Naksan Park is a hilltop park on the eastern edge of Seoul's old city wall that offers one of the best sunrise views in the city — a panorama from the wall's ramparts that takes in the palace district, Namsan Tower, and the modern skyline in a single sweep. The park is built around a restored section of the Hanyangdoseong (Seoul City Wall), a 14th-century fortress wall that originally encircled the entire city, and walking the wall here feels like walking through a timeline — ancient stone fortifications with a 21st-century megalopolis visible on every side.
The Ihwa Mural Village, clinging to the hillside below the park, is Seoul's most famous street art neighbourhood — a residential area of small houses and steep staircases that was transformed by a government art project in 2006 into an outdoor gallery of murals, sculptures, and installations. Some of the original murals have been painted over by residents who tired of tourists photographing their homes, but enough remain to make the winding walk through the village rewarding, and new works continue to appear.
The combination of Naksan Park and Ihwa makes a perfect morning walk — start with sunrise from the city wall, descend through the mural village, and end at Daehangno (Seoul's theatre district) at the base of the hill for breakfast. The park is free, open 24 hours, and connected to the longer Seoul City Wall trail that runs for 18.6 kilometres around the old city — one of the best urban hikes in Asia.
Verified Facts
Naksan Park is built around a restored section of the 14th-century Seoul City Wall
The Ihwa Mural Village was created through a government art project in 2006
The full Seoul City Wall trail (Hanyangdoseong) is 18.6 kilometres
Some murals were painted over by residents tired of tourist disruption
Get walking directions
41 Naksan-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
