How to Do a Day Trip from Seoul to Suwon in South Korea

It’s easier to see more of South Korea than many tourists realise. Even if you’re just going to Seoul, there are day trips that let you experience more of the country. It seems many travellers are aware of the DMZ tours you can take, but fewer people know about doing a day trip to Suwon from Seoul.

Suwon, or Suwon-si, is a small city south of Seoul, that you can easily visit and explore inside a day. Things to do in Suwon tend to focus on the city’s history and scenery, but I think most travellers can get something out of a Suwon day trip. If nothing more, doing this day trip allows you to get away from Seoul for a bit and experience more of South Korea. Here’s what you have in store for you if you decide to do a visit.

How to get to Suwon from Seoul

Since we’re talking about visiting as a day trip, you may wonder how far it is to Suwon from Seoul. By public transport, Suwon is about 75 minutes away from Seoul if you’re north of the river in areas such as Myeongdong and Insadong.

First, take the 4 metro line to Sadang Station and then board the 7770 bus from just outside. You can get off right at the Janganmun Gate in Suwon. It’s a little more complicated going from areas such as Hongdae and Gangnam, but I recommend still trying to go through Sadang Station. Other options look way messier.

Now, there is a train station for Suwon, with direct trains from Seoul Station. It can be a good option for getting there, but you need to be aware that Suwon Station is not near the city centre. If you do go by train, you’ll need to get a bus from there into the city.

If you’ve been in Seoul a few days already, you should find doing a Suwon day trip like this fairly easy. But there is an alternative if you don’t want the stress of making your own way there.

Your alternative is to book a Suwon tour where they’ll handle the transport and show you some sights. Tours here are generally offered either as a day trip from Seoul or as an evening visit. You may not have a full day to explore, but you’ll get to see the fortress and learn a little about the city.

Things to do in Suwon

Once you know how to get there, the next step is understanding what you can see when you arrive. Most of the main Suwon attractions are located in the historical centre of Suwon, so that’s where you should turn your attention.

Hwaseong Fortress Gates

When you arrive in Suwon, chances are the first thing you’re going to see is one of the gates of the Hwaseong Fortress. This large fortress enclosed the historical centre of Suwon, with just four large gates providing access.

The gate you’re most likely to see coming from Seoul by bus is Janganmun Gate, the north gate. This was the main gate of the city as it was the king would first pass through coming from Seoul. What stands out most has to be its two-story pagoda, as well as the ceiling murals in each archway of the gate.

Explore more of Suwon and you’ll run into the other gates: Hwaseomun Gate, Paldalmun Gate, and Changnyongmun Gate. Paldalmun Gate is a little different as it now sits in a roundabout, detached from the fortress walls.

But the one you’re most likely to see photos of is Hwaseomun Gate. With a nearby command post and great views from up the hill, it makes an impression. Seeing this gate was what made me want to visit Suwon in the first place.

Suwon Fortress walls

Connecting the gates and encircling much of Suwon are the walls of the Suwon fortress, Suwon Hwaseong. It’s impressive that so much of this 18th-century fortress still exists. What’s even better is that you can freely explore the fortress walls as much as you like.

From Janganmun Gate and the other gates, you can climb up to the walls and walk along them. While access at Janganmun Gate is via stairs, there are wheelchair-accessible paths nearby and at other places along the walls. Sections of the fortress walls tend to alternate between stairs and flat paths, but visitors with wheelchairs should be able to visit many parts of the walls.

Honestly, walking along the fortress walls is a highlight of visiting Suwon. The scenery from the walls is fantastic and ever-changing. Whenever you reach a guard post or tower there’ll be some information, but also just the painted designs are fascinating.

Throughout the day trip, I walked along almost all of the fortress walls. Some areas, mostly the eastern side of the walls, aren’t too interesting.

But I do recommend you don’t skip the northern side between the Changnyongmun Gate and Hwahong Gate, a small floodgate over the river. This area of the walls is the most dynamic and just before you reach the Hwahong Gate you stop at the Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion. It’s a beautiful spot as the pavilion overlooks a pretty garden around the Yongyeon pond outside the walls.

Paldal Park

Follow the fortress walls up from the Hwaseomun Gate and they begin leading you up into Paldal Park. The smooth path quickly transitions into a long staircase of paved stone and the view becomes blocked by thick trees. Even though you’re still in the heart of Suwon, it doesn’t feel like it.

While climbing a long set of stairs on a warm, sunny day isn’t fun, the forest does at least provide some shade. Occasionally you’ll come across small outposts or branches in the path that lead to forest walking trails. The walk up may not seem worth it at first, but before you know it, you’ll see that it is.

The Western Command Post viewpoint

Keep walking through Paldal Park and at the top, you’ll reach Seojangdae – the Western Command Post. This hilltop pagoda makes for a fantastic viewpoint, letting you look out over Suwon in all directions.

You not only see the fortress walls and historical centre but also the many highrises of modern Suwon. One landmark that plainly stood out was the Suwon Jeil Church, an immense neo-Gothic church that dwarfs everything around it. You do find churches and cathedrals in South Korea, such as in Jeonju, but this one is very out of place.

Lots of trails lead down from Seojangdae through the forest or long staircases. If you can find your way there, take the route towards the Paldalmun gate, as you get views of the city the whole way down.

Haenggung Street

Many of the city streets in the centre of Suwon aren’t especially interesting. One that is though is Haenggung Street or “Workshop Street” as it’s labelled on Google Maps.

What makes Haenggung Street different is that there are lots of creative details on its buildings. Look around and you’ll spot artsy murals, mosaics, beautiful tile facades, and other quirky details here. I really should have taken more photos here, but I highly recommend visiting. The street provides a nice change of pace from the rest of the Suwon things to do.

Hwaseong Haenggung palace

Follow Haenggung Street and you’ll reach a large open square on your right and fresh-faced walls on your left. Those walls belong to the Hwaseong Haenggung, once a temporary royal palace of Suwon. Similar to a summer residence in Europe, it was used by the king to visit his father’s tomb.

There are two things I feel worth noting about visiting this palace in Suwon. One is that it’s a reconstruction of the original palace, following the original’s destruction. Some foundations and the Nangnamheon pagoda are original, but the rest of the palace was rebuilt in the 20th century according to historical plans.

Because of this, it’s not quite as impressive as the many palaces in Seoul, which is the other thing I wanted to mention. It feels new and remade, which together with minimal information, makes the palace a missable thing to do in Suwon.

Suwoncheon riverfront

Look at a map of Suwon and you’ll notice a small river running north-south through the city center. It may not look like much, but I recommend going here on your Suwon day trip.

Just as the riverside park of Cheonggyecheon in Seoul is scenic, so too is this riverside park. While it was a bit warm visiting in May, I couldn’t resist a walk through here, watching a heron or two in the river.

Suwon Hwaseong Museum

While the palace doesn’t have much information on Suwon, it’s a different story at the Suwon Hwaseong Museum. Located across the Suwoncheon river from the palace, this small museum is dedicated to explaining the city’s royal history.

Exhibits at the Suwon Hwaseong Museum are very focused on the origins and feasts held at the Hwaseong Fortress. It will be helpful before you come to have a little context, especially if you don’t speak Korean. The information can get a little too deep on royal goings-on after the fortress and palace were built. I felt a little lost for the first half of my visit.

Tips for doing a Suwon day trip

If you’re tempted to now do a day trip to Suwon, allow me to share some final bits of advice.

I suggest allowing a full day and starting early if you’re coming on your own. Maybe you’ll find more here than I did or you can always leave early. And please, bring comfortable shoes, as you’ll be doing a fair bit of walking, especially up into the park.

Like Seoul, good coffee has made its way to Suwon. Foresta Coffee is a great place for coffee near the Janganmun Gate – a bit hipster, but I liked it there. I also went to a posh, modern, high-end cafe/bakery on Haenggung Street called Paldal Coffee and Bakery. While a bit pricey, it was a nice place for a break.

Two options for food I came across were the Motgol Market – a typical market with some food stalls, and the Suwon Traditional Culture Center, which I think I visited too late in the day.

Would you do a day trip from Seoul to Suwon if you had the chance? Are there other Seoul day trips you’d recommend to people? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.