We were excited to hike Ansan Trail. Having recovered from our monstrous hike up Dongongsan, we were ready to tackle another summit – but this time smaller. Mount Ansan sits unassumingly near Seoul and is home to Bongwon-sa Temple, near Seodaemun Prison, and offers a great view of N Seoul Tower.  From there we planned to make our way through to Yonsei University and later go try to find some dessert in Sinchon.

Ansan Trail and the Yonsei University Campus

What’s the plan?

We had quite a few things on our itinerary that we wanted to get through. Unfortunately for us, we really underestimated how long it would take us to get through everything, so we weren’t able to quite get to it all. Still, we were happy with what we managed to get to. Our planned list was:

• Yonsei University – a Christian University founded in 1885 that has played many roles throughout its history, especially during World War II and the Korean War.
• Seodaemun Prison History Hall – in 1907, under Japanese occupation, Seodaemun served as a prison. Today there is a walking museum through 7 of the 15 original buildings.
• Yeongcheon Market – a locals market notable for local street food. We, unfortunately, did not get to visit this one but is popular for after visiting the prison.
• Bongwon-sa Temple – a 1000-year-old Buddhist temple nestled at the base of Ansan Mountain.
• Sugyeongwon Tomb – one of the Royal tombs of the Joseon dynasty.

Setting Out

Our trip began like most, with a walk to the Songtan metro station, a roughly 1km distance from our apartment. We took the train to Dongnimmun Station which would put us out near the Yonsei University and a good place to start the trail. Ansan Trail has many starting points and therefore we could’ve begun at a number of stations but this one made the most sense in regards to the rest of our plans.

At our transfer at Jogno 3(sam)-ga Station, we grabbed a snack. We had shared some ramen for breakfast and I had had some cookies as well but Kyle was a little hungry and I thought the snacks looked interesting and tasty. I am not sure what they were called but they were warm, fresh-made little bread pieces with pictures of fish on them and lemon filling inside. We got 9 for KRW2000 (~$1.70) and thought they were really good.

 

Once we arrived at Dongnimmun Station, we headed over to the Yonsei University campus area.

Seodaemun Independence Park

Coming into Seodaemun Independence Park, we first saw this memorial thing, which turns out to be the Patriotic Martyr Monument. It was built to honor the many anti-Japanese activists who were imprisoned at Seodaemun prison. It was erected in 1992.

Next, we looked to our right which to see Seodaemun Prison History Hall area. Here, Japanese occupiers imprisoned many South Koreans who protested against them. We looked at the remaining buildings and some plaques with information, though we could not read all of it. We could not immediately figure out how to enter the area and wanted to get up the Ansan Summit before it got dark, so, unfortunately, we did not explore this as much as I would have liked.

Yonsei Campus was very pretty and signs of fall were everywhere. There really wasn’t much that we were intending to do at the campus, but it was supposed to be very pretty and I just to get a good view of the leaves.

We passed by a park on the way to the trail. We love that there are parks seemingly everywhere, and they aren’t just for children. In fact, they really seem to be designed with everyone in mind. Exercise equipment is at many of the parks in Korea and you will often times see people of all ages using them.

Ansan Trail

Eventually, we made it to stairs which led to Ansan Trail. There were a lot of stairs to climb, so we took it a little slow, but we still made good time. Stairs really aren’t my thing.

The trail goes all around the mountain, but we wanted to reach the summit, not walk around the mountain so we were careful to consult the maps which were throughout the mountain, all with a “you are here” arrow. Because we wanted the summit, it was – obviously – going to be a lot of uphill. But, if you instead choose to walk around, the trail is actually pretty flat, and very easy to do as a circuit.

The signs were very helpful in that the main boardwalk trails going around the mountain are labeled in red, while the dirt trails going off places are in white.

We made our way up in a little under an hour which was shorter than I expected. The climb definitely was not as difficult as the one at Bukhansan National Park, but still was pretty steep. The whole way up had great views which really builds anticipating for reaching the top.

Once we reached the top, we were not disappointed and were able to see all of Seoul – okay not really, because Seoul is enormous, but it felt like all of it. A single picture cannot capture it all. It is a full 360 view of the city.

We stayed up there for a while, taking pictures and just enjoying the view – and taking a break to rest our legs – before deciding to head down. There are multiple viewpoints at the top, so you can move around a bit to get different perspectives.

As the sun began to sink down a bit, we made our way on to the next destination: Bongwonsa Temple. The trail wound down the other side of the mountain and put out right at the temple. Perfect.

Ready to Tackle the Trail Yourself?

Even though the Ansan trail is very accessible, you can always prepare a little bit more. Since you shouldn’t expect English to be spoken by any locals you run into, you definitely want to make sure you know what you’re doing. We’ve got a few tips for you. To make getting around Seoul, there are a few things you’re going to want to do:

• Make sure you know where you want to get off of the metro. We have a guide that outlines using public transportation in Seoul – it’s pretty easy, but can be daunting at first. It wouldn’t be too difficult to get off at the wrong station accidentally.
• Get a few translator apps! Because Hangul uses a totally different alphabet, it can be difficult to decipher signs, and every little bit helps. As well, you can at least make simple sentences and basic translations when you’re at loss for words.
• Carry the right pack with you! A good backpack can make carrying gear much easier, and your hike a lot more comfortable.

We also have a bunch of great items that can help you enjoy your hike and time just a little bit more.

• Water Bottles – Collapsible Water Bottles – These are some of our favorite items to bring with us. They’re really light-weight and you can also roll them up so you can store them away easily. If there is one item that is most important to bring with you, it is water.
• Hiking Clothes – If you decide to go on a hike during the warmer months, you are going to want to protect yourself from the sun. A recent addition to my wardrobe has made a big difference so that I can be protected from the sun and comfortable. For him | For her
• Headlamps – Seoul is pretty well lit, so you don’t need these in the city, but if you want to do a sunrise or sunset hike, you may want to make sure you can see where you’re going. Getting caught on a mountain at dark can be frightening, or downright deadly. It is easy to get caught past dark, or you may even be starting early to catch a sunrise – so we recommend these just in case. Foxelli Headlamp Flashlight
• Raingear – If you visit during the rainy season, you’re going to want to keep dry. Dragging an umbrella around the city can get a little cumbersome. I really like this jacket because it’s light enough to wear without getting hot, but if it’s cool out – it will also keep you from getting chilled. As a plus, it can be folded into itself making it very easy to carry around or pack. For him | For her
• First-aid Kit – You really need to be prepared for anything when hiking, which means you need to be prepared for injury. We don’t often get hurt, but we have. You never know what could happen so you should always carry a basic first aid kit to be able to patch up whatever may happen. First-Aid Kit
• Bug Repellant – We were surprised to find that South Korea is full of mosquitos. No one wants to come down with any of the awful diseases these bugs can bring. Unfortunately, there is no way to deal with these really other than to be proactive. Off! Deep Woods Towelettes
• Sun Screen – During the summer you could easily get burned. If you don’t cover up with clothes, then you should wear sunscreen. We’ve started using these and we haven’t been burned since, plus they are allowed in carry-on luggage. TSA Approved Sunscreen

Hike Ansan Trail

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