Swap the bustle and cafe hopping of Seoul with a tandem rail bike ride across the countryside along the Bukhangang River and through immersive tunnels. Welcome to the Gimyujeong trail in Gangchon Rail Park (강촌레일파크), an 8.5 km journey along a disused rail track. The park has been gaining popularity in recent years after featuring in the popular K-Drama “Running Man“.
Prior to being a fun attraction for locals and tourists, it was a fully functioning railway until 2010. Today there are a total of 3 routes in Gangchon:
- Gimyujeong – starts at GimyuJeong station
- Gyeonggang – starts at Gyeonggang station
- Gapyeong – you guessed it, starts at Gapyeong station and goes to Gapyeong Iron Bridge.
The Gumyujeong route is the most popular of the three, not only is it longer but it has immersive tunnels and is one-way so you won’t be repeating the scenery. As you can see in the map below all routes are spread out. If you only choose one, it really should be Gimyujeong.
This scenic ride in Seoul is a memorable adventure to add to your itinerary!
How To Get To Gangchon Rail Park From Seoul
Located over 80 km from Seoul, getting to Gangchon Rail Park requires a little effort but it is totally worth it for this fun Seoul day trip!
From Seoul, take the Gyeongchun Line (train number 1310) towards Chuncheon. Transfer at Namchuncheon Station to the ITX-Cheongchun Line (train number 1830) and off at Gimyujeong Station. The total journey takes approximately 1 hour 50 minutes, it is very scenic with views of Nami island, rivers and mountains, so the time flies by. Make sure you grab a window seat!
When you arrive at Gimyujeong station, it is just a 3-minute walk to Gangchon Rail Park.
You can use your T-money card on both train journeys. This is a prepaid transport card that makes travelling around Korea super easy.
Gangchon Rail Park Ticket Options
Tickets are sold per time slot, you will have your own rail bike however you will be part of a large group with everyone else who booked that time slot. If you arrive after your time slot you will not be able to join.
Tickets can be purchased online in advance, they are slightly discounted on Klook. The following ticket options are available:
The park is open between 09:00 and 16:30 during the winter, until 17:30 in Summer and until 18:30 in May and October. Up-to-date hours can be found on the official website.
This is a very popular activity so I strongly advise booking tickets in advance to ensure a place.
Do you recommend joining a tour?
There are many different tours that include Gangchon Rail Park on their itinerary. Gangchon is easy to get to by public transport, however, if you plan to visit other attractions close by such as Petit Francis and Nami Island I recommend booking a tour for the convenience of transportation. On the other hand, if you only plan to visit Gangchon it is better to arrange it all yourself.
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Facilities At Gangchon Rail Park
There is the cute Cafe Book Station that services delicious coffees and ice creams. The bikes are fitted with cup holders so you can take your drink along for the ride for an on-the-go caffeine boost. In addition to the cafe, there is a small convenience store selling snacks and beverages.
One place you cannot and will not want to miss is the large Instagram-worthy book wall. The book spines have large images and many different languages. This wall is regularly updated with new designs, how cool!
The Gangchon Rail Bike Experience
Difficulty Level
The route has a total length of 8.5 km, the first 6km is on the rail bike while the final 2.5 km is on the “Romance Train” where you can just sit back and relax, no pedalling required. When you are finished the rail bike ride you will transfer to the romance train at Nanguu village, a small platform with snacks, toilets and souvenir photos.
This is not an activity where you break a sweat, the track is mostly downhill so it’s a very easy rail bike ride and suitable for all fitness levels. There are many rail bikes in front and behind you which results in a moderate pace. Thankfully, we did not get stuck behind any slow movers, but you are also cautioned to not stop the rail bike for photos and of course, never get out of them.
The Rail Bikes
The rail bikes are spacious, with a canopy and open sides for optimal sightseeing. The seats are plastic, they are down quite low and the pedals are placed far enough that your legs have to stretch (for reference I am 5ft 7′). Unfortunately, the seats do not adjust, if I could I would have moved my seat closer to the pedals. Overall, the ride was comfortable, just would have been nice to adjust the seat.
Tunnels
The most fun part of this experience was the four different immersive tunnels. The themes are romance, VR, Disco and bubbles, each of them was so creative and amped up the energy of the whole group. The tunnels include bubbles, strobe lights, dance music and slow dreamy music.
I knew there would be tunnels on the route however I was not aware of how much fun they would be or what exactly was in each of them. We emerged from the disco tunnel laughing so hard with a particular song stuck in our heads for the rest of the day.
Scenery Along Gangchon Rail Bike Ride
We visited in early April, although we weren’t treated to cherry blossoms or vibrant Autumn foliage we still had awesome views. The standout view was of course the vast Bukhangang River (북한강), in English this translates to North Han River. This river stretches 317 km (197 miles) alongside the mountains, it is dramatic and beautiful.
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Romance Train
The last part of the journey is a scenic 2.5 km, 20-minute “romance train” ride. You do not pedal on this, you just take a seat and witness the amazing views of the Bukhangang River. This was a great surprise at the end, we weren’t expecting it to last so long.
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Leaving Gangchon Rail Park
The romance train that I mentioned above takes you to the free shuttle bus which will drop you at the Gimyujeong train station. This takes approximately 10 minutes.
You can also get the metro from Gangchon station. You do not need to take the shuttle bus, instead turn left after the Romance Train and walk for 15 minutes.
Is Gangchon Rail Park Worth It
The effort it takes to get to Gangchon is totally worth it. We loved Gangchon Rail Park, it was fun, surprising and like nothing we had ever done before! It was a nice change to get out of the city and see some of the countryside
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Things To Do Nearby
With a journey time of just under two hours, you might want to explore the surrounding attractions before heading back to Seoul.
- Nami Island: gorgeous expansive park with bike rentals so you can see so much of the park. You choose to arrive via a ferry or zipline.
- Garden of Morning Calm: large scenic park with a suspension bridge and plenty of colourful flowers. Food stalls and souvenir shops are available
- Petite France: small French-inspired village based on “Little Prince”. There are shows on throughout the day but they are in Korean.
- Italia Village Pinocchio & Da Vinci: small photographic colourvillage with many scenes from Pinocchio.
- Alpaca World: feed, pet and take photos with the parks Alpacas. There are also a range of other animals such as deer, coatis, chickens, ducks and camels.
There are many full-day tours under $30 that combine the majority of the above activities with Gangchon Rail Park.
Klook.comFrequently Asked Questions
The cycle is easy, with most of the 6 km track slightly downhill it requires minimal effort (yay!). It is approximately 50 minutes of pedalling. It requires minimal effort and leg power, if anyone in your group has any accessibility issues then they should sit at the back to minimise how much weight they will be pedalling.
Yes! If the other members of the group are of average fitness levels and are able to do the majority of the pedalling then Gangchon Rail Bike should be ok for any elderly visitor as they will not need to pedal.
You can pretty much wear whatever you like. You have to move your legs a lot so I would not recommend a dress. I wore shorts, tights and chunky boots, I was totally comfortable.
The rail bike has a cover on the top but none at the side, therefore I would bring a jacket to protect yourself from any surprise showers.
The most scenic time to visit is during the cherry blossom season and Autumn. The winter can cover the area in a blanket of snow creating a magical experience, what’s not to love about snow-capped mountains? Just make sure to pack some cosy gloves and hats.
The summer months can see extreme humidity which could make the experience uncomfortable.
With so much to do in the area, many people decide to spend 1 or 2 nights in the Gapyeong region rather than take a day trip. The capital city of Chuncheon offers a convenient base with good transport connections to attractions.
Alternatively, this region has many relaxing hotels surrounded by nature for the ultimate city escape. SS Resort has modern rooms with beautiful views of mountains and lakes.
If you’ve reached this far, thank you so much for reading my post. I would love to hear from you below!
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