Seeing from Above the N Seoul Tower

Seoul boasts some seriously beautiful scenery, unique landmarks, and fascinating culture that when planning a trip to this world city, it can be hard to narrow down on the must-visit tourist attractions. But something that tourists and locals agree on is that the N Seoul Tower is pretty hard to miss.  

Towering over Seoul from atop Mt. Namsan, N Seoul Tower is one of the most iconic and striking landmarks of the city. Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo, it is a structure that symbolizes Seoul.

8.4M visitors every year agree that N Seoul Tower
is a must-visit place

We decided that first thing on our list to visit should be N Seoul Tower. First thing we considered - getting there. The tower can be reached by taking the Namsan Sunwhan Shuttle Bus, Seoul City Tour Bus, or the Cable Car. Many people take the bus, however, we would recommend hiking to the top of Mt. Namsan instead. Our decision to walk up was influenced by the fact that we had the entire afternoon of our day one for a lengthier excursion and we were feeling in shape for some hiking. Besides, the view going up is pretty spectacular and it is a great way to start a trip in Seoul.

Spectacular views going up the Namsan Trail

From our hotel in Jongno-gu, we took the train to Dongguk University Station (Subway Line 3). As part of our pre-Namsan hike, we walked from the station to the Jangchungdan Park. Here we saw several cultural assets and statues related to the anti-Japanese movements forming the Jangchungdan Patriots Trail. We wandered around the park learning about Korea's history and enjoying the beautiful wildflowers, colorful butterflies, and peaceful stream along the way. 

The beautiful and quiet Jangchungdan Park

We then walked towards the main gate of Dongguk University and made our way up one of the trails to Mt. Namsan. The trail zigzag across the mountain and can be enjoyed with relative ease and convenience because portions of the terrain is paved or built with stairs. Aside from the natural scenery, it was surprising to find public exercise equipment installed and gazebos built along the trail. These were mostly used by locals who were doing their afternoon workouts.  

Hundreds or maybe thousands of steps await you at the trail

Gazebos as resting spots for hikers and fitness enthusiasts

Public exercises machines dot the trail

We soon came out to a road called Noksapyeon-daero and saw more of the attractions of Mt. Namsan such as the Sukhojung Archery Field and the Pine Healing Forest. We then veered off the road to walk through another trail before being welcomed by the Hanyangdoseong or the fortress city wall that has protected Seoul for more than 600 years. Here, we stopped to take in some amazing views of Seoul.  

Noksapyeon-daero

The Sukhojung Archery Field

After taking in the sights, we continued towards N Seoul Tower. It was still some walking distance to the tower but it was now along a concrete and moderate slope. 

Hanyangdoseong, Seoul's protector for over 6 centuries

Amazing views from the fortress wall of Seoul

After about 90 minutes of exhausting hike, we arrived at the base of N Seoul Tower. We bought some refreshments from one of the convenience stores in the area as a welcome reward after reaching the top. Back in high spirits, we began our tour of N Seoul Tower.

N Seoul Tower as seen from the walls

We first reached a courtyard called Lin Lin Land. It features cute panda statues and is one of the many photo zones in the tower complex. We made a quick stop to take photos with the pandas before proceeding to the entrance of the building. 

Cute photo zone called Lin Lin Land

As we entered Level 1, we were greeted by the world's first OLED Tunnel displaying welcome messages and dynamic media art. There was a crowd at the tunnel so we quickly moved on to the ticketing booth. As we didn't book in advance we had to purchase our tickets on the spot. The tickets are necessary in order to go up the observation deck. There is an option of paying more for an All Around Package in order to see additional attractions like the SSentoy Museum and Hello Kitty Island exhibitions. We opted not to buy this as we just wanted to enjoy the views from the top. So we bought the Tower Combo Package for KRW22,000 which included two admission passes, 2 large sodas, and 1 bucket of popcorn. We then made our way into the lift by the side.

The OLED welcoming all visitors to N Seoul Tower

Observatory Ticket Booth

We went straight to Level 5 to exchange our coupons for the food. From there, we were ushered to another lift to go to the observation deck. On a busy day, visitors will have to refer to the queue number printed on the tickets and wait for the number to be displayed to enter this lift. Good thing we went on a less busy day so we had the lift all to ourselves. The lift doesn't have mirrors or windows and it was dark, but it does have an LCD ceiling. The tower staff asked us to look at the ceiling as the lift rose fast up to the observation platform. The ceiling simultaneously played a video which made us feel like we're being skyrocketed into outer space. It was really cool!

Tower Combo Package tickets

Our snacks while enjoying the view from above

The lift then opened up to the observation deck made of a large circular viewing platform with large windows overlooking the city. There was a moderate crowd inside the deck which was great as we didn't need to squeeze our way around people just to see the views. We wandered over the large windows and noticed that they are all marked with names of major cities and their distance from the tower. 

Large windows marked with names of major cities overlooking Seoul

We quickly located if Manila was featured in any of the windows. 

Manila is 2,625.7 km from Seoul

The Lotte World Tower in the background

Visitors can use the binoculars in the deck for KRW500

As we moved around the deck, we checked out the amazing panoramic views of the city from all sides. We realized how staggering Seoul's size is. Building after building, they stretched off as far as the eye can see. The city looked endless and it was a sight to behold. 

Towering over the skyscrapers of Metropolitan Seoul

Panoramic views of the city

From the observation deck, we climbed down a staircase to the level below it, where a another deck, a coffee shop, and the Sky Restroom are located. Aside from being Seoul's highest restroom, the Sky Restroom is unique as it has special glass walls giving users a view while going about their business inside. The experience of worrying about our privacy while peeing facing the glass walls and enjoying the breathtaking view of Seoul was unforgettable. 

The Observation Deck at the lower level

The view from the Sky Restroom

After checking out the restroom, we went down to the Roof Terrace and headed outdoors to see the Locks of Love. The place was overwhelmed with thousands of padlocks attached to the terrace. They all come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and love dedications in various languages. This has made N Seoul Tower a sort of romantic pilgrimage site for lovers all around the world, who come to place a lock as a symbol of their unending love.

The colorful Locks of Love

They come in all different shapes, sizes, colors
and of course, love dedications

Past the Locks of Love is a square with a large octagonal pavilion named Palgakjeong and a viewing deck designed to capture panoramic views of Seoul. We joined a gathering crowd in in the deck to anticipate the sunset.  

A few minutes later, we saw the beautiful sunset hues fall over the entire city. 

Seoul under the setting sun

Going back, we decided to hike back down to Dongguk University and cooled off with a few beers and chicken along Toegye-ro.

N Seoul Tower

Overall, visiting N Seoul Tower was a great experience. The long hike was well worth the effort and the 360-degree view from the top of the tower was fantastic. 

For more information about N Seoul Tower, visit the official website here.

Have you visited N Seoul Tower? Do you have any extra tips for visiting this popular site? Please share them in the comment box below.

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