Written by Ashlyn Walter
Namsan Seoul Tower, or more widely known as Seoul Tower, is one of the most well-known landmarks in Seoul, attracting around 12 million Visitors every year. The tower stands at a height of 236.7 meters on its own and sits at the peak of Namsan mountain, making the combined height 479.7 meters above sea level at its point!
There are various ways to get to the top of the mountain. You can hike the trail up to the top, which takes 20-30 minutes from the base of the mountain. Alternatively, you can take the cable cars or a bus. Though the most scenic routes are walking and taking the cable cars. The cable cars up the mountain were the first cable cars in Korea, which were built in 1962, and give a scenic view of the city on the way up and down.
Once you reach the top of Namsan Mountain, you’ll walk through a path filled with locks and which are to symbolize couples’ eternal love, and it’s a very popular activity to partake in when visiting the tower. There are many places to buy the locks at Seoul Tower and below it, so if you’re visiting with someone special, it’s a must-do! After walking through the locks, you’ll reach the pavilion below Seoul Tower with many things to see. The space offers a wide viewing area of Seoul and a plethora of meal and drink options below the Tower. The pavilion also occasionally hosts cultural Demonstrations that showcase Korea’s heritage.
After looking at the view from the top of the mountain, watching a cultural performance, or getting food and drinks, you can make your way up to the observation deck inside Seoul Tower. When you first get in line to go up the tower, you walk through a room filled with digital art. Then, when boarding the elevators, the operators direct you to look towards a monitor in the back, where they show you a fun animation showing various destinations in Korea.
When you step out and look out through the observation deck windows, you can see the names of countries and capitals around the world, and how far away they are from you and in what direction they are from you. The observation deck gives a 360 view of the city, and you can see many other popular attractions from it, like Gyeongbokgung Palace.
If you go down one floor, you’ll find another observation deck that lists popular cultural sites and tourist attractions around Seoul that you can see. And don’t worry if you need to use the restroom while in the observation deck, they even have “sky bathrooms” which give you a view of the city from the toilet.
When you go back down, they show you another fun animation and send you on your next adventure!
Ticket Prices
Cable Car:
- Adult
– Round trip: 15,000 won
– One way: 12,000 won - Children and the elderly
– Round trip: 11,500 won
– One way: 9,500 won
Seoul Tower Observation Deck:
- Adults
– 26,000 won - Children and the elderly
– 20,000
History
Though this Tower is now a landmark renowned for its observation deck, its original purpose was very different. Originally, there were several broadcasting towers on Namsan Mountain, and the purpose of the construction of Seoul Tower was to combine the towers into one broadcasting tower. The construction of Seoul Tower began in 1969 and finished in 1975. However, combining the broadcasting towers was not the only reason for construction. It was also to hopefully be able to transmit jamming signals to block out North Korean Radio and TV stations, which could still be listened to or watched in northern parts of Seoul before the construction of Seoul Tower. The interesting shape you see at the top of Seoul Tower is said Jamming device.
Another interesting fact is that Seoul Tower did not originally have an observation deck. And once the observation deck was originally built, it was not allowed to be used by the general public. This was because the observation deck has a view of the blue house, which is historically the president’s place of residence. But it eventually opened to the public in 1980, and there are no viewing telescopes or photography allowed in the direction of the blue house, due to the fear of a confidential breach of the blue house. Now, though, because the president no longer lives there, there are no restrictions on taking photos in that direction.
With a vast History of importance for South Korea and a panoramic view of the city, the Seoul Tower is a must-visit when visiting Seoul. Whether you’re looking for a fun hike, a romantic destination, a cultural hub, or a beautiful view, you can find it all at Seoul Tower!
Directions
Address: 105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Subway: Take line 4 to Myeongdong Station, leaving from exit 3 or 4, and then choose your method of walking, bus, or taking a cable car up the mountain.
Operating hours of Seoul Tower
- Monday – Friday: 10:30 AM – 10:30 PM (Last ticket 9:30 PM)
- Saturday – Sunday 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM (Last ticket 10:30 PM)
