutes at an ordinary pace. The south side, coming up from around Itaewon, takes thirty to forty and is quieter, greener and longer; that is my side of the hill, and it is the way I go when I want the sunset on the walk back down rather than at the top.
Neither route needs boots, a map or a plan. It is a wooded hill in the middle of a capital city with signposts and handrails. What it does need is honesty about the gradient: this is continuous uphill, and in August, in Seoul’s humidity, twenty-five minutes of it will flatten anyone who set off thinking of it as a stroll.
Why down is the better direction
Everything that makes the climb hard makes the descent pleasant. You are not overheating, you are not watching your own feet, and the city is in front of you through the trees for most of the way instead of behind you. It is quicker, too. The sequence I recommend to everyone who asks is the ₩1,100 circular bus up and the path down, which spends a bus fare to buy you the good half of the walk in the good direction. The bus is described on the shuttle bus page.
When to walk it
Late October into November for the foliage, which is the reason many local people come up at all, and spring for the blossom. Summer is hot, humid and often hazy, so if you are walking in August start early or go at night. Winter is cold and windy at the summit and frequently has the clearest air of the year, which makes it my own favourite time to be up there even though it is the least comfortable. Bring a layer whatever the month — the top is noticeably colder and windier than the street, and that is covered on what to wear.
What works
- Free, and available at any hour on lit main routes
- Twenty to twenty-five minutes from Myeongdong is shorter than a bad cable car queue
- Autumn foliage and spring blossom on the trails are the best free thing on Namsan
- Walking down afterwards is quicker than the climb and puts you back near dinner
Worth knowing
- Continuous uphill, with stair sections — it is a real ascent, not a stroll
- Summer humidity makes the same walk considerably harder than the time suggests
- The south-side approach is thirty to forty minutes and is not the one to pick in a hurry
- You still arrive at a plaza where going up the tower is a separate ticket
Walk up in trainers you would run for a bus in, and carry water. There are stairs, there is no shade on some sections, and the summit is colder than the bottom, which is a combination that catches people out in both directions.
If walking is not on
Then take the bus, which does the same job for a bus fare and drops you close to the base of the tower, or the cable car if you would rather have the three minutes over the trees. If you want the hill handled as part of a wider day with transport and a guide, the guided day tour includes the round-trip cable car and observatory admission and costs less than the combined ticket does on its own, which is unpicked on the worth-it page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to walk up to N Seoul Tower?
Twenty to twenty-five minutes from Myeongdong on the Hoehyeon side, and thirty to forty from the Itaewon side to the south. Both are on made paths and wooden staircases, lit at night on the main routes.
Can you walk from Myeongdong to Namsan Tower?
Yes, and plenty of people do. It is continuous uphill with stair sections rather than a flat stroll, so allow more time in summer humidity. The alternatives are on how to get there.
How long is the walk down from Namsan Tower?
Less than the walk up, and easier. The descent to Myeongdong takes most people under twenty minutes at a comfortable pace, and the main paths are lit, which is why bus up and walk down is the combination worth planning for.
Is walking up Namsan hard?
It is a steady climb on maintained paths with handrails, not a hike. Ordinary shoes are fine. The hill is about 243 m, so treat it as a real ascent and carry water in summer.