(as of 06/24)
So, you’ve heard about the amazing bike paths along the Han River, and want to spend an afternoon tootling along admiring the beautiful waterways, and need to rent a bike. There are a number of ways that you can do this. Two of the most convenient options are described here.
(If you’re interested in longer term rentals, or want to consider a more serious road or off-road bike, the information here won’t be what you’re looking for. But a little internet searching will lead you to a lot of options – there’s a pretty serious bike culture in Seoul, and you’ll find plenty of places that will cater to more performance-oriented riders.)
First, there are about a dozen bicycle rental locations in major parks along the Han River, as illustrated in this map, which I found on the Soul of Seoul blog (a great Korea travel blog that I highly recommend, especially for off-the-beaten path kinds of adventures.)
These locations typically have a variety of bikes (often including tandem bikes, 4 wheel-carriages, children’s bikes, as well as child seats) available for rental, and rentals will come with helmets, a lock, and baskets as well. The prices run from about 3000-6000 KRW/hour, depending on what you’re renting (depending on the location, you may need to leave your passport or some other ID at the kiosk while you ride). Keep in mind that because the different locations operate separately, they’ll have different operating hours (some close early, some late, some are only open at particular times of year), you’ll have to return your bike to the same location that you rented it, and they won’t all have the same equipment. Another bonus is that some of these locations are at locations that also rent boats if you decide you want to explore the Han River via the water instead.
Another great option is to make use of the Seoul Bike program (따릉이, Darungi, an onomatopoeic word for the sound a bike bell makes). These are the green and white bikes that you’ll see all over Seoul. The bikes are available everywhere (at many subway stops, various high traffic locations, parks, access points near the Han River…) You can return the bike to any Seoul Bike location, and you can rent at any time of day or night, throughout the year. The prices are reasonable too: just 5000 KRW for a 24 hour period (you can also rent bikes for 1000 KRW/hour if you just want to use the bike to get from one place to another.) You’ll get a lock, bell, and basket with your bike, but no helmet, and there are no options like child seats, though they do have children’s bikes.
To use 따릉이, first download the app. You can choose “foreigner” and navigate the app in English (it’s pretty straightforward) and you can pay with a foreign credit card (woo hoo!) [Note that when you get to the part about the terms and conditions, you should expand that drop down section – I find that sometimes Korean websites and apps won’t let you continue until you have actually looked at the terms and conditions.] You’ll get a code number and a map of the nearby locations along with how many bikes are available, both regular and children’s (I’m not sure that this always very accurate however). When you get to a bike location, open the app, enter your code number, and indicate that you’re ready to rent. You’ll then scan the QR code of the bike you’ve selected, and once the bike pairs with your app, it will unlock, and you’re ready to go. Your time won’t start until you’ve actually unlocked a bike (and if you should change your mind about renting, after 24 hours, the rental fee will be refunded.) If you decide to take a break during your ride to go to a café or such, you can just lock and unlock the bike using the app, and when you are ready to return your bike for the day, you can do the same.
Now that you’ve got your bike, get out there and explore! The bikepaths along the river and connected waterways are endless and beautifully maintained. (The bikelanes through the city traffic are not bad, but are a little more hair-raising.) You’ll see lots of seriously outfitted Koreans on very fancy bikes (just like the kitted-out hikers you see on any mountain trail), but you’ll also see lots of people tootling along on whatever bike they have handy. Some stretches can get a little busy on weekends, but as you get a little further out from the center, or off onto any of the bikepaths along the smaller waterways, you’ll find yourself out of the thick of things pretty quickly. The bikepaths run along both sides of the Han, and most of the bridges have elevators and bike/pedestrian paths. I am constantly amazed at how quickly you can find yourself riding along a serene path, enjoying beautiful scenery and wildlife, and yet still be the middle of Seoul. It’s one of the things that makes Seoul such a special place.
