My Essential Korea Travel Resources :
There are plenty of travel companies out there, but these are my favorite websites and resources for planning an unforgettable trip to South Korea. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For flights, I recommend using Hopper to compare the cheapest travel dates to South Korea. Car rentals, although not common in Korea, are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to have a copy of your international driver's permit with you! I always use AGODA's easy-to-use platform for hotels in Asia. To keep cell phone service, I use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required) - make sure to have NordVPN ready too while you surf random wifi connections. For fun things to do, Klook specializes on tours in Asia, otherwise Viator also does the trick. Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use when visiting a new country. Lastly, my essential packing list when traveling.
How to Get to Seoraksan National Park
Seoraksan National Park is fairly easy to get to, and you have a few options on how to get there. Personally, I highly recommend renting a car and driving there yourself - I have an entire guide on how to drive in Korea as a foreigner. This way, you can rent a hotel in the area and spend more than just one day exploring the park and nearby attractions. If you want to do some of the hikes in Seoraksan, you'll definitely want more than a single day, I recommend 2-3 days at most. Driving yourself to Seoraksan is also the fastest option, and will only take about 2-3 hours depending on traffic, plus this way you can stop at some of the fun rest stops along the way!
If you're not interested in driving in Korea, or just don't want to deal with the hassle of renting a car, then you're next best option is to book a guided day trip from Seoul. They have day trips specific for each season, but this is the best rated tour and the only one I'd recommend. Your very last option on getting to Seoraksan National Park is by taking public transportation. Since the subway system doesn't extend this far outside of Seoul, you'll need to take a public bus. I recommend beginning at the Seoul Express Bus Terminal and catching the bus to the Sokcho Express Bus Terminal. From here, you'll need to catch another ride to the actual entrance of the park, either on a local bus or through a taxi or Kakao T (Korea's Uber).
My Favorite Seoraksan National Park Tours :
- Seoraksan Park & Naksana Temple Tour - Full One Day Seoraksan Tour from Seoul - Seoraksan & Cable Car Tour
9 Top Sights You Don't Want to Miss at Seoraksan
1. Head Out on A Hike
Even if you're just visiting for one day, there's plenty of hikes for you to do in the area. I have an entire guide on the best hikes in Seoraksan National Park, but my top recommendations for hiking trails would be to follow the path to Biryong Pokpo (or waterfall). The path begins paved, wide, and flat - and eventually brings you over a suspension bridge with giant canyons where you can see Yukdam Falls before you'll need to head up some stairs to the actual Biryong Waterfall. From here, you can choose to enjoy the water by soaking your feet or continuing further and heading up to the Towangseong Observatory.
2. Seoraksan Cable Car
The Seoraksan Cable Car is one of the most popular attractions in the park. Before your visit you'll want to make sure that the cable car is actually open - you can do this on their official website. In the past I've visited while the cable car is under construction, and although you can technically hike up to the same viewpoint, the cable car is a fun way to experience the views without the physical demands of hiking. Round trip tickets for adults are 15,000 KRW (or about $10 USD), and I recommend booking them on site - we've never had issues with them selling out for the day. It is worth knowing that just like in other areas of Korea they pack you in pretty tight, so if you have a hard time with crowds, I recommend trying to stand near one of the windows.
3. Chase Some Waterfalls
In Korean, "pok-po" means waterfall, and there's a few in the Seoraksan National Park area. If you follow the trail to Yukdam & Biryong Falls you'll see a couple along the way. Biryong Waterfall is the best in the park in my opinion, and once you get there, they have different areas where you can rest, relax, and soak your feet in the cold water.
4. Visit the Tea House
One of my personal favorite things to do in Seoraksan National Park is to visit the on-site teahouse. Every time I visit the park I make sure to stop and get one of their desserts (like bingsu) or teas. You can see the tea house on the way to the Sinheungsa Temple, and there's some great views from their outdoor seating area.
5. Sinheungsa Temple
Sinheungsa Temple is located on the further end of the park, past the restaurants, cable car entrance, and majority of the starting points of the hikes. As you walk towards the temple, you'll see a large, bronze seated Buddha statue to your right. I recommend stopping for a viewpoint, before continuing on past the teahouse to the temple. Unlike other temples in Asia, Korea doesn't typically enforce dress codes for visitors, so you can visit, however you are. While you explore the temple grounds, you'll want to be respectful and quiet.
6. Grab a Bite to Eat
Inside Seoraksan National Park you'll find a few different restaurants. Personally, I always stop by the area of restaurants with picnic tables for outdoor seating, almost like a cafeteria. Their menus double in English and Korean, and have pictures, making it pretty easy to order. If you're not sure what to get, I recommend a vegetable pajeon (pancake) or bibimbap. There's also a few snack stands throughout the park if you're wanting something a little lighter or more like street food.
7. Gwongeumseong Fortress
If you take the cable car to the top of the mountain, you can then continue hiking towards the Gwongeumseong Fortress. It's said that you can still see remnants of the floor and castle walls of this stone fortress, however, if I'm being honest with you, it really just looks like a stone mountain peak. This is typically one of the most popular things to do in Seoraksan National Park, so you can expect lots of people, but it's still worth it in my opinion because the views are absolutely incredible.
8. Nearby Attractions
As long as you're in the area, it's worth it to explore some of the other nearby attractions. Usually, I stay in the Gangneung area, near the famous coffee street here. It's got a great beach, and an entire street lined with unique cafes. If you explore more of the town, you'll find lots of seafood, restaurants, and some noraebangs (Korean karaoke bars). If you rented a car, I also recommend stopping at Alpaca World or at the Dreamy Camera Cafe on your way back to Seoul.
9. Geumganggul Cave
In order to visit this small temple cave, you'll need to do a bit of hiking to get there. The trail itself is about 3.6 km (or 2.2 miles) each way. This is one of the harder hikes in the park, and as you get closer to the cave itself, can get very steep, however, the views are incredible and it's a unique area of the park.
Watch my Seoraksan National Park Visit here!
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-> 25 Best Street Foods to Try in South Korea -> Bojeong Dong Cafe Street Guide -> Lotte World Guide (Best Rides & Eats)
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