There’s something satisfying about a first walk of a new season, and Gamnaetgil Course 1-1 — the very start of the entire 700-li trail — felt like the right place to begin. My friend Woojin and I picked a mid-March Saturday, still cold enough for jackets but with real spring light, and took the train out to Wolnae Station in Gijang, on Busan’s northeastern edge.
At the trailhead, someone had set up a small registration table — donation box, name badges, sign-in sheets — the kind of low-key organizational setup that Busan’s many volunteer walking groups use to keep track of who’s out on the trail that day. We signed in more out of curiosity than obligation and headed for the beach.
The trailhead sign-in table at the start of Course 1-1.
Route order
Imnang Beach to Chiram
Course 1-1 starts right at Imnang Beach, a quieter stretch of coast than the famous beaches further south, and the official Gamnaetgil marker there is the actual starting point of the whole 700-li trail — every other course, in theory, connects back to this spot. We took the obligatory photo at the marker before heading north along the shore.
The path from Imnang runs through Imnang Coastal Forest, a small pocket park, then continues along Jwagwang Stream before reaching the fishing village of Chiram, known locally for a large sculpture of an eel that marks the town’s specialty catch. From here the trail alternates between road walking and short coastal detours, passing a lighthouse and a scattering of small cafés that have opened up along this stretch in recent years.
Along the coast to Ilgwang Beach
Past Chiram, the trail runs into Sinpyeong, a small coastal neighborhood, before opening up at Ilgwang Beach — the halfway point of the course and a genuinely pleasant stretch of sand backed by low hills. We stopped here for a while, mostly because the light was good and neither of us was in a hurry, watching a handful of surfers out past the break even in March water temperatures.
From Ilgwang the route turns inland slightly, running past Gijang Gymnasium before finishing at Gijang County Office — a straightforward, low-key ending for a straightforward, low-key walk. Total distance came to about thirteen kilometers, roughly four hours including our stops at both beaches.
Trail info at a glance
- Distance: approx. 13 km
- Walking time: 4 hours at a relaxed pace
- Difficulty: Easy — flat coastal and village paths throughout
- Start: Imnang Beach (official start of the entire Gamnaetgil trail)
- Finish: Gijang County Office
- Best season: Spring or autumn for comfortable walking temperatures; the beach stretches are pleasant year-round
Map of the route
Course 1-1 route
A few practical notes
If you’re planning to walk the whole Gamnaetgil trail in order, Course 1-1 is the natural place to start, and Wolnae Station makes it an easy day trip from central Busan. Ilgwang Beach, at the halfway point, has enough cafés and convenience stores to restock water or grab a coffee before the second half. This is one of the flattest, most beginner-friendly sections of the entire trail — a good choice if you’re not sure how much Gamnaetgil you want to commit to yet.
For more on reaching Gijang and other outer Busan neighborhoods by public transport, see our guide to getting around Busan.
Walked in mid-March, cold but clear — our first Gamnaetgil section of the year.
More walks nearby
Other walks in Gijang and the east coast on this site: