Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Fanastic views, temple, waterfalls, easy to get to |
| Disadvantages: |
Long walk from bus stop to temple, very steep walk to the peak |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Songnisan has a lot to offer.
The entrance fee to the park is about 3000W and includes the temple.
To get to Sognisan head to Boeun terminal and take the direct bus. It takes about 20 minutes.
There's a great temple site just inside the national park with a very large standing buddha statue.
There is information available in English and you are free to walk around the temple site and examine all the different artefacts. Underneath the statue is a small museum.
To walk up the mountain you will need to allow several hours depending on your route. There is no cable car and there are a lot of steps so it can be tiring.
Maps are available in English with beauty spots labelled.
If you want to take an alternative route back down the mountain be careful! There are other ways down signposted and you will get down safely - but you may find that there's no public transport in the village you arrive at.
The views from the peak are absolutely worth the climb - you can even just about see the temple site in the distance. It's best to try to get there in the morning if you can before the summer haze obscures the view a little.
The route has lots of things to see and you can easily find a quiet spot to sit and take it all in.
There is accomodation around the edges of the park, and some within the park.
There are also some camp sites.
There are some shops at the entrance to the park, including restaurants. There are also some at points on the walk up the mountain - including just short of the peak.
The rest-rooms are not always pleasant and you'll need your own paper!
If you go in the middle of summer be prepared for the intense heat and humidity which can make climbing quite a task.
