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Bike Seoul's
South Side

Cycle the south side of the Han River in Seoul.

Capital City, here you come! All of Korea’s bicycle paths lead to Seoul.

The Hangang Bike Path lies on both the north and south banks of Han River (한강) as it flows through the middle of the capital. Both cycling paths overflow with landmarks and history. So I split the route in two:

This guide follows the South Side. It begins where the Ara Bicycle Path left off. And it continues onto the Bike Seoul to Yeoju leg of the Hangang Bike Path.

Seoul Skyline and National Assembly from Yanghwa Hangang Park (양화한강공원) along the Han River in Seoul.
Bike riders along the Hangang Bike Path on Yeouido Island. Namsan Tower and Namsan Mountain rise in the background.
A picture of the Starfield COEX Mall in the Gangnam District in Seoul.
Walking and bike path along the Han River in Seoul. The Hangang Railroad Bridge spans the river in the background.
A picture of the lower deck of Banpo Grand Fountain Bridge in Seoul, South Korea.
A picture of Lotte World Tower at night in Seoul, South Korea.
Waterlight Square Fountain in Yeouido Hangang Park
The infrastructure that flows above the bicycle paths bring a sense of awe and beauty to your ride.
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An elevation graph of the Seoul to Hanam bike path.
Link button to Kakao Maps directions.
Directions
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Highlights

North or South?

Which river bank should you cycle? North or South?

During the Joseon Dynasty (1392 ~ 1897), Seoul sat on only the north side of the Han River. But after the Korean War, development expanded the city to the marshy swathe below the river, creating gleaming new districts that rival the north.

To generalize:

  • The North Side cycling route rolls past Seoul’s old world. It gives access to the Jongno and Jung Districts, which formed the old Joseon Dynasty’s capital.
  • The South Side bike path tours the gleaming new districts below the Han, including the glitzy Gangnam District and powerhouse Yeouido Island.

Don’t fear! If you have buyer’s remorse, twenty-two bridges along the river provide quick crossing points.

Hangang Parks Guides

The South Side’s bike path travels through a series of Han River (Hangang) Parks and one satellite city.

To make this guide more digestible, I divided the South Side course into eight pages. Each profiles a single Hangang Park or satellite city.

  1. Gangseo Hangang Park
  2. Yanghwa Hangang Park
  3. Yeouido Hangang Park
  4. Banpo Hangang Park
  5. Jamwon Hangang Park
  6. Jamsil Hangang Park
  7. Gwangnaru Hangang Park
  8. Hanam City

The guides run west to east along the Han River. Are you cycling the Cross-Country Route from Incheon? Ride from the Ara Bike Path to Gangseo Hangang Park. From Gangseo to Yanghwa; Yanghwa to Yeouido, etc.

The Hanam City guide flows onto the next section of the Hangang Bike Path: Bike Seoul to Yeoju.

A picture of the bicycle path in Yanghwa Hangang Park through Seoul in South Korea.
Climb Seonyu Bridge to get the best view of Yanghwa Hangang Park's path and south Seoul's skyline.

Certification

The South Side bike path through Seoul has two advantages over the North Side.

  1. The Ara Bike Path, which opens the Cross-Country Route, connects with the South Side. No detour.
  2. The South Side has the Certification Centers (red stamp booths) you need to complete the Hangang and Cross-Country Route certifications.

South Side (2):

North Side (1):

The Gwangnaru Certification Center stamp and Ttukseom Certification Center stamp are interchangeable. They sit across the river from one another. If you grab one stamp, it will automatically count the other stamp.

Are you riding the North Side and want to complete the certifications? You need to cross the Han and grab the Yeouido Certification Center stamp. It doesn’t have a twin stamp on the opposite side of the river.

Hangang Park System

In 2007, Seoul created the Hangang Renaissance Project (한강르네상스 사업). What was the project’s goal?

  • Clean up and restore the Han River’s ecology, ravaged by years of uncheck industrialization.
  • Build infrastructure and landmarks to lure folks out of their homes.
  • Establish eleven (11) parks along the river.

Eleven Hangang River Parks (한강공원) claim 99% of the Han River’s banks in Seoul. West to east they include:

Seoul Hanam City-to-City Icon
Hanam Yeoju City-to-City Icon
Yeoju Chungju City-to-City
Highlights
Get There
Han River
Ara Bike Path Title
Hangang Bike Path Title
Saejae Bike Path Title
Nakdonggang Bike Path Title
Cross-Country Routes logo.
East Coast Routes logo.
Western Routes logo. Korean bicycle paths.
Jeju & More Routes logo. Korean bicycle paths.