Eungbongsan Mountain | Vibrant Forsythia, Palgakjeong Pavilion, and Gorgeous Views over Seoul

Joseon Dynasty hunting ground. Forsythia flower paradise. Gorgeous early spring hike. Incredible night views. However you think of it, Eungbongsan Mountain in Seoul is worth a visit.

Eungbongsan Mountain is alive with forsythia in early spring © Seoul Metropolitan Government/Penta Press

A hike up Eungbongsan in early spring, surrounded by bright forsythia flowers is exactly what I needed to shake off the melancholy of a grey winter in Korea. Combine it with visits to nearby Seoul Forest and Seongsu-dong, and you’ve got the makings of a perfect day in Seoul.

It can definitely be a little confusing to navigate between these 3 places, but don’t worry, because I’ve sorted out all the details for you in this guide.

Read on for all my personal tips to exploring Eungbongsan.

Eungbongsan Quick Guide

All about Eungbongsan Mountain

Eungbongsan is located in Seongdong-gu at the confluence of the Han River and Jungnangcheon Stream. From its humble 95-metre elevation, you’ll see panoramic views of eastern Seoul, and several Hangang bridges in the distance. At the peak, there’s a traditional 8-sided pavilion, called Palgakjeong, where special events and festivals are held.

Views from the top of Eungbongsan.

Long ago, Joseon Dynasty kings would release hawks for hunting from the peak of Eungbongsan, while enjoying breathtaking views of the landscapes around them.

Today, the situation isn’t much different.

Eungbongsan was the hunting ground of kings © Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (CC BY-SA 2.0)

While there aren’t any hawks, people still make the easy hike up Eungbongsan to enjoy the brilliant forsythia flowers that signal the beginning of spring in Seoul. Others make the trip in the late evening hours to see a spectacular Seoul sunset or the sparkling city lights at night

How to Get to Eungbongsan in Seoul?

Address: 271 Eungbong-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul | 서울 성동구 응봉동 271번지 

The closest subway station to Eungbongsan Mountain is Eungbong Station on the Gyeongui-Jungang line.

To reach the start of the trail, turn left out of Exit 1, and you’ll see the bright yellow forsythia flowers about 800-metres ahead of you in the distance. Follow the train (not subway) line, until you reach a wooden set of stairs. This is the starting point for the hike up to Palgakjeong Pavilion.

The trail up Eungbongsan is impossible to miss © Seoul Metropolitan Government/Penta Press

It’s about 30 minutes to reach the peak of Eunbongsan Mountain from this point. It’s an easy and safe trail, with plenty of places to stop and take a rest if you need it.

I hiked this trail with my daughter when she was 7, and she beat me up the trail with ease. I’m planning on hiking Eungbongsan again in a week or so to catch the forsythia in full bloom, and I’m sure she’ll beat me up again. Ha!

Little troublemaker beat me up the trail too easily.

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What are the best times to visit Eungbongsan Mountain?

There isn’t really a bad time to visit Eunbongsan because you can always enjoy striking views of Seoul from the peak of the mountain,

There are, however, a few times of each year that are special and worth mentioning at Eungbongsan Mountain.

Eungbongsan is an early spring hotspot.

READ NEXT: Guide to Korea in March: Weather and Best Festivals in Seoul and Beyond

Eungbongsan Mountain Forsythia Festival

FESTIVAL DATES: March 26th – 30th, 2025

Along with plum blossoms, forsythia (개나리 – gaenari) are one of the first spring flowers to bloom in Korea. Typically starting in early March, and forecast to peak in the mid to later part of the month, the brilliant yellow of forsythia flowers washes the drab greys of winter quickly from memory.

Yellow is so optimistic! © Seoul Metropolitan Government/Penta Press

One of the best places to celebrate this blossoming of gaenari in Seoul is undoubtedly at the Eungbongsan Forsythia Festival.

Make the easy hike up the mountain, and you’ll be rewarded with food stalls, activities, and the optimism of spring near Palgakjeong Pavilion at the peak.

Pretty Palgakjeong.

Side note: The Eungbongsan Forsythia Festival is slated for March 26th to 30th this year, but I have a feeling that these dates might be a little past peak bloom.

I hiked up Eungbongsan a few years ago on March 27th, and while there were definitely still forsythia to see, full bloom would’ve been about a week earlier. Of course, no one can predict exact dates, and the festival would still be fun to attend no matter what.

Hiking up Eunbongsan at the end of March.

Eungbongsan New Year’s Day Sunrise Festival

FESTIVAL DATES: January 1st, 2026

If you’re spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Seoul, you’ll be happy to know that there’s some meaningful traditions to take part in.

At this time, Koreans head to the top of mountains or to the east coast to make wishes on the first powerful sunrise of the year. It’s an ages-old tradition that’s celebrated with several sunrise festivals in different parts of the city.

Sunrises and sunsets are gorgeous in Seoul © Song Seung-woock, Korea Travel Tourism

Eungbongsan Mountain, with its low elevation and panoramic views, is one of the most popular places to watch the dawn of a new year in Seoul.

Every January 1st, you can enjoy special events like drumming, performances, food stalls, wish tree writing, and sunrise celebrations. Head to the area around Palgakjeong Pavilion to take part in these activities. Make sure to get there before the sun rises!

Festivities take place around Palgakjeong.

READ NEXT: Korean Cherry Blossom Forecast | The Best Festivals in Seoul and Beyond

At Night

Eungbongsan offers wonderful panoramic views of eastern Seoul, in both day and night time hours. From the peak, you’ll see the Han River, several of Seoul’s bridges, and even Lotte World Tower far in the distance.

Lotte World Tower in the distance.

It’s gorgeous during the daytime, but especially striking after the sun goes down, when Seoul’s big city lights sparkle brilliantly in the darkness of night.

Fortunately, Eungbongsan Mountain is open every single day of the year, for 24 hours each day, so you can head up anytime you want to see these views for yourself.

Views from Eungbongsa at night are wonderful.

Seongsu-dong to Eungbongsan Itinerary

I recommend combining your hike up to the peak of Eungbongsan with stops at Seoul Forest and the happening Seongsu-dong area at the same time. All of these places are within walking distance of each other, so it’s easy to check all 3 locations off your Korea itinerary in a single (very full) day.

Seoul Forest is especially lovely during spring or autumn, when pretty flowers, or colourful leaves fill the park.

Seoul Forest is alive with colour during autumn in Korea.

And Seongsu-dong is one of the trendiest areas in Seoul, with pop-ups, cool cafes, and fun restaurants to explore. Some popular activities to check out in Seongsu-dong currently are:

• the Squid Game Experience
• making your own Whipped face cleanser
• getting a personal colour analysis.

Making Whipped cleanser is a popular DIY experience in Seongsu-dong.

Generally speaking, Eungbongsan is on the west side of this itinerary, Seoul Forest is in the middle, and Seongsu-dong is on the east end.

It makes sense to start your day at either Eungbongsan or Seongsu-dong, with your explorations of Seoul Forest in the middle. Both routes are good – it just depends what your preference is.

Bacon, bottomless coffee and more at Maple Top in Seongsu-dong.

Personally, I like the idea of starting in Seongsu-dong in the early morning with breakfast at a bakery cafe, or a western brunch at Maple Top, before it gets insanely busy with hordes of people, exploring Seoul Forest, and then hiking up Eungbongsan about an hour before sunset.

That way you can catch both daytime and evening views of Seoul from the peak.

Essential Day Tours From Seoul

Most of Seoul and surrounding region can be explored independently using public transit, but in some cases, it not only makes sense to join a day tour, it’s actually necessary. These are the 3 places that I think are worth doing that for, due to geography, cost of admission tickets, and convenience.

The Gangchon Rail bike is a unique Korean experience.

Seongsu-dong to Seoul Forest

I’ve arbitrarily chosen Seongsu-dong Cafe Street as a starting point, but of course, you can start anywhere you like in the area.

There are so many different ways to get between the 2 places, but this is the simplest to follow if you haven’t got data to track your route.

If you’d got Naver Maps and data, you could also just cut through the side streets more directly.

From Seongsu-dong:

• follow the Line 2 subway line along the road past Seongsu Station and Ttukseom subway station on Line 2
• at some point, the subway will start to veer north, but keep going straight past the Starbucks, Daiso, and Olive Young on your left hand side
• at this point, you turn left and follow the yellow line subway to Seoul Forest subway station
• you can enter the park through various different entrances near the subway station
• Seoul Forest is very big, and there’s lots of signage around, so you can’t really miss it if you’re anywhere close

Seoul Forest is a massive park in the middle of the city. You can’t miss it!

Seoul Forest to Eungbongsan

Once you’re inside Seoul Forest, there are 2 different walking routes to Eungbongsan Mountain. The most direct route takes about 25 minutes and is 1.1-km long.

• walk to Seoul Forest to Gate 9
• cross Yongbigyo Bridge
• make the short hike up to the peak of Eungbongsan

You’ll pass the Deer Corral in Seoul Forest on your way to Eungbongsan.

There’s a slightly longer, more scenic route between Eungbongsan and Seoul Forest that offers lovely views during cherry blossom season in Seoul.

• instead of crossing directly on Yongbigyo Bridge, walk across Jungnangcheon Stream on the nearby foot bridge
• this route between Seoul Forest and Palgakjeong at the peak of Eungbongsan would take around an hour, and cover 2.5-km
• it can be a little confusing, so be sure to track your walking route on Naver Maps as you go

This is how you get from Seoul Forest to the Jungnangcheongyo bridge crossing.

It’s worth downloading Naver or Kakao Maps for navigation around Seoul. Google Maps only works up to a point here. In particular, tracking walking routes is much more accurate on Korean-made navigation maps.

A data plan or eSim is vitally important for navigating around Korea. It really doesn’t make sense not to get one, because they’re so affordable, and will make your travels here at least 10,000 times easier.

Eungbongsan is an easy and beautiful spring hike!

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Early spring in Korea means bright, yellow forsythia flowers, and Eungbongsan is the best place to see them. If you’re going to Seoul Forest or Seongsu-dong, make sure to check it out too!