A Full Walk Around Suwon Hwaseong — Walking, Eating, and Resting
After finishing the fortress trail, my wife and I walked around the café street.
“It feels like Itaewon, but with more young couples and foreigners,” she said while looking around.
Suwon Hwaseong is a great one-day course for couples, friends, or anyone who wants a simple walk and food trip.
However, walking the entire trail may be a bit difficult for families with young children.
I. Total Course & Time
1. Parking Lot
Simply enter Hwahongmun Public Parking Lot into your navigation and you’ll be fine.
It’s spacious, and when we arrived at 11 a.m., there were plenty of spaces available.
However, around 5 p.m. it was almost full.
Since this is a public parking lot, the all-day fee is 7,000 won (50% discount for compact cars).
📍 Start point location
2. Time to Complete the Entire Course
If you simply walk without stopping, it’s a 2 hour 30 minute course.
But realistically:
- Grab a coffee after entering Janganmun
- Take pictures where the scenery is nice
- Rest at gazebos and shaded spots
- Visit Yeongdong Market & Paldalmun
- Lunch at Chicken Street
- Café street walk for coffee & dessert
Total took 4 hours 30 minutes.
Visiting Boyeong Mandu adds +1 hour.
3. Tips for Daytime Walking
It was sunny and hot on our visit.
- Wear sneakers, not dress shoes
- Sunglasses or an umbrella are necessary
- Carry at least one bottle of water
- A small bag to carry an outer layer helps
At Paldalmun, we briefly got lost while trying to re-enter the fortress trail.
If you think of walking straight from Paldalmun Gate, you’ll find the path right away.
II. Walking, Eating, and Exploring
1. From the Entrance to Paldalmun Gate
From the parking lot, walk a short distance and you’ll see Janganmun, the starting and ending point.
Beyond the crosswalk is a full-scale model showing the entire fortress. Past the gate is the information center where you can check maps.
Climbing up Janganmun, the sun was strong, so we bought iced coffee before continuing.
The view of the lake between the walls was beautiful enough to stop for pictures.
We briefly visited Yeonmudae and found a shaded walking path outside the outer gate. It was a relief from the sunlight, but the road felt endless, so we crossed the lawn and returned to the main street.
Back on the road, stairs lead up to the wall again. The scenery along the fortress road was beautiful despite the heat.
2. Yeongdong Market & Chicken Street
Arriving at Yeongdong Market, we went to Yongseong Fried Chicken.
Even at 1 p.m., the restaurant was crowded. We ordered half seasoned and half fried whole chicken. The portion was big, and leftovers can be packed.
Trying to return to the wall, we realized we were on a dead-end route.
The correct route is: Market → Road → Paldalmun → Crosswalk → Fortress Trail.
3. From Paldalmun to Cafe Street
The uphill climb here was the toughest and where we sweated the most.
At the top, a flat path leads to Seojangdae, and there are fun signposts pointing to cities worldwide.
Eventually, we reached the spot where the fortress walk ends and the Café Street begins.
I took a photo of flower petals blowing in the wind — too pretty not to record.
4. Cafe Street
What once looked like ordinary residential houses are now charming cafés with modern interiors blended into old structures.
The area was filled with couples, young people, and many foreign visitors.
I wanted a cold beer at an outdoor table, but settled for coffee and enjoyed the atmosphere.
5. Return & Boyeong Mandu
We returned to Janganmun at 3:40 p.m. — exactly 4 hours 30 minutes after starting.
Boyeong Mandu, next to the parking lot, usually requires a 40-minute wait, but we waited about 20–30 minutes.
The dumplings were unique and flavorful, especially the fried kimchi dumplings.
Although the Hwaseong trail itself takes 2 hours 30 minutes on foot, the stops, food, scenery, and cafes easily turn it into a 5-hour experience.
