Visiting N Seoul Tower - Everything You Need To Know
The N Seoul Tower is an iconic feature of the Seoul skyline and is one of the most popular places to see when visiting South Korea’s lively capital city.
In this article, we are going to outline everything you need to know about visiting the N Seoul Tower, including the opening times of the tower, how you can get to the tower and the best time to visit N Seoul Tower.
We also provide you with handy tips for visiting the tower and even include our suggestions of the best places to stay in Seoul that are convenient for visiting N Seoul Tower.
So, let’s dive into: Visiting N Seoul Tower - Everything You Need To Know
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What is N Seoul Tower?
When it was originally built as a communication and radio tower in 1969, the architects would not have foreseen how much of a popular tourist attraction the tower would become.
Even though the N Seoul Tower still provides radio and TV broadcasting all over Seoul, today, it is primarily known as being one of the best places to visit in Seoul and one of the most memorable places to see in South Korea’s capital city.
First opened to the public in 1980, the 236m-high tower offers remarkable panoramic views of the Seoul skyline and beyond.
The ‘N’ in N Seoul Tower stands for Namsan, New and Nature, showing the tower's significance to the people of Korea.
Where is N Seoul Tower?
N Seoul Tower is found directly on the top of Nam Mountain in central Seoul. N Seoul Tower, the capital's tallest freestanding structure, is in the heart of the Yongsan District of Seoul.
When does the N Seoul Tower open?
Rather impressively, the N Seoul Tower is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The hours of operation for the observation deck are as follows:
Mon - Fri - 11:30-22:00
Sat - Sun - 11:00-22:00
The observation deck is closed to new guests around 30 minutes before closing time, so be sure to get there with plenty of time if you wish to see the famous Seoul Skyline at night.
Base-level of N Seoul Tower
| Tip
If you want to explore N Seoul Tower and other popular landmarks better, then we recommend taking this Seoul Highlights and Hidden Gems Tour with a local guide. This tour gives you the opportunity to choose and visit the sights you are interested in seeing in Seoul. Don't miss such a unique opportunity to discover Seoul!
Can you visit N Seoul Tower all year round?
As we have mentioned, the N Seoul Tower is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, so you happily visit all year round. Visiting at different times throughout the year would give you a completely different perspective of Seoul.
Visiting in January - February, you are likely to see the Korean Metropolis draped in a thick layer of snow. Whereas visiting in mid-October - mid-November, you will see Seoul covered in oranges and yellows, thanks to the autumnal leaves throughout the city.
We visited South Korea for the entirety of October and were fortunate enough to see many of the major sights in full autumnal bloom - visiting Seoraksan National Park in autumn was one of our personal highlights! Some useful advice for travelling in South Korea is that whatever the season, the country will offer some spectacular and N Seoul Tower is a great example of that!
How to get to N Seoul Tower?
N Seoul Tower address: 105, Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
There are 3 main ways in which you can get to the N Seoul Tower. Here is a quick rundown of them all:
Walking to N Seoul Tower
There are several different trails and roads you can walk up to reach the N Seoul Tower. These are generally quite navigable and well-maintained and although you are walking uphill for the majority, they aren’t considered too strenuous.
Here’s a quick rundown of the best ways to walk up to N Seoul Tower:
Namsan Library - N Seoul Tower: probably the easiest and simplest walking route to take up to N Seoul Tower is to walk on the footpath alongside the main road leading up to the tower. The road is the one used by the shuttle buses.
Dongguk University Station - N Seoul Tower: a popular walking route to N Seoul Tower begins at the Dongguk University Station. Once you reach the main trail, it is a healthy mixture of stairs and walking paths.
Seoul Education Research and Information Institute - N Seoul Tower: beginning at the popular K-Drama filming location, Sam-soon Steps, the walking trail offers great views of the city and Namsan Mountain. It even includes walking alongside the old fortress walls for a portion of the hike.
The main walking route up to N Seoul Tower
Getting around Seoul: we found that downloading Naver Map was the easiest way to navigate our way around South Korea. We ended up buying a Korean SIM card at Seoul Incheon Airport so that we could have access to Naver Map at all times - it turned out to be a great decision!
Shuttle Bus to N Seoul Tower
Regularly scheduled shuttle buses take you up Namsan Mountain to N Seoul Tower. The Namsan Sunhwan Shuttle Bus (No. 01) departs from several stations across the city and brings people directly to the tower.
Important information about the Shuttle bus:
Operating hours - 06:30-23:00
Cost - 1200 won (when you pay in cash) or 1100 won (when using a T-money card)
Namsan Cable Car ride to N Seoul Tower
Namsan Cable Car address: 83, Sopa-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (Hoehyeondong 1-ga)
Our top tip: buy a one-way ticket up the Namsan Cable Car and then walk down. That way you get the views on the way up and the chance to hike through Namsan Park on the way down.
In our opinion, the best way to get to the N Seoul Tower is to ride the Namsan Cable Car up Namsan mountain until you reach the base of the tower.
The ride takes around 3 minutes and offers brilliant views all across the North side of Seoul.
The Namsan Cable Car admission fees are as follows:
Adult one-way - 11000 won
Adult return trip - 14000 won
Child one-way - 8000 won
Child return trip - 10500 won
Namsan Cable Car
How much does it cost to visit N Seoul Tower? N Seoul Tower price
Money saving tip: save money by buying your N Seoul Tower ticket online instead of in-person. Book your discounted N Seoul Tower ticket online here.
When asking how much it costs to visit N Seoul Tower, the answer could be completely free. If you choose to walk up to the tower and stay at base level, you wouldn’t have to spend any money at all.
The most popular activity, however, is to head up to the observation tower to get the full 360 degrees panoramic view of Seoul. The Observation Deck admission fees are as follows:
Adults (13+) - 16000 won
Children (3-12) - 12000 won
Seniors (65+) - 12000 won
Children under 3 - free
Worth noting: if you own a Discover Seoul Pass, you can enter the N Seoul Tower for free. The Discover Seoul Pass is a great money-saving hack for people who want to visit a lot of the major attractions in South Korea’s dynamic capital city. You can buy a discounted Discover Seoul Pass online here.
Where to eat at N Seoul Tower?
There are plenty of eating and drinking options once you arrive at N Seoul Tower. From cheap cafes for a quick coffee to more luxury restaurants at the top of the tower, there is something to cater for every budget.
Here is a quick rundown of the best places to eat and drink at N Seoul Tower:
N.Grill - 7th Floor - High-quality French dining experience at the highest point of N Seoul Tower
HanCook - 3rd Floor - Traditional Korean restaurant
The Place Dining - 2nd Floor - affordable Italian home-cooked style meals
Cheiljemyunso - 1st Floor - Korean-style noodle house offering the most convenient, quick meal at N Seoul Tower
N Burger - 1st Floor - exactly as you’d expect, handmade American-style burgers
N Terrace - 1st Floor - best place to grab a quick snack or coffee/beer/beverage
One of the viewing platforms at N Seoul Tower base level
Best things to see at N Seoul Tower
Though the tower itself is obviously the main attraction, several other attractions around the base add to the overall experience of visiting N Seoul Tower, here are just a few of the highlights:
Love Locks
You simply won’t miss them! Absolutely everywhere you go around N Seoul Tower, you will see row after row, mass after mass, of padlocks. These ‘love locks’ are placed on the railings around the tower to symbolise the unbreakable love between people.
The locks aren’t just reserved for couples, though; many close friends decide to place a lock on the railings at N Seoul Tower as a sign of their strong friendship.
In fact, placing the locks has become so popular that you can even buy them from the N Seoul Gift Shop, though it’s a lot cheaper to buy one elsewhere in Seoul and bring it to the tower yourself.
Just a few of the thousands of love locks secured to the N Seoul Tower
Observation Deck
Undoubtedly, the main highlight of visiting N Seoul Tower is the chance to experience the view from the world-renowned Observation Deck.
Regularly quoted as being one of the most impressive views in Seoul, the observation deck provides a panoramic, 360-degree vista of the remarkable Seoul skyline. The city spreads out for around 605 sq km and from the observation deck, you can pretty much catch a glimpse of every single inch.
Namsan Octagonal Pavilion
While the N Seoul Tower represents the heights (literally) of modern Korea, there is a reminder at the tower's base of the more traditional, historic Korean culture.
The Namsan Octagonal Pavilion was initially constructed in 1959 and only lasted a year before being destroyed during the infamous 4.19 movement (a revolution against the first South Korean President).
The structure that stands today was built in 1968 and is said to be the best place in Seoul to view the first sunset of the year - hence, it being the location for the annual sunrise festival on New Year’s Day.
The Namsan Octagonal Pavilion looks particularly beautiful in Autumn
Namsan Cable Car
While some might see the Namsan Cable Car as simply a convenient way to get to the top of Namsan Mountain, it is actually a brilliant activity in and of itself.
It offers a brilliant view of the North side of the city and despite being a short ride (around 3 mins for the 600m journey), it is certainly worth the ride.
The view from Namsan Cable Car
N Seoul Tower Gift Shop
At the base of the tower, you will find the N Seoul Tower Gift Shop. We have been in quite a few gift shops of popular attractions all over the world, and often they are tacky and overpriced.
We were pleasantly surprised to see a unique array of items on offer at the N Seoul Tower Gift Shop. You can even buy a replica of the tower that shines a certain colour depending on the air-quality status - quite neat, right?
Heart Chair
Another reminder of the romantic side of the N Seoul Tower, the heart chair is a perfect spot to get a photo with your loved one when you visit the famous Seoul attraction.
According to local rumours and hearsay, the chair is the perfect place to bring somebody on a date and will bring shy lovers closer together.
Even if you don’t quite buy into the romantic story behind the bench, it still offers a great Instagram opportunity, if nothing else.
Best Places to stay near N Seoul Tower
As you can imagine, with transport links as good as they are, there are a myriad of options when it comes to where to stay in Seoul. Having said that, the N Seoul Tower is one of the highlights of the city and it makes sense for a lot of Seoul travel itineraries to stay close to the tower and use the area as a home base.
So, here is a quick rundown of the best places to stay near N Seoul Tower:
Best budget-friendly option: Step Inn Myeongdong - this hostel is in the heart of Myeongdong and only a 20-minute walk from Namsan Cable Car.
Best location (close to Namsan Tower): Pacific Hotel - right outside Myeongdong Station and a 5-minute drive from N Seoul Tower
Luxury Stay: L’Escape Hotel- 500m away from Namsan Cable Car and has a spa and two restaurants on site.
There we have it folks, our full round-up of everything you need to know about visiting N Seoul Tower. A visit to the tower remains firmly on the bucket list for many travellers to South Korea’s capital city and we hope this article has provided you with all the information you need for visiting the iconic attraction.
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