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Namsan Park

Myeong-dong & Jung-gu


Beloved by locals as a place for exercise, peaceful contemplation and hanging out with loved ones, Namsan was a sacred shamanistic spot when the Joseon ruler Taejo ordered the construction of a fortress wall across this and Seoul’s three other guardian mountains. The mountain is protected within a 109-hectare park and crowned by one of the city’s most iconic features: N Seoul Tower.

Shuttle buses (7.30am to 11.30pm) run here from various subway stations around the mountain; normal bus fares apply.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Myeong-dong & Jung-gu attractions

1. Bongsudae

0.23 MILES

Near the summit of Namsan you can see the Bongsudae, a smoke-signal communications system used for 500 years to notify the central government of urgent…

2. N Seoul Tower & Namsan

0.27 MILES

The iconic N Seoul tower (236m), atop the city’s guardian mountain Namsan, offers panoramic views of this immense metropolis from its observation deck…

3. Waryongmyo

0.39 MILES

Along the Namsan Northern Circuit, a pedestrian path that snakes for 3km from the lower cable-car station to the National Theater, you’ll find the…

4. Namsangol Hanok Village

0.51 MILES

Located in a park at the foot of Namsan, this peaceful village is a wonderful spot to encounter traditional Korean culture. It features five differing…

5. Seoul Animation Center

0.58 MILES

Up the hill on the way to the cable car you’ll find this museum and cinema devoted to cartoons and animation from Korea and beyond. It's part of a whole…

6. Namsan Botanical Garden

0.63 MILES

Accessed from the Southern Namsan Circuit or via a pedestrian bridge over the road from near the Grand Hyatt is the Namsan Botanical Garden. The 59m2 are…

7. Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall

0.7 MILES

In a striking contemporary building on the west flank of Namsan, this well-presented museum is dedicated to Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-guen. Ahn…

8. Myeong-dong Catholic Cathedral

0.84 MILES

Go inside this elegant, red- and grey-brick Gothic-style cathedral, consecrated in 1898, to admire the vaulted ceiling and stained-glass windows. The…