In the first half of 2025, South Korea welcomed more than 8.8 million foreign visitors—its highest six-month visitor tally since before the pandemic. While most travelers flocked to the dynamic capital, Seoul, and the coastal port city of Busan, there will soon be another compelling reason to plan a vacation here.
Set to be completed in 2026 and fully open to the public in 2027, the Dongseo Trail will be South Korea’s first long-distance hiking route, connecting the country’s east and west coasts. (“Dong” means “east” and “seo” means “west” in Korean.) Sections 1 through 4—the westernmost part of the trail—are already open.
Although this ambitious plan may come as a surprise to some, it makes sense: Approximately 70 percent of South Korea is mountainous terrain, and hiking is often described as the country’s unofficial national pastime.
The Dongseo Trail route
The 527-mile route will carve through the heart of the country, passing through major cities such as Sejong and Daejeon (it will not pass through or near Seoul). It begins on Anmyeon Island in South Chungcheong on the west coast (a bridge connects the island to the mainland) and ends in the east coast city of Uljin in North Gyeongsang.
Similar to Spain’s Camino de Santiago and Japan’s Kumano Kodo, the Dongseo Trail is poised to become a major tourist attraction—not only for its physical and mental challenges, but also for its rich cultural and scenic experiences.
Beyond highlighting the country’s rolling, forested landscapes dotted with Buddhist temples and Confucian schools, the Korea Forest Service (KFS)—which is leading the project—says the trail will offer outdoor enthusiasts something unique: a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in rural communities.
Divided into 55 sections, each approximately 9 to 10 miles long and beginning and ending in mountain villages, the Dongseo Trail will support sustainable tourism by boosting cultural engagement and generating much-needed revenue in more remote areas of the country. It will also help protect natural landscapes by designating official hiking routes and reducing the negative impacts of people who explore off trails in wilderness areas.
While hotel rooms are widely available in the bigger cities along the Dongseo Trail, they are virtually nonexistent along much of the trail itself. And since proper rest is essential for successful hiking, the KFS is also designating 90 villages as resting zones that will ultimately have food and overnight lodging. In addition, there are plans for five information offices and 15 shelters where adventurers can unwind, cook their own food, and enjoy a hot meal before getting back on the trail. Camping will also be permitted in designated areas.
If you can’t commit—either physically or time-wise—to tackling the Dongseo Trail in one go, several single-day and multi-day trail options are already open. Although South Korea experiences four true seasons, spring and fall, when the weather is mild and the scenery is postcard perfect, are optimal times for hiking. Getting to the trailheads is straightforward: Anmyeon Island is about a three-hour drive or bus ride away from Seoul, while Uljin can be reached in just under four hours by car or bus.
