Travel
K-Hiking gains popularity among foreign tourists with Seoul’s City Hiking Centers
haps Magazine Korea
December 2, 2024
(Seoul City Government)
Seoul’s City Hiking Centers have become essential stops for foreign tourists, providing equipment rental, guided hikes, and cultural experiences in multiple languages.
Operated by the Seoul Tourism Foundation, the centers at Bukhansan, Bugaksan, and Gwanaksan mountains cater to various hiking preferences, offering rental gear, group climbs with experts, and immersive programs that blend hiking with Korean cultural experiences.
The centers, conveniently located near metro stations, are well-equipped with hiking essentials like crampons, trekking poles, and rain gear, attracting over 3,000 visitors in the first week of the Gwanaksan center’s opening.
Bukhansan’s center, situated near the Uijeongbu station, is tailored for advanced trails, while Bugaksan’s hanok-style center provides a relaxing space with cultural workshops such as traditional calligraphy and soap-making.
The recently opened Gwanaksan center enhances the experience with natural sounds and fresh scents to simulate the outdoors and offers shoe sterilizers and clothing care facilities for added convenience.
The centers also offer themed programs for both individual and group hikers. Popular options include night hikes, cultural-hiking tours like archery at Namsan or temple stays paired with Dobongsan hikes, and the “10 Famous Mountains of Seoul Challenge,” which has drawn over 500 participants from 62 countries.
Seoul’s city-led hiking tourism, combining K-culture with the great outdoors, has become a new trend, drawing over 230 tour operators and organizations this year.