Seoul Trail

A flexible, city-based long-distance walk you can do in bite-sized stages, one neighbourhood at a time.

Time to Hike: Most people tackle the 21 routes as day walks of roughly 2 to 5 hours each, linking them over several weekends or in a concentrated 1 to 2 week trip.

Best Time to Go: The trail is walkable year-round, but the most comfortable window is typically spring and autumn. Summer heat and humidity and winter cold can make longer days less pleasant.

Getting there: Start anywhere: it is a loop around Seoul. Use the city’s subway and buses to reach individual route trailheads; updated signage is designed to help you navigate from stations to starts.

Costs: No widely reported entrance fee; budget mainly for local transport and meals. Budget mainly for local transport and meals; any stamp book or small completion-related items depend on how you participate.

Difficulty: Moderate overall, with route-by-route variation including easier family-friendly sections and more demanding hills.

The Seoul Trail (서울둘레길) is a long-distance trail that traces the perimeter of Seoul, maintained by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. First opened on November 15, 2014, it has been updated and reorganised several times, with a major revamp on April 30, 2024 branded “Seoul Trail 2.0”.

As of 2024, the full loop is 156.5 km and is subdivided into 21 shorter routes. The redesign reduced the average route length and time (to around 8 km and about 3 hours on average) to lower the barrier to entry for casual hikers and make the experience easier to fit around city life.

A signature feature is the stamping system: complete a route, collect a stamp at a stamping station, and build up a stamp book. Walkers who collect every stamp can receive a Seoul Trail Completion Certificate. Along the way you will also find practical infrastructure like benches, shade, and safety features including CCTV and periodic police alert buttons.

• Stage 1: Build your “inner loop” rhythm (routes 1-5, km 0-40) - Start with a cluster of adjacent sections to learn the signage and stamp routine, using the subway to hop between trailheads and finishes.
• Stage 2: Ridge and forest edge walking (routes 6-9, km 40-70) - Expect more sustained hiking feel on greener city fringes, with longer climbs and descents depending on the specific route.
• Stage 3: Neighbourhood greenways and connectors (routes 10-13, km 70-100) - These mid-loop sections are ideal for half-day outings, mixing paved approaches with quieter paths and frequent access points.
• Stage 4: Longer-feeling days without long distance (routes 14-16, km 100-120) - Plan these as “slow” routes: use breaks, shade structures, and benches, and allow time to find stamp stations.
• Stage 5: Finish strong with consecutive stamps (routes 17-19, km 120-145) - Link multiple short routes in a day if you are aiming for completion, using public transport to reduce dead time.
• Stage 6: Closing the loop and completion logistics (routes 20-21, km 145-156.5) - Save time for final stamps and any completion-certificate process, and double-check you have every section recorded in your stamp book.

The most comfortable times are typically spring and autumn, when temperatures are milder for 2 to 5 hour route walks. These seasons also suit doing multiple routes across a week without the heat stress that can build up day after day.

In summer, plan earlier starts and shorter link-ups to avoid the hottest part of the day; in winter, factor in cold conditions and shorter daylight when stacking routes. As with any city-edge trail, conditions can vary quickly between exposed paved stretches and shaded wooded sections.

Because it is a perimeter loop around Seoul, most walkers access the Seoul Trail by choosing a convenient route start near their accommodation and arriving by subway or bus. The 2024 revamp included refreshed information boards intended to make route starts and ends clearer and to explain how to get from nearby subway stations to trailheads.

There is no single “finish” town: you either close the loop back where you began or end at a convenient station and return across the city. Many people walk it in whichever direction best fits transport links and how they want to space harder and easier routes.

The organised element is the voluntary stamping system: each sub-trail has a stamping station where you can collect stamps into a stamp book. The organised element is the voluntary stamping system: each sub-trail has a stamping station where you can collect stamps into a stamp book.

If you collect every stamp, you can receive a Seoul Trail Completion Certificate. Check current instructions locally, as the trail has been reorganised multiple times and was significantly revamped in 2024.

Most walkers stay in regular accommodation within Seoul and use public transport to reach the day route they plan to hike. This makes it easy to complete the trail as a series of half-day or day hikes while keeping one base.

If you are visiting specifically to complete the full loop in a short time, choose accommodation with quick access to multiple subway lines so you can start early and reposition efficiently between route ends and the next trailhead. Booking needs depend on the time of year and where in the city you base yourself, rather than on the trail itself.