Bukhansan Trail for Beginners 2026: Fall Foliage Update

The Soccer-Watching Traveler

⚽Hello, I'm Chukjiyun :)

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:: Hiking ::

⛰️ Bukhansan Course for Beginner Hikers ⛰️

📑 Contents
01	How to Get to Baegundae from Bukhansan Ui Station
02	Difficulty of Bukhansan's Baegundae Peak for Beginner Hikers
03	Waiting Time at Bukhansan's Baegundae Peak
04	Essential Gear for Beginner Hikers
05	Bukhansan Autumn Foliage Season

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Yesterday (October 12th), I went hiking on Bukhansan.

I'm a hiking beginner, having only climbed three mountains in Seoul:

Inwangsan, Achasan, and Gwanaksan.. haha.

I'll be sharing the Bukhansan course that even a beginner hiker like me managed to conquer,

along with essentials you'll want to prepare in advance,

and the Bukhansan autumn foliage status as of the second week of October 2026!

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01 How to Get to Baegundae from Bukhansan Ui Station

We started from Bukhansan Ui Station,

the last stop on the Ui-Sinseol Line.

Come out of Exit 2 of Bukhansan Ui Station,

walk straight up, and you'll immediately

find the trail that leads up Bukhansan.

Honestly, even the path leading up to the entrance –

should I call that the start of the hike,

or say it was nothing at all.. haha?

For a beginner hiker, even this part was tough,

but after I climbed all of Bukhansan and made my way back down,

it truly felt like nothing at all.. ☆

Actually, the Bukhansan course starting from Bukhansan Ui Station

isn't difficult at all, because you just need to

follow the deck trail straight ahead, so there was nothing to get confused about!

But if you ever get confused,

just search for the Bukhansan National Park Baegundae Information Center

on your map and walk towards it.

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02 Difficulty of Bukhansan's Baegundae Peak for Beginner Hikers

The weather was absolutely perfect on the day I went!

It even broke the record for the highest October temperature.. haha.

I'm not usually one for exercise,

and I don't have a ton of hiking experience,

but I do have my own little know-how(?) for tackling trails

with my hiking-enthusiast friends.

Don't look up,

only look at the ground.

Haha, otherwise you'll keep facing this daunting view... Phew!

Even so, the Bukhansan's Baegundae Peak,

visible occasionally, looked absolutely stunning.

'Am I really going *all the way up there*?!'

It felt unbelievable even as I was steadily making my way up.. 🙃

I'd really wanted to start with Seoul's lower mountains

and climb my way up gradually, but instead,

it was Bukhansan right away.. haha!

I thought Gwanaksan was challenging enough,

but Bukhansan? Well, Bukhansan definitely lived up to its name and reputation!

As the highest mountain in Seoul,

its difficulty certainly wasn't as easy as I'd imagined.

Stairs, stairs, stairs..

Rocks, rocks, rocks..

I actually found climbing the rocks more fun(?) and less monotonous than the endless stairs.

But seriously, even ascending just one of these rocks

felt more challenging than anything on Gwanaksan;ㅁ;

And then, at the very end, came the famous..

Baegundae rock.....

For Bukhansan, I'd highly recommend going with someone who's already tackled it before ㅠ.ㅠ

If both of us are flustered, there's no way out lol

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03 Bukhansan Peak

Waiting at Baegundae

My boyfriend sent me a Reel from October 9th (Hangeul Day)

showing the situation at Bukhansan's Baegundae Peak,

and there were just so many people there...

Since it's autumn foliage season,

there are naturally a lot of hikers on weekends and public holidays,

but perhaps it was because I went on a weekday,

there weren't as many people!

They say there's a 1-hour wait to reach the very top of Baegundae,

but are people really waiting on the rocks the whole time?

Aside from a few groups ahead of us,

we were able to snap our photos pretty quickly!

Even so, with people waiting behind us,

we skipped individual shots and just took one group photo 😁

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04 Hiking Essentials for Beginners

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Honestly, when I tackled Inwangsan, Achasan, and Gwanaksan,

I never really felt the need for specific hiking essentials.

But after venturing to Bukhansan, which is a bit more challenging,

I started realizing some essential items to bring along.

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⛰️ Beginner Hiking Essentials

- At least two 500ml bottles of water

- Sunscreen

- A windbreaker or other outerwear

- Snacks like chocolate or chocolate bars

- Gimbap or a sandwich (for a light meal)

While this list worked for easier hikes,

tackling Bukhansan made me realize a few more items were truly necessary.

🧤 Hiking Gloves

Bukhansan has some pretty high rock faces,

and to ascend Baegundae Peak, you'll need to use fences on the rocks,

(almost hanging on) to get up.

If you grab them with bare hands,

your sweaty palms can make it quite slippery,

making hiking gloves almost essential.

Plus, they leave a metallic smell on your hands ㅠㅠ haha

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🧤 Hand Sanitizer

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It's for a similar reason to why gloves are so useful,

as the fences you grip while ascending those rocky sections are

quite a bit dirtier than you'd expect...

Well, to be more precise, the metallic smell is incredibly strong,

and after a full hike down,

you'll seriously want to scrub your hands clean! 😂

I highly recommend packing a hand sanitizer.

🔌 Portable Charger

It's true for other mountains too,

but especially when visiting Bukhansan during peak autumn foliage,

you'll find yourself taking so many photos,

and that really drains your phone battery.

My phone battery drained so quickly that

by the time I descended,

I only had 20% left! 😥

Make sure to bring a light portable charger.

🦟 Insect Repellent

I'll delve into the current conditions of Bukhansan below, but...

For some reason,

when I reached Baegundae Peak, there were an incredible number of bugs!

And get this – they said this was *after* the numbers had already dropped significantly...

It felt like all the bugs were concentrated right on the rock where everyone takes photos! Ugh!

They say they do pest control from time to time,

but honestly, I just wanted to drench the place in bug repellent and make them all disappear! Haha!

Next time I climb, you can bet I'll be bringing some along!

🥾 Other Essentials: Hiking Shoes & Trekking Poles

Even for this Bukhansan hike,

I didn't actually use hiking boots or trekking poles.

But if you're looking to tackle some serious hiking trails and truly immerse yourself in the experience,

then I'd highly recommend getting geared up!

My friend, on the other hand, was already fully prepared with hiking boots and trekking poles – all set to go! Haha!

Even if you don't own proper hiking boots,

I'd suggest opting for athletic shoes with plenty of traction, rather than ones with smooth, slippery soles.

Trekking poles are incredibly helpful when you're ascending rocky paths

or making your way down, as they effectively reduce the stress on your knees.

This means less strain and more comfortable trekking!

Clicking the blue text

will take you directly to our recommended products!

🧗‍♀️ Hiking Essentials for Beginners
No.	Item	Importance
1	Water Bottle (1L)	★
2	Sunscreen Stick (SPF 50+ PA++++)	☆
3	Nike Women's Windbreaker	★
4	Blackyak Hiking Gloves	★★
5	Portable Hand Sanitizer	★
6	Mini Quick Power Bank (10000mAh)	★
7	Insect Repellent	☆
8	Women's Hiking Shoes	☆
9	Trekking Poles	☆

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05 Autumn Foliage Season at Bukhansan

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The peak autumn foliage season for Bukhansan was originally anticipated for the third week of October.

However, when I visited Bukhansan on October 12th,

the autumn leaves were already showcasing their vibrant colors much more than I had expected!

If you visit Bukhansan within October,

you'll probably be able to see beautiful autumn foliage!🍁🍂

The bugs... I have no idea why there are so many! ㅠ

Is there a specific time when the bugs

disappear? ㅠ ㅠ?

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For hiking beginners,

Bukhansan was definitely not an easy trail.

I'd recommend going with a friend who has experience

hiking Bukhansan.

The autumn leaves in the second week of October were beautiful too!😊

If you're planning to visit Baegundae Peak in Bukhansan,

make sure to pack essential items like gloves,

and have a safe trip!

Bukhansan: clear!

Q. Can hiking beginners also climb Baegundae Peak in Bukhansan?

It's possible, but it's definitely not an easy course for hiking beginners.

There are high rocks to climb,

and sections where you have to hold onto fences to ascend,

so I found it much more challenging than Gwanaksan Mountain.

Q2. How long does it take to hike to Baegundae Peak in Bukhansan?

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The total time for Bukhansan was actually shorter than I expected (!)

From Bukhansan Ui Station to the summit: 2 hours!

Coming down, it took a little over 1 hour.

Q3. What were the autumn leaves like in Bukhansan during the second week of October?

On October 12th, Bukhansan showed

quite a bit of red and yellow foliage.

Foliage conditions can always change depending on the weather and altitude,

so check the current status right before your visit!