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Description of the route Seoul - Busan

 
map 1Brief outline:
Leaving Seoul City via the famous bikelanes network, following the Han River. Unfortunately there is no continuous route all the way to Hanam and beyond, but it is said to be under planning. You must climb over the river dike (using stairs) near 30 km. Fairly flat, tough climbing after Toecheon, 54 km.
0 km Start on the Han River bike path on Yeoido Island.
21.3 km   Follow the Han River bikepath till Amsa-dong, which is near kilometer post 21. At 300 meters beyond this post, where the bikepath makes a sharp left turn towards the river, take the tunnel underneath the Olympic Highway. Out of the tunnel, turn left and then right at the traffic lights. At the next junction turn left. Then at next junction with traffic lights turn right and you find yourself on road no. 88 to Gangil-dong.
25.9 km    At the end of the road, turn left and follow the road that crosses the highway and the railway line underneath. Keep on following this road to Isa-dong, until you come to a five-way junction with many restaurants. Take the road that goes a bit to the left.
29.7 km You reach the Han River dike. Using the stairs, climb over the dike. On top of the dike is a footpath. Going down on the river side of the dike, you find three concrete paths at different levels. Take the middle path and continue in southeastern direction along the river, past Hanam City and the Paldang bridge.
36.0 km Climb up to the road and continue along this road, direction East.
40.0 km Paldang Dam. Follow road no. 45, direction Gwangju.
46.9 km Turn left, road no. 88 to Toechon.
51.9 km Turn left, road no. 88 direction Yangpyeong.
53.0 km
 
map 2Brief outline:
Following roads no. 88 and 333 mostly along the Han River, starting with a nice downhill ride to Gangha. Major town on the route: Yeoju. Fairly flat to medium hilly section, road can be busy.
57.2 km
58.6 km
60.7 km You reach the Han River. Stay on the south bank, continue on road no. 88. From now on for the next 11 km, you'll find many motels
68.7 km You are opposite the city of Yangpyeong , but the route stays on the south (west) bank of the river, road no. 88.
72.5 km
75.0 km Turn left, road no. 88 direction Ipo. After 700 meters, again turn left, road no. 88 direction Ipo.From 2008 the situation may change a bit, presently there is a new bridge under construction.
79.3 km
80.9 km Turn left, road no. 88, direction of Daesin and Icheon.
83.0 km . Near the bridge: go straight through the village of Geumsa. After leaving the village, turn left onto road no. 333 to Yeoju.
84.6 km Turn left, follow road no. 333 to Yeoju.
87.4 km Turn left, follow road no. 333 to Yeoju.
91.1 km Turn left, follow road no. 333 to Yeoju.
98.1 km
99.3 km Turn left, in order to pass through the centre of Yeoju town
102.4 km Follow direction of Yangpyeong, road no. 37. After taking the bridge crossing the Namhan River, turn right at the traffic lights, direction Wonju, road no. 345.
107.3 km Continue following road no. 345 to Buron.
112.2 km Turn right to Buron.
114.2 km Turn left to Buron, after passing underneath the highway.
 
map 3Brief outline:
There is a very quiet and scenic section along the Han River, until you cross the river at 148 km. Then the road leads to the major city on this section: Chungju, at 167 km. After Chungju the terrain becomes more hilly, but the slopes are very gentle. The road is in parts beautiful and quiet, as long as you stay on the old road no. 3, mostly running on the east side of the new road no. 3. In general this section is scenic and easy riding.
118.5 km Turn right to Buron
122.3 km Just before Buron the road forks, take the left side, passing the village on the east side.
123 km Continue on road no 531 direction south. Just after the bridge, turn right.
125.6 km
129.5 km Take the small concrete road that diverts to the right, this is a nice shortcut. If you miss it, continue to the junction and turn right onto road no 531.
133.3 km Turn right, to follow the road on the eastbank of the Han river.
141.1 km Turn right, road no. 599 to Chungju. After 400 metres: go straight to Chungju.
146.7 km Turn right onto road no. 19. After 600 m: .
147.9 km Turn right onto road no. 38, crossing the Han River.
149.6 km Turn left, road no. 520 to Chungju.
155.1 km Turn left, stay close to the river. You pass by the 'Jungang Tap'.
158.1 km Follow road no. 520 along the river.
161.0 km Take the bridge over the water and immediately turn right after the bridge. Follow the road that goes along a canal.
163.3 km Turn right, crossing the bridge. Follow the road, that turns anti-clockwise, until you cross the railway underneath and reach the wide road parallel to the railway. Turn left, or:

NOTE
The route goes through the centre of Chungju, but if you want to bypass the city turn right, following the signs for Suanbo, joining the mapped route on road no. 3 just before the point marked 171.3 km. The bypass is 1.2 km shorter.

164.7 km At the big junction, turn right and follow the road into the city of Chungju.
166.4 km End of the road, continue by going slightly left. After 500 meters, turn right following road no. 3.
167.6 km Turn right crossing the stream, following road no. 3, leaving the city.
171.3 km Take the exit from road no. 3, going down and crossing road no. 3 underneath. Stay on the east bank of the river, following the old road no. 3. After 3.5 km, join the big road again.
176.5 km
177.6 km Make sure to follow the old road (left side) through Salmi village
179.2 km Junction with road no. 36. Continue on road no. 3 to Suanbo.
179.9 km
 
map 4Brief outline:
This is a very scenic section, passing over the continental divide. Two mountain passes are taken, at 193 km and at 205 km. After Mungyeong Spa, the route goes through the valleys of the Joreong River and the Yeonggang River. Very quiet roads (mainly the old road no. 3)
180.9 km
183.7 km Cross the main road in order to continue over the old road no. 3. Follow the river.
186.9 km Village of Suanbo, a spa resort . Please note that there is not much budget accomodation among the abundance of hotels. Continue in the same direction.
188.9 km Turn right to Yeonpung
189.7 km Join the big road no. 3 for a while
191.0 km Take the exit on the right, pass road no. 3 underneath, direction Joryeonggwangmun. Some climbing now.
193.4 km This is a small pass at altitude 372 m. Go direction Jeomchon, road no. 3.
194.7 km (also at 197.1 km).
199.6 km Turn left, go underneath road no. 3 and follow the old road no. 3 to Ihwaryeong Pass. Prepare for almost 5 kilometers of climbing.
204.8 km Ihwaryeong Pass. Highest point of the route, altitude 529 m. Here is the continental divide of the Korean Peninsula.
210.6 km 200 meters after you pass under highway no. 45, turn left. Take the tunnel underneath new road no. 3 and follow the stream to the parking lot of a roadside restaurant. From there, you cross the stream and come on to the road that leads (in opposite direction) to the Mungyeong Saejae national park. Turn right.
211.9 km
214.2 km Town of Mungyeong. Be aware that 26 kms more south there is a bigger city with the same name (which is a.k.a. Jeomchon). Follow the old road no. 3 to the other Mungyeong.
217.0 km Turn left direction Woe-eo-ri, after passing underneath the old railway line. After crossing the river, after 100 m, turn right. Then after 2.5 km, you join road no. 3 again.
223.8 km Take the old road no. 3. This means get off the road on the right side and then pass underneath. Follow the road along the river and old railway.
225.7 km Instead of following the new road no. 3 again, turn off the road on the right side and join the old road no.3, along the river.
227.9 km Cross the stream over the bridge and continue on the (busy) road no. 34, direction Yecheon. This means turning left after 300 meters.
230.1 km Cross the river again on the narrow bridge (without railing!) and turn left. Try to stay not to far from the river. After a few kilometers you will find a road of which the left side is reserved for bicycles only!
231.5 km
 
map 5Brief outline:
Most of this section is characterized by very quiet roads and rural sceneries. Korea's remote countryside at it's best. If you like to visit a bigger city (Jeomchon), make a small detour at 236 km.
236.5 km At T-junction turn left (cross this river for the last time) and follow road no. 34, direction Andong. (from here, the 'rivers route' and the 'scenic route' seperate again)
237.7 km At T-junction turn left, road no. 3 direction Yecheon.
239.6 km Take the parallel road, between new road no. 34 and the railway line.
241.7 km Village of Sanyang. Stay on the old road (keep right) through the village of Yonggung.
243.3 km Turn right on to road no. 924, direction Hoeryongpo, keep following road no. 924.
252.8 km At the T-junction turn right, after 1 km cross road no. 34 and enter the village of Gaepo. Continue following road no. 924.
258.5 km Junction with road no. 28, turn right direction Jibo and cross the Naeseong River.
260.8 km One km after the bridge, turn left, direction Homyeong. Then after 1.2 km, on top of a hill, turn right. Don't let yourself discourage by narrow roads and very remote farming communities, your general direction is southeast, keep on going in that direction (if in doubt, turn left)
267.5 km At T-junction (road no. 927), turn right. Cross the Nakdong River in the village of Gudam.
270.7 km Turn left road no. 927 direction Uiseong (climbing).
277.3 km Turn left, road no. 927 to Sinpyeong this road is also sometimes referred to as no. 912)
296.0 km Village of Anpyeong. Keep on following road no. 927.
 
map 6Brief outline:
Gently ondulating terrain, many farming villages on the way and a few nice small towns, like Bongyang and Geumseong. No cities. There are not many motels along this section.
305.3 km Village of Bongyang, Turn left and then join road no. 5, direction Uiseong and Andong. Cross the highway underneath. (for finding several motels, turn right into the village instead of left)
307.3 km Turn right, road no. 927 to Geumseong.
316.8 km Join road no. 28, direction Yeongcheon. Pass through the village of Geumseong by taking the old road on the left.
318.9 km At the end of the village, before joining road no. 28, turn left onto road no. 68.
323.6 km Village of Gaeum. Turn right onto road no. 79, to Uiheung.
332.2 km Follow road no. 79, which involves turning left and right respectively (to Sanseong) and crossing road no. 28.
337.9 km Enter the village of Sanseong. Keep on following road no. 79.
343.2 km After crossing the railway line underneath, turn left, follow road no. 908 to Sinnyeong. After 1.8 km, turn right onto the small road that follows (and crosses) the railway line.
348.0 km Turn left onto road no. 919.
 
map 7Brief outline:
You enter more populated area and the roads become busier. To visit the city of Yeongcheon, make a detour at 370 km (at Geumho). After Geumho the route follows quiet roads, but the terrain becomes more mountainous. The region is well known for it's fruit farms and vinyards.
353.1 km Village of Sinnyeong . Don't enter the village, but right after crossing the stream, turn right, following the stream over the dike.
356.0 km When the (concrete) path along the streams ends, turn left and you will come on to road no. 919. Turn right (direction south)
359.9 km Village of Cheongtong. Turn left, road no. 909 direction Yeongcheon.
364.2 km Turn right onto road no. 909, to Geumho.
367.8 km
370.9 km Town of Geumho. Keep direction south, crossing road no. 3 and the railway line, until you reach a T-junction. Turn left and after 300 metres turn right, crossing the river, road 909 direction Bugan.
378.0 km Village of Daechang. Continu on road 909, direction Bugan.
389.1 km At T-junction, turn right onto road no. 921, direction Cheongdo
402.7 km At end of road, at Unmun lake, turn left onto road no. 20 direction Gyeongju.
 
map 8Brief outline:
After gently climbing through the Dongchang River valley, the scenery becomes more mountainous. There is a lot of uphill and downhill riding near Seoknam Temple (432 km), but taking the pains is rewarded with beautiful views. This sections ends in the beautiful Baenae Valley.
409.4 km
410.4 km Turn right at the village of Sannae, following road no. 921, direction Eonyang.
415.0 km For the next 12 kilometres, you will encounter several motels. At 427 km there are several motels in a village.
429.0 km In the long descend of this road, take the small road to the right, direction Unmun temple and Seoknam temple. After 1 km, you come on road no. 69, turn direction road 24, Miryang.
432.8 km Continue on road no. 24, direction Miryang (direction west).
436.5 km At junction, follow road no. 69 direction Baenae-gol (valley). Follow this road uphill; the pass is at 438.7 km, altitude 680 m and this is the highest point on the whole route.
445.2 km Provincial border (entering Gyeongsang Namdo)
445.8 km
449.0 km
455.0 km Village of Dae-riAt the junction, continue on road no. 69.
There is a shortcut to Yangsan and Busan when you turn left. This road is rather bad and is very steep both climbing and descending. Use map 9b for further directions to Busan City
 
NOTE. To avoid the mountainous route through the Baenae Valley, there is a shorter and easier alternative to Busan as from 429.0 km. It is marked yellow on the maps no.s 8 and 9. Although this alternative offers a rather easy final part, be aware that you are going to miss maybe the most beautiful part of the whole route. See below for the route description.
 
map 9Brief outline:
The road no. 69 continues to be very scenic and quiet. At Wondong (km 468) the route follows the Nakdong River via a very winding road with many ups and downs. The last 22 kilometers are dominated by wide roads, traffic lights and the busy streets of Busan City.
461.9 km (and also 465.5)
467.8 km End of the Baenae-gol road, village of Wondong. Continue on road 1022 direction Yangsan and Busan.
471.4 km (and also 473.4)
483.8 km Village of Mulgeum. Take a sharp turn right to Mulgeum and Hopo. After 1 km, keep right, to Gupo.
485.2 km Cross the railway line underneath and turn left to Gupo. Follow the road between the railway and the river.
489.3 km After crossing the railway line underneath, turn right to Busan. After 500 metres, turn right again on the wide road no. 35 to Gupo and Busan. This road is later referred to as no. 41.
498.0 km Gupo-dong. Turn right on to road no. 40 to Gupo station. Pass by the station.
499.8 km Take the road to the left no. 3001, called Sasangno, going away from the river, but still heading south.
506.1 km  Jurye-dong junction, which is under the highway fly-over. Turn left to Seomyeon, direction east, following the wide road into the city.
511.6 km End of the route at Seomyeon Rotary.
 
maps 8 & 9Alternative section.

Brief outline:

This section starts at 429.0 km. The first part is mostly going downhill. Passing by the famous Tongdo temple, quiet roads can be followed till 460 km. The last 40 kilometres are dominated by wide roads, traffic lights and the busy streets of Yangsan and Busan City.
432.2 km Turn left on to road no. 24 direction Eonyang.
432.8 km
434.1 km Take the old road no. 24 to the right, direction Sangbuk town office.
435.8 km Turn right, direction Deungeok Hotspring
440.1 km At T-junction, turn left.
441.2 km At T-junction, continue to the left, direction Eonyang.
442.6 km
443.3 km At the end, turn right on to the old provincial road no. 35
444.1 km Go slightly to the right to continue on the old road no. 35. Repeat this action also at 446.4 km and 448.1 km.
451.2 km Village of Habuk , better known by the name of it's temple: Tongdo-sa. At the end of the village, turn right at the large crossing. Immediately after the next traffic lights, take the small road to the right, going a bit uphill.
451.6 km On the junction, turn left direction Samju.
459.3 km Cross the wide road and continue going south on the west side of the river. Continue till the end, where you have to cross the river over a bridge.
462.7 km take the small tunnel underneath the new road no. 35, then turn right, follow the old road no. 35.
464.2 km There is no more quiet old road no. 35; join the new road and continue following road no. 35 all the way along Yangsan , to Busan.
476.8 km Busan Hopo. Join the standard route, following the same road. The standard route at this point is at 489.8 km.

latest amendment: May 2008

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