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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.

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Nearby Myeong-dong & Jung-gu attractions

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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