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Seoul Hiking Week, Oct 26–Nov 15: 15 programs and free gear for foreign visitors

Reported 2026-10-20 / Posted 2026-10-20 · Compiled from Korean media reports · By

The Seoul Tourism Organization runs 2026 Seoul Hiking Week: Autumn from October 26 to November 15, with 15 hiking programs spread across three weeks of foliage season. Foreign visitors who stop by the city's hiking tourism centers during the event can borrow hiking shoes and poles free, a real help if your suitcase was packed for cafes rather than ridgelines.

Rocky granite peaks rising above a forested slope dotted with pale pink blossoms under an overcast sky
File photo: The granite peaks of Bukhansan in Seoul in spring, 2022.Photo: Bukhansan Spring in Korea by Jo Hanshin · CC0 · resized

The essentials

  • What: 2026 Seoul Hiking Week: Autumn (2026 서울하이킹위크 가을), organized by the Seoul Tourism Organization (서울관광재단)
  • When: Monday, October 26 – Sunday, November 15, 2026
  • Where: the Seoul Hiking Tourism Centers (서울등산관광센터) on Gwanaksan (관악산), Bukhansan (북한산) and Bugaksan (북악산), with some programs on other hills in the city
  • Programs: 15 in total, five a week, under four themes
  • Free gear: hiking shoes and poles for foreign visitors at the centers
  • Sign-up: through the official Seoul hiking tourism account on Instagram
  • Status: participation fees, guiding languages and rental conditions (ID, deposit, sizes, hours) were not published in the reports we checked.

What it is

Munhwa Ilbo and Money Today reported the plan on October 19, and Bizwnews followed on October 20. The event's base shifts every week: Gwanaksan from October 26 to November 1, Bukhansan from November 2 to 8, and Bugaksan from November 9 to 15. The programs fall under four themes: extreme, wellness, signature and night.

The timing lands in the middle of autumn color season in Seoul. For when the leaves are expected to turn, see our 2026 fall foliage forecast.

The programs, week by week

The reports name only some of the 15 programs. Dates and start times for each session are on the Instagram schedule.

  • Week 1 (Gwanaksan base): a rock section on Hoamsan (호암산), a hike to Jaunam (자운암) on Gwanaksan, and a costume hike on Namsan (남산).
  • Week 2 (Bukhansan base): an east-to-west traverse of Bukhansan that takes in Baegundae (백운대), yoga at Wontongsa (원통사) temple, and a sunrise hike on Dobongsan (도봉산).
  • Week 3 (Bugaksan base): a walk from Seoul Forest to Namsan, meditation on Ansan (안산), a climb to the top of Inwangsan (인왕산), and a night hike with lanterns along the Hanyang City Wall (한양도성).

The mix runs from gentle city walks to rock scrambles and pre-dawn starts, so read each listing before you sign up. Our autumn hiking safety guide covers the basics for steeper trails.

Munhwa Ilbo also reports two challenges at the centers: Seoul Maple Palette (서울단풍팔레트), where hikers find and photograph set foliage colors, and a plogging challenge, which means picking up litter along the trail.

Free gear for foreign visitors

Bizwnews reports that during the event, foreign visitors who come to the Seoul Hiking Tourism Centers can borrow hiking shoes, poles and similar equipment for free. Munhwa Ilbo and Money Today also mention free gear rental for foreigners.

None of the three reports explains how the rental works: whether you need ID or a deposit, which sizes are stocked, or the opening hours.

Tickets and booking

All three reports point to one channel: the official Seoul hiking tourism account on Instagram, which posts the program schedules and the sign-up method. The coverage names no other booking route, so check the listing for any fee before you go.

Our verdict

Go if you are in Seoul in this window, want company on the trail and travelled without boots. The catch is that sign-up runs only through Instagram, and no report confirms a price or an English-speaking guide. Without Instagram, a self-guided route with gear borrowed from a center is the easier plan. Munhwa Ilbo also reports an event booth on Namsan, open to all tourists, on Saturday, October 31.

Quick links

Sources
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