Do you really draw a puppy?

You do. The loop is GPS art: traced on a map it draws a dog. The shape is the fun part, but the run stands on its own through the historic centre of Seoul.

When should I run it?

Early morning. This goes through the busiest part of the city, and at dawn it is calm, cool and yours. Midday and weekend evenings are crowded; late evening works if you take it slow.

I did not bring running shoes.

A running store on the route rents shoes, so you can still run even if you flew in without yours. You also pass the first Salomon flagship trail-running store in Korea on the way.

Can we make it longer?

Yes. The loop stays mostly above the Cheonggyecheon, but we can drop down and add a stretch along the stream itself at the end for more city views and extra distance.

Routes · Gwanghwamun & the palaces, Jongno-gu

The Puppy Run.

강아지런 · 광화문

A loop through the historic heart of Seoul that draws a puppy on the map. Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung, the Blue House, the palace-wall lanes and the Cheonggyecheon, all in one run.

Distance: 8.7 km
Elevation: 36 m
Difficulty: Easy

How it runs ↓

The map

Course map

The route, on the actual map.

GPS-recorded track with points of interest along the way. Click any marker for the local context: water, toilets, CV stores, bridge crossings, photo spots.

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Hover the route or the elevation chart

Your pace

Estimated time —

Restrooms, water fountains, and convenience stores near the route come from official Korean public open data (Seoul Open Data Plaza and data.go.kr). Hours can change, so treat them as a guide.

8.7 km +36 m Easy

Run this with me

Per hour, per person · adjust distance, pace & group when you book

How it runs

The route, in five parts.

If there is one thing I love more than running, it is dogs. This is my puppy, so a route that combines the two is, to me, the best one yet, and beyond drawing a genuinely cute puppy on the map it has a lot to offer: Gwanghwamun Square, the Blue House, Insadong, the Cheonggyecheon. My favourite place in Seoul is on it, the entrance to Gyeongbokgung. Stand at the gate and one side is the traditional palace, tiled roofs and the mountain behind it; the other is modern Seoul, skyscrapers and screens and crowds streaming past. Like someone set Times Square next to a five-hundred-year-old palace, and somehow it works.

From there you head down toward the Cheonggyecheon, the stream through the centre of the city. For decades it was buried under an elevated highway; the city tore the road down and daylighted it in 2005, and now it is a sunken, traffic-free walkway through downtown. You thread the narrow lanes of Bukchon and Insadong, run the quiet roads along the old palace walls, and pass the Blue House, the former presidential residence. The loop stays mostly above the Cheonggyecheon, but you can add a stretch along the water at the end for extra distance.

01
Gwanghwamun Square and the gate

We start near Gwanghwamun and head up the square toward Gyeongbokgung. The spot I love most: at the palace gate the traditional and modern city sit right next to each other, tiled roofs and Bugaksan on one side, skyscrapers and screens on the other.
02
Around the palace to the Blue House

Quiet roads along the palace walls up to the Blue House, the former presidential residence, under the forested mountain. Calmer than the square, with the fountain plaza and the Museum of Craft Art on the way.
03
The palace-wall lanes of Bukchon and Insadong

Down through the narrow lanes east of the palace, stone walls on one side, cafes and galleries on the other. The prettiest running in central Seoul, the part that surprises people who only know the big avenues.
04
Through the heart of the city

Back toward the centre past Bosingak and the Cheonggyecheon, the daylighted stream below street level through downtown. The loop keeps you mostly above it, but you can drop down and add a stretch along the water at the end.
05
Close the loop, and the puppy

Back to the start, having traced a puppy across the middle of Seoul. About 8.7 km, flat the whole way. The only real challenge is the crowds, not the climbing, which is why I run it early.

Facts

Numbers, surfaces, fountains, toilets.

The things you actually want to know before you head out.

Default distance: 8.7 km loop
The shape: Traced on a map, the route draws a puppy. It is GPS art.
Elevation gain: Flat and gentle through the city centre
Surface: City pavement and palace-wall lanes; optional Cheonggyecheon stream path
Landmarks: Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung gate, the Blue House, Bukchon & Insadong lanes, Bosingak, the Cheonggyecheon
Shoe rental: A running store on the route rents shoes; you also pass Korea’s first Salomon flagship trail store
Traffic exposure: A real city route: road crossings, lights and busy pavements, not an uninterrupted park run.
Toilets: Jonggak Station plus public facilities around the square and palace
Convenience stores: Many through the city centre
Transit: Gwanghwamun (Line 5), Gyeongbokgung (Line 3) and Jonggak (Line 1) all sit on the loop

When to run it

Best time, best season, the honest caveats.

Best time of day

Early morning, without question. The whole point of running this route is the quiet light on the palace and the empty square before the city centre fills up. Run it at dawn and it is yours.

Best seasons

Spring and autumn are loveliest around the palaces, but this is a four-season route. The gate and walls under fresh snow in winter are worth a cold early start, and the city-centre paving stays runnable when the riverside routes get slick.

Caveats and Plan B

This route runs through crowded city streets, so run it early morning. Midday and evenings, especially weekends, get busy. Late evening is feasible too, just take it slow.
A city route, not a park: expect road crossings, traffic lights and pavement shared with pedestrians. Pace it accordingly.
Access to the Blue House grounds has changed back and forth; we run past it regardless, but whether you can go in depends on current rules.

From me

I love dogs more than just about anything except maybe running, so a route that lets me do both, even if the dog is only a shape on a map, was always going to be a favourite. But it earns its place on its own: nowhere else in Seoul lets you run past a five-hundred-year-old palace gate, a forested presidential residence, and a daylighted downtown stream inside a single easy hour.
· Quintin

Where we start

Gwanghwamun, by the south end of Gwanghwamun Square

Subway Line 5, Gwanghwamun (Exit 1–4 put you on the square). Gyeongbokgung (Line 3) and Jonggak (Line 1) also sit on the loop if they are easier for you.

FAQ

Quick answers.

Do you really draw a puppy?

You do. The loop is GPS art: traced on a map it draws a dog. The shape is the fun part, but the run stands on its own through the historic centre of Seoul.
When should I run it?

Early morning. This goes through the busiest part of the city, and at dawn it is calm, cool and yours. Midday and weekend evenings are crowded; late evening works if you take it slow.
I did not bring running shoes.

A running store on the route rents shoes, so you can still run even if you flew in without yours. You also pass the first Salomon flagship trail-running store in Korea on the way.
Can we make it longer?

Yes. The loop stays mostly above the Cheonggyecheon, but we can drop down and add a stretch along the stream itself at the end for more city views and extra distance.

Take it with you

GPX + interactive map coming with the full runner's guide.

Downloadable GPX, turn-by-turn cues, the elevation profile, and an interactive map land with the full guide. Until then, run it with me, I know every turn.

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Where to run next.

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The Puppy Run.

The route, on the actual map.

The route, in five parts.

Gwanghwamun Square and the gate

Around the palace to the Blue House

The palace-wall lanes of Bukchon and Insadong

Through the heart of the city

Close the loop, and the puppy