A guide to hiking Mount Hallasan, Jeju Island
We hiked the Seongpanak trail that goes east to west to the peak of Mount Hallasan. From all the blogs we had read we were expecting a seriously gruelling hike, but it was fine! It was a cloudy day, so the views weren’t great. But other than some steep steps that seemed never-ending towards the top, it was a fairly easy (albeit long) walk.
How long does it take to climb Mount Hallasan?
Taking the Seongpanak trail, we were at the peak within 3 hours and 15 minutes and completed the full +20 km hike in about 6.5 hours. I’m not sure what conditions hikers who say it took them 5 hours one way were walking in, but on a drizzly day in April, 6.5 hours didn’t seem unreasonable.
Even in mist and cloud the hike was beautiful. There were lots of other hikers around but only at the peak, where everyone breaks for food and photos, did it feel busy. You can’t go wrong as the path is very well-marked. It is a great example of South Korean organisation and does slightly detract from the wild feel of the mountain. But it also takes away any stress of getting lost or injured.
Friends of ours did the Gwaneumsa trail, which is shorter but steeper, and made it to the top in about 2 hours 50 minutes and completed the whole hike in about 5.5 hours. This was more strenuous but again not an impossible hike.
If this is the first time you’ve ever climbed a peak, it might take you longer. But there were plenty of young children and people over 60 hiking Seongpanak with no problem at the same time as us.
What you need to know before hiking the Seongpanak trail on Mt Halla
First and foremost, don’t forget to book your spot on your desired trail and bring your passport with you. There are 1,000 spots to climb the mountain each day, and they will book up quicker in high season.
You have to pass a checkpoint by 12.30 pm, which is doable. But it means you can’t show up late. They will make you turn back the way you came. You also have to leave the peak by 2pm. We reached the checkpoint within 2 hours and the peak within 3 hours 15 minutes, well before the cut-off time. These times change depending on the month.
This is one of the best-equipped trails I’ve ever hiked. There are shelters and toilets and potable water stops along the way, which slightly takes away from the wild feel of the walk. But even on a fairly wet day it felt safe and easy to achieve.
Obviously, you should wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes. Bring a waterproof, snacks, plenty of water, lunch to eat at the top, and if you have sticks they’re useful for the way down (although we were fine without them).
Is it easy to hike Mount Hallasan on Jeju Island?
The main issues with the trail are:
You have to be past a checkpoint before 12:30pm*. But since you’re allocated starting times this is fairly easy to achieve.
You have to book your slot on your chosen trail, and add each person’s information which is checked against your passport when you arrive. This is annoying if you find out when you arrive at the hike, but we were able to book for 7 people the night before.
You have to leave the peak by 2pm*. But again, since you will probably start the hike between 6.30am and 10am this leaves you plenty of time.
The hike is long. It’s about 9.5 km each way, but we had read blogs saying this takes about 5 hours each way which was not our experience.
It’s steep. Especially at the top, the walk is a strain on the legs. But there’s no climbing or scrambling involved, the path is well-marked, and you’re almost always on small rocks or wooden steps.
Find out more about how we spent three days in Jeju Island here.