Bugak Skyway: Where To Get Panoramic Views of Seoul
Are you looking to take in panoramic views of downtown Seoul, Korea? Want to have a bit of coffee and take in the views out over Seoul as the sun sets and the lights flicker on across the city? You’re probably picturing a spot like Namsan Tower or Seoul Sky Observatory for those kinds of views, but there’s one more spot that doesn’t require a fee at all and offers just beautiful views from a beautifully vividly colored traditional Korean pavilion.
Take a drive on the most beautiful road in Seoul, Bugak Skyway (북악스카이), and stop off at Bugak Pavilion (북악팔각정) for some impressive views. You’ll see…
Get ready to learn about this beautiful place to visit in Seoul, Korea:
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How To Get There
Address: 267 Bugaksan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 북악산로 267)
By Public Transportation: To be honest, without a car, this one is a bit of a trek. There are no bus stops right in the vicinity so without a car, this will be a bit of a walk. If you take a bus though, you can go to Buam-dong Jumin Center and walk up the road from there. The walk from there takes about an hour. Coming from the other direction, you could take a bus up to the Korean Stone Art Museum and then walk up from there. It takes about 45 minutes from that side.
Basic Info
Admission: FREE
Hours: If you’re just looking to get views, you can go up there any time. The peak of the mountain is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and the parking facilities are open as well.
Parking: There is a parking lot beneath the pavilion at the top. I’ve been up quite a few times and only once was there a rather long line of cars waiting to get in. If it’s full… well, there’s really nowhere else in the vicinity to park.
What To Know
Bugak Skyway is a popular road for Koreans to drive along. Actually, the first time I went was with a Korean co-teacher more than a decade ago who told me it was the most beautiful driving route in Seoul. The 19 kilometer long road is well known as such these days.
On top of that, in the 1970s this road became popular with newlyweds so it’s also considered a romantic thoroughfare still today. If you’re dating in Seoul, mark this down for your next outting.
Opened in September of 1968, the road winds through a thick forest so you don’t quite know what you’ll see until you get to the top. In 2010 there was renovation done to the peak making it even better for locals and tourists headed up to see what they can see.
It’s not the easiest spot to get to via public transportation though, which means, it’s not generally as crowded as some other places in Seoul. That said, it can get crowded on holidays and in the autumn at times when people are enjoying the foliage views.
The magnificent pavilion can be accessed after going up the winding mountain road on Bugaksan Mountain. Once up there, you’ll easily spot Palgakjeong Pavilion, a huge beautiful traditionally styled pavilion that gives you panorama views of Seoul to the south and mountains to the north. It’s not just about the views though. Inside the pavilion are a couple cafes and restaurants so you can sit and sip or sup as you take in the beautiful sunset.
What To See
Bugak Palgakjeong Pavilion (북악팔각정)
Though you probably went up to take in the views out over the city, you just have to take a step back to take in the beauty of the traditionally decorated pavilion that is really magnificent at the top. The pavilion is an octagon shape which you might guess from the name if you have been learning your Korean numbers. “Pal” means 8 in Korean, hence 8 sides.
There are two levels to the pavilion with the best views from the second level. There are also viewfinders up there so you can really get close up views of the mountains, Seoul Fortress Wall, and the city. You can see Bukhansan Mountain out the front and Namsan and Gwanaksan out the back.
Take in the decorative work on the pavilion itself. If you haven’t learned about Korean dancheong yet, find out more so you can understand more about the colors and designs that are used on this and other traditional Korean buildings.
Golden Hour Views
It’s especially popular to head there during golden hour in the evening to watch the sunset over the city. Once the sun sets you can see the lights from Seoul Fortress Wall flicker on. It’s beautiful to take in the wall that protected Seoul for 600 years.
I should say that one thing that stood out as a missed opportunity in my opinion is that there are electrical wires just in front of the view of the Namsan Tower direction, but only that direction. That side could be improved if they redirected the wiring.
What To Do
Eat Ramyeon
There is a 24-hour unmanned ramyeon shop in the pavilion and the sign tells you to “Experience Han River Ramyeon”. If you’ve never used the ramyeon machines, you’ll learn here. It’s a quick bite with beautiful views not unlike what you find at Han River convenience stores or quick mountain stop-offs. If you want to get real romantic though, there’s also a pizza and pasta restaurant in the pavilion for something just a bit more filling.
Enjoy Coffee
There is an E-Mart convenience store as well as two cafes in the pavilion too. You can get ice cream, some bakery goods, and of course a coffee for a little break from the day. They definitely want you to make use of this mountain rest stop. You can take the coffees to go and sit on one of the benches in the park that surrounds the pavilion or sit inside.
This tends to be a well known spot for Koreans and lesser known for tourists. Don’t miss it if you want to do something a bit different in Seoul.
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2 Comments
Lana
Hi! Is it also a good sunrise spot? Thank you!
Hallie Bradley
I’m sure it would be. Anywhere that high up must be beautiful for the sunrise in Seoul.