The N Seoul Tower is the Eiffel tower styled monolith erected on Namsan mountain in the middle of Seoul. Originally built in 1969 as a general broadcasting tower for a suite of TV and radio stations over the years. Although N-tower is now a popular destination for locals and tourists, and once up there the views speak for themselves.
Getting There
Since you can’t drive up to the summit of Namsan mountain, catching a taxi or ride share isn’t an option. Below are 3 alternative methods to getting to the top.
Firstly, you could walk on one of the many tracks through Namsan park. The trail to N Seoul Tower takes approx. 50mins from Myeongdong or 30mins from the edge of the park.
Furthermore, a quick option, there are two yellow busses that depart from Chugmuro and Dongguk station that travel to the top of Namsun mountain. They cost ₩550 ($0.60AUD) each way and operate every 10 mins.
Lastly, and the most exciting option! There is a cable car runs between 10am-11pm and costs ₩15,000 ($16.62AUD) for a return ticket.
Our Experience
We wanted to visit in the late afternoon to get sunset views across the city. Seeing as it was November when we went, it was too cold to wear our cute outfits for a mountain hike. Plus cable cars are the most fun mode of transport! Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea too. The line up to get on the cable car was 45mins each way, and once in the car it was VERY crowded. Instead, our recommendation would be to dress for a hike, the area is beautiful and it’s a shame we missed out on the nature Seoul has to offer.
Once at the N Seoul Tower, the world opens up and you get a true appreciation of how big this city is. This is a very romantic area where the vastness of the views make you feel like it’s just the two of you on top of the world. Likewise to add to the love, lockets with lovers engraved initials take up every bit of fence around.
Dining on N Tower
Overall, N-tower offers many cafes, bars, and restaurants on the summit. If you can snag a spot at sunset, you’ll be witness the greatest light show Seoul has to offer. We were lucky enough to get a window seat at The Place dining at 5pm. Well, it wasn’t really luck. We negotiated the seat by purchasing a very mediocre overpriced pizza and a half bottle of wine for ₩64,000 ($71.00AUD). However, the view was totally worth it!
In addition, there is a bar on the roof of the Cable car entrance overlooking Myeongdong. Or you could enjoy an ice-cream on the observation deck. Likewise, there are more dining options here. If fine dining is more your thing, there is the restaurant called N-grill on the top floor of the tower. Dinner is approx. ₩360000 ($400AUD) per couple for 7-courses. This will be a splurge on our next visit!
To see more visit N-Tower Seoul