South Korea Baekdu-Daegan Ridge Trek

Korean Peninsula · South Korea

Challenging7 daysAsia~£600 est.

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Overview

The Baekdu-daegan is Korea's sacred mountain spine, and its southern anchor Jirisan makes the perfect week: a ridge traverse across the mainland's highest ground, sleeping in the national park shelters strung below the crest, rising in the dark to watch sunrise from Cheonwangbong at 1,915m with cloud seas filling every valley. Buddhist temples such as Hwaeomsa guard the approaches — add a temple-stay night for the 3am moktak drumming — and Korean hiking culture is half the joy: immaculate trails, and shared soju at the shelters. Book before you fly: shelter berths on Jirisan release online weeks ahead and vanish for weekends and autumn foliage, and you carry your own food between them. Summer monsoon (July-August) soaks the range, so aim for May-June green or the October colour spectacular. Some connecting sections of the full Baekdu-daegan are officially closed for restoration — respect the barriers and route around by bus. Korea makes this cheap and easy: £600 covers a week including intercity buses, shelter nights at a few pounds each and post-hike barbecue.