Mt. Geumjeong One-Day Course in Busan: Cable Car, Beomeosa Temple and Sanseong Village Makgeolli

This guide covers two ways to do it: an easy trip by cable car, and a walk up from Beomeosa Temple. Either way, you can finish by drinking makgeolli at Sanseong Village and heading down. Later sections also cover other sights in Geumjeong-gu (금정구): Hoedong Reservoir, Seodong Miro Market and the Pusan National University Youth Street.

Mt. Geumjeong is a mountain in northern Busan. Unlike the coastal sights by the sea, it wraps around Busan from behind the city. In March 2026 it became Korea's 24th national park, and it is the first national park in Korea located in an urban area. It spans 6 districts of Busan and Yangsan City in South Gyeongsang Province, with an area of 66.859 ㎢.

Geumjeong Fortress

Geumjeong Fortress (금정산성) is a mountain fortress built of stone along the ridge of Mt. Geumjeong. A mountain fortress is a castle built on a mountain, where people went in to fight or take shelter when enemies attacked. Busan is close to Japan across the sea, so people have long worried about Japanese invasions.

In 1592 the Imjin War (임진왜란) broke out, when Japan invaded Joseon. It was a major war that lasted 7 years, and the Japanese army entered by sea and attacked the area of present-day Busan first. In 1636 the Second Manchu invasion (병자호란) took place, when the Qing dynasty of China invaded Joseon. After these two wars, Joseon decided to strengthen its defenses again and built Geumjeong Fortress in 1703. It is thought that it was first built earlier, in the Three Kingdoms period, but the exact date is unknown. It was heavily damaged during the Japanese colonial period; the East, West and South Gates were rebuilt from 1972, and the North Gate in 1989. Restoration work is still going on.

The Geumgang Park (금강공원) cable car is an old cable car that opened in September 1966. It is 1,260 m long, and at the top you get off near the South Gate of Geumjeong Fortress. You see the city and the mountain at the same time, so even people who are not good at hiking can go up easily.

Fares

Operating hours

If you plan to ride the cable car down as well, you need to reach the boarding station before closing time. Service may stop on days with rain or strong wind.

At the top you can walk toward the South Gate and stroll along the fortress wall. A trip that goes up by cable car, walks the wall and comes back down takes only half a day.

The temple was founded by the monk Master Uisang (의상대사) in 678. Together with Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon and Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan, it is called one of the three great temples of Yeongnam (영남, southeastern Korea). It is still a temple where monks practice, so before it is a tourist attraction, it is a place where people live.

This is a temple where monks practice, so take off your shoes and keep quiet when you enter a hall.

Mt. Geumjeong has more than 200 hiking trails. This guide picks only the courses that foreign travelers can reach and leave easily by public transport. Most can be started from subway Line 1 and a bus.

Beomeosa to North Gate Wooden steps and stone steps alternate, but the slope is not steep. It is enough to take photos of the gate at the North Gate and come back.

Beomeosa to Godangbong Peak, round trip This is the course with the most walking. You go from Beomeosa past the North Gate to the summit, Godangbong Peak (801.5 m), and come back down the same way. After the North Gate there are rocky slopes and iron stairs, so it takes more effort. From the summit you can see Busan city and the mouth of the Nakdong River.

East Gate to Beomeosa Take Bus 203 (express seat bus) from in front of Oncheonjang Station (온천장역) Exit 7 and get off at the East Gate entrance (동문 입구). Follow the wall past Watchtower No. 4, Wonhyobong Peak (원효봉), the North Gate and Godangbong Peak, and come down to Beomeosa. Afterward, take Bus 90 from the Beomeosa stop (범어사) to Beomeosa Station (범어사역). The place where you go up and the place where you come down are different, so it works well by bus.

Cable car up, then to Beomeosa Take the cable car up to the South Gate, pass the East Gate, North Gate and Godangbong Peak, and come down to Beomeosa. Going up by cable car reduces the uphill in the first section.

Beomeosa to Sanseong Village From the Beomeosa parking lot (범어사 주차장), go through Naewonam Hermitage (내원암), the North Gate and Jeongsuam Hermitage (정수암) and come down to Sanseong Village. You can drink makgeolli in Sanseong Village and take a bus down.

Traverse of all 4 gates A course that links the South Gate, East Gate, North Gate and West Gate in one day. It suits people who are used to mountains.

The section past the North Gate has many stones, so wear shoes with non-slip soles. After rain the rock steps are even more slippery. Walk only on the designated trails, and do not take shortcuts or side paths onto the rocks.

Sanseong Village is a village in a basin about 400 m above sea level, inside Geumjeong Fortress. It is 2–3 degrees cooler than the flatlands and is famous for traditional Korean makgeolli. Makgeolli (막걸리) is a cloudy traditional Korean rice wine made from rice.

Many Koreans like to have a cup of makgeolli with pajeon (scallion pancake) after hiking. Sanseong Village has many restaurants, and most of them sell Geumjeong Fortress makgeolli. After a hike or a walk, sit down in a restaurant and try it with pajeon.

Hoedong Reservoir is a large lake in the east of Geumjeong-gu. It stores drinking water for the people of Busan, so the public was not allowed in from 1964. After 45 years, a walking path opened in January 2010. In the old days the scenery of this area was called "Oryundae".

The order of the "Hoedong Reservoir Tour" introduced by the Geumjeong-gu Office (금정구청) is as follows. It starts at Hoedongho Nuri Bridge (회동호 누리교) and passes Sanghyeon Village (상현마을), the Oryundae Observatory, the Bamboo Forest Path (대숲길, ecological trail), the Ttangmoesan Hwangto Forest Path and the Ttangmoesan waterside deck, and ends at Dongdae Bridge (동대교).

Seodong Miro Market is a traditional market in Geumjeong-gu. Three markets, Seodong Market (서동시장), Seodong Hyangto Market (서동향토시장) and Seodong Traditional Alley Market (서동전통골목시장), are connected, and the alleys are tangled like a maze (miro), which is how it got its name. The Geumjeong-gu Office says the market was chosen as a "cultural tourism market" in 2014. Inside the market is the Seodong Art Creation Space (서동예술창작공간), with an exhibition room, studios, a small library and an outdoor performance stage.

The market is in the neighborhood where BTS's Jimin grew up, so many fans visit. Busan's official tourism portal introduces the snack shop "Manna Bunsik" (맛나분식) in the market as a place Jimin liked to eat at. It is a 39-year-old shop and the egg mandu (dumplings) is its signature dish. Photos sent by fans are on the shop's wall.

Pusan National University Youth Street (부산대 젊음의 거리) runs from the front of Pusan National University (부산대학교) to Pusan National University Station (부산대역) on subway Line 1. The Geumjeong-gu Office introduces it as the center of youth culture. There are many shops that university students visit, so it is busy with shopping and cafes by day and with restaurants and bars in the evening.

In national parks, smoking outside designated places brings a fine of up to 2,000,000 won. There are also places where drinking alcohol is not allowed, and violations bring a fine of 50,000 won for the first offense and 100,000 won from the second. It is safer to drink makgeolli in the restaurants of Sanseong Village.