Cheonggyesan Mountain 청계산
-
Free
-
Yangjae Station (line 3, exit 10). Take bus no. 4432 to Wonteogol stop. 20 mins, 10 stops. The bus will display all stops in English. After alighting, walk about 30m in the direction where the bus come from, turn left to the underpass (there is a big park sign board at the underpass entrance), walk straight (by-passing the first road on your right) and turn right at the lane before the 'Black Yak' black building. Follow the many local hikers in colourful outfits straight to the park entrance. 5 mins walk.
-
Cheonggyesan Station (line Shin Bundang, exit 2). Go straight about 400m, turn right to the same underpass as above and follow through the directions. 9 mins walk.
-
by Taxi: drop off @ the 'Black Yak' black building (서울시 서초구 원터2길 3 | 3 Wonteo 2-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul) and walk on the lane in front of the 'Black Yak' shop entrance towards the park entrance.
-
Just 1 subway station away from Gangnam Station followed by a short bus trip or 3 subway stations away, one can hike at the beautiful Cheonggyesan (Mountain) reaching its Maebong Peak at 582.5m.
Dense forests, neat valleys, parks and temples are available in the mountain, making Cheonggyesan a suitable hiking course for families and novice hikers with its well-maintained trails.
Though Cheonggyesan is not as well known as Bukhansan (Mountain) to foreign visitors, it is nonetheless a popular destination with local hikers all year round. The trail from Wonteogol Entrance to Maebong Peak is the mountain's most popular trail. There are many hiking shops along the way leading to the park entrance.
The relatively easy 3km trail from Wonteogol Entrance → Wonteogol Mineral Spring → KKalttakgogae Ridge → Heliport → Maebong Peak (582m) is the most popular course, rewarding hikers with spectacular views at the peak. The course duration is about 1.5-2 hrs (1-way). From the peak, most local hikers will take a different route down the stairs to the base.
Spring flowers in April to Early May:
Every April and May, spring flowers, pink Azalea and yellow Forsythia bloom along the mountain paths and hikers can enjoy the beautiful flowers while hiking.
Note:
-
Recommend to follow the local hikers on the popular trails. The steep stairs up to the peak is a 'shorter' route but it can be pretty taxing and may take longer to reach the peak ultimately. Very few local hikers use the 'stairs' route up the peak either. Please bring enough water for the hike.
TIPS - 2 Must-Try Restaurants at Cheonggyesan, Seoul:
1. Sodamchae - Tofu (bean curds) Specialist
At the end of the hike while walking from the park entrance towards the main road/bus-stop, look out for a big advertising board of a BBQ restaurant on your right. The BBQ restaurant serves delicious Korean pancakes, homemade bean curds, Korean jelly salad and other many dishes at decent prices.
Sodamchae 소담채
서울시 서초구 원터6길 5 | 5 Wonteo 6-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
9:00-21:00
Tel: 02-3462-8592 / 02-574-0764
2. Matgoeul - Chicken Specialist
Located along the side road 2 blocks away from Sodamchae, Matgoeul is known for their chicken dishes and generous servings of banchan (side dishes). Popular dishes include dak-baeksuk (whole chicken soup), dak-bokkeum-tang (braised spicy chicken) and dubu-jeongol (tofu hot pot).
Matgoeul 청계산맛고을
서울시 서초구 원터6길 2 | 2 Wonteo 6-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
Tel: 02-3463-1555 (look out for this phone number on their Korean shop sign to easily identify the restaurant)
You can also enjoy a good meal at other nearby restaurants too.
KoreaToDo TOP PICKS - Tours, Activities & Discount Tickets
➥ Handpicked experiences by KoreaToDo for their uniqueness, value, popularity, price competitiveness and at times, tedious to reach by public transport.
♔ KoreaToDo recommends Klook.com, Asia leading in-destination service provider.
🍁SEASONAL HOT PICKS🍁 Handpicked Experiences from Seoul
Other KoreaToDo outdoor activities collection that you may like:
-
Bukhansan National Park - Guinness Book of World Records's Most Visited Park
-
Seoul City Wall Hike - Baegak Mountain Trail (Passport Required!)
-
Top Favourite Scenic Hiking/Walking Trails (easy to moderate courses)
Still looking? Explore KoreaToDo handpicked collection of: