Best tour guide - Andy is an amazing tour guide, very nice and friendly, he speak a perfect English and answer all our question. The hiking was not hard, and the view over the mountain was breathless. I recomanded this experience

Stunning hike, tasty lunch, and relaxing spa—perfect Seoul day! - Incredible day! The Bukhansan hike was beautiful, the lunch was delicious and the spa was so relaxing. Couldn’t ask for a better mix of adventure and culture.

Benny was a fantastic... - Benny was a fantastic guide - very welcoming and knowledgeable- and the tour was excellent. Great for solo traveller.

A wonderful experience! - Kim was THE BEST!!! We had a great time hiking to the temple. The scenery was INCREDIBLE the entire trip and the views were breathtaking at the top. Kim was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed all the conversations! We brought our 16 year old daughter with us and Kim was good at including her in the conversation. She thoroughly enjoyed it. We had a snack at the temple made by the monks and then after, he took us to a local korean restaurant which was delicious. We had a wonderful full day and would definitely book with Kim again!

A great outdoor excursion and cultural learning experience! Highly recommend - Andy was great - as was the hike! We thoroughly enjoyed learning about Korean culture and history. It was a nice workout too! We told him what we wanted to eat and he found the perfect place for exactly what we asked for. A great day!

Once in a life time experience. - We had the best time with Kim. He took us on the most magical hike and the experience felt once in a lifetime. The meal we had after our beautiful hike was so delicious and home cooked and the spa we ended up going to wasn't pretentious at all. It felt like a neighborhood spot all the ladies close by go to...it was totally a glimpse into everyday life in Seoul. I highly recommend this tour...so worth the money! Thank you Kim!

This was truly a special... - This was truly a special experience for our family! Mr. Kim guided us on our hike up Mt. Bukhansan. We learned so much about the history of Korea. Hiking to the temple was so amazing! Lunch was delicious and our jimjilbang (spa) experience was incredible!! It was a wonderful way to start our family vacation. We loved it.

Hiking in Korea - The hiking experience was a great experience. The hike was about 3 miles. Pretty steep at some places. Lots of rocks to climb on way up and then roadway down. Kim was very knowledgeable and explained a lot about Seoul. The lunch was at a traditional Korean location and was so delicious! The spa experience definitely helped relax all the leg muscles from the hike. I recommend doing this tour!

Great experience. Highly recommend. - Bennie is the best. Gave great information on the history of Seoul. The hike was so great. Loved every minute up to the 108 step to the Carved Buddha on the mountain. Highly recommend this tour. Helps to be fit and familiar with hiking. The meal after was great.

My Honest Review of the Bukhansan Hike — A Trip of Highs, Lows, and Lessons - I rarely write long reviews, but this Bukhansan hiking experience deserves a full and transparent account — both for future travellers and for the operator. 1. A Chaotic Start: Technical Issues & Miscommunication The problems began even before the hike started. Viator required an additional online form, and despite entering my correct pickup address, the form mysteriously populated an old address—possibly a technical glitch or cached data that wasn’t cleared. To make matters worse, there was no record of my earlier conversation with Kim where he had already confirmed the correct pickup location. So on the actual morning, everything unraveled. 2. Pickup Disaster & an Extremely Unpleasant Phone Call When the pickup went wrong — through no fault of ours — we received a harsh and unnecessary lecture from Kim over the phone. While we were scrambling to secure two taxis from Gangnam to the northern side of Seoul during peak hours, Kim insisted on repeatedly “fact checking” in a stern, accusatory tone. Despite multiple polite and gentle requests to resolve the misunderstanding in person when we arrived, he continued speaking sharply, which only added stress to an already hectic situation. Even after meeting in person, the issue was still not dropped. We ended up apologizing simply to keep the day moving, even though the mistake wasn’t ours and we never asked for any compensation for the extra taxi fares or the wasted time. This was an extremely disappointing start to what should have been a beautiful hiking experience. 3. The Silver Lining: Spectacular Hike & Kim’s Guiding Skills Once we finally began the hike, things improved dramatically. The Bukhansan fall scenery was breathtaking, and in fairness, Kim is undeniably knowledgeable. He commanded attention with his storytelling on: • Korean history & culture • Local biodiversity • Geomancy (feng shui influences in the mountains) On the trail, he was competent, alert, and safety-focused — always pointing out risky sections, choosing safer paths, and adjusting to our pace. Lunch was simple, local and delicious. From a mountain guiding perspective, Kim is very capable. 4. The Mood Breaker: Completely Inappropriate Topics Unfortunately, the experience dipped again due to some extremely inappropriate conversations. Kim openly discussed: • how Koreans dislike Communists, • how he personally “wants to shoot Putin,” • and how he appreciates Singapore because of the death penalty. These are not topics that belong in a leisure hike with a group of ladies trying to enjoy nature. The mood noticeably dipped among my fellow hikers. 5. My Sincere Advice for Improvement Kim absolutely has the potential to be a fantastic mountain guide, but hospitality requires more than skill — it requires attitude, sensitivity, and professionalism. My personal advice: • Please be a gentleman in communication. • Confirm pickup details clearly, and avoid assumptions. • Avoid discussing politics, violence or sensitive topics with guests. • Provide clearer itinerary descriptions, especially terrain details, because not all guests are seasoned hikers. Many guests may not have the same patience we had, and I genuinely hope this review helps you grow into an even better version of yourself. Final Thoughts This trip was a mix of stressful lows and unforgettable highs. The mountain itself was spectacular, the hike was rewarding, but the communication issues and inappropriate commentary did cloud the overall experience. I sincerely wish the operator success, and hope future travellers can enjoy the incredible beauty of Bukhansan with a more polished, considerate guiding approach.