Bugaksan, 342.5 m, where the fortress climbs along Seoul’s northern ridge

Why Hanyang’s 342.5 m Main Mountain Lies Behind Gyeongbokgung Palace

Bukaksan is a mountain 342.5 m above sea level and was Baegak (白岳), the main mountain to the north of Joseon Hanyang. Seoul historical records explain that Bukaksan was also called Baegak, Myeonaksan, and Gonggeuksan, and that the mountain ridge extending from Bohyeonbong Peak on Bukhansan passes through Hyeongjebong, Gujunbong, and Eungbong before reaching Bukaksan.

Yeonheungjeon, built in 1101 along with the establishment of Namgyeong in the sixth year of King Sukjong of Goryeo, stood in what is now the area around Cheong Wa Dae, and Joseon built Gyeongbokgung Palace south of this terrain. Hanyangdoseong, which follows the Bukaksan ridge, served as the capital’s northern defensive line and as a topographical backdrop behind the palace. Even today, the fortress trail allows visitors to take in the areas around Gyeongbokgung Palace and Cheong Wa Dae together with views toward Inwangsan.

How to Climb the 4.3 km from Changuimun to Baegakmaru

The representative Baegak section of Hanyangdoseong runs for approximately 4.3 km from Changuimun through Sukjeongmun, Cheongundae, and Baegakmaru toward Malbawi and Waryong Park. The Seoul city guide map lists this section as taking about three hours; for an actual itinerary, it is safer to allow 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes, including rest and photo-taking time on the stair sections.

Starting from Changuimun, visitors encounter uphill paths and stairs almost immediately. Even if you plan only to briefly see Baegakmaru, the summit-like point, and turn back, nonslip shoes and water are necessary. The Bukaksan Hanyangdoseong trail has operated under a self-guided entry system since 2023, with no visitor limit or admission fee, but the entrance gates in the Cheong Wa Dae section close according to seasonal visiting hours.

• Changuimun–Waryong Park Baegak section: approximately 4.3 km, about 3 hours
• Bukaksan elevation: 342.5 m
• Self-guided entry system: in effect since January 1, 2023
• Admission fee: Free

Entry Closes at 3 p.m. from November to February and at 5 p.m. from May to August

The recommended visiting hours for the Bukaksan Hanyangdoseong trail vary by season. From November to February, the hours are 09:00–17:00, and visitors must enter by 15:00. In March–April and September–October, the hours are 07:00–18:00, with entry allowed until 16:00. From May to August, the hours are 07:00–19:00, with entry allowed until 17:00.

On the self-guided entry sections around Changuimun, Sukjeongmun, and Malbawi, the entrance gates are not opened and closed all at once. However, visitors must enter the Cheong Wa Dae section no later than two hours before the end of visiting hours. Daetongmun closes one hour before the end, so if you plan to include the southern Cheong Wa Dae section, it is best to avoid starting just before the entry cutoff. The Cheong Wa Dae section is closed every Tuesday.

Reaching Changuimun by Taking Buses 7212, 1020, or 7022 from Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station

For the Changuimun trailhead, transferring to a bus is more convenient than taking the subway. From Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station on Subway Line 3, take bus 7212, 1020, or 7022 and get off at the Jahamun Pass–Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum stop; Changuimun is about a 1–3 minute walk away. Changuimun is also known by the alternate name Jahamun, so checking both names at the bus stop and on directional signs makes it easier to find your way.

To start from eastern Malbawi or Waryong Park, take Jongno 02 village bus from Exit 2 of Anguk Station on Line 3, get off at the rear gate of Sungkyunkwan University, walk for about four minutes, and enter the Waryong Park fortress trail. If you start at Changuimun and descend toward Malbawi, the slope may feel relatively gentle, but there are many stairs in either direction, making the route unsuitable for strollers.

• Access to Changuimun: Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station → buses 7212, 1020, or 7022 → get off at the Jahamun Pass–Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum stop
• Access to Malbawi: Exit 2 of Anguk Station → Jongno 02 bus → get off at the rear gate of Sungkyunkwan University → approximately 4 minutes on foot
• Walk after getting off near Changuimun: approximately 1–3 minutes

Sukjeongmun and Changuimun: From Restrictions after 1968 to Full Opening in 2007

The Bukaksan section of Hanyangdoseong was restricted for an extended period after the January 21 Incident in 1968, citing security around Cheong Wa Dae. According to Seoul city records, mountain access was completely restricted for approximately 25 years, until April 1993. On April 1, 2006, the 1.1 km section from Hongryeonsa Temple through Sukjeongmun to Chotdaebawi opened first. This was followed by the opening of the 4.3 km section from Waryong Park to Changuimun on April 5, 2007.

Changuimun is the northwestern gate of Hanyangdoseong, built in 1396, and is also called the Northern Gate or Jahamun. Sukjeongmun is Hanyang’s northern great gate. Walking between the two gates is not simply a ridge hike; it is a way to follow, along the same route, traces of the capital’s defense system and modern security restrictions. Military-facility protection signs along parts of the trail show that this mountain was a space with limited public access for many years.

Palgakjeong Observatory and Bukak Skyway: An Option for Days When a Fortress Hike Feels Too Demanding

If walking for a long distance on fortress stairs is difficult, one option is to set Bukak Palgakjeong on Bukak Skyway as your destination. Bukak Skyway, which runs from Changuimun toward Jeongneung, offers views of central Seoul and the Pyeongchang-dong and Bukhansan areas. Palgakjeong is a good point from which to experience the changing elevation of the northern ridge without completing the entire Bukaksan hike.

However, not all of Bukaksan’s walking paths are level. The fortress trail connecting Baegakmaru, Cheongundae, and Sukjeongmun repeatedly rises and falls and includes wooden and stone stairs. Visitors with knee pain or those requiring wheelchair or stroller access may find it more practical to visit accessible points separately, such as the area around Changuimun, the Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum, and Palgakjeong. Official tourism information states that there is no parking lot, so starting by public transportation is preferable.

Preparations Easily Overlooked at the Three Trailheads of Cheongundae, Samcheong, and Bukak Skyway

The Bukaksan information centers and access points are divided among Sukjeongmun, Malbawi, Changuimun, Gokjang, Cheongundae, Samcheong Information Center, and Entrances 1–4 of Bukak Skyway. Rather than marking only one destination on your map, it is better to decide your descent point first and prepare a charged battery and an offline map. In particular, routes passing through the Cheong Wa Dae section are affected by its Tuesday closure and seasonal gate-closing times.

Bukaksan is free, and its self-guided entry sections do not require separate reservations. However, the stairs beside the fortress walls and steep sections can become slippery after rain or snow. For foreign-language travel inquiries, you can call the Korea Tourism Organization’s tourism information hotline at 1330. The number listed for general Bukaksan inquiries is 02-730-9924–5. Since restrooms and places to buy drinking water are not plentiful along the ridge, it is better to prepare around Changuimun or Waryong Park before setting out.

How to Add an Extra Hour Before or After the Fortress Trail at the Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum and Buam-dong

If you start from Changuimun, the Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum and Yun Dong-ju Poet’s Hill are easy to combine with the fortress trail. The route from Gyeongbokgung Station by bus to the Jahamun Pass–Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum stop provides overlapping access to both Changuimun and the museum. If you have enough energy, you can climb the Bukaksan fortress trail from Changuimun, descend toward Waryong Park and Malbawi, and then continue toward Anguk Station.

Conversely, if you plan to eat or visit a café in Buam-dong first, the route is simpler if you begin the hike at Changuimun and finish toward Waryong Park. Rather than judging Bukaksan lightly based only on its elevation, plan around the fortress stairs and the entry cutoff time. The summer entry cutoff is 17:00 and the winter cutoff is 15:00, so these times determine when to start your day’s itinerary.