Mount Nam's new garden offers guided walks into Seoul's quieter side

Participants walk the Dulle Trail at Mount Nam in Yongsan, Seoul, May 17, 2025. Korea Times file

Amid the concrete expanse of Korea’s sprawling capital, Mount Nam has long served as a vital green refuge, crowned by its iconic broadcast tower and laced with shaded hiking trails. Now, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is offering city dwellers a new way to decompress: guided walking tours through the freshly renovated Korean Forest Garden.

Beginning Aug. 21, the Jungbu Parks & Recreation Center will launch a series of docent-led day and evening tours designed to immerse visitors in the traditional landscapes, native ecology and seasonal rhythms of the mountain's newest attraction.

Spanning the former site of the Mount Nam Outdoor Botanical Garden on the mountain's southern slope in Itaewon, the 11-themed garden complex officially opened to the public in late June. Designed to mirror traditional forest landscapes from across the country, the space is divided into three distinct zones: a cultural section featuring reinterpreted traditional pavilions and quiet lotus ponds; an ecological zone showcasing plum groves, moss beds, and bamboo thickets; and elevated rest areas that offer sweeping views of the cityscape below.

Under the new Healing Walk program, professional forest commentators will guide small groups of up to 15 adults through the grounds. Evening walks will run on Friday nights from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., while daytime sessions will take place on weekend mornings, allowing participants to experience the garden under soft dusk light or morning shade.

The initiative comes as urban planners across Korea increasingly prioritize accessible green spaces to combat burnout and urban heat.

"The Korean Forest Garden is a space where visitors can experience both the raw nature of Mount Nam and the subtle aesthetics of traditional landscape design," said Shin Hyun-ho, director of the Jungbu Parks & Recreation Center. "We hope these guided strolls offer a meaningful pause for reflection and rest in the heart of the city."

Alongside the adult walking tours, the center will also introduce family-friendly biodiversity exploration hunts, sensory tea-tasting sessions and guided night treks along the elevated Mount Nam Sky Forest Trail. Online registration opens Tuesday afternoon on the Seoul Public Service Reservation portal, with additional monthly slots opening on the 20th of each month through mid-November.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.