Shawn is the just the best! - Shawn is just amazing! He is so knowledgeable, very kind and patient! He answered all our questions and told us a ghost story on top of all the folklore stories about the hike path! Unforgettable hike and amazing dinner at the end!

Highly Recommend - Must do! If you're looking for an outdoor activity that includes history & folklore of Korean culture and the mountains you're exploring, book this. Shawn is super knowledgeable and answered all the questions we had - even taught us how to read Korean! He also has a ghost tour (Dark Side of Seoul) which was fun too! The hidden temples throughout the mountains were beautiful. The hike itself can be strenuous [you gain decent amount of elevation], but we're a #thicc couple and made it! Shawn is good at stopping when you need and adjusting to your pace. The meal after was delicious! Such a cool Korean tradition.

Lovely mountain walk steeped in folkore - Really enjoyed this little hike with Shawn. The day was a perfect clear end-of-winter one, with small patches of snow melting on the peaks. Really enjoyed hearing folkloric stories about the peaks as we climbed. I loved visiting the two Buddhist temples along the way. Was also glad that I was hungry for the very hearty and healthy meal at the bottom of the walk. Really recommend this for anyone who doesn't have mobility issues. Hearing the history and the folklore in which the country along the way is steeped also made the walk far more meaningful than it would have been had I walked it alone.

Exploring Bukhansan - We had a great time on this trip with Shawn. The views were fabulous and the meal at the end of the hike was delicious. Would highly recommend!

Best guided tour! - We loved it, start to finish. It was easy to get to the station, Shawn met us there and got us to the trail head. The views on the hike were spectacular, and the temples, shrines, just fabulous. Shawn is exceptional and the lore and heritage he shared exceeded all expectations. The meal at the end again exceeded all expectations. I cannot wait to go back for the Ghost Tour, it's on our bucket list.

We had a lovely time - Beautiful route with great guidance and info from Shawn! Seoul is now contextualised geographically and spiritually - wonderful to get a break into nature for some fresh air in an otherwise city-centric holiday!

Nice Hike. Good views over Seoul. - Nice Hike. Good views over Seoul. Did this when it was very hot but was not to bad as a lot of the trail was shaded. My guide Shawn was very accomdating and informed, sharing the myths, legends, and symbolism of the various sites and stops along the way. Enjoyed the very prevelant hiking culture in Korea. It was fun to see the change up in the commuters from week days to hiking gear on the weekends. Also great to experience the park and it's surroundings in North Seoul which is an outdoor escape but easily accessible. Restaurant was great also!

MUCH MORE than a mountain hike! - We easily found our guide, Shawn Morrissey, at a subway station on the outskirts of Seoul. We had booked a day hike into the mountains northeast of the city and hopped on a short bus ride with him to where the hike would begin. He was very personable and enquired about our hiking experience and level of fitness as we walked from the bus stop to the trailhead in a national park. Our experience and fitness was moderate and the mountain pass that he indicated would be the highest point of our trek seemed both high and far off. He assured us we would be fine (spoiler: we were fine!). As the day was pretty hot in the sun, we appreciated that he anticipated that and had selected a path that was primarily shaded all day. We were thankful for his thoughtful planning! He has been studying Korean culture and folklore for many years and entertained us all day with his many fascinating stories. They tied culture, religion, and history into the local mountain geography. He was also a font of knowledge about temples and their architectural and decorative details, which are direct reflections of Korean culture, history and folklore! We had visited temples across the country, but we had not known what we were seeing. We visited several temples along our path. The views ran from lovely to spectacular, as well. His stories not only entertained us, but helped us better understand what we had seen elsewhere. He was so funny and entertaining that we did not notice (much!) the distance we were traveling. Sensitive to our energy levels, he made sure that we took all the rest breaks that we needed and passed the time with more folk tales. We never felt rushed or pressured; it was like hiking with a supremely interesting friend! He took plenty of time with us and the fact that the day ended up longer than planned (due to our own leisurely pace) did not bother him in the least. At the end of the day, we ended up not far from another bus stop, where he took us back to the subway stop so we could head back to our hotel. However, before getting us back to the subway, he took us to a local restaurant in the small village at the foot of the mountain and fed us a variety of delicious dishes, downed with some local beer (all in the daily fee that we had arranged). We have take guided hikes all over the wold and Shawn was, without a doubt, the best guide on a hike that we ever had! Do not miss this if you have the chance to do it!

Worth booking - Having done the hike, the trails are well marked and you can certainly hike in Seoul on your own. The trails were not a walk in the park but they were not especially difficult either. But I would book this again in a heartbeat for all of the things you cannot get on your own. For starters, the history and folklore of the area make for a much more interesting hike than just walking through interesting scenery. In addition, we saw several things that were off the beaten path that you would never see if you did this on your own, including a modern day performance of an ancient traditional ritual. The dinner at the end was quite good as well, as was the company.

Exciting cultural exploration - My wife and I loved this hike with Shaun. In the end was a 6km hike over 5 hours that had us winded a bunch - even as experienced hikers. Don’t underestimate good shoes and water. We learned so much about the history of Korea through its religious origins that I felt I took a college course on history. Finishing the hike with a tasty meal, Maekgoli and talk about horror movies and as an added bonus.