Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
Start at the marker for Donuimun, the lost West Gate, by Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. Follow the City Wall trail north past Wolam Park and the house of the composer Hong Nan-pa, where the wall rises out of the streets. Above the houses the path climbs beside the wall on steps and granite slabs, with views over Gyeongbokgung Palace and the city, to the summit rock of Inwangsan (인왕산). From the top, carry on along the wall past the Chima rock and down to Yun Dong-ju's Hill and Changuimun, the north-west gate.
It is 4.6 km one way with 264 m of ascent and 212 m of descent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy: city lanes and then long flights of stone steps.
The wall trail on Inwangsan is open 24 hours. There are no toilets once you are on the hill, and the steps and slabs are slippery when wet or icy. A short spur leads to the summit rock; the bastion that juts west near the top is a military post and closed.
Seodaemun station, on Line 5, is a few minutes from the start. From Changuimun, buses 7212, 1020 and 7022 run down to Gyeongbokgung station on Line 3 from the Jahamun Pass stop.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Inwangsan, 338 m, is the granite hill on the west side of old Seoul
- The Seoul City Wall was first built in 1396 and ran some 18.6 km over the city's four inner hills
- Inwangsan was closed to the public after a 1968 raid on the presidential residence and reopened in the 1990s
- Donuimun, the West Gate, was pulled down in 1915; only its site is marked
Summits on the way
- Inwangsan 339 m
Getting there
Start: Donuimun Gate site, near Seodaemun station. 37.56831, 126.96881
Directions to the start
Google Maps Apple Maps KakaoMap Naver Map
To Seodaemun station: KakaoMap · Naver Map
KakaoMap and Naver Map, the maps Korea uses, give public transport from where you are.
By train: Seodaemun station is 0.3 km from the start.
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Donuimun Gate site: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.