An apparatus and method of planning a traveling path of a mobile robot, the apparatus and method including a pattern extracting unit, a pattern direction extracting unit, and a path generating unit. The pattern extracting unit may extract at least one pattern from an image of a ceiling captured in a ceiling direction. The pattern direction extracting unit may extract a pattern direction of the image in the form of a line from the at least one extracted pattern. The path generating unit may generate a traveling path of the mobile robot based on the extracted pattern direction.