Nami Island is a beautiful island that is a popular attraction in Korea located in the city of Chuncheon. It is northeast of Seoul and makes a short day trip taking about 1 - 2 hours coming from Seoul. The island features trees, wooded areas, walks alongside the river and many other beautiful scenery. The island is used to film a lot of Korean dramas but is mostly known for filming Winter Sonata. Nami Island also declared independence from Korea so it's considered it's own nation called Naminara Republic therefore you'll need your passport and a ticket to enter.
Link to Nami Island Map.
HOW TO GO TO NAMI ISLAND FROM SEOUL:
There are many ways to get to Nami Island such as buses, tours, taxi or train. We recommend taking the ITX train.
Take the ITX train from Yongsan Station (Cheongchun line) to Gapyeong Station. You will not be able to buy an ITX ticket from a subway ticket machine. You'll need to go to the ITX gates to buy a ticket from the ITX machines or you can buy from the ITX window at Yongsan Station.
The price for an ITX ticket from Yongsan Station to Gapyeong Station is 5,200 won ($4.62 USD) - one way. So make sure you buy a round trip ticket. If you take the ITX, the time to get to Gapyeong Station is about 60 to 90 minutes. Make sure to take note of the platform and train so you can board the correct one. The regular metro uses the same platform so don't board that one. You can check the screens for ITX-Cheongchun and the time it'll arrive at the platform.
You can also buy an ITX ticket from the Korail website ahead of time.
Once you get to Gapyeong Station, you can take the bus, walk or taxi to Nami Island Station. If you walk, it'll only take you 20 minutes to walk there. Taxi will be about 5,000 won ($4.44 USD).
From Nami Island Station, you can walk about 2 minutes to Gapyeong Wharf. From there, take the ferry or you can zipline to the island.
NAMI ISLAND TICKET + FERRY
Nami Island or Naminara Republic is an independent island-nation that has its own flag and currency. All visitors must buy a Nami Island passport (ticket) and take the ferry or zipline to get inside the island. It is not accessible by car.
At Gapyeong Wharf, you can take the zipline to Nami Island or the ferry. The zipline costs 38,000 won ($33.74 USD), which includes admission to Nami Island and a ferry ride back. You need to leave your bags in the lockers at the reception area. You will reach Nami Island in less than 2 minutes! To take the zipline, you need to weigh between 77 pounds to 264 pounds, and be between 55 inches and 78 inches tall. If you decide to not zipline, the ferry ride is about 5 minutes but you will enjoy the beautiful views of Nami Island and the surrounding mountains.
The ferry ticket costs 8,000 won ($7.10 USD) for adults. It is a roundtrip ticket that also includes the admission fee to Nami Island.
There are so many things to do on Nami Island especially if you love nature and learning about culture. But these are some of my favorites.
METASEQUOIA LANE
Metasequoia Lane is a path lined with redwood trees. It's so serene and very beautiful.
RIVERSIDE PATHS
You can walk alongside the river and take in the stunning views of the mountains.
WINTER SONATA REFERENCES AROUND THE ISLAND
Everywhere along the island, there are signs indicating where Winter Sonata shot a specific scene. You can take pictures at the same spot and be like E and myself where we copied each scene.
PONDS
There are so many beautiful ponds on Nami Island. This one was one of my favorites. If it was blooming, we would have seen lotus flowers.
You can also stay overnight on the island. They have hotel accommodations, bungalows or cottages.
There are also a lot of places to eat from. You can pack your own food but I recommend just eating on the island. You can't go wrong with any of the food. I had the bibim-naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles) at one of the restaurants.
Overall, Nami Island is a great day trip from Seoul if you want to get away from the busy city and take in the beautiful scenery of the country. It's only a 60 to 90 minute train ride away and very easy to get to.
If you have questions, please comment below or email tinaehtravels@gmail.com.
Happy traveling!