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Individuals, couples, families—I’ve been guiding international hikers across Korea for 15 years. I know this terrain inside out: how to move, where to stay, what to eat, how life really works beyond the cities. This isn’t a side job. It’s my life’s work. My connection to Korea goes deeper than guiding. I’ve published six books on its mountains, and before COVID-19, my work took me into North Korea to photograph the Baekdu-daegan. Those images became exhibitions across Korea and abroad—from Pyongyang to Kyoto to New Zealand—capturing the peninsula as one landscape, one story. I’ve also worked with MBC Korea on two documentaries about those journeys, and I’m well known within Korea’s hiking community. My trips are multi-day, fully guided adventures: traveling by SUV, hiking new peaks each day, staying in different towns, eating well, and discovering a side of Korea most visitors never see. You’ll get experienced, professional guidance—and something far more personal than a standard tour. You can view my career details here.

Mountain Hiking in Korea: Founded in 2009, HIKE KOREA designs guided hikes for international visitors, led by New Zealander Roger Shepherd. Trips span all of South Korea, with past expeditions reaching even the remote Paektu Plateau in North Korea. Korea is a mountainous land where peaks shape culture, belief, and daily life—echoing through music, art, and the ancient idea of san-shin (mountain spirits) and pungsu-jiri (geomantic energy). An old web of village trails has evolved into a vast modern network crossing ridges, forests, temples, coasts, and cities. With dozens of parks and countless routes, Korea feels like a vast labyrinth—best discovered on foot. For your next trip to Asia, consider Korea.

I organised an eight day hiking trip to South Korea for myself and a group of eight males, mostly from Ireland. I found Roger online and from the beginning he was knowledgeable, responsive and extremely helpful. He helped design a program to climb several mountains throughout Korea, including an overnight at a refuge and a sunrise summit. He answered all my questions promptly, was very flexible when one of our group had to withdraw and the trip went without a hitch. The transport was a comfortable modern minibus, the hotels were all very nice and the spa visits after every climb were well received by all. Roger and his colleague, Dong Il were very professional, logistics all worked well and most importantly, they fitted in very well to the gregarious nature of the group. I would have no hesitation in recommending Roger and Dong Il for anyone planning a trip to South Korea. Terry Kelleher, Ireland.

My daughter and I had a trip with Roger in late August. The weather wasn’t ideal, being humid and around 30 degrees C (which as northern Europeans was a bit challenging) but did give us some appreciation of the summer climate in South Korea. Low cloud on the first day meant we didn’t get any views, but did get a feeling for the terrain, on a route where we met no one else. So on the second day, when we saw the incredible view from about 1000m up, we both had the great surprise that you could see so far. Our overnight stay in a Buddhist hermitage was the highlight of our whole trip in South Korea. It was a rare privilege to stay in such a calming and reflective place, experiencing the same space as others have done for over 1200 years. A very special experience for us both. As a vegetarian, I had the best food of my entire trip while on this tour, with Roger finding local places which catered for non-meat eaters (special mentions for food at the hermitage and the homemade tofu). Caroline, United Kingdom. August 2025.

We spent 4 days with Roger hiking throughout Jeollanamdo area. Roger was an amazing guide and tailored the hikes to ensure we experienced the best of the area. He has a wealth of knowledge and we learnt so much about the history of the area and Korea as a whole. We did days hikes and every day was different. He walked at our pace and we never felt rushed. The days were flexible and we even decided to get up early to see sunrise in Jirisan. We went to places many overseas tourists may not think of hiking and experienced a slower side of Korean life in lovely little rural towns. From pick up to drop off everything was sorted for us. He even made sure we got to try new foods each night. He made sure the hotels we stayed at were clean and well maintained. Overall it was a wonderful experience. If you want a great guide who speaks English and has spent a lot of time hiking Korea I can highly recommend Roger. Nicole & Aaron – Australia

Our group of six had a wonderful 5 day hiking tour of southwest Korea. Roger led us through breathtaking hikes that were challenging but we never felt overextended or unsafe. The accommodations were comfortable for those of us from the US, and the meals were always delicious everywhere. Would gladly work with Roger again when we come back to this beautiful country. Peter Lee, Hawaii, U.S.A.

I stumbled upon Roger’s company, Hike Korea, whilst flipping pages of my Korean Lonely Planet guide. I reached out to Roger via the WhatsApp link listed on the Hike Korea website to begin conversations surrounding hiking in Korea and he was both incredibly responsive and helpful right from the start. Prior to beginning the hike, Roger picked me up from Guyre train station and even arranged a night of pre-hike accommodation at a local hotel. During the hike Roger took the time to throughly explain Korean customs and cultures, as well as the significance of the Jirisan mountains to the people of Korea. I was incredibly well fed and looked after for the entirety of my time hiking in Jirisan NP. The weather on the final day of our hike wasn’t too kind to us and we spent it hiking in the rain, however, once we made it off the mountain Rodger went to the lengths of organising an afternoon at a Korean spa followed by a delicious feast of mountain vegetable bibimbap at a local restaurant in a nearby Hanok village. If you want a five star hiking experience in Korea, do yourself a favour and get in contact with Rodger. You will not be disappointed. Hayden Cunneen – Australia

					  Hike Korea if you want to Hike Korea! - There are few people that know the mountains of South Korea like Roger Shepherd, so if you are looking for something different, something authentic and something memorable, then he is... read more one of the few people in the country providing an alternative more intimate experience of the real South Korea. He's your ticket to get to know both the wonderful mountains and the amazing people of South Korea.				
Planetkimchi
May 14, 2023 

					  Fantastic private hiking tour - Our family went on a 2 day private hiking trip with Roger.   We had an absolutely fantastic time and couldnt rate Roger highly enough.  He is a... read more mine of information on Korea and the hiking, the food and the hotels were excellent.  It was great to get a couple of days out of the mega-city that is Seoul and to experience a very different side of Korea.				
Alexander A
May 14, 2023 

					  South-Korea hiking journey - Mr. Shepherd delivered a memorable and unmatched experience. His name speaks for itself, he is a true guide. A combination of solid knowledge, artistic sense, cheerful spirit and commitment to... read more excellence make him the ideal guide for a mountainous adventure.				
inoa2010
May 15, 2023 