Hallasan, Jeju

Didn't manage to book the hike to the top but still happy to be here! Hiked almost 4 hours! The view is truly breathtaking!

A wonderful hike for family and friends with various levels of steepness and difficulty. Rather well developed and maintained national park. Plus a stunning view.

The summit is beautiful. If you're lucky like I was, you'll get to see a sea of clouds below you as you stare down at a beautiful, sleeping volcano. But regardless of the weather and time of year, Hallasan is a beautiful sight to see. If you're lucky enough to have the opportunity (and you're able to score a permit to hike to the summit via the Gwaneumsa or Seongpanak trails), you should totally do it. The hike here is a great one, probably the most enjoyable one I've done in Korea. Getting here isn't exactly easy, but if you're in at least decent physical condition it shouldn't be too hard. It took me a little less than 6.5 hours to get to the top and back down, but I've heard some people say it took them around 9 hours. Either way, this will be an all-day affair, so start as early as your permit will allow you to. I started at around 9:30am on the Gwaneumsa Trail and reached the final shelter at 11:40am, only 20 minutes before they stopped letting people continue to the summit. A 10am-12pm permit probably won't leave you enough time unless you move at a breakneck speed and don't stop for pictures or to catch your breath a couple times. Regardless, this is perhaps my favorite thing I've done during my time in Korea. Wholeheartedly recommend

Ascended from seongpanak trail and descended from gwaneumsa trail. Would say the ascend is mild but manageable with fairly good trail conditions especially if it’s been sunny the previous day. The seongpanak trail had a section with rather slippery rocks which can be difficult without hiking poles, however most parts of the trail is well built with steps. Gwaneumsa has better views in general but is a lot steeper and descent was tough because the rocks were wet and the planks were slippery. Gwaneumsa is a lot more rocky than seongpanak. Took about 3.5 each way. Slightly longer on the descent although it was shorter. The peak is super crowded even on a weekday. If driving, do not park at seongpanak. Spent a good 1 hour waiting but could not get a lot even at 6am on a weekday. The parking space is really small. Book the hiking permit/reservation in advance as slots do run out. Highly recommend parking at gwaneumsa as the parking space is bigger and lesser people start there due to lower number of permits. Parked at gwaneumsa and took a taxi to seongpanak to start the trail. Ended back at gwaneumsa to the car. Otherwise do not bother driving. Take a taxi instead.

Started from Seongpanak and reached the peak in 3hr Descended towards Gwaneumsa (3hr 35 min) Completed on a weekday mid October 2022 Only the Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa trails can reach the summit. You can apply for the permit through the website (remember to apply earlier as there is a limit to number of hikers allowed to ascend the mountain) and use the given number to receive the tickets from the electronic kiosk near the entrance (you can ask the staff for more information) The trails are quite tiring due to the steepness but the path is very well built and straightforward (some parts of the trail have rocks and wooden planks that can be slippery if it’s moist, so proper footwear is highly advised) Parking can be a huge issue at Seongpanak. Highly recommended to reach the parking area before 5 or other parking areas along the road from Seongpanak to Gwaneumsa entrance and cab over to Seongpanak entrance. Gwaneumsa may have higher chance for parking. You must reach the gates near the summit before 12.30pm. If not, you have to come another day for the next attempt. At the peak, there will be a queue to have a photo opp with a stone to commemorate your completion (just be prepared to queue for at least an hr for this picture) But you can take a picture anywhere at the peak to show that you have reached the summit. This photo will be needed if you want to receive a certificate in showing your completion achievement once you reach the base (automated machine with people queueing)