1 Day Tour in Gangwon do – The Best recommended Itineraries
Where is Gangwon-do?
Gangwon-do is a province on the east part of Korea, by the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Gangwondo is famous for its beautiful nature and mountains, they hosted the 2018 Olympics and its one of the most popular filming locations for Korean dramas. If you are interested in a 1-day private car + driver tour where you can choose an itinerary or customize your own, you can easily Book HERE
Sokcho Area – Best of Nature 1-Day Tour
Mt. Seorak
Mt. Seorak is the highest mountain in Gangwondo Province and the third highest mountain in South Korea (after Mt. Halla in Jeju and Mt. Jiri in the South). It’s located in the national park near Sokcho city. The Daechongbong Peak (대청봉) of Mt. Seorak reaches 1,708 meters (5,603 feet). The national park attracts many tourists all year round, but the best season to travel to Mt. Seorak national park is in autumn. The autumn colors in the area are considered amongst the most beautiful in Korea!
The popular highlights are the Cable car ride, Sinheungsa Temple (신흥사) and The Great Bronze Buddha statue.
Naksansa temple
Naksansa is an old Korean Buddhist Temple built by Ui-Sang, the ambassador of the 30th King of Silla Period (57 BC- 935 AD). Inside there is the Seven Story Stone Tower, Dongjong, Hongyaemun, together with several other cultural assets. Naksansa is one of the few temples in Korea to overlook the East Sea (Sea of Japan).
Mount Naksan is crowned by the Buddhist statue of Haesugwaneumsang (Bodhisattva of Mercy), known as a goddess. It faces southeast standing 15 meters (49 feet) high on a 2.8-meter (9.2 ft) high pedestal. The white granite statue stands in a clearing at the top of the hill, eyes and fingers closed in peaceful meditation as it gazes out to sea.
Gangneung Area – 1-Day Tour
Jungang market
Gangwon-do’s representative traditional market, Jungang Market is divided into two main parts; one is a traditional market and the other is an underground fishery market. Vendors display their products along the street, here you will be able to try some delicious and unique Korean street food!
Anmok beach (coffee street)
Enjoy the famous coffee street by the beautiful Anmok Beach. Most of the coffee shops here roast their own coffee beans. The best part is sitting by the window gazing out at the ocean. This is also the first local district in Korea to host a coffee festival and support coffee artisans.
Daegwallyeong sheep farm
Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm is a lovely ranch where you can see sheep by walking in a 1.2 meter-long circular walkway. It takes about 40 minutes to walk along this path. A wooden shack located in the field appeared as a backdrop of the movie “The Man from Mars.” The wooden shack fits perfectly with the sheep farm and has become a popular photo site. To get a closer experience with the sheep, sign up for the feeding experience, where you can give hay to the sheep and even reach out to touch their fuzzy heads.
Customizable Area – 2~3 places for a 1-Day Tour
K-drama Goblin Shooting place 1 – Jumunjin Beach
Jumunjin Beach is nowadays most famous for the shooting spot of the K-drama Goblin. Some people prepare flowers and a red scarf to take a nice picture just like the scene in the drama. Besides this spot, the beach itself is quite unique having fine white sand, unusually blue water and many dark-colored rocks and stones are visible as well. The fine view of pine trees behind the white sands only accentuates its beauty.
Pyeongchang woljungsa temple
Woljeongsa Temple is located in a forested valley and is also a shooting place of the Kdrama Goblin. You can walk the beautiful fir tree forest path just like in the drama. Woljeongsa Temple is also the site of Seongbo Museum, displaying artifacts and treasures from Buddhist culture of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), including a nine-story octagonal pagoda and a Stone Seated Buddha figure.
Instagram Worthy Places
Inje Wondaeri Birch Forest
Step into this fairytale-like Birch Tree forest for some great Instagram worthy shots! Tour of the forest is available by following its walking trail, only after completing registration at the forest entrance. They have several trails you can choose to follow. The shortest ones take around 30~ 40 min and the longest up to 2 hours.
*** Access limited due to forest fire prevention and environmental protection during spring and autumn: Please contact us to see if it will be open during your visit.
Wonju Sogeumsan Mountain Suspension Bridge
Experience Koreas longest suspension bridge! The tourist site offers an amazing view, with the riverfront surrounded by white sand, oddly shaped rocks and lush forests with a 40 to 50-m high wall of rock formations along both sides of the river. This is a great spot for some fun photography as well as a fun challenge to walk all the way on this shaky bridge!
Hongcheon Ginkgo Forest
Hongcheon Ginkgo Forest is only open to the public during the month of October. This private forest was planted and has been maintained by one man for 30 years. He settled down in the area in 1985 with his wife who suffered from chronic indigestion. He started planting the ginkgo tree seeding on his spacious field after he heard about the medicinal effects of the mineral waters from Sambong Yaksu at the foot of Odaesan Mountain. The forest remained private until 2010, when its popularity spread by word of mouth. Since then, the owner has graciously agreed to open his private land up to the public for free during the month of October, when the whole forest takes on a golden hue. Perfect spot for a fun photoshoot with friends!
Museum San
Museum SAN is a beautiful art museum designed by world famous Ando Tadao. You can find this place in the middle of nature – within Oak Valley golf/ski resort. Because of its countryside location, natural surroundings, and sheer size, the venue really sticks out. This museum has a beautiful flower garden, a water garden where a dazzling display of water reflects the surroundings, and Ando Tadao’s Stone Garden featuring nine stone mounds inspired by ancient Silla tombs.
The museum aims to rediscover the meaning and value of paper, in the exhibition at the Paper Gallery, as well as a collection of artworks that reflects the development of Korean modern and contemporary art, which are presented in the Cheongjo Gallery.
How to Book!
After reading about all the places you can choose your preferred 1-day tour by picking one:
- Sokcho Area
- Gangneung Area
- Customized Area (Pick 2~3 places)
➡ Now all you need to do is click the link below and choose car size, driver only or a guided tour as well etc.. CLICK HERE TO BOOK
➡ To see other private car tours in different areas CLICK HERE
Which Ski Resorts to stay for your Winter in Korea?
Are you planning a winter skiing trip to Korea but not sure how to choose from Korea’s vast number of ski resorts in the offering? ❄️
Trust us, we feel you! That is why we have put together a guide with all the essential information that you need to make that decision! All that is left for you to do after reading this guide, is to simply relax, show up & enjoy! 😍
About Korea’s Ski Resorts 🎿
One of the most popular destinations for skiing in Korea is Gangwon-do, where its natural mountainous landscape offers visitors the most exciting yet versatile enjoyment in winter. So pack your gears and join us in marveling over the sight of fluffy white snow covering the region in the most spectacular way! Whether you’re a complete newbie or expert at skiing and snowboarding, finding that perfect ski resort where your every need are catered will not be impossible! 🧡
🗺 What is the best way to get there?
Located in the eastern province of the country, Gangwon-do is about 1.5 to 3 hours from Seoul. There are a couple of ways for you to get there! 🚌 bus, 🚆train, 🚖 cab.
Or you can book a nice private van transport to/from the Airport or Seoul to/from the resort!
Best Ski Resorts for Beginners!
Elysian Ski Resort
This resort is near Seoul and also close to the famous and beautiful Nami Island. This is a great 1-day tour for short time staying tourists. The slope is not that tall so we don’t recommend this place for the advanced level skiers/snowboarders, but it’s perfect for beginners! If you want to try it out book it HERE!
Konjiam Ski Resort
Konjiam Ski resort is a quite new resort that offers nice facilities and very nice, clean rooms. They were the first resort to change their lift system from period passes (morning/evening/day etc) to hourly lift passes that start from the first use, so now you don’t have to worry about wasting time and money if you happen to come late! There are 9 slopes that are good for beginners and middle-level skiers or snowboarders. Konjiam is close to Seoul as well and there is also the Hwadam Forest which is a very popular site for the summer as well.
The Most Popular Ski Resorts in Korea!
Daemyeong Vivaldi Park Ski Resort
Not really far from Seoul, this resort has a lot of facilities where you can enjoy your time with kids without even skiing or snowboarding! There is also a huge water park in here, as well as a Tourist’s Gondola. Recommended for families traveling with kids! To book the Vivaldi Ski tour click HERE.
Jisan Forest Ski Resort
This ski resort is the most famous Ski Resort near Seoul! Therefore, there are always a lot of people and you can enjoy watching the best skiers or snowboarders. You can also enjoy Everland and night Ski package because it is quite near Everland (about 30 min.)
Yongpyong Ski Resort
Yongpyong Ski Resort is the most favorite place for Skiers and Snowboarders! It is located at the highest altitude and always has a lot of snow. They open their Ski Slope earlier and close it later than other ski resorts. There are a total of 28 Slopes and they are wider than other ski resort slopes which makes it enjoyable for both beginners as well as advanced skiers! There is also a huge water park where you can bring your kids to play together. The facilities are quite old but they are renovating. Some tourist come only for the gondola here as well! If you are looking for a 2D1N or 3D2N, this resort will be the best as you can look around the east beach, see the Sheep farm and many other tourist spots! Book a spot HERE.
Perfect for 1-day tours
Gonjiam Ski Resort
Gonjiam Ski resort is a quite new resort that offers nice facilities and very nice, clean rooms. They were the first resort to change their lift system from period passes (morning/evening/day etc) to hourly lift passes that start from the first use, so now you don’t have to worry about wasting time and money if you happen to come late! There are 9 slopes that are good for beginners and middle-level skiers or snowboarders. Gonjiam is close to Seoul as well and there is also the Hwadam Forest which is a very popular site for the summer as well.
Alpensia Ski Resort
It is located near Yongpyeong Ski Resort! The resort is a bit smaller than Yongpyeong but it was the place that held the 2018 Winter Olympics. Therefore, you can enjoy the Ski Jump observatory and the facility in this resort is quite nice compared to other Ski Resorts however they do not have as many other activities.
Resorts with more Advanced Ski and Snowboard Slopes
Phoenix Park Ski Resort
This Resort is very famous among Snowboarders because the Olympic Snowboard games were held there during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in Korea. There are 21 slopes and they put a lot of care on the snow quality! There is a Waterpark as well but it is not as big as others.
Yongpyeong Ski Resort
Yongpyeong Ski Resort is the most favorite place for Skiers and especially for Snowboarders! It is located at the highest altitude and always has a lot of snow. They open their Ski Slope earlier and close it later than other ski resorts. There are a total of 28 Slopes and they are wider than other ski resort slopes which makes it enjoyable for both beginners as well as advanced skiers! There is also a huge water park where you can bring your kids to play together. The facilities are quite old but they are renovating. Some tourists come only for the gondola here as well! If you are looking for a 2D1N or 3D2N, this resort will be the best as you can look around the east beach, see the Sheep farm and many other tourist spots!
Family Friendly Resorts – for Kids and the Elderly
High1 Ski Resort
This resort is located a bit far from Seoul, it takes about 3 hours from Seoul. Even though there’s a distance it’s worth the ski trip if you want to enjoy a variety of slopes and a Casino as well. They also opened a huge Water Park back in 2018! There are 18 slopes which compared to Yongpyeong Ski Resort is less, however, High1 have the longest slopes in Korea! So if you are a beginner, you probably only need to ski down one slope.
This Ski resort is a very popular place for all types of skiers and snowboarders as well. If you take the lift while it’s snowing, you will love seeing the beautiful view and scenery! You can use all of the gondolas between the condominiums in High 1. You will love going away and being with nature for a few days, we recommend this place for you to be able to feel the best of a Korean winter!
How to Book!
BOOK a Private Van + Driver
Now that you have read all about the best ski resorts in Korea it’s time to book! We highly recommend you book a Van and driver to pick you up and drop you off either to your accommodation in Seoul or the airport. Click HERE for more information & booking!
Want other winter tours?
We have a lot of 1-day winter tour packages. Check out below to browse for more or message us for details and on how to book!
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Have you ever visited South Korea during the winter?
Did we miss any of your favorite ski resorts in this list?
Share with us by leaving us a comment below! 🇰🇷
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