[KOREA] Autumn at Nami Island (NAMISEOM) Travel Guide

A trip to Seoul (Korea) definitely would not be complete without visiting the famous Nami Island (Namiseom), especially during Autumn season. As mentioned on their website, The Naminara Republic, which declared its cultural independence from the Republic of Korea, has its own diplomatic and cultural policies. No wonder they have their own flag, songs, stamps, and even written language. In addition to its natural ecology, art, and culture, Nami Island is also known for filming site of the famous Korean TV Drama, The Winter Sonata, featuring two star-crossed lovers. And this film attracts more tourists and locals to visit Nami Island as the season change, particularly during the fall, and Winter.

We’re lucky that we can still capture all the colorful leaves and admire its serenity through our lens. Nami Island is indeed a romantic place to visit for couples, honeymooners, families, and children. I highly recommend you to put this on your top list of places you should visit in Korea besides Jeju Island (click here to see 3 Days Itinerary Jeju Guide). And special in this post, we will share some tips on how to get to Nami Island (Namiseom) from Seoul and return to the city from Gapyeong Station Terminal. I hope this travel guide will work for you as well, and please feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below. Thank you for reading!

How to commute from Seoul to Gapyeong to get to Nami Island?

*If you have the subway app, you can just change the place of origin and follow the guide

If you search from Google, there are so many options to go to Nami Island, which includes ITX as well, but we decided to go there by Metro Subway with travel time about 2 hours trip. It was convenient, and not costly at all.

From where we stay at Sinchon area in Seoul:
Take Metro Subway line 2 (green line) to Wangsimni Station –> take Jungang line (green Tosca line) to Sangbong Station –> transfer to Gyeongchun line (light blue line) to Gapyeong Station

If you go from Myeongdong station:
Take Metro Subway line 4 (blue line) heading to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station –> transfer to line 2 (green line) to Wangsimni Station –> transfer to Jungang line (green Tosca line) to Sangbong Station –> transfer to Gyeongchun line (light blue line) to Gapyeong Station

TIPS:
1. You can transfer to Mangu station from Jungang line, but we suggest you stop and change train at Sangbong station because it’s the FIRST train at Gyeongchun line heading to Gapyeong station.
2. No matter where you are, look for Sangbong Station on the map and find a way to go there from the nearest Metro Subway from your location.

How to get to Nami Island from Gapyeong Station?
From Gapyeong station, we took the Gapyeong City Tour Bus for only 6000 Won (equal to IDR 72K) per person. It was convenient, but because it’s a bus tour, the bus didn’t stop directly to the location although the actual route to Nami Island is very close from Gapyeong Station. The bus will stop by to each destination one by one, to drop off the people and pick up other people who want to go the next destination.

If you choose to go with the Tour Bus from Gapyeong Station to Nami Island:
– Go directly to in front of the Tourist Information Office and join the queue. Payment must be by CASH; paid directly to the driver, and it’s important to keep the tickets safe, as it’s your ticket to get the unlimited bus ride for one day in Gapyeong area.

If you want to go directly to Nami Island from Gapyeong Station by Taxi:
– Go straight to the Flag meeting point in front of the Tourist Information Office, and follow the queue. It’s advisable to take a taxi if your destination is just to Nami Island, and nothing else, as you can save more time without having to get around the whole Gapyeong area. Taxi fare from Gapyeong Station to Nami Island approximately 4,000 Won (equal to IDR 48K) for one trip.

TIPS:
1. Avoid weekend because the traffic jam was terrible. We were stuck in the bus because of the heavy traffic and just arrived at Nami Island Station in 45 minutes. At first, we wanted to visit Petite France, but it was already late in the afternoon; we ended up skipping Petite France because that place closed at 6 pm.
2. Before you hop on the bus, we suggest you take the timetable of the shuttle bus from the Tourist Information Office. You’ll know when the buses leave from and stop at selected destinations.

Welcome to Nami Island

When the bus stops at the parking lot, you’ll see the Nami Zip Wire, and you can walk from there to Nami Island Station. At this station, we proceed directly to the immigration and purchase the Ferry Ride tickets which include the admission fee to Nami Island for only 8,000 Won (equal to IDR 96K) per person. But if you have more budget, you can get the Nami Zip Wire and pay for 38,000 Won (equal to IDR 486K) per person to reach Nami Island with zip line in less than 2 minutes. It sounds fun, but the ticket is too expensive for us!

At NAMI Wharf

Considering it was Saturday, and autumn is the best season to visit it, this place was so full of human seas waiting for the ferry ride at Nami Wharf. Thank God, we didn’t wait too long. After waiting for 5-10 minutes, we finally boarded the ferry, and the trip took only 5 minutes to the colorful Nami Island.

We worry that we may not get what we want, but God is Good. Though there was heavy rain the night before in Seoul (Korea), we can still enjoy the beautiful scenery of Nami Island, especially when we see for ourselves how beautiful the red, yellow, and orange leaves of trees lined up all over the island.

In Autumn, Nami Island is like poetry

Bike Rental at Nami Island

Single bike = 4,000 Won for 30 minutes / 7,000 Won for 1 hour
Couple bike = 8,000 Won for 30 minutes / 14,000 Won for 1 hour

Nami Island’s Swing Cafe and Riverside Cafe

If you’re tired of walking, you can rest for a while at Swing Cafe and Riverside Cafe. The indoor seating area kept us warm, but the outdoor area was so peaceful; romantic atmosphere accompanied by nice music and a cup of hot coffee.

Return from Nami Island to Nami Wharf

Nami Island operates every day from 7:30 am – 9:45 pm
Remember to pay attention to the ferry schedule and last bus schedule from Nami Island back to Gapyeong Station.

Ferry Schedule
from 07:30 – 09:00 = ferry available every 30 minutes
from 09:00 – 18:00 = available every 10-20 minutes
from 18:00 – 21:40 = available every 30 minutes, until last ferry at 21:40

Korean Dinner with Dakgalbi and Buckwheat Noodle

We were starving and wanted to try one of the Korean specialties, that’s why we decided to stop by to one of the Korean restaurants which was very crowded with locals, and some tourists (located just opposite the Winter Sonata restaurant, and right next to the parking lot after exiting from Nami Wharf). They provide an English menu that made us easier to order. For late dinner, we opted for set meal A for 30,000 Won (equal to IDR 360K) which included one portion of Dakgalbi, a Buckwheat noodle, and a cold drink. Dakgalbi 닭갈비 is very popular all over Korea, and it was so delicious, especially with the unlimited veggies refill to go with spicy chicken.

TIPS:
The restaurants in Gapyeong area are mostly expensive than in Seoul as this is a tourists area. If you want to save budget, you can find GS-25 minimart that sells Korean instant noodles and a selection of interesting Korean tea and coffee.

We couldn’t resist the beauty of Nami Island’s charm during the fall foliage. So, that’s all from us, and we hope this travel guide will give you some insight into what to do in Nami Island, and you can maximize your travel itinerary to Nami Island as well. Share this with your friends, and families (button share available below the post), thank you for reading!

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Nami Island (Namiseom)

1 Namisum-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, South Korea

Opening Hour: 07:30 – 21:45

Phone: +82 31-580-8114

Admission Fee: 8,000 Won/person by Ferry – OR – 38,000 Won/person by Zip Wire

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Author: myfunfoodiary

Myfunfoodiary as Indonesian Food and Travel Blog was born in July 2012 and has become one of the valuable online source for locals, tourists, food enthusiasts and industry professionals. It is a Jakarta based Food and Travel Blog managed by Mullie Marlina, a young, lovely, cheerful and blessed wife who loves to share her culinary and travel experiences through her writing. You’ll find her honest reviews, valuable suggestions, objective ratings and recommendation of eateries in Jakarta and selected cities in Indonesia and abroad. Her curated restaurant reviews are based on her meticulous inquiries and her rich dining experience in various restaurants in Jakarta. She has also traveled to different cities and countries where she finds interesting and inspiring dishes, cuisines and excellent dining ambience which she also included in the list. From recommendations, restaurant experiences, events, travel destinations, and recipes, readers will find anything food related in this website. She would really appreciate your feedback, and would love to hear about any suggestions, events regarding food, or just to drop in to say "Hi". Again, thank you so much for dropping by, and she hopes you enjoy reading her journal. Thank you so much for all your supports! God bless you! ^_^

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