Seoul Iris Garden (서울창포원)

8.8Km 2020-08-24

916, Madeul-ro, Dobong-gu, Seoul
+82-2-954-0031

Seoul Iris Garden is located between Dobongsan and Suraksan mountains in northern Seoul. The garden, measuring 52,417 ㎡, boasts a wide array of irises and other plants in 12 different themed zones including Iris Garden, Medicinal Plant Garden, and Wetland Park.

At the Iris Garden, 300,000 irises in 130 species are on display on a plot of land measuring 15,000 ㎡. Species include yellow iris, iris setosa, iris pallasii, and iris domestica, each boasting its own brilliant colors and delicate shape. The Medicinal Plant Garden is home to 130,000 plants in 70 different species of medicinal plants, allowing visitors to view the largest selection of medicinal herbs in the country. Wetland Park presents 70,000 wetland plants and houses an observatory deck from which visitors may view and learn about the diverse aquatic plants.

Cheoni Observatory within the garden provides visitors with a place take to in the beautiful scenery from above. The nearby forest lounge is a rest area for visitors as well as a center of operations for the park’s ecological education programs. Irises are in bloom from May to June of every year, but are even a sight to behold during the rest of the warmer months, given the delicate shape of their leaves.

Bukhansan Dulle Trail Section 1 ([북한산 둘레길] 1 소나무숲길 )

9.4Km 2024-01-04

12 Samyang-ro 173-gil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul

Bukhansan Mountain is a mountain representing Seoul, which 5 million people visit every year. It is not easy to hike up to the top, but the dulle trail allows one to enjoy the beauty of the mountain without too much effort. Bukhansan Dulle Trail is a low-lying, horizontal walking trail created by connecting and refining existing side paths, allowing for a leisurely walk along the foot of the mountain. The Pine Forest Trail, one section of the trail consisting of 21 themes, is 2.9 kilometers long from the entrance to Uiryeong Trail to the top of Solbat Neighborhood Park. It is filled with majestic pine trees, and the road is wide and gentle, making it a perfect place to enjoy a walk. Most of the section is shaded by trees, so visitors can feel cool while walking up even on hot summer days.

Seoul Hiking Tourism Center - Bukhansan Branch (서울도심등산관광센터(북한산))

9.4Km 2024-03-05

5F, 181-7 Ui-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul
+82-1533-2608

The Seoul Hiking Tourism Center is located 5 minutes on foot from Exit 2 of Bukhansan Ui Station and provides various services to hikers. It provides hiking course guidance and information (available in Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese) about the mountains of Seoul, including Bukhansan, Bugaksan, and Inwangsan Mountains, as well as promotional materials such as Seoul hiking tourism guidebooks and maps. Also, it operates hiking tour programs with various themes every week for foreigners and offers hiking gear rental services such as hiking boots, hiking attire, trekking poles, gloves, and crampons for foreigners. (Koreans accompanied by foreigners can also rent the gear.) In addition, there is a storage locker and lounge for visitors, so they can pack up and rest before hiking.

Samgaksan Mountain (삼각산)

9.5Km 2024-03-20

Samyang-ro 173-gil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul

Samgaksan Mountain is a mountain situated on the northern outskirts of Seoul, resembling a folding screen. Its name, meaning triangular mountain, is derived from the presence of three high peaks: Baegundae Peak, Insubong Peak, and Mangyeongdae Overlook. The highest peak, Baegundae Peak, offers a panoramic view of Seoul from its summit, featuring a spacious rock surface where many visitors can sit. Positioned behind Gyeongbokgung Palace, the palace of the Joseon dynasty, Samgaksan Mountain is visible from the rear of the Cheong Wa Dae.

Seoul Doseonsa Temple (도선사(서울))

9.5Km 2025-06-25

504 Samyang-ro 173-gil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul

Doseonsa Temple was established 1,100 years ago during the latter part of the Silla Kingdom when the renowned Buddhist priest Doseonguksa was traveling through the mountains. After visiting the site, Doseonguksa made a prophecy that led to the construction of the temple. According to legend, he used only his walking stick to carve the large Bodhisattva that sits at the temple. Interestingly enough, the statue does not show any evidence of chisel marks, further adding to the mystery of how the statue was made.

During the 7th year of King Gwangmu of the Joseon dynasty, Doseonsa Temple was officially named the representative temple of Korea with the purpose of promoting Cheongdamdaejongsa's Korean Buddhism movement, aiming at a religious revival. Due to these special circumstances Deseonsa Temple gained a high reputation and much recognition, which have held strong to this day.

Inside the temple, visitors can view the remains and written works of Cheongdamdaejongsa in the Cheongdamdaejongsa Memorial Hall. Next to the road leading to Cheonbuljeon Hall is a pond where you can toss a coin and make a wish and just past Yongammun Gate is a hiking path connecting Baegundae Cliff and Insubong Peak. Inside the Ksitigarbha Hall are portraits of President Park Chung-hee, Yuk Yeong-su, and Hyundai Chairman Chung Ju-yung. In front of the hall is a tree that is said to have been planted by a Buddhist priest who brought it from India 200 years ago. Historical artifacts can be found throughout the temple.

Seonungak (한옥카페 선운각)

9.7Km 2024-10-15

223 Samyang-ro 173-gil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul

Seonungak is a hanok cafe facing Doseonsa Temple at the foot of Bukhansan Mountain, the perfect location to take in the beauty of the changing seasons. The cafe is also the largest hanok building outside of the royal palaces in Seoul. Previously limited to weddings and filming events, the hanok has reopened as a cafe, selling a range of traditional Korean drinks.

Kansong House (간송옛집)

9.8Km 2025-04-01

149-18 Sirubong-ro, Dobong-gu, Seoul

The 100-year-old traditional hanok Kansong House sits by the burial mound of Kansong Jeon Hyeong-pil (1906-1962), who played a significant role in preserving the cultural heritages of Korea during the Japanese colonial period. This house was orginally built by Kansong's adoptive father Jeon Myeong-gi (1870-1919) to us as a storage facilities for harvested agriculture from the northern Gyeonggi-do and Hwanghae. After his father's death, Kansong used the house as a ritual house for his father and often stayed here. Some damages were done to the house during the Korean War, and partial repair was made after his death.

Hanjeongsik Daemun (한정식대문)

9.9Km 2024-03-19

139-6 Sirubong-ro, Dobong-gu, Seoul
+82-2-956-0843

Hanjeongsik Daemun is a traditional Korean restaurant known for its set meals featuring nutritious pot rice and around 15 side dishes made with natural ingredients. Their main menu includes ganjang gejang jeongsik (soy sauce marinated crab set menu), bori gulbi jeongsik (barley-aged dried yellow croaker set menu), and jeonbok galbi jjim jeongsik (braised abalone and galbi set menu). They offer a variety of Korean table d'hote courses such as sura jeongsik (royal kitchen course table) and teuk jeongsik (special course table), each consisting of 5-6 special dishes, all at reasonable prices. Located in a renovated hanok, next to the Banghak-dong Catholic Church.

Daemun (대문)

9.9Km 2017-03-30

139-6, Sirubong-ro, Dobong-gu, Seoul
+82-2-956-0843

Daemun table d’hote consists of delicious Mung Bean jelly cake mixed with beef and vegetables, sweet vegetable salads with fruit sauce, five colors of pan-fried flour dough with duck, and cold jellyfish salad with mustard dressing. Tasty side dishes such as bulgogi and outer leaf of cabbage mixed with soybean paste and rice in a hot stone pot, and soybean paste stew, come right after the main course.

*Best Korean Restaurant as designated by The Seoul Metropolitan Government

Starbucks Buckhansan (스타벅스 더북한산)

10.0Km 2024-12-27

24-11 Daeseomun-gil, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul

'"The" store, panoramic view of Bukhansan Mountain and garden

Starbucks Bukhansan is the third Destination Store by Starbucks. It features a “Healing in Nature” concept that beautifully combines the natural beauty of Bukhansan Mountain with various landscape spaces and offers breathtaking views of Bukhansan Mountain.
Starbucks Bukhansan store is currently the most loved and trending place in Korea, and it ranked first in the “2023 Best Restaurants Voted by Locals VS Foreigners” list announced by the Korea Tourism Organization.
Starbucks Bukhansan proudly offers the store's exclusive Bukhansan Lemon Earl Grey Blended beverage, and Crafted Food available only at some Starbucks stores. There is a photo zone on the 3F rooftop to take memorable pictures. These are the reasons why many customers consider it one of the top locations to have a special Starbucks experience.

Seoul Iris Garden (서울창포원) - Area information - Korea travel information