2-Day Hike through the Scenic Valleys of Mt. Seoraksan from Seoul

My family of three with an 11 year old child really enjoyed our trip with Bergen, a freelance tour guide with a long time passion for travel and hiking! He reached out before the trip to help us pick the best hiking trail for our abilities and interest and answered my questions. The day of pickup, he arrived on time and drove us to Seoraksan National Park in his comfortable minivan with one rest stop along the way. During the trip, Bergen provided amiable and interesting company. While hiking, he encouraged us along the trail, accommodating our pace while never rushing us. The scenery and hiking were fantastic! He also took many photos. Bergen took us to three excellent local restaurants off the tourist grid that were really a highlight for me, a foodie. (Bergen is also a foodie who has accumulated a big database of good restaurants across Korea.) We got to sample mountain vegetable bibimbap, charcoal grilled fish, and cold buckwheat noodles. The hotel in Sokcho was also a very comfortable and nice hotel with an ocean view and a superb breakfast buffet. (If you stay at the Sea Cruise Hotel, definitely don't miss out on the breakfast buffet and the rooftop observatory.) The cable car and visit to Naksansa were pleasant and scenic excursions. If I could suggest one addition, I would suggest a brief stop at the beach in Sokcho if the weather is good. That day was brilliantly sunny and the beach looked so clean and inviting. He probably would have taken us there if I'd asked, because he's very nice and wants everyone to have a wonderful trip!

We enjoyed a great couple of days. Bergen picked us up on time in his very comfortable car for the drive to Seoraksan. The best of the autumn colours had passed but the landscape is still ruggedly beautiful and well worth visiting. The hike was not difficult if you have a reasonable level of fitness. The restaurant and hotel Bergen selected were both excellent, with a bonus visit to the night markets. Bergen adapted the itinerary to meet our preferences so we were able to have a relaxed visit to the Garden of Morning Calm on our return journey.

We had a wonderful 3 days with Bergen. He was happy to adjust the itinerary to suit our request to visit Nami Island as well. Our son is 10 years old and loved hiking with Bergen. We received very helpful information about travelling in Korea before the trip and very interesting information about Korea’s history during our journey. We loved visiting Naksana Temple and Nami Island. Bergen took many photos of our family which we will treasure with our memories of this trip.

Excellent 2days with Bergen exploring Serakosan mountains with overnight stay in Sokcho eating delicious Korean food. 1st day pick up in Seoul with afternoon hike, 4hrs, to Deungseondae Rock & through the Heillimgol Valley trail ( northern side of mountains). The hike was tough but absolutely stunning scenery & very rewarding. Dinner at a truly local fish Korean BBQ restaurant, so fresh straight from the sea 😋 Day2 exploring the southern side of Seoraksan including the cable car, Buddha & temples. Lunch at a local market restaurant where we queued with the locals and then to Naksana Temple before driving back to Seoul. Bergen is a wonderful guide and shared his passion for the Korean landscape and food, also taking heaps of photos along the way. The 2 days were my highlight of a 10 day stay in Korea, Bergen put together an excellent itinerary for our trip which I highly recommend.

Walking the trails of Mt Seoraksan with Bergen was a highlight of my trip to South Korea. Bergen thoughtfully planned the walks to cater for my age (70) and my daughter's bad knee. We saw absolutely beautiful scenery and Bergen made the whole experience seamless. He collected us from our hotel in Seoul, drove us expertly to the trail heads as well as took us to lovely local restaurants. We were very well cared for, returning to Seoul after a glorious two days seeing Mount Seoraksan and Sokcho.

We had a great time in Soraksan. Everything was very well organized and easy. The hike allowed us to discover nature and beautiful scenery, and visit the temple, the market of Sokcho, as well as the cable car on the second day another aspect of the park. Bergen our guide was very caring, made us discover typical and very good restaurants, outside the tourist corners. And we also had the opportunity to share with him our impressions of our respective cultures. Many great memories, we recommend!

Bergen was the perfect guide for me and two other adult family members. Day 1 was hiking all day. We went during the beautiful, but busy, fall foliage season and he knew how to work around the crowds and find the perfect authentic restaurants that we would not have found on our own. The overnight stay in the modern Sokcho hotel was beautiful with a sumptuous buffet of delicious food. Day two was the incredible cable car ride (very crowded but again Bergen knew how to navigate it) and the Naksansa Monastery on the Sea of Japan. We concluded with the most authentic Korean food I've ever had with delicious homemade tofu at a family-run restaurant that Bergen knew to be a gem. Fantastic two days!

We had a great time on this tour. Mr Kimsoo, our guide, was informative and patient. He was knowledgeable about Korea, including the history, culture and food. The first day's hiking was in the stunning Seoraksan national park, walking up to a cave where a small Buddhist temple was located. The second day's hiking was a bit disrupted by road works up to the path, but we still spent an enjoyable day walking up to a waterfall area. Would highly recommend it.