Seoul Window
People coming down the Achasan trail tend to walk the same way. They fold up their trekking poles, drop into the side streets toward Achasan Station, and sit down in front of a block of fresh tofu or a bowl of cold noodles.
Achasan is a small mountain, about 295 m high. But the neighborhoods at its foot, Guui-dong and its neighbor Jayang-dong in Gwangjin-gu, hold a naengmyeon house said to have been pulling noodles since 1968, a drivers’ canteen that opened in 1981, and two tteokbokki shops facing each other across a single lane. There’s a reason they barely show up in travel guides: most of the customers have just walked down from the mountain, and they live here.
This guide follows that walk downhill in order. It starts at Achasan Station, works its way down to Guui Station, and explains what to do about Gangbyeon Station and the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal.
The short answer
- Start at Achasan Station (Line 5). It's a 20 to 25 minute walk to the trailhead and about an hour to the summit (roughly 295 m) for most adults.
- After the hike, the Achasan Station side means tteokbokki, Pyongyang naengmyeon, chicken soup and galbi. The Guui Station side (Line 2) means kalguksu, spicy baby octopus and drivers'-canteen set meals.
- All four Gwangjin-gu restaurants that Seoul named Oraegage (long-running shops) in September 2026 are in this area.
- Cafés cluster along Yeonghwasa-ro, the road up to the trail, and in the Jayang-ro side streets around the station. One opens at 8 a.m.
- Check Sundays and Mondays. Closing days vary from shop to shop.
Where Are Achasan and Guui, and How Do You Get There?
At the eastern edge of Seoul, in Gwangjin-gu. Achasan rises from the north bank of the Han River, and Guui-dong spreads across its western slope. Over the ridge is Guri in Gyeonggi-do; across the river are Jamsil and Gangdong-gu.
You only need three subway stations. For the mountain, Achasan Station on Line 5. For neighborhood restaurants, Guui Station on Line 2. For the intercity bus terminal, Gangbyeon Station on Line 2. Guui and Gangbyeon are one stop apart.
Which station should you use?
- Achasan Station (Line 5): for the hike. Two tteokbokki shops sit in the lane by Exit 1, and Yeonghwasa-ro leads uphill past the cafés to the trailhead.
- Guui Station (Line 2): for lunch and dinner. Neighborhood restaurants gather around the Gwangjin-gu Office and in the back lanes off Achasan-ro.
- Gangbyeon Station (Line 2): the stop for Dong Seoul Bus Terminal. If you're catching a bus out of Seoul, eat one stop away at Guui instead.
Why Are There So Many Post-Hike Restaurants Near Achasan Station?
Because the mountain is low, the station is close and the neighborhood is old. Achasan is short enough to climb after work on a weekday, so a large share of its hikers live in Gwangjin, Jungnang and Dongdaemun. Decades of people wanting one meal between the trail and home is what put tofu houses, naengmyeon shops and galbi restaurants around Achasan Station.
The crowd has shifted a little lately. Herald Economy reports that after BTS members RM and V climbed Achasan on the variety show “Run BTS,” foreign fans started calling it a BTS seongji (pilgrimage site), and that ridership at Achasan Station on a spring hiking weekend rose 21.9% in a year. Even so, the regulars at the downhill restaurants are still the people who live here.
A little more about Achasan
- It was a military stronghold in the Three Kingdoms period. Achasanseong Fortress (about 1,125 m of wall) sits at the southern tip of the mountain, and Goguryeo lookout forts have been excavated here since the late 1990s. We cover the history in more detail in our Gwangjang-dong guide.
- Near the trailhead on Yeonghwasa-ro is the Achasan Forest Library (139 Yeonghwasa-ro), opened in August 2022. Its reading room has a glass wall facing the woods, which makes it a good place to cool down after the hike.
- The Donghaeng Forest Path is a wooden deck about 1,380 m long that strollers and wheelchairs can use, so companions who aren't up for a climb can still come along.
What Do Locals Eat After Hiking Achasan?
Tofu and makgeolli is the first answer. The best-known post-hike spot, Wonjo Harabeoji Sondubu (Grandpa’s Handmade Tofu, 324 Jayang-ro), is already covered in our Neung-dong and Gunja guide, so we’ll skip it here. It opens at 6 a.m. and stocks close to 20 kinds of makgeolli, and it makes a handy landmark: most of the places below are a short walk from that stretch of road.
After tofu, these are the four places people in this neighborhood actually go.
Seobuk Myeonok: a bowl of naengmyeon after the descent
199-1 Jayang-ro, toward Exit 3 of Achasan Station according to a 2024 visit write-up. The shop is described as having pulled its own noodles since 1968. The broth is the mild, clean Pyongyang style, with a little dongchimi (radish water kimchi) tang folded in. The menu is short: mul naengmyeon (in cold broth), bibim naengmyeon (with spicy sauce), onmyeon (warm noodles), dumpling soup, a plate of dumplings, and boiled beef or pressed pork.
On the menu posted to the review app Polle, the noodles, onmyeon and dumpling dishes are all ₩12,000. A visit write-up from early 2024 listed the same dishes at ₩10,000, so prices have gone up once since then. With old-school Pyongyang naengmyeon in Euljiro now heading toward the upper ₩10,000s, that’s why locals still make the trip here.
If Pyongyang naengmyeon is new to you, the first spoonful can taste almost bland. That’s the point. Our Pyongyang naengmyeon beginner’s guide explains how to order and what to add.
Giwajip Neungi Baeksuk: 33 years, officially recognized
32 Myeonmok-ro. One of the 15 restaurants Seoul named Oraegage in September 2026. It opened in 1993, and the signature is baeksuk: a whole chicken simmered slowly with neungi mushrooms, which Koreans prize for their deep, earthy aroma. Solo diners can order samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) instead, and there are versions with octopus or abalone added.
Baeksuk takes time to cook. Call ahead before you start the hike and your table will be ready when you come down.
Janggun Galbi: where hikers stop for grilled beef
11 Yongmasan-ro, Junggok-dong. It’s near the rear gate of Children’s Grand Park, within walking distance of Achasan Station Exit 4. This galbi house opened in 1980 and made the 2026 Oraegage list. A Seoul city citizen reporter describes it as a resting stop for Achasan hikers.
To be honest, it isn’t cheap. On the menu posted to Polle, galbitang (short rib soup, US beef) is ₩21,000 and 220 g of fresh Hanwoo (Korean beef) galbi is ₩80,000. It’s a place for a group to grill after the hike. On your own, a bowl of galbitang or naengmyeon is the realistic order.
What is an Oraegage?
Oraegage (오래가게) roughly means "a shop that lasts." It's a Seoul city designation for small businesses that have run for decades and kept their character. In September 2026 the city added 15 new ones across northeastern Seoul, and Gwangjin-gu's four (Giwajip Neungi Baeksuk, Janggun Galbi, Songrim Sikdang and Minjeong Sikdang) all appear in this guide. For a traveler, the label is a useful shortcut: it marks the places locals have kept open for a generation or more.
Which of the Two Tteokbokki Shops Near Achasan Station Should You Pick?
On Jayang-ro 43-gil, two tteokbokki shops face each other across a lane. Number 43 is Sungeumi Tteokbokki; number 42 is Hwang Sun-ae Sintoburi Tteokbokki. Both are long-running neighborhood bunsik (snack food) shops, and both got famous through celebrity recommendations, but they go in quite different directions.
🌶️ The two tteokbokki shops on Jayang-ro 43-gil (based on 2026 magazine features)
| Detail | Sungeumi Tteokbokki | Hwang Sun-ae Sintoburi Tteokbokki |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 43 Jayang-ro 43-gil | 42 Jayang-ro 43-gil |
| Order | Perilla-leaf tteokbokki, yaki-mandu (fried dumplings), fried squid | Wheat rice cakes in chili-powder sauce, add a hot dog |
| Style | Thick sauce with perilla aroma, served with fried sides | Almost no broth, sharp heat, no fried sides |
| Go here when | Two of you want to share tteokbokki, fried snacks and sundae | You want something to take away |
📍 Open in Naver Map — Sungeumi Tteokbokki
📍 Open in Naver Map — Sintoburi Tteokbokki
Where Do Locals Eat Around Guui Station?
Around Guui Station, the streets are a mix of apartment blocks, cram schools and the district office. There’s almost nothing aimed at tourists. Most restaurants live on lunch from civil servants and residents. Walk a little south into Jayang-dong and you’ll find two more of the 2026 Oraegage picks.
Guui-dong Son Kalguksu (구의동 손칼국수, 154 Jayang-ro): a hand-cut noodle shop near the Gwangjin-gu Office. Reviews keep saying the same two things: the noodles are cut and boiled only after you order, and the self-serve kimchi is excellent. On the menu posted to Polle, kalguksu is ₩8,000 and sujebi (hand-torn dough soup) is ₩9,000. The shop recently expanded into the space next door, so there are more seats. One review says the summer kongguksu (cold soy-milk noodles) has been dropped.
Gohyangjip (고향집, 30 Achasan-ro 49-gil): a jjukkumi (baby octopus) place in the back lanes behind Guui Station. GQ Korea’s 2024 feature described it as grilling spicy marinated baby octopus served with blanched cockles. It’s where locals sit down with a bottle of soju after work.
Songrim Sikdang (송림식당, 79 Jayangbeonyeong-ro): this started in 1981 as a gisa sikdang, a canteen for taxi drivers. The signature is the dwaeji bulgogi baekban, a spicy pork set meal with rice, soup and side dishes, and Seoul’s 2026 Oraegage write-up stresses that it has kept the same dish for over 40 years. GQ noted that the seonji-guk (ox blood soup) comes with refills. Plenty of customers come alone, eat fast and leave: the classic drivers’-canteen rhythm.
Minjeong Sikdang (민정식당, 41-4 Achasan-ro 42-gil): a suyuk (boiled pork) restaurant that opened in 1995, also a 2026 Oraegage. It’s in a Jayang-dong lane between Guui and Konkuk University stations. This is an evening place: sliced pork, kimchi and a bottle of soju.
🍽️ Achasan and Guui restaurants at a glance (online information as of October 2026; prices as shown on public menus)
| Restaurant | What to order | Price guide | Nearest station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seobuk Myeonok | Pyongyang naengmyeon, onmyeon, dumplings | Naengmyeon ₩12,000 | Achasan |
| Giwajip Neungi Baeksuk | Neungi mushroom chicken, samgyetang | Check before you go | Achasan |
| Janggun Galbi | Galbi, galbitang, naengmyeon | Galbitang from ₩21,000 | Achasan (Children’s Grand Park rear gate) |
| Sungeumi Tteokbokki | Perilla-leaf tteokbokki, fried snacks | One-person set around ₩7,500 | Achasan |
| Hwang Sun-ae Sintoburi Tteokbokki | Wheat tteokbokki, hot dog add-on | Check before you go | Achasan |
| Guui-dong Son Kalguksu | Kalguksu, sujebi | ₩8,000–9,000 | Guui |
| Gohyangjip | Spicy grilled baby octopus, cockles | Check before you go | Guui |
| Songrim Sikdang | Spicy pork set meal | Check before you go | Guui (Jayang-dong) |
| Minjeong Sikdang | Suyuk (boiled pork) | Check before you go | Guui (Jayang-dong) |
What about Gangbyeon Station?
The area in front of Gangbyeon Station is taken up by Dong Seoul Bus Terminal and a large electronics mall, so most restaurants there are chains. There used to be a row of pojangmacha (street tent bars) by the station, but it appears to have been cleared. If you're using the terminal, ride one stop on Line 2 to Guui Station, eat there, and come back. That's the local way to do it.
Where Are the Best Cafés Near Achasan?
They split into two groups. Along Yeonghwasa-ro, the road up to the trail, you’ll find brunch and bakery cafés. In the Jayang-ro side streets around Achasan Station there are coffee bars where you choose your beans, and dessert cafés. So many people hike early that at least one opens at 8 a.m.
DEKAD PARK (데케드 파크, 55 Jayang-ro 37-gil): opens at 8 a.m. and serves a breakfast set of scrambled eggs, carrot râpé and a morning bun only until 10 a.m. The signature is a crêpe made from Hamyang-grown wheat and rye, with the batter fermented cold. One feature notes it’s full by about 9 a.m., so if you want breakfast before the hike, go early.
Parlin Beris (파를린베리스, 319 Jayang-ro): directly across the road from Wonjo Harabeoji Sondubu. You can pick your beans, and there’s tiramisu and cinnamon rolls. Sunny outdoor tables, and dogs are welcome. Have tofu for lunch, cross the street, and you’re there.
Push Coffee (푸쉬커피, 24-3 Jayang-ro 45-gil): the signature is the Push Latte, made with a house blend of milk. A replica summit marker stands at the door, and hikers stop for a photo before going in. The running joke is that you can get your summit shot here even on a day you didn’t make it to the top.
Artist November Coffee (아티스트노벰버커피, 96 Jayang-ro 53-gil): known for its house-baked Basque cheesecake. Dogs are allowed, and the owner sometimes does tarot readings as a little event. A genuine neighborhood café.
Good Thing Coffee (굿띵커피, 51 Yeonghwasa-ro): on the way up to the trail. Sandwiches (jambon-beurre, apple and brie, carrot râpé), crumbles (apple, blueberry, fig) and a terrace.
Pain de Mie (뺑드미, 45 Yeonghwasa-ro): a bakery a few steps from Good Thing Coffee. Several kinds of ciabatta, plus sandwich loaves, scones, canelés and cakes. Plenty of hikers buy their trail snack here on the way up.
☕ Six cafés around Achasan Station (based on 2025–2026 magazine features)
| Café | Order | Why go | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEKAD PARK | Crêpes, breakfast set | Opens 08:00, set until 10:00 | Jayang-ro 37-gil |
| Parlin Beris | Choose-your-beans coffee, tiramisu | Across from the tofu house, dog-friendly | Jayang-ro |
| Push Coffee | Push Latte | Summit-marker photo spot at the door | Jayang-ro 45-gil |
| Artist November Coffee | Basque cheesecake | Dog-friendly | Jayang-ro 53-gil |
| Good Thing Coffee | Sandwiches, crumble | On the way to the trail, terrace | Yeonghwasa-ro |
| Pain de Mie | Ciabatta, canelés | Bread to take up the mountain | Yeonghwasa-ro |
When Should You Go, and in What Order?
Hike on a Saturday morning, have a late lunch near Achasan Station, and eat dinner around Guui Station. That’s the easiest plan. Some shops close on Sundays and others on Mondays, and on spring and autumn weekends the whole mountain comes down for lunch at the same time.
A one-day plan, starting at Achasan Station
- 08:00: breakfast at DEKAD PARK, or pick up bread at Pain de Mie.
- 08:40: follow Yeonghwasa-ro to the trailhead. About an hour to the summit; allow a comfortable two and a half hours up and down.
- 11:30: down the mountain for naengmyeon at Seobuk Myeonok, or tofu and makgeolli. Coffee across the road at Parlin Beris.
- 15:00: an afternoon snack at one of the two tteokbokki shops on Jayang-ro 43-gil (both do takeaway).
- 18:30: Line 2 to Guui Station for baby octopus at Gohyangjip or boiled pork at Minjeong Sikdang. Catching a bus? Gangbyeon is one stop away.
Before you go
- Check Sundays and Mondays. Seobuk Myeonok was closed on Sundays as of a 2024 visit, and as of a 2025 feature Wonjo Harabeoji Sondubu opens Tuesday to Sunday only.
- Book ahead for baeksuk and galbi. Call before the hike and you can sit down as soon as you're off the trail.
- The tteokbokki shops have no parking. Walk from Achasan Station.
- Don't count on English menus. The camera mode in a translation app works best.
- Dress like everyone else and you'll blend in. Locals hike even this small mountain in full outdoor gear, and our piece on why Koreans wear expedition gear up small mountains explains why.
Related guides
- 13 mountains Seoul residents actually climb: Seoul mountains locals hike
- The other side of Achasan, its history and Walkerhill: Gwangjang-dong guide
- Grandpa’s tofu and Children’s Grand Park: Neung-dong and Gunja guide
- The lamb skewer street one stop away on Line 2: Konkuk lamb skewer street guide
- How to order the bland-looking bowl: Pyongyang naengmyeon for beginners
Sources
- Achasan's height (295.7 m) and trail times — Seoul city MediaHub, "Why I keep climbing Achasan" (2023-03-16, Korean)
- Achasanseong wall length, Goguryeo forts, Forest Library (August 2022) — Seoul city MediaHub, "Hunting ground, forts and sunrise spot: the history of Achasan" (Korean)
- New Year sunrise crowd, BTS visit, Donghaeng Forest Path — Herald Economy, "'BTS pilgrimage site' Achasan settles in as an urban leisure space" (2026-04-07, Korean)
- Achasan Station ridership increase — Herald Economy, "Spring hiking season lifts Seoul subway station ridership by up to 21.9%" (2026-04-16, Korean)
- 2026 Seoul Oraegage designations (four in Gwangjin-gu) — Seoul city MediaHub, "15 new Oraegage, from a 60-year galbi house to 50-year tteokbokki" (2026-09-21, Korean)
- Oraegage founding years, Janggun Galbi as a hikers' stop — Seoul city MediaHub, "A food walk through northeastern Seoul's Oraegage" (2026-10-14, Korean)
- Sungeumi Tteokbokki — Esquire Korea (2026-03-31, Korean)
- Sintoburi Tteokbokki, DEKAD PARK, Forest Library address — Marie Claire Korea (2026-02-06, Korean)
- DEKAD PARK, Parlin Beris, Artist November Coffee — Esquire Korea (2026-03-11, Korean)
- Push Coffee — Esquire Korea (2025-04-15, Korean)
- Good Thing Coffee, Pain de Mie, Wonjo Harabeoji Sondubu — Marie Claire Korea (2025-03-21, Korean); tofu house hours — GQ Korea (2025-06-01, Korean)
- Gohyangjip, Songrim Sikdang, Seobuk Myeonok — GQ Korea, "Rising old-timers and new spots in Gwangjin-gu" (2024-09-20, Korean)
- Menu prices for Seobuk Myeonok, Guui-dong Son Kalguksu and Janggun Galbi — menus posted on Polle (accessed October 2026). Prices and hours have not yet been confirmed in person and will be updated after an on-site check.