From Mokmyeoksan Beacon Mound to N Seoul Tower, How to Climb Namsan's 270 m
Namsan is an urban mountain rising 270 m above sea level and a historic landscape in central Seoul that holds Joseon-era beacon communication and the southern axis of the Hanyangdoseong Fortress Wall. Park walks are free, and for access to the summit you can choose the 01A and 01B circular buses, the cable car, or walking, depending on your schedule and stamina.
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Why the southern mountain of Hanyang in 1394 came to be called "Namsan"
Namsan is an urban mountain with an elevation of 270 m. Its original name was Ingyeongsan, but after Taejo moved the capital from Gaeseong to Hanyang in 1394, it came to be called "Namsan" because of its location as the mountain on the southern side of the city wall. In the capital planning of the Joseon Dynasty, it was regarded as an anxan, or a mountain facing the palace, and it was also linked with Mokmyeokshinsa, where the mountain spirit of Mokmyeok Daewang was enshrined, leaving behind the name "Mokmyeoksan."
Today's Namsan Park does not simply refer to the mountain left in its natural state. It was designated as a park on March 12, 1940, and opened on September 10, 1968. From 1991, the Seoul Metropolitan Government carried out an eight-year project called "Restoring Namsan to Its Original Form," relocating 89 facilities and restoring and improving the Yejang-dong, Hoehyeon-dong, and Hannam-dong areas. The park covers 2,958,864㎡, and the walking and hiking trails are guided as being about 4 km.
- Inquiries for Namsan Park: 02-3783-5900
- Admission to park walking paths and outdoor spaces: free
- Observation deck at N Seoul Tower and the cable car on the summit are separate paid facilities
The Mokmyeoksan beacon fire station that operated from 1423 to 1895
The beacon fire station on the summit of Namsan was not just a simple viewpoint, but the terminus of Joseon's national communication network. It was installed in the 5th year of King Sejong, in 1423, and lasted for about 500 years until 1895, playing the role of delivering military and emergency situations from the provinces to Hanyang with light and smoke. "Beacon fire station" means a place where beacon fires are lit.
The beacon fire station you see now in front of N Seoul Tower was restored from one of the five stations after being damaged during the Japanese colonial period. It is designated as Seoul Metropolitan Monument No. 14. Rather than simply seeing the tower and heading back down, looking at the beacon fire station, the octagonal pavilion, and the marker stone for Seoul's center together makes it clearer that Namsan was the southern watch and communications point of the Joseon capital.
- The area near the beacon fire station is on the summit pedestrian route and can be accessed from the cable car upper station or from the 01A/01B "Namsan Seoul Tower" bus stop
- Address for Namsan Beacon Fire Station: 8-1, Yejang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
- Photos can be taken in the outdoor summit area without an observation deck ticket
To the "Namsan Seoul Tower" stop where 01A and 01B end
Private cars and taxis have been restricted from traveling to the summit area of Namsan since May 1, 2005. Therefore, if you are visiting for the first time, the simplest way is to take the 01A or 01B Namsan circular bus from Chungmuro Station or Dongdaepyeonggu Station. Both routes operate daily from 06:30 to 23:00, the fare is 1,500 won based on transportation card payment, and transfers are available.
01A operates at intervals of about 9 minutes every day and stops at Namsan Yejang Bus Transfer Parking Lot, Exit 2 of Chungmuro Station, Dongdaepyeonggu Station and Jangchung-dong, the National Theater, and the entrance to the Namsan north circular road before arriving at Namsan Seoul Tower. 01B operates at intervals of about 14 minutes and connects Exit 2 of Chungmuro Station, Dongdaepyeonggu Station, the National Theater, Namsan Seoul Tower, Namsan Library, and the Namsan Cable Car in that order. If you are returning late, it is safer to check again on site whether the last bus before 23:00 is still operating.
- 01A service interval: about every 9 minutes daily
- 01B service interval: about every 14 minutes daily
- Operating hours for both routes: 06:30~23:00
- Fare for both routes: 1,500 won, transfers available
- Recommended boarding stations: Chungmuro Station on Lines 3 and 4, Dongdaepyeonggu Station on Line 3
7 to 8 minutes from Exit 3 of Myeongdong Station, the Namsan Cable Car from 1962
The Namsan Cable Car is Korea's first passenger cable car, which opened on May 12, 1962. The boarding station is located at 83, Namsan, Jung-gu, Seoul, and it takes about 7 to 8 minutes on foot from Exit 3 of Myeongdong Station on Line 4 via the road between the Pacific Hotel and GS25. From Exit 4 of Myeongdong Station, you can use the Namsan Oreumi inclined elevator to go up toward the cable car boarding building.
The cable car operates year-round from 10:00 to 23:00. For adults (13 years and older), round trip is 15,000 won and one-way is 12,000 won; for children aged 36 months to 12 years, round trip is 11,500 won and one-way is 9,000 won. For residents of Jung-gu and Yongsan-gu, round trip is 7,500 won and one-way is 6,000 won with ID confirming address. Tickets can only be purchased on site, and service may be temporarily suspended in strong winds or adverse weather.
- Namsan Cable Car phone: 02-753-2403
- Operating hours: 10:00~23:00, year-round
- Adult round trip/one-way: 15,000 won / 12,000 won
- Child round trip/one-way: 11,500 won / 9,000 won
- On weekends, waiting times can be long, so using it in the morning is relatively advantageous
Why the circular bus is better than the Namsandong public parking lot charging 500 won per 10 minutes
Since you cannot drive a private car all the way to the summit of Namsan, if you use a car you must park at a slope-side parking lot and then continue by walking, circular bus, or cable car. According to the official cable car guide, the Namsandong public parking lot is at 2, Toegye-ro 20-gil, Jung-gu, charges 500 won per 10 minutes, and can be reached at 02-755-7004. The Hoehyeon-dong public parking lot is also an option near the cable car.
On weekdays, the La Luz Wedding Hall parking lot can accommodate about 100 cars and is about a 7-minute walk to the cable car. The fee is 2,000 won for the first 30 minutes and 1,000 won for every 15 minutes thereafter, and the phone number is 02-766-8200. The Cygnus parking tower in front of Exit 2 of Myeongdong Station has a capacity of about 150 cars and is a tower-style parking facility, with the condition that it can be used only after 20:00 on weekends and holidays. Considering the transfer to reach the summit, public transportation is more time-predictable on weekends.
- Namsandong public parking lot: 2, Toegye-ro 20-gil, Jung-gu, 500 won per 10 minutes
- La Luz Wedding Hall parking lot: about 100 cars, weekday use, about 7 minutes on foot to the cable car
- Cygnus Parking Tower: about 150 cars, in front of Exit 2 of Myeongdong Station, tower-style
- Restriction on private cars and taxis in the Namsan Park summit area: since May 1, 2005
Octagonal Information Center, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00~18:00, stroller and wheelchair rental
If you need guidance or family-friendly facilities at the summit, you can use the Namsan Octagonal Information Center as your reference point. The center operates from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, and is closed every Monday for internal maintenance. Even though the outdoor spaces of Namsan Park itself can be used at all times, the information center's operating hours and closure days apply separately.
At the Octagonal Information Center, strollers and wheelchairs can be rented for free, and there are family restrooms, nursing rooms, diaper-changing tables, sinks, and microwaves. For stroller users, rather than the castle wall path with many stairs, it is more realistic to go up to the summit by circular bus and plan mainly around the paved walking sections near the octagonal pavilion. Since the Namsan loop trail also has some steep sections, when choosing a long walk you should consider both walking aids and the stamina of companions.
- Octagonal Information Center operation: Tue~Sun 10:00~18:00
- Octagonal Information Center closure: every Monday
- Stroller and wheelchair: free rental available
- Family facilities: nursing room, family rest area, diaper-changing table, microwave
Whether to include the N Seoul Tower observatory or just take a free summit walk
The Namsan Park walk and the beacon fire station and octagonal pavilion at the summit are free, but the N Seoul Tower observatory is a paid facility that requires a separate admission ticket. The observatory can be entered by purchasing a same-day ticket without advance reservation. If your purpose is to visit the tower, you should allow ample time at the summit, considering possible on-site waiting and weather-related operation changes after arriving at the park.
Travelers with limited time can efficiently go up to the summit on 01A or 01B, see the beacon fire station, the octagonal pavilion, and the exterior of N Seoul Tower, and then come down by cable car or circular bus. If you want to place more emphasis on history, you can connect the Namsan Library, the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall area, and the Namsan section of the Hanyangdoseong. If you walk the entire park, including slopes, stairs, and summit transfer time, it is better to allow at least 2 to 3 hours, and if you include the tower observatory and cable car, a half-day schedule is more stable.
- Park walking, beacon fire station, octagonal pavilion: free
- N Seoul Tower observatory: separate paid admission, same-day on-site purchase available
- Recommended short summit itinerary: 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Recommended time including the fortress wall trail, memorial halls, and observatory: 3 to 5 hours
Before You Go
- Address
- Areas of Hoehyeon-dong, Jangchung-dong, and Yejang-dong in Jung-gu, Seoul, and areas of Hannam-dong and Huam-dong in Yongsan-gu
- Hours
- The outdoor spaces of Namsan Park are available at all times. Octagonal Information Center Tue~Sun 10:00~18:00. Namsan Cable Car 10:00~23:00, year-round. 01A and 01B Namsan circular buses 06:30~23:00.
- Closed
- Octagonal Information Center closed every Monday. Namsan Cable Car is open year-round but may be temporarily suspended due to weather or strong winds.
- Admission
- Namsan Park walking, beacon fire station, and octagonal pavilion are free. Namsan Cable Car adult round trip 15,000 won / one-way 12,000 won, child round trip 11,500 won / one-way 9,000 won. N Seoul Tower observatory is separately paid.
- Phone
- Namsan Park Management Office 02-3783-5900 / Namsan Cable Car 02-753-2403
- Official site
- https://parks.seoul.go.kr/template/sub/namsan.do?tr_code=short
- Transport
- 01A and 01B Namsan circular buses: board at Chungmuro Station (Lines 3 and 4) or Dongdaepyeonggu Station (Line 3), get off at Namsan Seoul Tower. 06:30~23:00, 1,500 won. Cable car: about 7 to 8 minutes on foot from Exit 3 of Myeongdong Station on Line 4, 83, Namsan, Jung-gu, Seoul.
- Parking
- Private cars and taxis are restricted from the summit area. Namsandong public parking lot (2, Toegye-ro 20-gil, Jung-gu) 500 won per 10 minutes, 02-755-7004. La Luz Wedding Hall parking lot, about 100 cars, weekday use, about 7 minutes on foot to the cable car.
- Time needed
- 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours for summit walking only, 3 to 5 hours including the fortress wall trail, memorial halls, and observatory.
- Accessibility
- Strollers and wheelchairs can be rented for free at Namsan Octagonal Information Center. Family restrooms, nursing rooms, diaper-changing tables, and microwaves are available. Since there are walking paths with slopes and stairs, routes centered on paved summit sections are suitable.
The information above is current as of the time of writing. Please check the official guidance again before visiting.
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