Namsan (South Mountain) and Seoul Tower, Seoul

3 more images

Seoul Tower (서울타워) is the city's greatest modern landmark. Seoul Tower is a communication and observation tower located on Namsan Mountain in central Seoul, and it is the highest point in the city.

Construction of Seoul Tower began in 1969, and the tower was completed in 1971. The tower was not opened to the public until 1980. In 2005, the tower underwent a 15 billion Won renovation, adding stunning lights and new colors to the exterior. Along with this change, came the new name, "N Seoul Tower," with the "N" standing for "new."

Seoul Tower stands 236.7 m (777 ft) in height from the base and the top stands 479.7 m 1,574 ft above sea level.

The cost to ride to the observation deck is 9,000 Won for adults, and it is open from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. The cable car from Myeongdong costs 6,000 Won for a one way ride or 8,000 Won per person for a round trip.

3 more images

Seoul Tower sits atop Namsan Mountain and offers panoramic views of Seoul and its surrounding areas.

Ticket to the Observatory costs KRW9,000. You can, however, buy a combination ticket which includes tix to the Teddy Bear Museum at KRW14,000.

The tower is open 7 days a week (10am to 12mn on Fri and Sat, 10am to 11pm the rest of the week).

Since I had too much of the yummy Korean food thus far, i decided to walk up to the tower in the morning. I started near Myeongjong, near the int'l hostel (near the television broadcast antenna). If you are at the bottom of the hill, look for a small paved trail heading uphill. After about 5-10 min, you'll meet up with the northern hiking trail. Note there should be a sign directing you to turn right once you hit the northern trail. After 2km, you'll be joing a main road (sopa-ro)for 100 ft or so, then you'll walk up a flight of stairs to continue your way up. You walk past Namsan park, with a water fountain and follow signs to hike up to the tower. You will meet the cable car stop (topside) before you reach the pavilion. Take a break and pat yourself on the back. I hike down the same way, but once i past the park with the fountain, i turn left at sopa-ro, continue downhill. You will reach namdaemun in about 10 minutes.

4 more images

From the Myeong-dong Station, we walked a long way going uphill to be able to get a ride of the cable car. Round trip costs KW7,500 and it only took us about 3minutes to reach the peak of Mt. Namsan; credit cards are accepted as mode of payment.

We decided to go to the N-Seoul tower on a late afternoon so we can be able to have a view of the lighting show which starts at 6pm. The lighting show gives a variety of colorful background of the tower that change after a few minutes. There’s no admission fee on the observatory platform and from there you can already have a magnificent view of city. There are also restaurants and shops surrounding the tower.

It’s very cold by the time we went there but we had a great time despite of that. I can really say that the Koreans are romantic people because like we saw in Busan Tower, the N-Seoul tower also has this 2 heart shaped padlocks locked together with promise of love written on it. What’s more fascinating is that all of the locks were put together forming like a Christmas tree. And on the upper deck, there’s a big shaped heart that formed the poem of the Seoul tower. Yes! There’s a poem of the Seoul tower! I am really, really convinced that the people here in this country are very much in love with love.

Another thing we discovered was that one of the restaurants where we took our dinner has one part of its wall covered with small squared tile that are also written with love messages. I believe South Korea is very much appropriate for hopeless romantics like me, haha!

Going back to the city, you can just take the yellow bus parked infront of the entrance of Seoul Tower. You can use your T-money card to pay the bus fee KW500 and KW550, if you use cash. The bus run s 8am-12mn.

N-Seoul Tower opens: 9am-11pm

2 more images

The N Seoul Tower is open day and night but the view of the city below is more enchanting at night. We did not climb up as the line was too long (40 minute wait!) so we just contended ourselves with the view around the base which was just as good as we were told.

It's free to roam around the base but to go up the tower costs 7,000 for adults. Open 9 am - midnight.

4 more images

Well, what can I say, I think anyone who goes to Seoul should visit the Seoul Tower. And, we did, too! So, here is my write up...

I'll start with the locks. Without really knowing but it seemed obvious that people come here and attach a lock to the fence at one of the viewing decks to profess "forever love". The locks had writing on them with hearts and the word love. Mostly, written in Korean script but some written in English. The year was written on some of the locks. Usually, two locks intertwined and then locked to the fence. Others put several locks to form a shape of a heart onto the fence. I wish I had known in advance about the locks. Would have loved to bring my own lock and also attach it to the fence.

My boyfriend and I had already spent most of the day walking and walking and walking. My legs were hurting and tired. We still had plenty of daylight and suggested we go to the tower. We opted to have a taxi take us up from our hotel. The tower looked so close by but it took us about 20 minutes to get there. The taxi whirled around the entire base of the mountain until we came upon an entrance. We then proceeded up a steep road up to the tower. Oh my gosh, I'm glad we didn't try to climb up this path! And, a long path it was. The taxi took us as far as it could go - even paying for some type of toll half way up. So, our cost was something like 7,000 WON about US$7. We had to do a little bit of walking up the steep path to finally get to the tower.

We spent about an hour there. We enjoyed the views even though it wasn't that clear of a day. Decided we would take the cable car down the mountain. But then we proceeded to walk back to the hotel which was probably another 25 minutes of walking but at least it was down hill. Boy, I'm getting tired just thinking about this all over again! Ugh!

There is a rotating restaurant at the top of the Seoul tower. We didn't go to the restaurant but the website has more information on this.

See my travelogue album on views from the Seoul Tower.

You gotta go see the tower at least once if you visit Seoul!

N Seoul Tower is a communication tower located on top of Namsan Mountain. It measures 236.7 m (777 ft) in height (from the base) and tops out at 479.7 m (1,574 ft) above sea level. The view of Seoul from the tower is superb esp on a clear day. Observatory tickets and package tickets are on sale at the ticket booth outside the tower.

Admission fees:
Children (Ages 4-12): 3,000 won
Teens and Adults (Ages 13-64): 7,000 won
Senior (Ages 65+): 5,000 won

Some tips:
-For a great night view and an unforgettable memory, visit N Seoul Tower between 7 p.m. and 12 a.m during their fantastic illumination show. The show takes place on the hour.
-You can still enjoy a panoramic view of Seoul without paying a fee at: the Glass Terrace (P1), the Roof Terrace (P2), or in the lobby.
-Dine at the N Grill restaurant and admission to the observatory is free

The best place to go to have a great view of the city is the Namsam Seoul Tower. So you better be prepared to bring your camera or camcorder. The tower is separated into two sections: top (actually it is located in the middle of the tower) and plaza. At the highest floor of the tower (T5) is a revolving restaurant, "N Grill"; but you will have to be willing to pay big bucks for a meal. Below it however, at T3, is the observatory and from there, you will already get a 360 degree view of the city. On the descending floor, T2, is a cafe and gift shop. Don't forget to try the toilet located on this floor, because it also has a fantastic view. Finally, on the lowest floor of the top portion, T1, is a Korean restaurant, Hancook, but this does not revolve.

At the first floor of the plaza, is where you buy your tickets and where you take the elevator to the top portion. You can avail of a package wherein you pay also for a set meal at Hancook. If you are on a budget, you can just take your meal or snacks at the food court, which is also located at the first floor of the plaza. The second floor, on the other hand, has an observation deck, although the view is just of one side of the city. An Italian restuarant, Sweetree, is also located at the second floor of the plaza.

To get to the tower, you can either take a cable car or the yellow bus 2. Private cars are no longer allowed to the area around the tower. On the other hand, you can also walk, although you will have to be fit because it is an upward climb.

4 more images

It's hard to say which offers a better view of Seoul--Seoul Tower or the 63 Building. If you can, try to see both. Each provides a different perspective.

Seoul Tower stands 237 meters high, standing atop 243-meter Mt Namsan. It was remodeled in 2005, and has a rotating Western-style restaurant on top.

3 more images

Namsan Park has much to offer, undoubtedly more than it did when I was there. It has miles of hiking trails, some museums, a library, memorials, and more. Taking the cable car up to the summit of Mt Namsan provides great views of the city, a prelude to the even better ones from Seoul Tower.

Of particular interest is the monument to Ahn Choong Kun, a martyr for Korean independence. In 1910, as the Japanese were consolidating their grip on this country, he assassinated Ito Nirobumi, a leader of the occupying forces. For this, he was killed.