Namsan Tower is a very touristy spot by all accounts, but is it worth it? It’s a place to see the skyline of Seoul, experience a cable car ride up the mountain, and of course write messages of love or declare your heart to the one you love.

I asked that same question to myself. Was Namsan Tower worth the line I had to endure and crowds of people I had to maneuver around? For me, the glittering lights of Seoul’s skyline and atmosphere was worth the small entrance fee and long line.

Tips for Visiting Namsan Tower

Entrance is around $11,000 Won or roughly $9 USD
You can hike up during the day, but the experience at night is magical.
Go for it and be cheesy! Buy a love lock and write a wish of love to your partner, family, friends, that K-Pop artist you love or whoever!

You can easily go to Namsan Tower during the day, but I do recommend the night view. It was breathtaking!. Namsan was around a 10 minute walk from my hotel in Myeongdong. So, if you’re coming from Myeongdong you’ll end up at the bottom of the entrance for Namsan tower, and you’ll have to line up for a small cable tram that goes up the hill. Then from there you’ll get to the main entrance and wait in line to buy your tickets. Tickets in hand you are ushered to another line to wait in for the cable car. Do you sense a theme there? Yes, a lot of waiting & lines. One good piece of news though, the entrance fee is relatively low. It was about $11,000 won or about $9 USD at the time. Just being able to leisurely walk around, admire Seoul’s skyline at night, profess my undying love with a lock, and grab a bite to eat while I had such a view was worth it to me. And who knows when I’ll be back in Seoul, at least it’s crossed off my must-see list!

One of the most popular things to do here is to buy a lock, write an eternal message of love or promise and then add the lock onto a railing or tree. It’s the same concept as the “Lock of Love Bridge” in Paris. It’s a kitschy thing to do, but still fun. The locks are a small fee, and it’s more about the experience than anything else.

One thing we didn’t end up doing was paying an extra fee to go up the observatory tower. Personally, I just didn’t see paying $20,000 won, a little less than $20 USD, to see the same view but just a little higher place. I don’t know if we really missed anything. I could be wrong though, and if I am then let me know!

So that sums it up for my trip to Namsan Tower. If you have a free night, then I recommend it. Your total trip should take about 2-3 hours of your time. After your tour of Namsan tower you will definitely have the rest of the night to be able to go out and live it up.

See you in the next post!