top of page
Namsan Seoul Tower & Getting There | Seoul, South Korea

N Seoul Tower 남산서울타워

Ways to get there, Hot Spots, Floor Guide, Season Highlights, Walking/Hiking Trails & Maps

서울특별시 용산구 남산공원길 105 (용산동2가) | 105, Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Namsan Seoul Tower - Opening Hours
Namsan Seoul Tower - Admission Fees
  • Observatory (for 360 degree panoramic view of Seoul) - Adult: 16,000 won / Senior (age 65 & above) & Child (age 13 & above): 12,000 won

  • Korea Local 360º VR Tour - Free

Namsan Seoul Tower - How to Go Guide

Multiple travel options available: Namsan Shuttle Bus, Cable Car or Walk.

Explore a different path on every visit.
Note: Taxi is prohibited from entering the park for environment protection.

Recommended Course to N Seoul Tower by CABLE CAR (esp. on your first visit)

1. Getting to Namsan Cable Car Station

From Myeongdong Station (line 4, exit 1), take the half-hourly Shuttle Bus Service (operating hours 12:00 - 20:30) with "Namsan Cable Car" sign to Namsan Cable Car Station.

Free Namsan Shuttle Bus to Namsan Cable Car Station | KoreaToDo

OR

b) take a taxi (4 mins from Myeongdong Station, exit 1-4)

Namsan Cable Car Station 남산 케이블카
서울특별시 중구 소파로 83 | 83, Sopa-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
10:00-23:00

Adult: ₩14,000 (round-trip) & ₩11,000 (1-way)  / Senior (age 65 & older) & Child (age 3-12): ₩10,500 (round-trip) & ₩8,000 (1-way)

OR

c) walk uphill (10-15 mins)

From Myeongdong Station (line 4, exit 3), walk towards the left of 7-11 convenience store, go straight and walk towards the right of Pacific Hotel and walk uphill. Walk up the stairs to Namsan Cable Car Station.

OR

From Myeongdong Station (line 4, exit 4), you will see McDonald's in front. Walk straight 300m and turn left at the main junction (with Shinsagae Department Store diagonally-right). Go straight and you will see the Namsan Oreumi Elevator about 300m ahead. 10 mins walk.

 

Take the outdoor inclined elevator (free, 9:00-23:00, closed on Mondays 9:00-14:00 for maintenance) straight to Namsan Cable Car Station, 2 mins.

Walk towards Namsan Oreumi Elevator to Namsan Cable Car Station | KoreaToDo

2. Take Namsan Cable Car Ride to N Seoul Tower

At Namsan Cable Car Station, take the cable car to Namsan Seoul Tower and enjoy the best view of Seoul.

  • Adult (1-way/return) - 11,000 won / 14,000 won

  • Child age 3-12 & Senior above age 65 (1-way/return) - 8,000 won / 10,500 won

N Seoul Tower - Cable Car Rides | KoreaToDo

3. Enjoy & Explore N Seoul Tower

4. Getting Down from N Seoul Tower

From Namsan Seoul Tower, take a leisure walk down the mountain (especially beautiful in autumn for its autumn foliage and cherry blossom in spring) in the same direction as the bus going down to reach the base with Namsan Shuttle Bus's Bus Stop (@Namsan Public Library) right ahead. 30-40 mins walk.

 

Alternatively, from Namsan Seoul Tower, you can take Shuttle Bus #05 back to Myeongdong Station, Namsangol Hanok Village or any other Namsan Shuttle Bus to your next destination.

Getting to Namsan Seoul Tower by Shuttle Bus

  • No. 02, 03 and 05

  • 1,200 won cash / 1,100 won transportation card (T-Money/cashbee)

  • The shuttle bus service operates on a loop course from N Seoul Tower. 

  • The whole loop can be 10-50 mins long depending on the bus no. taken. For shorter journey, it is best to board/alight towards the end/beginning of the bus routes respectively.

Namsan Shuttle Bus to N Seoul Tower | KoreaToDo

Namsan Shuttle Bus Routes:

1. Namsan Shuttle Bus No. 02 (every 16 mins, 7:00-23:30)

*Nearest Station to Seoul Tower

Map of Namsan Shuttle Bus 02, 03, 05 Bus Stop from Dongguk Univ. Station (line 3, exit 6)

Notes: Search for 'Donguk Univ.​' instead when using MetroidHD app.

Map of Namsan Shuttle Bus 02 Bus Stop from Chungmuro Station (line 3/4, exit 2)

N Seoul Tower → Namsan Library → Seoul Education Research & Information Institute  → Namsan Cable Car - Namsan Sanchaengno Entrance → Seoul Animation Center, Soongeui Women's Univ. → Teogyero 3-ga, Namsangol Hanok Village → Chungmuro Station, line 3/4, exit 2 (15 mins to Seoul Tower) → Teogyero 5-ga, Jeil Hospital → Ambassador Hotel → *Dongguk Univ. Station, line 3, exit 6 (10 mins to Seoul Tower) → National Theatre of Korea → Namsan Northern Circuit Entry (for the walk up Seoul Tower) → N Seoul Tower

Map of Namsan Shuttle Bus 02, 03, 05 Bus Stop from Dongguk Station (line 3) | KoreaToDo
Map of Namsan Shuttle Bus 02 from Chungmuro Station (line 3/4) | KoreaToDo

2. Namsan Shuttle Bus No. 03 (every 18 mins, 7:00-23:30)

N Seoul Tower → Namsan Library → Baekbeom Plaza → Huam Intersection → Namdaemun Police Station → Seoul Station, line 1/4, exit 9 (40 mins to Seoul Tower) → Namdaemun Market → Namsan Tunnel 3 → Yongsan Hanshin Apartment → Haebangchon → Itaewon Yongsan-gu Office → Itaewon Station, exit 4 to the front of Hamilton Hotel (25 mins to Seoul Tower) → Itaewon Fire Branch Office → Hannam-dong Community Center → Hangangjin Station, line 6, in front of exit 2 → Beoti Gogae → Songdo Hospital → Yaksu Station, exit 7 → Yaksu Station, exit 1 → *Dongguk Univ. Station → National Theatre of Korea → Namsan Northern Circuit Entry → N Seoul Tower

3. Namsan Shuttle Bus No. 05 (every 16 mins, 7:00-23:30)

Namsan Seoul Tower → Namsan Library → Baekbeom Plaza → Hilton Hotel → Namdaemun Market, Accessories Arcade → Namdaemun Market → Myeongdong Station, line 4, exit 3 (30 mins to Seoul Tower) → Teoyero 3-ga, Namsangol Hanok Village → Chungmuro Station, line 3/4, exit 2 (25 mins to Seoul Tower) → Teogyero 5-ga, Jeil Hospital → Teogyero 6-ga → Gwanghui-dong Crossroads → Chungmu Art Center, Sports Center → Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town → Sindang-dong, Cheonggu Station → Yaksu Station, exit 2, Jungu Library → *Dongguk Univ. Station →  National Theatre of Korea → Namsan Northern Circuit Entry → N Seoul Tower

Map of Namsan Shuttle Bus 05 Bus Stop from Myeongdong Station (line 4, exit 3)

Map of Namsan Shuttle Bus 05 Bus Stop from Myeongdon Station (line 4) | KoreaToDo
Namsan Seoul Tower - Official Webite
Dongguk Station
Namsan Shuttle Bus

N Seoul Tower - #1 Tourist Attraction in Seoul

​N Seoul Tower (or Namsan Seoul Tower), sitting on top Namsan Mountain is the #1 Tourist Attraction and symbol of Seoul.

It is the iconic filming location for many popular Korean dramas (e.g. A Korean Odyssey, My Love From The Star, Boys Over Flowers) and TV shows (e.g. Running Man).

Besides its fantastic day and night views, it has a lot to offer, from its numerous dining options, adventure theme parks, game arcade, observatory with 360-degree panoramic view of Seoul, photo-taking hot spots, scenic hiking trails and more.

N Seoul Tower - History, Height & Night Scene

Namsan Seoul Tower was first established as a broadcast tower to send out TV and radio signals in 1969.

The top of the tower is at 479.7m above sea level with Namsan Mountain at 243m and the tower’s own height at 236.7m, making it one of the tallest towers in the East.

The view of the tower is amazing beautiful in different season. On nightfall, N Seoul Tower lights up in different colour to show the air quality that can be viewed from afar by the public. BLUE - Good, GREEN - Average, YELLOW - Bad and RED - Poor.

Popular Love Locks at N Seoul Tower

One of the most well-known attractions at Namsan Tower is probably the love locks. You can find love locks in all shapes and colours hanging at every outdoor railings at N Seoul Tower. The gift shops at Seoul Tower also sell many interesting looking locks.

Floor Guide: What to See & Eat at N Seoul Tower & Seoul Tower Plaza

N Seoul Tower - Hiking to Namsan Library

◙ Free Photo Spots: N Seoul Tower & Seoul Tower Plaza

Seoul City Wall - Namsan (Mongmyeoksan) Mountain Trail

Most of the wall sections around Namsan Mountain have been restored to their original appearance from the preservation, restoration and recovering projects.

A section of Seoul City Wall (Namsan Mountain Trail) runs from the Wooden Stairway of Namsan Dulle-gil Trail (near National Theater of Korea) towards N Seoul TowerFrom Namsan Park Bus Stop at the top of Namsan Mountain, the Seoul City Wall extended 1.6km to Baekbeom Square Park, foot of Namsan Mountain.

Spring at N Seoul Tower

Spring is one of the best times to walk up/down Namsan Mountain and enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms.

Notes: Cherry blossoms at Namsan Mountain generally flower at least one week later than other parts of Seoul (e.g. the popular Yeouido or Seokchon Lake) due to its higher altitude.

Autumn at N Seoul Tower

Summer at N Seoul Tower

Winter at N Seoul Tower

Views from N Seoul Tower

Nightfall at Seoul Tower Plaza

Best Kept Secret - Hiking to/from N Seoul Tower via Namsan Dulle-gil Trail!

For the keen travellers who would like to experience N Seoul Tower like the locals, why not consider getting there by foot from the base of Namsan Mountain? Alternatively, you can get to N Seoul Tower by bus or cable car and have a leisure walk down the mountain.

Pick from our 4 hiking routes to/fro N Seoul Seoul from the easiest to the stairs challengers.

Hiking Course 1: N Seoul Tower ⇄ Namsan Library (The Easiest)

This is the easiest course, walking on pedestrian path alongside the road used only by authorised vehicles (e.g. public shuttle bus, tour bus) going down from N Seoul Tower. This course is particularly popular for cherry blossoms viewing in spring.

 

For best connectivity to public transport on this course, it is recommended to walk down from N Seoul Tower (instead of up) and take Namsan Shuttle Bus (#2/3/5) at the bus stop in front of Namsan Library at the end of the walk.

 

Alternatively, if you wish, you can take bus #402 (8 mins ride) at Platform 5 of Seoul Station Exit 9-1, arriving at the bus stop across the road from Namsan Library. Note that bus #402 from the bus stop in front of Namsan Library to Seoul Station will take a long 21 mins with stops at City Hall and Gwanghwamun Stations.

The nearest subway stations, Hoehyeong Station and Seoul Station are about 15 mins walk.

Hiking Course 2: N Seoul Tower ⇄ National Theater of Korea/Dongguk Univ. Station Exit 6 (Namsan Northern Circuit Entrance, Mix of walking paths & stairs)

This course has the best public transport connectivity for the scenic hike up N Seoul Tower. You can start the hike from Dongguk Univ. Station or to 'conserve' your energy 🤭, you can take a short bus trip from the subway station to the course's entrance.

This is a moderate course with walking paths and stairs (quite a fair portion) up N Seoul Tower. This course is particularly popular with the locals for its autumn foliage. Besides the spectacular tall trees, you can get good views of N Seoul Tower and city on this course too. The last section of the trail is alongside the fortress wall leading to the Namsan Seoul Tower Bus Terminal at N Seoul Tower.

Hiking Course 3: N Seoul Tower ⇄ Seoul Education Research & Information Institute/Hoehyeon Station Exit 4 (Namsan Park Baekbeom Square, Seoul City Wall, Sam-soon Steps)

The course starts from the path next to Seoul Education Research & Information Institute. Nearby, there are Hanyangdoseong Historic Site Museum and Samsooni Stairs, a popular filming location for the Korean drama, 'My Name is Kim Sam Soon' (2005).

This hiking course, with primarily steps, offers the best views of the city, mountain range and N Seoul Tower. Another highlight of this trail is walking alongside the fortress wall in the last section towards Namsan Cable Car Station (top) at N Seoul Tower.

The nearest subway station, Hoehyeon Station is about 4 mins walk to Namsan Park Baekbeom Square entrance and another 7 mins walk to near Seoul Education Research & Information Institute. The uphill walk from Baekeom Square is a popular photo hot spot of Seoul City Wall with Namsan Seoul Tower in the background. There are several statues and Hohyeongdang (a hanok of Park Management Office) in the park too.

COURSE TIPS:  For those heading down from N Seoul Tower

You can get to Namsan Cable Car Station (base) and downhill towards Myeongdong Station (or Pacific Hotel, Myeongdong):

1. Walk down Sam-soon Steps and cross the road at the traffic lights directly in front. Walk on your right until you see the Cable Car Station (6 mins).

OR

2. Turn right onto the path next to the steep flight of steps at the end of the trail (near the public toilet). Follow the path down to the road. Cross the road at the traffic lights on your right and continue the walk on your right to Namsan Cable Car Station (4 mins).

Alternatively, if you still have the energy, you can enter the wide pedestrian-only Namsan Trail along the road, right next to the end of the steep flight of steps. It will be an easy scenic walk around the edge of Namsan Mountain, exiting to Namsangol Hanok Village (course duration: 25mins) that is within 4 mins walk to Chungmuro Station. Course Guide & Map.

Hiking Course 4: Namsan Circular Trail (Namsan Dulle-gil), 7.5km

For those who do not wish to get to the top of N Seoul Tower, you can take the Namsan Circular Trail that encircles the entire circumference of Namsan Mountain in 7.5km.

In clockwise direction, Namsan Circular Trail connects from North Ringway (3,420m)Forest Path (910m), Wild Flowers Path (850m), Nature Ecology Path (1,650m) and finally to Historical Culture Path (640m). It offers hikers diverse experiences in different sections of the circular trail.
 

There are multiple entry points to the circular trail. The easiest would probably be the same entry point as 'Hiking Course 2'. i.e. take Namsan Shuttle Bus #2/3/5 from Dongguk Univ. Station and alight at the 2nd bus stop, direct to trail entrance at North Ringway.

Hiking Couse - Namsan Library
Hiking Course - National Theater of Korea
Hiking Couse - Seoul Education Research
Hiking Course - Namsan Circular Trail

❀ Cherry Blossoms (late Mar to mid Apr) ❀

▶ 6 - 9 Days Cherry Blossoms & Spring Flowers Travel Itinerary to Seoul

▶ Other Fantastic Cherry Blossoms & Spring Flowers Places To Go

Map

Map on Ways to Namsan Cable Car Station from Myeongdong

Map on Ways to Namsan Cable Car Station from Myeongdong

Hiking Course Map 1: N Seoul Tower ⇄ Namsan Library (The Easiest)

Map of Hiking Course - N Seoul Tower to/from Namsan Library

Hiking Course Map 2: N Seoul Tower ⇄ National Theater of Korea (Namsan Northern Circuit Entrance, Mix of Walking Paths & Stairs)

Map of Hiking Course - N Seoul Tower to/from National Theater of Korea

Hiking Course Map 3: N Seoul Tower ⇄ Seoul Education Research & Information Institute (Sam-soon Steps, Primarily Stairs)

Map of Hiking Course - N Seoul Tower to/from Seoul Education Research & Informaton Institute

Hiking Course Map 4: Namsan Circular Trail (Namsan Dulle-gil)

N Seoul Tower - Map of Namsan Trails
MAP - Hiking Couse - Namsan Library
MAP - Hiking Couse - National Theater of Korea
MAP - Hiking Couse - Seoul Education Research
MAP - Namsan Circular Trail

KoreaToDo TOP PICKS - Tours, Activities & Discount Tickets

➥ Handpicked experiences by KoreaToDo for their uniqueness, value, popularity, price competitiveness and at times, tedious to reach by public transport.

N Seoul Tower Ticket in Seoul

N Seoul Tower Ticket in Seoul

4.6★

enjoy breathtaking views

Seoul City Tour Bus: Night View Course (Mt. Namsan, Han River Bridges...)

Seoul City Tour Bus: Night View Course (Mt. Namsan, Han River Bridges...)

4.2★

non-stop course with photo time

N Seoul Tower Package (Observatory & Cable Car Round Trip)

N Seoul Tower Package (Observatory & Cable Car Round Trip)

4.6★

scenic ride up Mt. Namsan

DMZ 3rd Invasion Tunnel & Gamaksan Suspension Bridge Day Tour

DMZ 3rd Invasion Tunnel & Gamaksan Suspension Bridge Day Tour

4.9★

the only 1 tour for DMZ+bridge!

Discover Seoul Pass (incl. access to Lotte World, COEX Aquarium, Han River Cruises)

Discover Seoul Pass (incl. access to Lotte World, COEX Aquarium, Han River Cruises)

4.7★

free access to over 60 attractions

Everland 1 Day Pass

Everland 1 Day Pass

4.7★

a large amusement park & zoo!

Seoul City Tour Bus: Downtown-Palace-Namsan Course

Seoul City Tour Bus: Downtown-Palace-Namsan Course

4.3★

15 stops to hop on & hop off

Nami, Petite France, Italian V., Morning Calm & Gangchon Rail Bike Tour

Nami, Petite France, Italian V., Morning Calm & Gangchon Rail Bike Tour

4.7★

 KoreaToDo recommends Klook.com, Asia leading in-destination service provider.

🌾SEASONAL FAVES🌾 Handpicked Experiences from Seoul

Incheon Chimaek (Chicken & Beer) Festival & Incheon Day Tour

Incheon Chimaek (Chicken & Beer) Festival & Incheon Day Tour

15 Jun 2023

₩48,800

visit Wolmido Island & Incheon Chinatown

Jarasum Flower Festival, Nami island (& Alpaca Ranch) Day Tour

Jarasum Flower Festival, Nami island (& Alpaca Ranch) Day Tour

26 May - 30 Jun 2023

₩75,900

take instaworthy photos with the flower fields

Boryeong Mud Festival, Daecheon Beach & Suspension Bridge Day Tour

Boryeong Mud Festival, Daecheon Beach & Suspension Bridge Day Tour

21 Jul - 4 Aug 2023

₩79,500

Korea's famous mud festival!

Pocheon Art Valley, Strawberry Picking & Herb Island Day Tour

Pocheon Art Valley, Strawberry Picking & Herb Island Day Tour

6 Feb - 29 Jun 2023

₩95,000

monorail & strawberries (500g)

Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival

Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival

31 Jul - 3 Aug 2023

₩103,700

fishing activities & feast on your catch

Pocheon Art Valley, Apple Farm Experience & Luge World Day Tour

Pocheon Art Valley, Apple Farm Experience & Luge World Day Tour

2 Jul - 9 Nov 2023

₩95,200

apple jam & pie making (Jul-Aug)

bottom of page