If Seoul’s subway stairs already count as cardio for you, the Biryong Falls Trail is your kind of hike. A crystal-clear stream leads the way into a forested gorge, Yukdam Falls opens with six cascades in a row, and a bright red suspension bridge supplies the postcard shot. Only the last stretch asks for real effort, and the reward is Biryong, the “flying dragon” falls, dramatic enough to earn the name. Count on an hour each way. Still feeling smug at the top? The stairs up to the Towangseong Falls observatory are waiting to humble you.

If Seoul’s subway stairs already count as cardio for you, the Biryong Falls Trail is your kind of hike. A crystal-clear stream leads the way into a forested gorge, Yukdam Falls opens with six cascades in a row, and a bright red suspension bridge supplies the postcard shot. Only the last stretch asks for real effort, and the reward is Biryong, the “flying dragon” falls, dramatic enough to earn the name. Count on an hour each way. Still feeling smug at the top? The stairs up to the Towangseong Falls observatory are waiting to humble you.

For most of its length, the Ulsanbawi Rock Trail is a pleasant forest walk past two temples. Then the mountain stops being polite: some 800 steel steps zigzag up the cliff to the top of the granite, with the whole coastline spread out below. Locals once called the summit the “Mountain of Heaven’s Cries” for its fierce wind, so hold on to your hat. On the way, stop at Heundeulbawi, the tottering rock that shakes but never falls.

The first hour of the Geumganggul Cave Trail is almost lazy: a flat path along a stream to Biseondae, a granite slab carved with old poems, where legend says a fairy took one look at the view and flew straight up to heaven. Feel free to envy her, because the trail then turns vertical, with steel staircases bolted onto the cliff. At the top, a cave shelters a tiny shrine where the monk Wonhyo is said to have prayed, the whole valley below. Skip it if heights make you wobble, or if the stairs are icy.

The first hour of the Geumganggul Cave Trail is almost lazy: a flat path along a stream to Biseondae, a granite slab carved with old poems, where legend says a fairy took one look at the view and flew straight up to heaven. Feel free to envy her, because the trail then turns vertical, with steel staircases bolted onto the cliff. At the top, a cave shelters a tiny shrine where the monk Wonhyo is said to have prayed, the whole valley below. Skip it if heights make you wobble, or if the stairs are icy.

At Biseondae, the cave crowd turns right. Keep left and the Yangpok Trail leads you into what Koreans call the Valley of a Thousand Buddhas, granite cliffs lined up like a congregation that’s been waiting centuries for you to show up. At the entrance stands Gwimyeonam, a rock with a ghost’s face (squint a little), then Oryeon Falls tumbles down in five neat steps before the trail ends at the Yangpok shelter, seven kilometres from the gate. It’s the longest of the four, so pack lunch. Your legs will complain, your camera roll won’t.

Not every view in Seoraksan has to be earned. The Seorak Cable Car, a few minutes’ walk from the main entrance, climbs the cliff face in about five minutes, then a short stroll over the granite brings you to Gwongeumseong, a fortress that legend says two generals, Gwon and Geum, raised in a single night. The walls are mostly gone, the panorama very much isn’t, and in autumn the whole mountain glows red and gold below you. Call it a rest day. Nobody needs to know.

Not every view in Seoraksan has to be earned. The Seorak Cable Car, a few minutes’ walk from the main entrance, climbs the cliff face in about five minutes, then a short stroll over the granite brings you to Gwongeumseong, a fortress that legend says two generals, Gwon and Geum, raised in a single night. The walls are mostly gone, the panorama very much isn’t, and in autumn the whole mountain glows red and gold below you. Call it a rest day. Nobody needs to know.

You’ll meet the Great Unification Buddha a few minutes after the main entrance, and there’s no missing it: nearly 15 metres of gilt bronze seated on a lotus pedestal, weighing 108 tonnes, a number any Buddhist will recognise. Finished in 1997 after a decade of fundraising, it was built as a prayer for the reunification of North and South Korea, with relics of the Buddha donated by Myanmar sealed inside. Then walk on to Sinheungsa, the temple behind it, founded in the 7th century. It sits on the way to most trails, so there’s really no excuse.

First on the trail, first back in bed: that’s the deal at the park gates. Kensington Hotel Seorak, five minutes’ walk from the trailheads, went all in on Britain, down to a guitar signed by the Beatles and a costume once worn by John Lennon. Rock-star memorabilia comes at a rock-star price, mind. For a fraction of the budget, HK Resort, a short drive away, keeps things simple: no Lennon but apartments with their own kitchen, perfect for packing tomorrow’s trail lunch the night before.

First on the trail, first back in bed: that’s the deal at the park gates. Kensington Hotel Seorak, five minutes’ walk from the trailheads, went all in on Britain, down to a guitar signed by the Beatles and a costume once worn by John Lennon. Rock-star memorabilia comes at a rock-star price, mind. For a fraction of the budget, HK Resort, a short drive away, keeps things simple: no Lennon but apartments with their own kitchen, perfect for packing tomorrow’s trail lunch the night before.

Staying a little further out means you don’t have to choose between mountain and sea: hike one day, then trade your boots for the beach and the restaurants of Sokcho the next. Casa Seorak is a family-run B&B where no two rooms look alike, some with a mezzanine to climb up to bed, and owners full of tips on where to eat. For something sleeker, Cabinet, opened in 2025 on Yangyang’s Seorak Beach, gives every room a sea view and a few of them a record player. Trails in the morning, vinyl and waves by night.

Fair warning: one matcha latte at Haebchiltam can easily swallow a whole afternoon. Blame the books, the long table and the window framing Seoraksan in the distance. When you finally get up, Sangdomun’s stone-walled lanes lead to Domun, a family-run hanok where the cats patrol the courtyard pool and the gamju, a sweet traditional rice drink, follows the owner’s mother’s recipe. Mums know best, so order two.

Fair warning: one matcha latte at Haebchiltam can easily swallow a whole afternoon. Blame the books, the long table and the window framing Seoraksan in the distance. When you finally get up, Sangdomun’s stone-walled lanes lead to Domun Coffee, a family-run hanok where the cats patrol the courtyard pool and the gamju, a sweet traditional rice drink, follows the owner’s mother’s recipe. Mums know best, so order two.

After a day on the trails, Korea prescribes something hot in a bowl. At Damsudam, its chueotang, loach soup made the Namwon way: the fish is boned and blended into a thick broth of fermented soybean paste and dried radish greens. It closes mid-afternoon, so come straight off the trail. For a slower feast, Authentic Korean Food Village serves country cooking in an old house with a ceiling papered in vintage newspapers. Call ahead for a whole chicken or duck, followed by rice porridge.