GuideHanyangdoseong Q3 Verification: Four-Peak Shortcut

I headed back to the Seoul City Wall to collect my third-quarter completion verification for 2026. Walking all five sections continuously is the best way to appreciate Hanyangdoseong, but it was simply too hot this time. Having already completed the full route once, I gave myself an excuse and tried a quick “sample course” that visits only the four photo checkpoints.

This is not a continuous completion of the Seoul City Wall trail. I climbed Inwangsan, Baegak, Naksan, and Namsan separately, then drove to the next section. If this is your first visit, start with my full Hanyangdoseong trail running guide from Sungnyemun to Namsan instead.

Updated July 17, 2026: The official Seoul City Wall notice says the Cheongundae marker is unavailable for certification photos from July 13 through September 30, 2026 because of trail maintenance. Use the Baegaksan marker during this period, so do not follow the Cheongundae shortcut below unchanged. Check the official Seoul City Wall website before departure.

Route Used on the Day at a Glance

Order	Verification point	Starting point	Parking	Walking time
1	Inwangsan summit marker	Inwangsan entrance	Free roadside parking	About 30 min round trip
2	Cheongundae summit marker	Cheongundae Information Center	Free, about 10 spaces	About 10 min round trip
3	Naksan Park viewpoint sign	Naksan Park parking lot	Paid	Under 5 min round trip
4	Namsan beacon tower	Namsan Park parking lot	Paid	About 1 hour round trip

Parking conditions and fees may change. For roadside parking in particular, check local restrictions and make sure your car does not block traffic. Even on these short walks, carrying water is the safer choice in summer heat.

I left any time goals behind and set my watch to hiking mode. To keep things light, I left my water in the car and drank after each section.

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1. Inwangsan — About 30 Minutes Round Trip

The first stop was the Inwangsan entrance. I parked for free along the roadside, with a restroom about a two-minute walk away.

[View the Inwangsan Entrance]

The stairs immediately beside the parking area are the trailhead. There is no approach walk—you can start climbing as soon as you leave the car.

The temporary structures used during repairs to the fortress wall were being dismantled. After steadily climbing the stairs, the summit of Inwangsan came into view. The overcast sky kept the sun off me and made the climb much easier.

I reached the Inwangsan summit in about 17 minutes. I took my first verification photo at the summit marker and rested briefly.

After the photo, I returned the same way. Including the break at the summit, the round trip took about 30 minutes.

With Inwangsan finished, I drove to a restaurant for a late breakfast of pork cutlet before heading to Baegak.

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2. Baegak — About 10 Minutes Round Trip to Cheongundae

For the Baegak verification, I started at the Cheongundae Information Center. It has free parking for roughly ten cars and a restroom.

[View the Cheongundae Information Center]

The trail begins directly in front of the parking area. After checking the sign at the entrance, I started up the wooden stairs.

Another sign pointing toward Cheongundae appears only a short distance up the trail.

I reached the verification point in about seven minutes. Two locations qualify in the Baegak section: the Baegak summit marker and the Cheongundae summit marker. I chose Cheongundae because it requires the shorter walk.

I descended immediately after taking the photo, completing the actual walk in about ten minutes. I forgot to stop my watch before driving away, however, so the 14-minute activity record includes part of the drive.

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3. Naksan — Verification in Under Five Minutes

The third stop was the Naksan Park parking lot. It is a paid lot with a restroom. When I visited, the fee appeared to be around KRW 300 per ten minutes.

[View the Naksan Park Parking Lot]

The checkpoint is so close that there is little reason to start a watch. Take the stairs directly above the parking lot.

Turn right when you reach the park.

Naksan also has two eligible photo locations: the Naksan Park sculpture and the Naksan Park viewpoint sign. I used the viewpoint sign for this attempt.

Walking from the parking lot, taking the photo, and returning took less than five minutes. This was easily the quickest of the four sections.

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4. Namsan — An Easy Climb via the Sky Forest Trail

The final stop was the Namsan Park parking lot. It is a paid lot with a restroom.

[View the Namsan Park Parking Lot]

This outing was about looking around rather than chasing a record. For an easy ascent, I chose the accessible boardwalk on the Namsan Sky Forest Trail.

The Sky Forest Trail rises so gradually that it barely feels uphill. The cloudy weather was humid, but a cool breeze made the walk pleasant, and I took my time enjoying the scenery.

After following the boardwalk for around 2 km, the accessible section ends and the climb toward the Namsan summit begins. The grade is still manageable. You can either follow the road or use the stairs alongside it.

I reached N Seoul Tower in roughly 30 to 40 minutes and took the final verification photo at the beacon tower.

I drank from the nearby Arisu water fountain, rested, and uploaded all four photos to the completion verification website.

For the descent, I skipped the boardwalk and took the quicker route. It was not particularly steep, so it also looked like a reasonable option for the ascent if saving time matters.

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Collecting the Q3 Certificate and Badge

After descending, I walked to the Seoul City Wall Heritage Exhibition Hall Information Center.

Staff checked my ID, and I printed the certificate at the kiosk. Before visiting, make sure you have your ID and confirmation that your verification photos were successfully submitted.

That completed my third-quarter verification for 2026, with both the certificate and badge in hand.

In my previous completion guide, I wrote that the certificate was issued only once. This time, staff explained that a certificate is available for each completion unless you decline it. I received a new Q3 certificate without any issue and corrected the information in the earlier guide.

Final Thoughts — Take the Shortcut, but Complete the Full Trail Once

Because of the summer heat, I used the shortest approach to connect the four verification locations. It certainly saved energy, but this method does not deliver the full experience of following the old fortress wall across Seoul. Traffic was also heavy: even with a car, the entire outing took around four hours, almost as long as my previous continuous attempt. The main advantage was comfort, not time.

If you have never walked the complete route, I strongly recommend doing one continuous completion. I plan to return for the full course in the fourth quarter when the weather turns cooler.