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.

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.

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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.

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.

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

JINHAE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL  |  Korea’s biggest and most famous cherry blossom festival, with hundreds of thousands of cherry blossom trees turning Jinhae into a dreamy pink wonderland. It’s easiest to get there on a tour from Seoul or Busan. The best part? It’s cheaper and faster than doing it independently. Check details here.

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.

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!

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 Mountain Forsythia Festival

FESTIVAL DATES: March 27th – 28th, 2026

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.

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.

Side note: The Eungbongsan Forsythia Festival is slated for March 27th to 28th 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.

MAX OUT SEOUL TOUR  |  This non-stop tour takes you to all of Seoul’s iconic sites, including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwangjang Market, Seongsu-dong, Cheonggyecheon Stream and more, before ending at the Han River with some instant Korean noodles! Check details here.

Eungbongsan New Year’s Day Sunrise Festival

FESTIVAL DATES: January 1st, 2027

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.

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!

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.

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.

SEOUL CITY NIGHT TOUR (SMALL GROUP)  |  See some of Seoul’s most brilliant night time spots on this small group tour to Naksan Park and Eungbongsan, with an option to add Gwangjang Market and Cheonggyecheon Stream too. Check details here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How to get between Seongsu-dong, Seoul Forest and Eungbongsan?

There are 2 different walking routes to get between all 3 locations. If you walked from Seongsu-dong Cafe Street, straight through Seoul Forest, and up to the peak of Eungbongsan without making any stops, it would take about an hour. The total distance is around 3.5-km.

I’ll explain the route from Seongsu-dong through Seoul Forest to Eungbonsan Peak, but of course you can just reverse these directions if you want to start with a hike in the morning instead.

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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.

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 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

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

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.

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!