Netflix’s ‘Take a Hike!’: Release Date, Plot, Cast and Everything Else You Need to Know About the Project That Sends Four Reluctant Celebrities Into Korea’s Brutal Winter Mountains

Netflix is trading cushy studio sets for snow-capped peaks with its newest Korean unscripted offering, and the premise alone is enough to make anyone wince at the thought of a midwinter climb. ‘Take a Hike!’ has been confirmed to premiere on August 18, 2026, giving fans a first look at a teaser showing the cast’s grueling winter trek and the unexpected moments that come with it.

The show comes from a producer with a well established track record for turning ordinary situations into television gold, and this concept leans hard into physical discomfort as entertainment. ‘Take a Hike!’ follows four non voluntary hikers, described as stars with zero interest in hiking, as they embark on an epic midwinter journey across the snow capped mountains of Korea for the first time in their lives.

‘Take a Hike!’ Release Date and Episode Count

The countdown to premiere night is officially on, and Netflix has locked in a firm date for South Korean audiences and international viewers alike. Netflix confirmed the premiere date of its upcoming variety show for August 18, with the four beginner hikers having spent their lives avoiding hiking before setting out on the first snow mountain expedition of their lives in the middle of winter.

Fans hoping for a quick binge should pace themselves, since this is not a short limited run. There will be a total of ten episodes making up the season.

Earlier reporting had floated a possible August 1 release before the network settled on the later date. A preliminary August 1, 2026 release had circulated before Netflix confirmed the official premiere window. That kind of date shuffle is common for international unscripted programming, but it clearly has not dampened the buzz building around the show’s snowy trailer drops.

The ‘Take a Hike!’ Cast Lineup

The four names attached to this expedition span music, acting and idol fame, which should widen the show’s built in audience considerably. The cast includes Car, the garden, a South Korean singer known for hosting the Netflix reality series ‘Better Late Than Single,’ Yoon Do Woon, the youngest member of the Korean pop band Day6 who is described as cheeky, bubbly and effortlessly likable, Lee Chae Min, the actor who played the lead role of King Yi Heon in ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’ and also starred in ‘Hierarchy,’ ‘Crash Course in Romance’ and ‘See You in My 19th Life,’ and Tarzzan, the rapper and dancer of ALLDAY PROJECT known for boundless energy and quirky charm.

Netflix’s own rollout has framed the group as a genuine ensemble rather than four strangers thrown together for ratings. The official description calls the cast four of Korea’s most in demand personalities, sure to keep audiences hooked, with Car, the garden noted for a distinctive vocal tone and witty commentary, and Lee Chae Min highlighted as a rising actor gaining global attention who is a fresh face in unscripted television.

On screen, the group even gets a playful identity of its own tied to the mountain theme. The poster features the four members of what is being called the Hasan Hiking Club, led by Car, the garden, alongside Do Woon, Lee Chae Min and Tarzzan, each shown with a look of steely determination beneath the towering snow covered peaks.

Behind the Scenes of the Netflix Adventure Series

This is not the first time this creative team has taken celebrities out of their comfort zone for Netflix, and that pedigree is a big part of the pre release excitement. Netflix is teaming up with renowned Korean producer Na Yung-suk for ‘Take a Hike!,’ a new adventure reality series that swaps comfortable studio settings for South Korea’s harshest terrain.

Rather than leaning into manufactured drama or competition, the tone is being pitched as something more grounded and observational. The series highlights the cast’s genuine reactions as they push through physical hardship, develop unexpected friendships and experience the beauty of Korea’s winter landscapes.

Main producer Park Hyun-yong has been vocal about what he wants viewers to take away from the show’s rougher moments. He said the show was created with the goal of delivering raw entertainment where the cast genuinely struggles, adding that South Korea’s winter mountains are at their harshest and most rugged, yet also more beautiful than in any other season.

He went further in describing the emotional engine behind the concept. He explained that the goal was to show the raw chemistry that emerges when four people who have spent their lives far from the mountains are thrown into such an extreme environment and begin pushing and pulling one another forward.

What ‘Take a Hike!’ Is Actually About

At its core, the show is built around one deceptively simple question that the cast has to answer through sheer physical experience. Throughout the journey, the group faces steep climbs, freezing temperatures and unfamiliar terrain while searching for an answer to a simple question, namely why people hike in the first place.

Netflix’s official synopsis leans into the culture shock of putting inexperienced celebrities on a genuine mountaineering path. Netflix describes ‘Take a Hike!’ as a brand new reality adventure that follows four non voluntary hikers embarking on an epic midwinter journey across the snow capped mountains of Korea for the first time in their lives, calling it an unexpectedly charming test of grit, teamwork and good humor.

Even the show’s opening ritual sets a tongue in cheek tone before the real suffering begins. The trailer opens with the group reciting the Mountaineer’s Oath before setting off, only to reveal the harsh reality that awaits them once the climb actually starts. On Netflix’s own platform, the streamer has framed the entire premise around that same central mystery. The official Netflix synopsis asks whether four celebrity hiking newbies who end up forming a club to tackle Korea’s snow capped peaks can figure out why on earth people go to the mountains.

With a full ten episode season, a proven producer, and a cast mixing acting, idol and singing fame, ‘Take a Hike!’ has all the ingredients to become Netflix Korea’s next unscripted breakout when it lands on August 18. Which member of the Hasan Hiking Club do you think will struggle the most once those snow covered peaks actually come into view?