Hallasan hosts World Heritage Festival from 3 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 13:36 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Hallasan and the 2026 World Heritage Festival will bring a programme of heritage walks and sunrise hikes to Jeju from 3 October 2026. The mountain, also known as Hallasan in English-language tourism material, is included among the festival locations for the event running until 18 October 2026.
The programme places South Korea’s highest mountain within a wider celebration of Jeju’s volcanic landscape, linking the summit area with lava tubes, villages and other natural heritage locations.
World Heritage Festival brings sunrise hikes to Hallasan
The 2026 World Heritage Festival - Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes is scheduled for 3 to 18 October 2026. The official programme names Hallasan Natural Reserve, the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, Seongsan Ilchulbong, seven natural heritage villages and the Jeju World Natural Heritage Centre among its locations.
At Hallasan, the programme lists a sunrise hiking activity at Seongpanak on 10 to 11 October and again on 17 to 18 October. The organisers describe the activity as a night hike followed by sunrise at the mountain, with advance reservation required and 240 places per day, or 480 places in total. The festival is organised by the Korea Heritage Service and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, with the Korea Heritage Agency and a local heritage organisation as main hosts. The official festival programme also lists walking tours and a heritage expedition elsewhere on Jeju.
Hallasan’s crater gives the festival its volcanic setting
Hallasan rises to 1,947 metres and is the tallest mountain in Korea. Its summit contains Baengnokdam, a crater lake, while the slopes contain volcanic cones and rare plant habitats. These features give the festival’s mountain programme a setting that is different from its cave and coastal venues.
The mountain is part of the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes World Heritage property, which UNESCO describes as a serial site containing three components. The property includes Hallasan, the Geomunoreum lava tube system and the Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone. The UNESCO site description identifies Mount Halla as Korea’s highest summit and highlights its waterfalls, varied rock formations and lake-filled crater.
The connection between the festival and the mountain is therefore direct rather than symbolic: the programme uses Seongpanak as a route into the natural heritage property, while the wider event interprets the volcanic features that shape Jeju. Information from VisitKorea’s heritage guide also places Hallasan Natural Reserve within the jointly designated UNESCO site.
Visiting Hallasan: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The 2026 World Heritage Festival runs from 3 to 18 October 2026, while the Hallasan sunrise hikes at Seongpanak are scheduled for 10 to 11 October and 17 to 18 October 2026.
- The sunrise hikes require advance reservation. The official programme lists 240 places per day, and the Hallasan reservation system states that access to the summit routes operates through reservations.
- Seongpanak is the named Hallasan venue for the sunrise programme. Jeju is the island region, and Hallasan’s summit reaches 1,947 metres, so the activity involves a high mountain route rather than a low-level festival site.
- Baengnokdam crater lake is at the summit. The UNESCO-listed setting also includes waterfalls, varied volcanic rock formations and a surrounding landscape formed by volcanic activity.
- The official language is Korean and the national currency is the South Korean won.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Hallasan on social platforms
These links open searches for Hallasan on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Hallasan
When does the World Heritage Festival take place at Hallasan?
The 2026 World Heritage Festival runs from 3 October to 18 October 2026. Its Hallasan sunrise hikes are scheduled for 10 to 11 October and 17 to 18 October 2026.
Where is Hallasan and how do you get there?
Hallasan is on Jeju Island in South Korea. The festival’s sunrise hiking programme uses the Seongpanak route, while summit access is managed through the Hallasan reservation system.
What is Hallasan?
Hallasan is a 1,947-metre volcanic mountain containing Baengnokdam crater lake. Its natural reserve forms part of the UNESCO-listed Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes property.
