4 hours ago
3
October 11, 2025 — 5:00am
If you’ve ever dreamed of cycling across a country, look no further than South Korea. There might be smaller, more sensible countries to attempt this feat – like Monaco or Liechtenstein – but the food won’t be as good, the people won’t be as friendly, and you won’t get to enjoy a 600 kilometre bike path that winds its way through the country.
The Four Rivers Bike Trail follows the Yeongsan, Geum, Nakdong, and Han rivers. It slithers through the country like a snake (of which you will see many) and opens a window into the Korean way of life, whether it’s their hospitality, relationship with nature, or even sex.
Yes, sex, and if the love motels you stay in on the ride are anything to go by, then Koreans sure are having a lot of it. These motels came into existence out of a social necessity. Most young Koreans live at home until they get married, and nothing kills the mood quite like sharing an adjoining wall with your parents.
They’re the most available form of accommodation on your ride and are categorised by a nightly or hourly rate, complimentary condoms, and pear juice. The only downside is that when you have just cycled somewhere between 60 and 100 kilometres, the last thing you or your bruised butt can think about is sex.
It’s worth noting that I’m not a cyclist. I’ve never worn lycra despite the allure of its comfort. The appeal of this particular bike route was that the majority of it is on dedicated cycleways. There are also bike companies that organise one-way cycle rentals and will ship your bags between Seoul and Busan. I use Bike Nara, who are excellent on all spokes.
The journey starts in Seoul. It’s hard to imagine how sprawling the metropolis is until you try to pedal across it using the power of your legs. At first, the excitement fuels you. It makes you believe the foolish notion that you can ride the 600-ish kilometres across the country.
Then, even after three hours of crossing bridges over that long, indomitable river, there appears no end to the sight of apartment complexes. The excitement fades in favour of doubt as your lungs burn, your legs ache, and a voice in your head tells you that you’ve made a terrible mistake.
But the good news is that it gets easier. The wheels turn, your endurance builds, and by pushing yourself further than your fears, Seoul melts away in favour of hobby farms, distant mountains, and the endless flow of the Han River.
The river shares a name with a cultural phenomenon that shapes the Korean identity known as “Han”, which is described by feelings of resentment, hatred, and regret. And while I feel my fair share of these emotions when I cycle up the 500-metre elevation of the Ihwa Mountain Pass, what I find in South Korea is a deep affection.
The people there are some of the kindest you’ll meet. By doing something as foolish as cycling across their country, they take pride in feeding you more than you could ever hope to eat. Let’s just say it’s a good thing you’re burning an extra thousand calories a day, because you’re going to consume all of them.
The trip takes me 10 days to complete. Most accomplished cyclists can do it in seven, although the greatest thing about this ride is the lack of accomplishment you need to finish it. Given enough time, energy, and pear juice, anyone can do it, and in doing so, learn about a country that has sat in the shadows of its more well-trodden neighbours.
And learn about the country I did, along with the joy and simplicity of travelling by bicycle. Much like the river, life only flows in one direction, and that direction bludgeons you with the necessities.
Where can I buy water? What will I eat for breakfast? Which love motel will I stay in tonight?
These questions quiet your mind. The big picture fades and you focus on the simple task of pushing one pedal in front of the other. And as you find yourself approaching Busan, there is an emptiness that it’s over. Life starts again and there is more to it than two wheels and four rivers.
The details
Stay
Take a break from the love motels (they typically cost $35 to $65 a night but don’t ask me for the hourly rate) and stay at Centro Tourist Hotel in Chilgok for a much-needed rest day, with rooms from $109 a night. See centrohotel.co.kr
Ride
You can rent bikes and organise one-way shipping of your bags with Bike Nara. For the 10 days it took me to complete the trail, the bike rental cost $292 including panniers. Luggage transfer is $10 to $20, and bike return in Busan costs $55. See bikenara.imweb.me
Fly
Full-service airlines Korean Air (koreanair.com) and Asiana (flyasiana.com) offer daily flights to Seoul. Jetstar (jetstar.com) and T’way (twayair.com) offer budget flights.
More
visitkorea.or.kr
The author travelled at his own expense.
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