How to Book a Hallasan Summit Hike as a Foreigner (2026)
Checked Sept 24, 2026
You only need a reservation to reach the top of Hallasan, the Baengnokdam crater. Book it for free on the park's own site, visithalla.jeju.go.kr. It has an English page and lets foreigners sign in with just an email address. Dates open at 9:00 a.m. Korea time on the 1st of the month before your hike, and one booking covers up to 4 people.
The rest of this guide covers the details the English page skips: which of the two summit trails to pick, the earlier winter cut-off times, and how to get to the trailhead without a car.
Jump to: Do you need a reservation? · How to book · When dates open · Which trail · Cut-off times · Getting there · What to bring · FAQ
Do you need a reservation for Hallasan?
Only for the summit. Since May 2025 the reservation covers just the last stretch of the two trails that reach the crater:
- Seongpanak: from Azalea Field Shelter (Jindallaebat, 진달래밭) to the summit, 2.3 km
- Gwaneumsa: from Samgakbong Shelter (삼각봉) to the summit, 2.7 km
You can walk the lower parts of both trails without booking. The other three trails (Eorimok, Yeongsil and Donnaeko) never need a reservation, but they end below the summit at Witse-oreum or the Nambyeok junction. If you want to stand at the crater rim, you need a booking.
How to book Hallasan as a foreigner
- Open visithalla.jeju.go.kr and choose Language → English.
- Click Verify. Koreans use real-name checks or Kakao. As the site says, foreigners use email verification: enter your email, press Send verification code, then type in the code.
- Go to Reservation, pick Seongpanak or Gwaneumsa, then pick a date and an entry time window.
- Add your group. One booking takes up to 4 people.
- Your QR code arrives by email from "visithalla". Every hiker needs their own QR code and ID (a passport works).
A few more rules from the park's notice:
- One booking per person per week. Once your QR code is scanned on the day, you can book again from the next day.
- Cancel before your entry window ends. If you just don't show up, you get a penalty. Korean news reports put it at a 3-month ban for the first no-show and 1 year for the second.
- Weather closes the mountain. Hiking is restricted when heavy rain, typhoon or heavy snow advisories are issued. If only part of the trail closes, you have to cancel and rebook.
When do Hallasan reservations open?
Dates open at 09:00 KST on the 1st of each month, for the rest of that month and all of the next one. If the 1st is a weekend or a Korean holiday, booking opens on the next business day.
This matters most for autumn. The Korea Forest Service expects Hallasan's fall colors to peak around Nov 6, and the Korea Tourism Organization says around Nov 13. November dates should open on Thursday, Oct 1. In your time zone:
| Where you are | Local time when November opens |
|---|---|
| Korea (KST) | Thu Oct 1, 09:00 |
| New York (EDT) | Wed Sep 30, 20:00 |
| Los Angeles (PDT) | Wed Sep 30, 17:00 |
| London (BST) | Thu Oct 1, 01:00 |
| Singapore | Thu Oct 1, 08:00 |
| Sydney (AEST) | Thu Oct 1, 10:00 |
Weekends go first. When I checked the booking calendar on Sept 24, Seongpanak had 54 places left for Saturday, Sept 26, 259 for Sunday, and over 500 for Monday.
Seongpanak or Gwaneumsa: which trail?
Both reach the same crater. The difference is the climb.
| Seongpanak 성판악 | Gwaneumsa 관음사 | |
|---|---|---|
| Side | East | North |
| Start elevation | 750 m | 620 m |
| To the summit | 9.6 km, about 4.5 h | 8.7 km, about 5 h |
| Checkpoint | Azalea Field Shelter, 7.3 km | Samgakbong Shelter, 6 km |
| Hard sections | 1 (the last 2.3 km) | 2 |
| Restrooms | Trailhead, Sokbat, Azalea Field | Campsite, Tamna Valley, Samgakbong |
| Shop | None | Rest area at the trailhead |
| Daily limit (reported) | 1,000 | 500 |
Seongpanak is longer but gentler. Most of it runs through forest, and the park rates only the final 2.3 km as hard. It is the usual first choice.
Gwaneumsa is shorter and steeper, with two hard sections, deeper valleys and bigger views. The park notes that many Seongpanak hikers come down this way. Going up Seongpanak and down Gwaneumsa is a popular loop, but you'll need a taxi or bus back to your car.
Hallasan cut-off times (they change on Oct 1)
The park runs two schedules. April to September is summer, and October to March is winter. September and October fall on different schedules, so September trip reports will give you the wrong time for an October hike.
| Checkpoint | Apr–Sep | Oct–Mar |
|---|---|---|
| Trails open | 05:00 | 05:00 |
| Seongpanak / Gwaneumsa entrance closes | 12:30 | 11:30 |
| Pass Azalea Field or Samgakbong by | 12:30 | 11:30 |
| Leave the summit (Dongneung) by | 14:30 | 13:30 |
| Leave Azalea Field / Samgakbong going down by | 16:30 | 15:30 |
Working backwards on Seongpanak: the park says Azalea Field is about 3 hours from the trailhead. To pass it by 11:30 in winter, you need to be walking by 8:30 at the very latest. Add breaks and a slow bus, and starting around 7:00 is the safer plan.
How to get to the trailheads
Seongpanak: take an intercity bus toward Seogwipo on the 5.16 Road from Jeju Intercity Bus Terminal. The ride is about 40 minutes, and the trail is a 2-minute walk from the stop. The park suggests bus 281 or 181. Show the driver 성판악.
Gwaneumsa: take the 5.16 Road bus to Jeju National University (about 20 minutes), then change to bus 475 for about 5 minutes to the trail entrance. Show 관음사 탐방로.
Driving: the Seongpanak lot is small and fills early. Parking has been charged by time since January 2026. For a small car it costs 1,000 won for the first hour, then 500 won every 20 minutes, up to 13,000 won a day. A summit round trip takes about 9 hours, so plan on paying the daily maximum.
What to bring (there are no shops on the mountain)
- All your food and water. The shelters stopped selling food years ago. Only the Gwaneumsa trailhead rest area sells gimbap, noodles, water, gloves, raincoats and crampons.
- Crampons, gloves, warm clothes and a hot drink for winter hikes. The weather on Hallasan changes fast.
- Emergency snacks such as candy, chocolate or salt.
- A bag for your trash. You carry everything back down.
- Not allowed: disposable lunch boxes and alcohol.
Place names to know (English + Korean)
Signs on the mountain use both scripts, but bus stops and drivers often go by Korean.
| English | Korean | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Hallasan | 한라산 | The mountain, 1,947 m, South Korea's highest |
| Baengnokdam (also Baeknokdam) | 백록담 | The summit crater lake |
| Dongneung | 동릉 | East rim, where both summit trails end |
| Seongpanak | 성판악 | East trailhead |
| Sokbat Shelter | 속밭 | Unstaffed shelter, 4.1 km |
| Saraoreum | 사라오름 | Side trail to a small crater lake, 5.8 km |
| Azalea Field Shelter | 진달래밭 | Staffed checkpoint, 7.3 km |
| Gwaneumsa | 관음사 | North trailhead, next to a campsite |
| Tamna Valley | 탐라계곡 | About 3.2 km in |
| Samgakbong Shelter | 삼각봉 | Staffed checkpoint, 6 km |
| Yongjingak | 용진각 | Suspension bridge below the summit |
Hallasan reservation FAQ
Can foreigners book Hallasan without a Korean phone number?
Yes. The English site lets foreigners who can't do Korean real-name verification sign in with an email code.
Is the Hallasan reservation free?
The park's fee page lists only parking and campsite charges. I found no fee for the hiking reservation itself.
Can I book for my friends?
Yes, up to 4 people per booking. Each person still needs their own QR code and ID at the checkpoint.
Can I hike Hallasan without a reservation?
Yes, on Eorimok, Yeongsil and Donnaeko, or on the lower parts of Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa. None of those take you to the crater.
How long does the Hallasan summit hike take?
About 4.5 hours up by Seongpanak or 5 hours by Gwaneumsa. Most people should plan on about 9 hours for the round trip.
Things I could not confirm from an official page yet:
- The daily limits (1,000 and 500) and the no-show ban lengths. These come from Korean news reports, not the park's English pages.
- The exact entry time windows offered when you book. You only see them after signing in.
- Current bus timetables. Check Kakao Map or Naver Map on the day.
Sources
- Hallasan National Park booking site (English): Reservation guide, Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa trail pages, Usage fee, notice "Guidelines on the adjustment of the reservation section" (May 12, 2025)
- Korea Forest Service fall foliage forecast (reported Sept 22, 2026) and Korea Tourism Organization foliage forecast
- Korean news on the Gwaneumsa reopening (Seoul Shinmun, Media Jeju, Asia Economy, Sept 18, 2026) and the 2025 reservation change (Kyunghyang Shinmun, Jeju-ui Sori, Apr 22, 2025)
— Aslan
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