An easy hike to N-Seoul Tower in Autumn

This post is a continuation of our Seoul farewell series of November, 2021. Every weekend, we’d revisit an iconic monument or a spot that held a special place in our hearts. After visiting Gilsang-sa Temple and the Seoul Wall (Baegaksan Trail), we followed it up by hiking Namsan on the next weekend.

We had visited Namsan, located in northern Seoul, a zillion times before. There are many ways to reach N-Seoul Tower (located on top of the mountain) and we had taken them all. You can either hike to the top, take a cable car ride, or hop on a local bus or cab. There are multiple entrances and routes to reach the top of this guardian mountain. The route you choose will decide what you get to see. From museums to cultural relics — don’t just make the tower your end destination.

Namsan was literally 10 minutes away (by bus or cab) from our apartment in Gongdeok (Mapo). Not surprisingly, it would regularly feature on our weekend or holiday activity list — if we weren’t cycling along the Hangang River. I preferred cycling because it was more soothing than braving crowds during peak tourist season. Instead of taking our preferred Myeongdong entrance, we took a cab to the Namsan Park Entrance on this hike (refer map).

We had last visited Namsan with my brother in 2019 when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Surprisingly, we never visited Namsan during autumn. I guess: we always wanted to visit the mountains outside Seoul during this season.

Back then, we’d always look down and try to spot familiar buildings or landmarks that we knew. Four years later, my memory is as hazy as the picture above and I can’t seem to remember most of those roads — that we had walked countless times before.

What do I love about Seoul? It was so easy to escape the city! For an introvert, like myself, I found comfort in nature very easily. Seoul City is quite literally nestled in the lap of the mountains. And although, these mountains aren’t very high in altitude, they offer stellar views of the city below.

The four guardian mountains (Baegaksan, Namsan, Naksan, and Inwangsan) that protected the ancient capital, Hanyang, of the Joseon Dynasty were connected by a stone wall called: Hanyangdoseong. Sadly, most of the old wall and some entrance gates didn’t survive the Japanese occupation. Today, remnants of this wall can be found along these mountain trails that encircle the modern city of Seoul.

These trails were vaguely familiar to us. On our countless walks, showing family or friends around Seoul, we’d always include Namsan to the list. Each season made these trails look different. It was the first time we had visited in autumn and were extremely happy with how the bright leaves served as our guiding beacon.

The trail is very gentle and quite literally a walk in the park. There are multiple lookout points to just: stop, breathe, and let it all go. The Seoul Wall is a constant feature on this trail (on most parts) and adds character to the path littered by autumnal leaves.

It never ceases to amaze me how modernity and ancient heritage can co-exist so effortlessly in Korea. Despite losing a lot of their historical structures in the war and colonisation, they have managed to weave a unique story of fantasy and wonder around the remnants. These trails may have featured in a multitude of K-Dramas. In autumn (or spring) it’s not too difficult to understand why.

Starting early is always an added advantage on most trails. Besides, most tourists have a packed itinerary and would avoid the hike — unless they were staying for a longer time. That left the trail literally deserted and only few early bird locals walked in front of us.

Soon enough, we saw the distinct structure of N-Seoul Tower in front of us. The leaves were bright yellow, with a tinge of red, in the morning sun.

Most of our friends, who explored Seoul with us, were quite taken by the trails that we showed them. I’ve always been confused why Korean Tourism would market everything cute (Aegyo*) and pretty to attract tourists. I wonder if it was an escape from the years of hardship of war and poverty that followed? Or did it get hordes of Hallyu fans (first from Asian countries) around the world to congregate? Or was it because we all need some sort of escape from all that’s happening around us — that’s beyond our control?

Whatever be the reason, it distracts serious travellers from ever wanting to visit Korea. I, for one, never had Korea on my list and couldn’t see my angsty soul fitting in. And, that’s the surprising aspect of travel. You never know what lies beneath the outer layer of marketing (or social media) unless you’re willing to explore.

*‘Aegyo’: The psyche behind childlike adults

We finally reached the base of the tower. It’s great for those striking shots of autumnal leaves against the backdrop of the tower. I had taken similar photos in 2019 with the leaves being replaced by dewy pink cherry blossom petals. You could read my post (here).

The N-Seoul Tower is a magnet for young couples in love. It’s one of the preferred spots for romantic date nights or proposals. The observation deck at the basement is free and offers pretty good views. But, the upper observation deck (paid) is the top tourist draw. There are also many restaurants for fine dining should you choose to stay post sunset. We/I wanted to escape the crowd and we skipped the drill to go to the top. I genuinely can’t remember the number of times that we’ve gone up the tower. We chose to explore another trail back instead.

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

Albert Einstein

“Every border I crossed blurred another line inside me — between who I was, and who I was becoming.”
― Yoon Jeong Kim, The South Korean Diplomat’s Wife: Stories of Silk Dresses, Scandals, and Secrets

During our early days in Seoul, we’d end up chatting (or they with us) with many ajusshis (older/elderly men) either at social events or sometimes even when we’d walk in the park. They emphasised on learning Korean history and would quiz us about the Three Kingdom Period (Silla, Baekjae, Goguryeo*) or the war. It wasn’t enough learning elementary Korean. As a waygook saram (foreigner), it was important to learn the Korean way of life.

I think that’s the main difference between being a traveller and an expat. I love being a traveller. I’m like a free flowing river or a bird gliding in the sky. Travel helps me explore new cultures and places. I don’t need to be something. I come, observe, and leave. As an expat, the emphasis to assimilate can be very hard. And when you come from a diverse cultural country, you seem to lose yourself, piece by piece — slowly but steadily.

* Interestingly, the Goryeo Dynasty took over the three kingdoms and modern day Korea gets its name from a mispronunciation of this ruling dynasty. Korean pronunciations can be very confusing from their spellings in English.

“Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.”
― Albert Einstein

We had to leave. Each step felt heavier than the one before. It was the last time that we’d be seeing our favourite haunt in Seoul. Each weekend excursion triggered nostalgia and mirrored our conflicted thoughts at that point. Should we look back and stay? Or should we keep walking — knowing that it was time to move on.

We took another trail (possibly a part of Namsan Dulle-gil) to head back home. If I’m not mistaken, this is also one of the routes taken by local buses. The Seoul Wall was scattered here. Some parts were visibly restored whilst others were bordering derelict.

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

Khalil Gibran

There are multiple observation decks to get a clear view of Seoul City. Unlike the previous trail, this trail is smoother — especially when you’re going down. I remember, on multiple occasions before, taking some of the shortcuts through the woods to reach this trail.

The four seasons always amazed me. How does nature change so drastically? How do the trees know when to bloom and when to shed their leaves? How can one place look so different in four seasons? Autumn is a very long transition. It keeps your spirits high before winter brings it down. We would leave before winter would truly set in and I was looking forward to some sun. I don’t think I had it in me to take in another winter.

We could have kept going, just like most of the walking trails in Seoul. But, we had to exit and get back to packing. We had to prepare for shipping our stuff and also vacate the apartment before the next tenants arrived. If you have time and love walking, Seoul can truly be a wonderful paradise.