Walking Seoul's Fortress Wall Trails
The wall that once ringed all of Seoul is 18.6 km long, built in 1396, and you only need to walk 2.1 km of it to get the best sunset view in the city.
Naksan: The Easy Wall Section
Start at Hyehwa Station (Line 4, Exit 2) and walk through Ihwa Mural Village before climbing the illuminated stone battlements to Naksan Park’s 125-meter summit, then descend along the wall to Heunginjimun (Dongdaemun Gate, Line 1/4). The whole stretch is 2.1 km and takes an hour to ninety minutes at an easy pace, and it’s one of the most popular night walks in the city for the view back over lit-up Jongno. The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s walking tour map lists this and the other Hanyangdoseong sections with the same distances. Compare guided history walks if you’d rather have context along the route than go in cold.
Bugaksan: The Harder, Historic Section
The Bugaksan (Baegaksan) Ridge Trail runs from Changuimun Gate (Jahamun) to Sukjeongmun and on to Hyehwamun, tracing the pine forest directly behind the former Blue House. This section still shows bullet marks on the so-called 1ยท21 Incident Pine Tree, left from the 1968 Blue House raid, and the steps are steep granite the whole way. Sturdy shoes are non-negotiable here, and military photography rules apply in marked sectors, so keep the camera down where signs say to.
Jeong-dong’s Modern Heritage Trail
From City Hall Station (Exit 1/2/12), the 900-meter Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway (Doldam-gil) runs beside granite palace walls and century-old ginkgo trees. The route also passes Jeongdong Theater, Jeongdong First Methodist Church (Korea’s first Protestant church, built 1897), the ruins of the former Russian Legation where King Gojong took refuge in 1896, and Ewha Girls’ High School’s Simpson Memorial Hall.
Insadong to Bukchon and Samcheong-dong
Anguk Station (Line 3, Exit 6) puts you at the start of Insadong-gil, lined with tea houses, calligraphy shops, and the spiraling Ssamzie-gil craft complex. Cross Yulgok-ro and you’re in Samcheong-dong’s stone-paved alleys, dense with contemporary galleries, craft boutiques, and hanok cafes, before the streets narrow further into Bukchon proper.
Before You Set Out
Leave Google Maps out of the planning; South Korea’s mapping export law breaks its walking directions here, so download Naver Map or KakaoMap instead, both of which handle exit-specific subway guidance that Google can’t. For where to base yourself between routes, check hotels near Anguk or City Hall , and pair a wall walk with the palace details on the sightseeing guide .