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You’ll climb, you’ll pant heavily, sweat, and curse your way through some of the most beautiful scenery, temples, and vistas you’ll ever see. And you’ll find humility on the side. Eighty-year-old men pass you by with their hands behind their backs. But you’ll be rewarded because Daegu, South Korea, has some of the best hiking trails in the world.
5 Reasons to go Hiking in South Korea
The Best Hiking Trails in Daegu
This is the best time to experience the fauna and flora covered landscape. Although packed with hordes of hikers in brightly colored hiking gear, walking sticks and backpacks. And many of them carry a bottle of soju. There are many paths and reasons to take a hike. Here are just 5 reasons to go hiking in Daegu, South Korea.
You are really missing out on a memorable spiritual experience if you don’t climb to the top of one of South Korea’s many, many mountaintops. Seventy percent of the country is covered by mountains and almost all of that are trails navigable by dirt, stairs, or boulders. If you’re like me, it’s a great idea from the time you lace up your expensive Merrill hiking boots and throw your backpack on in the parking lot right up to the moment you notice the landscape’s incline.
Temples and Monk Chants
Just about all the temples worth seeing in Daegu reside at the top of a big hill or a small mountain. You have to go hiking just to see them. I guess you can’t help that when 70% of the country is not flat. So if you have a desire to chat with a monk, participate in a temple stay or just rest your weary mind– you probably need to lace up your sneakers. One of my favorite hikes in Daegu is to the top of Palgonsan Mountain to make a wish to the Gatbawi Buddha while listening to the monks chanting.
There are several trails where you can experience the beautiful temples and more of the best hiking trails in South Korea… read Three Hikes in Daegu South Korea: Apsan, Gatbawi, and Palgonsan.
Great Pictures
The temples are located on the best hiking trails in South Korea. The temples offer sweeping views and colorful hikers (both in attire and personality) make great photo opportunities too.
Hike in Goryeong combines history and exercise… read Daegaya Museum in Goryeong.
Outdoor Activities in Daegu
The air below can be less than fragrant. So it’s nice to get above it all and smell the wild jasmine and woodsy green moss, as well as other foliage that grows along the hiking trails all over Daegu.
Scenery
The natural beauty surrounds you from the moment you leave the parking lot. Many of the trails are marked with the particular trees, flowers, and birds you may encounter along the way. Again the temples, gigantic boulders, wild blooms, and trickling streams are actors in a movie set only nature can create.
Take a hike up Apsan and check the dinosaur footprint in Hiking Apsan– Kosangol Valley Trail.
Great Exercise
Hiking Near Camp Walker and Daegu
There are a lot of people in Korea. More than 50 million and the streets are always packed. Thankfully you don’t have to go far to escape the crowded streets of Daegu. Or the tedium of Camp Walker. The hiking trails offer a little reprove from the crowds. There are approximately 1500 steps to get to the feet of Gatbawi and that’s only the stairs. It takes a couple of hours to climb to the peak. And many locals do it daily. I prefer it to work out in the gym or running at sea level.
Related Content
- Hiking in Daegu: Apsan, Gatbawi, and Palgonsan
- Suseong Lake in Daegu
- Hiking Apsan’s Kosangol Valley Trail
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I never went hiking before we moved here. I walked, but didn’t “hike”. But everyone hikes here, so I figured what the heck. Now I hike every chance I get. There are so many trails and like you said. Most of the temples sit on top of a mountain, so if you want to see them, you gotta go hiking.
I would LOVE to hike here! Thank you for posting.
How awesome. I love hiking! Korea hike would be fun!
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SINCERELY OPHELIA | CELINE TRIO: WHAT FITS.
the places you’ve been to are nice. I think another advantage of hiking in Korea is their weather. They have a good climate unlike in other places that are hot and dry
I loved the hiking, but the country has terrible pollution.
Okay this is effing amazing! I wanna go so bad!! These are some amazing pictures btw.
Lol. I love it too. I woukd be skinny if the food wasn’t so good. Lol.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience in South Korea! Your photos are beautiful and lend to a warm place that people want to travel to. It’s hard sometimes to pull the beauty out of commercial photos of different parts of the world and I applaud you for doing this so others can learn more about South Korea.
You are welcome. I have loved my two years here, I think its someplace everyone who wants to travel should visit.
The pictures look amazing. Sounds like a great place to work on your fitness and have a great time in the process.
Thanks, Jay I appreciate your support.
Wow it looks so lovely! Never had my sights on South Korea, but after reading your post I really want to go!
I hear that a lot, but I don’t know why. LOL Its so much more inexpensive than China and Japan with just as much to see and do.
How awesome. I have been to Korea two times but never been hiking. i’d love to try it out.
Three times a charm. lol.
If the scenery is amazing, I could hike all day long to go there!! I love seeing nice vies & personally feel hikes give you the best view of the place & not to mention the peaceful environment.
I feel ya. Its still difficult, but the scenery kinda takes your mind off the pain.
All the scenery in your pictures look so breathtakingly beautiful. I have never been to South Korea before, but if I do, I will definitely want to climb one of these mountains.
Hi Leo. Hope you get a chance, but for now just check out a hike closer to home.
Your pictures are so amazing. I want to visit there.
Thanks Colleen, its almost impossible to take a bad photo some days.
Wow that sounds like a lot of fun! If I visit South Korea I will be sure to check it out!
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I love hiking here. Its so beautiful. I hope you get a chance to see it for yourself one day.
I did not know Korea was so beautiful! On my list to vosit next. Thank you for the information!
I hope you get a chance to visit South Korea. It is a beautiful place and while its a great inexpensive alternative to its neighbors, China and Japan. Don’t get me wrong, go to China and Japan too if you have the option. But South Korean has just as old a culture, modern conveniences and good food at a much lower price.
I love hiking when there is gorgeous scenery like this. I’m not sure if I’ll ever make it to Korea but I sure hope so.
Me too. It beats being in a stink gym any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Oh My God I’m so jealous! Would love to visit that place and definitely I would hike there
LOL, I pinch myself sometimes with all the travel I’ve done. Its amazing.
WOW, what an experience. I would love to do this, Korea looks beautiful.
Let me know when you’re coming. I’ll leave the porch light on. lol, thanks for your support.
Love your beautiful pictures! I would love to visit and explore the area! Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you. It’s hard to take a bad picture here.
I do not hike but if given a chance to hike in a fascinating place like Korea, maybe I can keep my stamina.
There are a FEW temples that are at sea level. But just about EVERYTHING with seeing sits on a hill or mountain because the country is 70% mountainous.
Look at those pictures! I’m not sure I’d head over to Korea right now, just because I have a little one and it’s a long flight. Maybe someday. 🙂
Thank you. It is a long flight– longer with kids– and I don’t love them either. I have managed to find ways to entertain myself because I can’t see life without them.
I don’t think I even need reasons but these are great! I would love to see the temples and enjoy the view. It’s really worth it.
Lol. So true it would be a very short post without them though.
Hahaha! True. We humans like that. 🙂
those hikes are unbelievably beautiful!
Its a great way to enjoy nature at its best for sure. Thats why hiking here in Korea is so popular.
OMG!! The skyline looks amazing! Five reasons to go hiking in Korea, really one was enough! The pictures look amazing! It looks like a very tranquil, calming and rewarding experience!
Thanks. I could think of five more. But youre right, whats the point? Lol. Thanks for your support.
I have always wanted to go to South Korea. Such interesting culture! I bet the temples were absolutely breathtaking!
They are. I hope you get a chance to come one day while its still very affordable.
Wow would be a great activity to do! And that places… amazing!
Thanks a lot for your support.
All of those places are amazing. My in-laws are from there. I will have to ask my brother’s family about some of those places and what it’s like there.
Thats cool. Its even more interesting a culture looking in. I’ve made some good friends here and enjoyed exploring the country.
I think that hiking is our favourite form of exercise for sure. We would love to get some exercise in South Korea and see the temples. The scenery does look great.
If you have to exercise everyday anyway you should enjoy it, right?
These are such beautiful pictures. I can see why these reasons made the list.
Thanks Sondra. I have had a wonderful time exploring the country.
this is awesome keep posting more! good work I actually think you are very good in writing your thoughts and I learned a lot from you 😀 love the pics btw 😀
Thank you its always nice to hear a compliment every now and then and to know someone enjoys my work.
Ahh I never knew any of this about South Korea. It sounds like my kind of place. I guess I”ll have to add it to my (sigh) already extensive to-go list….whenever I ever get to make it, if ever.
It’s a beautiful country that is still very inexpensive to visit.
Wow! You´ve inspired me. Am more of a sand and sea kind of person, but now hiking is on my bucket list.
Question, is there a particular reason they put their hands behind their backs when hiking?
Just an observation am curious about.
I don’t know why they do it. It just seems to be the way they enjoy hiking. I am also a sand and sea person but I’ve found a peace and quiet in the wind that blows in the mountains.
Your pictures look amazing. It makes me want to visit.
Thank you. I love taking pictures and its hard to take a bad one under these circumstances.
Hiking! I’m not really into it but I sometimes wonder if it will be great. There are a lot of places I can go to just outside the city that offers great places for hiking.
Anyway, I love the photos.
Hiking is not for everyone. I didn’t enjoy it at first, but it grows on you especially when there is so much beauty to see.
Wow! I would love to visit the temples, and take in this culture. I don’t think I would travel there, though, voluntarily, but thanks for sharing the pictures.
Tell your spouse I thank him for his service in keeping our country safe.
You’d like. I wish it wasn’t a twelve or thirteen hour flight so many of my friends and family could experience it too. But that distance is what keeps it so different, so I am happy its not.
This looks ah-MAZE-ing! Definitely on my bucket list of things to do!
So many beautiful hiking trails all over the world that are now something I think about all the time.
Wow, I didn’t know that South Korea is 70% covered by mountains! I would definitely love to visit that country and use the opportunity to go hiking there. Loved your post!
Its unbelievable. So many people stacked on top of each other. You feel free on the trails.
Beautiful clicks! I should try hiking when I get some free time, it sounds so much fun 🙂
Thank you its nice to have so many beautiful pics to choose from.
Sounds like South Korea is a great place to work on one’s fitness – and perhaps one’s sense of spirituality as well. It’s so cool that with your husband being in the Army, you’ve been able to see so many beautiful places.
I totally agree– for the most part. This county will also break you if you aren’t strong. lol, so many people, crazy habits, pollution, etc. But the temples, mountains and hikes are a respite for peace and tranquility if the cities aren’t.
I would so do this! It would be cool to see everything. I am not a hiker, but I would here just for the scenery.
If you compare yourself to the locals, no one is a hiker. These people are bionic when it comes to mountains and stairs. lol
Thank you. You can go hiking right where you are and hopefully there is some pretty scenery to enjoy while you do it. Thanks for stopping by my little blog in South Korea. ?