Vatican-recognized Catholic pilgrimage · South Korea

Seoul,
faith born from witness.

Walk 44.1 kilometers through the extraordinary lay beginnings, persecutions, martyrs and living churches of Catholic Seoul on Asia’s first Vatican-recognized international pilgrimage route.

Explore 24 places on the map Choose a suggested journey

24 sacred places3 devotional areas1–1 day journeys

Course 1 · 8.7 km

The Word Route

Nine places tell how Korean laypeople received and organized the faith, how the first communities gathered, and how clandestine ministry took root.

Suggested journeys

Choose your pace

Each journey can be saved directly to your account with its day assignments, stop order and pilgrimage notes intact.

1 day

Course 1 · The Word Route

The official 8.7 km route, estimated by its organizers at about 3 hours 40 minutes on foot.

Day 1 · Stop 1Myeongdong CathedralFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 2Site of Kim Beom-u’s HouseFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 3Founding Site of the Catholic Church in KoreaFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 4Left Police Bureau SiteFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 5Jongno Catholic Church and Police Bureau Martyrs HallFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 6Gwanghuimun Martyrs SiteFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 7Catholic University Songsin Campus Pilgrimage SiteFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 8Seokjeong Full-Moon WellFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 9Gahoe-dong Catholic ChurchFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.

1 day

Course 2 · The Life Route

The official 5.9 km route, estimated at about 2 hours 30 minutes on foot.

Day 1 · Stop 1Gahoe-dong Catholic ChurchFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 2Gwanghwamun Beatification Site of 124 MartyrsFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 3Former Ministry of Justice SiteFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 4Uigeumbu Tribunal SiteFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 5Jeonokseo Prison SiteFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 6Right Police Bureau SiteFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 7Gyeonggi Provincial Office SiteFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 8Seosomun Martyrs’ Shrine and History MuseumFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 9Yakhyeon Catholic ChurchFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.

1 day

Course 3 · The Unity Route

The official 29.5 km route, estimated at about 8 hours on foot; split it if you want longer prayer and museum visits.

Day 1 · Stop 1Yakhyeon Catholic ChurchFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 2Danggogae Martyrs’ ShrineFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 3Saenamteo Martyrs’ ShrineFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 4Jeoldusan Martyrs’ ShrineFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 5Nogosan Martyrs’ SiteFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 6Yongsan Sacred Heart SeminaryFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 7Waegogae Martyrs’ ShrineFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.
Day 1 · Stop 8Samseongsan Martyrs’ ShrineFollow the official route order and verify current access before arrival.

Sacred ways

Pilgrimage routes and historic paths

Every route card states its form of recognition so an official Catholic pilgrimage, a devotional tradition, and an independent modern trail are never treated as the same thing.

Official Catholic pilgrimage route

The Word Route

Central and northern Seoul

Distance: 8.7 km
Typical time: About 3 hr 40 min

A nine-stop course centered on Korea’s lay-led reception of the faith and its first Catholic communities.

Part of the Vatican-recognized Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage RouteThe Songsin campus warns of restricted direct access during rebuilding from 2026 through 2029.Route information ↗

Official Catholic pilgrimage route

The Life Route

Historic central Seoul

Distance: 5.9 km
Typical time: About 2 hr 30 min

A nine-stop course through interrogation, prison and martyrdom sites, ending at Yakhyeon Church.

Part of the Vatican-recognized Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage RouteSeveral stops are outdoor markers in busy civic spaces; follow current pedestrian access.Route information ↗

Official Catholic pilgrimage route

The Unity Route

Central, western and southern Seoul

Distance: 29.5 km
Typical time: About 8 hr

An eight-stop course joining Seoul’s major martyr shrines, relic sites and former burial places.

Part of the Vatican-recognized Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage RouteThis is a demanding urban route; confirm shrine and museum closures, especially Mondays and school-access restrictions.Route information ↗

Course 2 · 5.9 km

The Life Route

From Gahoe-dong through tribunal and prison sites to Seosomun and Yakhyeon, this route follows the places where martyrs witnessed to eternal life.

Course 3 · 29.5 km

The Unity Route

The longest course joins Seoul’s major martyr shrines, relics, former burial places and the institutions that carried Catholic life beyond persecution.