Bukhansan in Winter: A First Hike You Can Do From Seoul

The rocky granite peaks of Bukhansan National Park in Seoul in late winter

By YUNA, my pen name. I read the official pages, then tell you what I’d do.

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Last checked: November 2, 2026

For a first winter hike, I’d take the Bukhansanseong trail to Baegundae, the 836 m top of Bukhansan, on a dry day, starting by 10:00 in the morning. It’s 3.4 km up, and the bus to the trailhead leaves from outside a Line 3 subway exit. The park service counted 7.53 million visitors in 2025, the most of any national park in Korea.

From December to February you can’t start up the main trails after 4 p.m., and in late autumn some trails close for wildfire season, from mid-November to mid-December in 2025. Ice is what I’d plan around most, so bring crampons even if Seoul itself is dry.

Quick answer

  • 📍 Route: Bukhansanseong Trail Center to Baegundae, 3.4 km, about 2 hours 40 minutes up
  • 🗓️ Latest start: 4 p.m. from December to February, 5 p.m. in November
  • 🧳 Pack: crampons, non-slip gloves, boots with good grip

Guided Bukhansan hike on Klook

Which trail should you take first?

Snow on the peaks and ridges of Bukhansan in December, seen from the southern side
Bukhansan’s peaks and ridges under snow in December, seen from the south. Photo: Ingu Kang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Bukhansanseong course is 3.4 km one way and about 2 hours 40 minutes, and Seoul’s city guide to the hike rates it moderate. It starts at the Bukhansanseong Trail Center, passes Daeseomun gate and Borisa temple, and ends on Baegundae at about 836 m.

The other way up starts on the Ui-dong side, at the Baegundae Trail Center by Doseonsa temple. The park service’s course page puts it at 1.9 km and about 1 hour 30 minutes one way, and it warns that the upper sections are harder, with wire ropes.

The same page lists another 2.0 km, about 30 minutes, from the Ui ranger post up to the plaza by Doseonsa before the trail starts, so it isn’t as short as it looks.

I’d save the Ui-dong side for a second visit. The Bukhansanseong course is longer, but Seoul’s guide rates it moderate, and its bus leaves from right outside a subway exit.

Yuna’s pick

First winter hike, dry forecast: Bukhansanseong to Baegundae.

Snow or ice in the last few days: Dulle-gil Course 1 instead.

Already done Baegundae once: the shorter, harder Ui-dong side.

What closes in winter?

National parks close some trails each autumn to prevent wildfires. In 2025 the closures ran from November 15 to December 15, according to the government’s policy briefing site, and the park service posts each year’s list of closed sections on its website.

If you walk into a closed trail, you can be fined up to 500,000 won, and smoking or carrying anything flammable in the park can cost you up to 2,000,000 won.

Daeseomun, a stone gate of Bukhansanseong Fortress with a tiled roof, with snow on the path
Daeseomun, a main gate of Bukhansanseong Fortress, in winter. Photo: Lcarrion88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If your trip falls between mid-November and mid-December, check which Bukhansan sections are on this year’s list. The park service’s closure page has it, and I’d look before you choose a route.

Mountains outside the national parks are managed by the Korea Forest Service or local governments, and in 2025 their closures started earlier, on October 20. If you switch to another hill near Seoul that week, check that one’s closure rules separately.

The entry-time rule lasts all winter. It covers trails such as Bukhansanseong to Wimun and the Baegundae Trail Center route, which you can start up from 4:00 in the morning. The last start is 4:00 in the afternoon from December to February and 5:00 from March to November.

⚠️ Heads-up

The park service asks you to check the entry times and its trail control page before every hike. Trails can also close after snow, so you’ll want to look the night before and again in the morning.

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Do you need crampons?

Yes, from December on I’d carry them every time. A December 2023 government notice on New Year hikes, using 2020 and 2021 figures, says 40% of the hiking accidents it counted were slips. It tells hikers to carry crampons for snowy and icy trails.

The same notice warns that trails freeze at night and early in the morning, so I wouldn’t use the 4 a.m. start in winter. If you’ve never worn crampons, try them on your boots at home so you aren’t learning on the trail.

A pair of hiking boots fitted with metal crampons standing in fresh snow
Hiking boots fitted with crampons, standing in snow. Photo: HopsonRoad, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Seoul’s Bukhansan guide calls grippy boots a must and adds non-slip gloves. A news report on the park service’s winter tips adds warm clothes and a first-aid kit. It also suggests one habit I’d copy: note the numbered location signs as you pass them, so you can tell rescuers exactly where you are.

If you don’t own crampons, the Seoul Hiking Tourism Center’s Bukhansan branch rents hiking gear, and a Time Out writer found crampons on its list. The center is on the Ui-dong side, at 52 Samyang-ro 173-gil, and opens at 9:00, so it suits the Ui-dong route best.

For Bukhansanseong, I’d bring your own pair rather than cross the mountain first. It closes on Mondays and on some holidays, so check its site for your date.

How do you get to the trailhead?

For the Bukhansanseong course, take Line 3 to Gupabal Station. Seoul’s city news site said in 2023 that bus 34 leaves from in front of Exit 2, plus 8772 on weekends, and you get off at the Bukhansanseong Entrance stop.

Bus routes around Seoul change, so I’d check the stop and direction on a map app before you set off.

For the Ui-dong side and the Dulle-gil, take the Ui-Sinseol Line to Bukhansan Ui Station. The trail to Baegundae starts at the Baegundae Trail Center up by Doseonsa, and I couldn’t confirm a bus up that road, so plan on walking.

A snowy forest slope with bare trees along the Bukhansan Dulle-gil in winter
A snowy section of the Bukhansan Dulle-gil path in winter. Photo: Clementina, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Planning the day around daylight

Allow 2 hours 40 minutes to go up the Bukhansanseong course, plus a stop at the top and the walk down. December days are short, so I’d want to be off the rock by mid-afternoon.

Starting at 10:00 puts you on Baegundae around 12:40 at the park’s pace, with the afternoon left for the walk down. If you can’t start by 10:00, the Dulle-gil is the better choice that day. With 7.53 million visitors a year, I’d also go on a weekday if your trip allows it.

Course 1 of the Dulle-gil, the Pine Forest Trail, is 3.1 km and about 1 hour 30 minutes, and the park service rates it easy. It runs from the Ui-Uiryeong-gil entrance to the top of Solbat Park, so it fits a short day or a snowy one.

Granite cliffs and rock peaks around Baegundae on Bukhansan above green spring forest
The Baegundae terrace on Bukhansan, photographed in spring.

You can also use it as a test run. If the easy path is icy, I’d expect the rock near the summit to be worse and keep Baegundae for a drier week.

Honest take

The 4 p.m. cutoff is only the latest start the park allows. Start up the Bukhansanseong course at 4:00 in December and you’d reach Baegundae around 6:40, well after dark. I’d start by 10:00 instead, and if you aren’t on the summit by 1:00, turn around wherever you are.

FAQ

Can I drink makgeolli at the summit?

No. Since March 2018, drinking has been banned at places the park authorities designate in Korea’s national parks, such as shelters, trails and summits, and you can be fined for it. I’d treat Baegundae as one of them.

How high is Baegundae?

About 836 m. The park service lists it at 836.5 m and Seoul’s city news site rounds it to 836 m.

Can I rent crampons on a Monday?

No. The hiking center’s Bukhansan branch is closed on Mondays, so bring your own or pick another day.

Closures and entry times can change between my check and your trip. If you find something different on the mountain, please tell me through the Contact page.

Hwaiting!

Yuna

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Sources and last check

How I put this guide together: from the Korea National Park Service’s course pages and entry-time table, Seoul’s city news site and the Seoul Hiking Tourism Center. The visitor count comes from the environment ministry’s press release, and the fines and the drinking ban from the government’s policy briefing site. Everything was checked on November 1 and 2, 2026. The park’s winter tips and the crampon rental come from news reports. Which trail to pick is my own read. More on how I research every guide is on the About page.

Last checked: November 2, 2026. Trail closures and entry times change, so please confirm before you go. This is an independent guide, not affiliated with the Korea National Park Service.

Sources:

Hi, I'm Yuna. I read the Korean-only fine print so your trip doesn't have to start with a puzzle, and then I tell you what I'd pick.

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