Hallasan, the dormant volcano at the centre of Jeju Island, rises to 1,947 metres and is the highest point in South Korea. It is a proper full-day mountain hike rather than a casual walk: the summit crater, Baekrokdam, sits at the end of two long trails with strictly enforced start and turnaround cutoffs, and you cannot simply turn up — a free online reservation is mandatory for both summit routes. Planned well, it is one of the most satisfying day hikes in East Asia.
Seongpanak vs Gwaneumsa: Choosing Your Trail
Only two trails reach the summit. The Seongpanak trail is 9.6 km one way — longer, gentler, largely boardwalked through forest, with the more reliable bus access. The Gwaneumsa trail is 8.7 km — shorter, steeper, rockier, with stairs and more dramatic valley scenery. Typical round trips run 8 to 11 hours depending on pace and season. A popular combination is to ascend via Seongpanak and descend via Gwaneumsa (or the reverse), which gives you a gentler climb and a more scenic descent; no reservation is needed for the descent route, but the two trailheads are far apart, so you must arrange transport at both ends before you start. Either way, carry your own ID — rangers check each hiker’s identity against the reservation individually, and a blurry screenshot may not pass.
The Reservation System (Do Not Skip This)
Both summit trails require a free reservation booked online in advance through the official Hallasan National Park site. Daily caps are reported at roughly 1,000 hikers for Seongpanak and 500 for Gwaneumsa, and next-month slots open on the 1st at 09:00 KST — autumn weekends reportedly fill within hours, so book the moment your window opens. Weekdays are markedly easier. A no-show penalty has been widely reported (a multi-month booking ban), so cancel at least a day ahead if your plans change. At the trailhead you print a QR code from a kiosk using the reservation number emailed to you, then pass an ID check at the gantry — arrive early enough to sort this out, especially if you cannot read Korean, since the kiosks have tripped up foreign hikers.
Cutoff Times: The Mountain Decides
This is the part that catches people out. You must start early — generally between 05:00 and 07:00 depending on season — and you must pass the mid-mountain shelters before roughly 11:30 in winter or 12:30 in summer. Summit access closes around 13:30 in winter and 14:30 in summer, and the rules are enforced: miss a cutoff and you turn around. The earliest buses (281/181 to Seongpanak, 475 to Gwaneumsa) arrive around 06:30, which is inside the reservation window but leaves no margin. If a sunrise start or a quieter summit matters to you, take a taxi for a 05:00–05:30 arrival instead — roughly 30 to 40 minutes from Jeju City, commonly reported at around ₩15,000–₩25,000. Bring a headlamp for the pre-dawn start.
What to Carry
There is no water and nothing to buy on the trail, so carry 2 to 3 litres per person plus all your food. Layers are essential: the crater rim is much colder and windier than the base, and weather shifts fast. Sturdy hiking boots are strongly advised — the upper sections mix boardwalk, rock, and stairs. In winter, ice persists on the upper mountain well into spring, and crampons are widely recommended; they are reportedly rentable at the Seongpanak trailhead, but verify availability rather than relying on it, and check the official trail status on the morning you depart. Free lockers at the Seongpanak visitor centre let you stash anything you do not need, and kiosks at the visitor centres print hiking certificates after your descent.
Best Time and Practical Notes
Hallasan is hikeable year-round, and each season has its character: autumn foliage is the most popular and the hardest to book, winter brings snow and ice (and the finest clear-day views), spring and summer are green but can be wet and cloudy at the summit. Entrance to the national park itself is free — the reservation is the only requirement for the summit trails, and shorter non-summit trails in the park need no booking at all. As with any popular mountain, weekdays beat weekends, and an early start beats everything.
Arjun Mehta is the pen name behind Mountains Bliss — practical mountain-travel guides with routes, costs, seasons and safety notes, researched from real trekker discussions and cross-checked before publishing. No sponsored posts, ever.
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