Suwon Hwaseong Fortress is a must-see when you visit South Korea – especially if you’re staying anywhere near Seoul. We were fortunate to live only about an hour from the fortress, and we were able to visit on multiple occasions. When Brandon’s siblings were in town in November, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally ride the Hwaseong Fortress Tourist Trolley that had been hanging out on my bucket list for months. And spoiler: it wasn’t our absolute favorite thing, but that’s probably more our fault than those running the trolley.
Hwaseong Fortress Tourist Trolley in Suwon
Hwaseong Fortress was built in the late 1700’s and is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. It was built during the Joseon Dynasty and the trolley that drives around the 6-kilometer-long perimeter is modeled after the vehicles that were used by some of the kings and other royals during that time period (although I’d wager they were pulled by horse or human, and not by a gas-powered SUV).
Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that in order to hear the English translations of the tour, headphones were required to plug into the headphone jacks. And so we didn’t have any commentary on all the places that the trolley stopped. Still, it was fun to see so much of the fortress in such a short amount of time (the entire trolley ride was around 20-30 minutes) and the kids seemed to enjoy the leisurely ride as well.
The tour starts near the Temporary Palace of Hwaseong Fortress (I’ve included Naver pins to important locations for your visit below) and visits popular tourist spots such as Yeonmudae Post, Paldalsan Mountain, Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, and Hwahongmun, Paldalmun, and Hwaseomun Gates. The trolley can hold 44 people at a time, and the seats are heated, making it the perfect adventure for even those cold, blustery days in Korea.
After we rode the trolley, we walked up a road directly behind the parking lot to Seongsinsa Shrine. There, we got to enjoy the elaborate buildings and decorations we’ve come to expect from Buddhist shrines, as well as marvel at the giant golden Buddha. We walked farther and visited Seoammun Gate of Hwaseong Fortress – an obscure, seemingly rarely visited gate that boasted all the architecture that we love of Joseon-era gates, plus incredible views of sections of the wall.
If you’re looking for the best views in Suwon, I absolutely recommend going up in the tethered balloon with Flying Suwon. Still, if you’re not a fan of heights, the trolley is a fun way to see the fortress and get a feel for the area. It may not have been the MOST exciting thing we did in Korea, but it was memorable and in the end, we had no regrets.
’til next time…
Ash
How to ride the Hwaseong Fortress Tourist Trolley
Directions & Parking: Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon is located ABOUT an hour away from Camp Humphreys (depending on traffic). There is a decent-size parking lot just a short walk from the ticket office (where you can purchase tickets for the trolley, as well as for the palace). It cost us about ₩3,000 per vehicle to park there. From the ticket office, it’s another short walk to where the trolley picks you up. You get picked up right across the street from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the plaque on the building is written in both English and Hangeul), so if the trolley isn’t there when you arrive, just hang tight and it should arrive soon (assuming you’re within operating hours).
Naver pin: Hwaseong Temporary Palace Parking Lot
Naver pin: Ticket Office (for both the Temporary Palace and the trolley)
Naver pin: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (catch the trolley just across the street)
Cost:
Hwaseong Fortress Tourist Trolley
Adult – ₩6,000
Youth – ₩4,000
Child – ₩2,000
Hwaseong Temporary Palace Entrance
Adult – ₩1,500
Youth – ₩1,000
Child – ₩700
Hours of Operation:
Hwaseong Fortress Tourist Trolley
Open daily from 9:50am – 4:40pm – with tours running every 40-50 minutes
Hwaseong Temporary Palace
Open daily from 9:00am – 6:00pm (last admission at 5:30pm)
Know before you go: BRING HEADPHONES. We saw online that the tour is in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. But what we failed to understand (although it is pretty clear online) was that you can only hear the English, Japanese, and Chinese translations if you bring headphones to plug into the dashboard in front of you.
