Cross-Country Route
The Cross-Country Route follows a series of cycling paths and picturesque country roads from South Korea’s northwest to the southeast tip of the peninsula.
Four separate certification bike paths create the route, each strung together to form a continuous path.
The Stats
Incheon City
(인천시)
34 hours
Busan City
(부산시)
- Time 33.5 hours (5 to 9 days)
- Length 633 km (393 miles)
- Elevation 539 m | 1 m (1,768 ft | 3 ft)
- Difficulty 🚲🚲🚲🚲
- Certifications Hangang Path, Saejae Path, Nakdonggang Path, Four Rivers, Cross-Country, Grand Slam
Cycle a short stretch from the Yellow Sea, down a canal, and onto the edge of Seoul.
Cycle a short stretch from the Yellow Sea, down a canal, and onto the edge of Seoul.
Ride the Han and South Han Rivers through Seoul, into tunnels, over weirs, and by river isles.
Track the Nakdong River by architectural wonders, ancient academies, and bird sanctuaries.
Track the Nakdong River by architectural wonders, ancient academies, and bird sanctuaries.
The Four Rivers Path vs. Cross-Country Route
Before we dive into the Cross-Country Route, let’s define two terms.
Folks often use these terms interchangeably. But regarding Korea’s biking certification system, they mean two different things.
- In Korean, the Cross-Country Route reads “국토종주,” which literally means “Crossing the Country.” This cycling course travels from Incheon in the northeast to Busan in the southwest. It is made up of four bike paths:
- Ara Bike Path
- Hangang Bike Path (Hangang (Seoul) and Nahangang)
- Saejae Bike Path
- Nakdonggang Bike Path
- The Four Rivers Path is not a connected cycling course like the Cross-Country Route. It’s a collection of bike paths that track four major rivers in South Korea. It’s also made up of four bike paths:
- Hangang Bike Path (in the northwest)
- Nakdonggang Bike Path (in the southeast)
- Geumgang Bicycle Path (in the middle-west)
- Yeongsangang Bicycle Path (in the southwest)
The Cross-Country Route includes two of the same bike paths in the Four Rivers Path certification (Hangang and Nakdonggang). And, at the end of the Nakdonggang Bike Path in Busan, you will see a marker that reads Four Rivers Path, leading to some confusion.
However, if you cycled the Cross-Country Route, you didn’t technically complete the Four Rivers Path certification. To do that, hop on over to the cycling paths along the Geum and Yeongsan rivers, listed in the Western Routes, and tackle them one-by-one.
Overview
The Ara Bicycle Path starts near the Yellow Sea in Incheon City. It rides east for a quick 21 kilometers and ends on the Han River in Seoul.
The Han River (Hangang) Bike Path continues the Cross-Country Route. It flies through the capital’s core, offering glimpses at iconic highlights.
After leaving the mega-city, travel the pastoral South Han River. Ride old rail bridges and tunnels, by watergates, and past river islands filled with migrating birds.
In the middle of Korea, the Saejae Bike Path takes over the Cross-Country Route. It ascends two mountain passes near the highest point of an ancient highway. Discover waterfalls, hot springs, and high-angle views along the way.
Dive onto the Nakdong River (Nakdonggang) Bike Path, the last leg of the Cross-Country tour. Wind south down the Nakdong River, the nation’s longest. Zig past eight weirs. Zag around Daegu City. And climb spiky hills overlooking ancient Confucian academies and hanok villages.
The Cross-Country Route ends near where the Nakdong River spills into the Korea Strait in Busan City on the southwest corner of the peninsula.
The Four Rivers Restoration Project
Throughout Korean history, the country’s rivers had a bad temper. They flooded. They dried up. They swept away riverside folk.
So in the 1980s, the government hatched a plan to control the Han, Korea’s most notorious river. They built dams (Paldang Dam) and weirs (Jamsil Bridge) to control its flow. Then workers dredged the riverbed to prevent sudden changes in its course after floods.
Ara Bicycle Path
The Ara Bicycle Path (아라 자전거길; map) begins (or ends) the Cross-Country Route. Just 21 kilometers long, this route is the shortest and flattest of all Korea’s certification bike paths.
Begin at the Ara West Sea Lock, which transfers boats between the Ara Gyeongin Canal and Yellow Sea (황해; “West Sea”; map) in Incheon City (인천시; map).
Travel east along the canal, passing waterside parks, a cruise terminal, and an artificial waterfall.
The Ara Bike Path finishes at the Ara Hangang Lock, the opposite end of the Ara Canal. It passes boats between the canal and Han River in Seoul (서울특별시; map).
Read More
Below, find all the resources you need to bike the Ara Bike Path.
- Ara Bicycle Path — an overview of the bike path.
- Bike Incheon to Seoul — a ride-through (1 of 1).
- Gyeongin Ara Waterway — all about the waterway.
- Highlights — major attractions on the Ara Bike Path.
- How to Get There — transportation to the Ara Bike Path.
Hangang Bicycle Path
The Hangang Bicycle Path, or “Han River” Bike Path, traverses both the Han (한강; map) and South Han Rivers (남한강; map). At 192 kilometers long, it’s the second longest and second leg of the Cross-Country Route.
Korea’s bike path certification system officially breaks the Hangang Bicycle Path in two:
The Hangang Bike Path (Seoul) begins where the Ara Bike Path ends. It straddles both the Han River’s north and south banks through Seoul, offering access to the city’s highlights, including the National Assembly, Namsan Mountain and Tower, Lotte Tower, and Banpo Fountain Bridge.
Just outside Seoul, meet the Namhangang Bicycle Path. It tracks the South Han River (Namhangang; 남한강) through Gyeonggi and into North Chungcheong Province in center of the peninsula.
This route travels a retired section of the Gyeongui-Jungang Line using retrofitted bridges and tunnels. In Yeoju, tour a royal tomb, watergates, and river islands.
The Namhangang Bike Path ends at the Chungju Dam Certification Center above downtown Chungju.
(Riding for the Cross-Country Certification? You don’t need the Chungju Dam stamp. It sits at the end of a 16-kilometer detour. From the Binaeseom Certification Center, head directly to the Chungju Tangeumdae Certification Center, the first on the Saejae Bike Path.)
Read More
Below, find pages with useful info about the Hangang Bike Path.
- Hangang Bike Path — an overview of the bike path.
- Bike Seoul (South Side) — a ride-through (1A of 3).
- Bike Seoul (North Side) — a ride-through (1B of 3).
- Bike Seoul to Yeoju — a ride-through (2 of 3).
- Bike Yeoju to Chungju — a ride-through (3 of 3).
- The Han River — all about the waterway.
- Highlights — major attractions on the Hangang Bike Path.
- How to Get There — transportation to the Hangang Bike Path.
Saejae Bicycle Path
The Saejae Bicycle Path (새재 자전거길; map) forms the third section of the Cross-Country Route. Though short (100 km), it presents the greatest challenge among Korea’s certification paths.
Begin in Chungju City, near the center of the peninsula. Ascend the Sojo Mountain Pass (소조령; map), then the Ihwa Mountain Pass (이화령; map). They sport 139 and 305-meter climbs.
Sail past mountain towns with hot springs, holy sites, waterfalls, and magnificent high-angle lookout spots.
The Saejae Bike Path gets its name from the Mungyeong Saejae Pass. Now a provincial park with fortress gates, it was the highest point on the Great Yeongnam Road, which connected Seoul to Busan during the Joseon Dynasty (1392 ~ 1897). The name “Saejae” (새재) loosely translates to “a mountain pass so high, even birds have a hard time crossing it.”
Saejae Bike Path ends on the Nakdong River at Sangju Sangpung Bridge Certification Center on the edge of Sangju City.
Read More
Below, find pages with useful info, tips, and ride-throughs for the Saejae Bike Path.
- Saejae Bike Path — an overview of the bike path.
- Bike Chungju to Sangju — a ride-through (1 of 1).
- Mungyeong Saejae Pass — all about the ancient mountain pass.
- Highlights — major attractions on the Saejae Bike Path.
- How to Get There — transportation to the Saejae Bike Path.
Nakdonggang Bicycle Path
Korea’s longest cycling road (324 km), the Nakdonggang Bicycle Path (낙동강 자전거길; map) follows South Korea’s longest river, the Nakdong River (낙동강; map).
The Nakdonggang Bike Path doesn’t begin where the Saejae Bike Path ends. It starts 70 kilometers east of the Cross-Country Route.
- Want to ride the whole Nakdonggang route? Start at the Andong Dam Certification Center (안동댐인증센터; map) 70 kilometers upriver from Sangpung Bridge.
- Just cycling for the Cross-Country Route certification? Continue south from Sangpung Bridge. Skip the stamp in Andong City.
The Nakdonggang Bike Path follows the winding Nakdong by a smorgasbord of historic, natural, and aesthetic sites. A handful of spiky hills offer panoramas of the coursing waterway.
Among the course’s many highlights, find eight Four Rivers Project weirs. Designed to reflect local history and culture, these watergates tamed the flood-prone Nakdong River.
The Nakdonggang Bike Path and Cross-Country Route end near where the Nakdong River spills into the Korea Strait (남해; “South Sea”; map). Cross the finish line on Eulsukdo Island (을숙도; map), a river isle in Busan City (부산시; map), Korea’s second largest city.
Read More
Find all the resources you need to bike the Ara Bike Path below.
- Nakdonggang Bike Path — an overview of the bike path.
- Bike Andong to Sangju — a ride-through (1 of 5).
- Bike Sangju to Gumi — a ride-through (2 of 5).
- Bike Gumi to Daegu — a ride-through (3 of 5).
- Bike Daegu to Changnyeong — a ride-through (4 of 5).
- Bike Changnyeong to Busan — a ride-through (5 of 5).
- The Nakdong River — all about the waterway.
- Highlights — major attractions on the Nakdonggang Bike Path.
- How to Get There — transportation to the Nakdonggang Bike Path.
Bike Path Types
Other than the Saejae Bicycle Path, most of the Cross-Country Route rides on protected cycle paths.
- 70% bike paths
- 20% country roads
- 10% farm roads
Peak season, beware of paths in and around Seoul and Busan. Folks of all ages and skill levels crowd the cycling roads. Mixed with dawdling couples and feral young ones, you’ll often find traffic jams and raging cyclists. Keep calm and forgive.
Outside the metropolises, cycle traffic thins out. Stay alert and keep your lane, however. Make way for cyclists on a speedrun.
Worried about vehicle roads? The Cross-Country Route travels a handful of them. However, long ago, modern, mountain-boring highways siphoned off long-distance travelers. Occasional bongo trucks and sightseeing SUVs haunt the pavement, though.
While much of the bike path travels through municipal riverside parks, some of the route’s linking sections use farmer access roads. Tractors with wide tread often drop mud clumps in the bike lanes.
Time & Distance
The Cross-Country Route is long (633 km; 393 mi) and climbs the tallest peak (539 m; 1768 ft) among all Korea’s certification paths.
Strong cyclists averaging over 20 km/h (12 mph) over ten hours could complete the course in three to four days.
For a sightseeing pace, ride 12 km/h (8 mph) and budget six to eight days. That’s plenty of time for breezy breaks, long lunches, and memory cards full of photos.
Depending on your goals, your total distance will vary. Several bike paths run along opposite sides of the same waterway. (Seoul’s North and South Sides. Changnyeong to Busan.)
And two detours travel to far-flung certification centers (Chungju Dam & Andong Dam). Together, they add up to 86 kilometers of extra pavement. However, you don’t need these stamps for the Cross-Country Certification.
Remember, bus terminals line the route. Use them to jump on and off the bike paths. Conquer the country bit-by-bit.
Where to Stay
Cycling the Cross-Country Route in Korea offers a diverse range of accommodations in various towns and cities. Here’s a quick guide listing major settlements with accommodations to help you plan your stay:
- Ara Bike Path sits at the top of Incheon City (인천광역시; map).
- Not many places to stay directly on the bike path. Venture south a few kilometers to find accommodations (map of accommodations).
- The Hangang Bike Path passes many cities in the northern sections. It becomes more rural in the south.
- Seoul — Find a variety of accommodations along the bike path.
- Hanam City (하남시; map) — Seoul’s eastern satellite city (map of accommodations).
- Yangpyeong County (양평군; map) — Its downtown lies next to the South Han River. (map of accommodations).
- Yeoju City (여주시; map) — A small city split on either side of the South Han River (map of accommodations).
- Chungju City (충주시; map) — The Hangang Bike Path’s southernmost city (map of accommodations).
How to Get There
The Start
The Cross-Country Route’s start line, the Ara West Sea Lock (map) in Incheon, lies within kilometers of the nation’s largest airport. It also sits on a subway line and near two intercity bus terminals.
However, some key restrictions make getting to the route’s start line tricky.
The End
The Cross-Country Route’s finish line, the Nakdonggang Estuary Bank (map), mirrors its opening.
- It sits on the edge of Busan, a major metropolitan city.
- Korea’s third largest airport hums kilometers away.
- A subway line and a couple of intercity bus terminals lie close by.
Each transportation option has some important limitations to consider.
The Middle
Conquering the Cross-Country Route bit-by-bit? The cycling course passes through Seoul and Daegu, two metropolitan cities with subway systems.
Need to get to rural parts? Every district holds an Intercity bus terminal. Their armies of buses are the best way for cyclists with full-size bikes to zoom around Korea.
Every one of Korea by Bike’s city-to-city guides (e.g. Seoul to Yeoju, Daegu to Changnyeong) starts and ends in downtowns equipped with motels, restaurants, and intercity bus terminals.
Learn more about getting to the Hangang Bike Path and Saejae Bike Path.
