One of my favorite activities in Korea is the rail bike! You don’t need to travel far as there are rail bikes near Seoul and they are accessible by subway. There are three in Gyeonggi-do ~ Yangpyeong, Gapyeong and Gangchon. I have tried the Yangpyeong and Gangchon Rail Bike and both are fun! Last July, friends and I (six of us) traveled by subway to Gimyujeong station for the experience.
We all met at Sangbong station on that Saturday morning. The train was scheduled to leave at 9:01 and we all got there just A FEW SECONDS before the train closed its doors ~ we almost missed the train. All the cars were full and we had to stand for almost an hour. We arrived at Gimyujeong station at 10:20am. The Rail Park is just a few meters away so we just walked there.
We reserved our tickets online ~ 2 4-seater bikes for a total of 70,000 won. Our schedule was 11am and we had some time to drink coffee, pose for photos and for “kulitan”.
There is a zipline at the park. They charge 9,000 won per ride ~ we just didn’t bother.
We all didn’t have breakfast before leaving Seoul. There are food kiosks that sell hotdogs and baked items. We bought cold water for 1,000 won at the convenience store and waited at the outdoor tables.
It wasn’t my first time to ride a rail bike but it was exciting doing it with your girlfriends. Upon boarding, we were told to fasten our seat belts, keep distance during the ride and don’t stand while the bike is moving.
When we started, we couldn’t help but scream. Being out in the countryside with your girlfriends on a sunny weekend ~ I’m just thankful that my husband lets me have some “me” time.
The distance from the starting point to the resting area is 6 kilometers or about 40 minutes. The view is just so green ~ we passed by farms, streams and lots of trees. Who would think that we were only an hour away from the bustling capital?
We passed by two tunnels ~ one of which is a disco tunnel where PSY’s songs were played. Super fun!
Our legs were tired when we arrived at the resting area ~ but our spirits were high. At the rest area, we feasted on some Filipino goodies ~ “spicy pusit”, “chicharon” and “cracklings”. Delish!
There are restrooms, a food store, vending machines and lots of tables at the rest area. The view of north Han River is so relaxing ~
The second part of the ride is from the rest area to the old Gangchon station. This time, we didn’t have to pedal our bikes. It was a ride on a train ~
When we arrived at the old Gangchon station, the people swarmed at the store where they were selling photos taken during the rail bike ride. An 8×10 photo in a glass frame is 10,000 won.
There is a shuttle that would take us back to Gimyujeong station ~ but we didn’t take it. We just went to the nearby convenience store and bought cooked rice and soda. It was time for lunch!
We found a place by the stream and set out our mats. We had a yummy yummy lunch ~ Jollibee chickenjoy with tons of gravy, binagoongan, green mangoes and leche flan!
After lunch, we took the taxi to our second destination ~ Jade Garden.
If you wanna visit Gangchon Rail Park ~
~ Reserve for tickets online (You can get tickets in English from FuntasticKorea ~ we purchased ours directly from the rail park’s website)
~ To get to Gimyujeong station, go to Sangbong station and take the train going to Chuncheon
~ Be at the park at least 20 minutes before the schedule
~ Wear comfy clothes and don’t forget your sunblock
Ignore the screams and the laughter ~ we were just having fun!
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Is there a Jollibee in korea?
No, there is no Jollibee in Korea. A friend flew in the day before we went out. She brought with her a bucket of chickenjoy and peach mango pies.
Hello po, I just wanna ask kung anong the best rail bike sa lahat ng natry mo?
Planning to try it out kaso di ko alam kung alin sa kanila ang may best trail hihi..
Tsaka how much po kaya pag dalawa lng akme
Jeongson Rail Bike for me ~ if you could travel there but if not then Gangchon is good. I will go back there on Sunday with the fam.
Hi! Just wanna ask if we need to buy a ticket for KTX/ITX when going to Gangchon Rail Park from Seoul using the Chuncheon line or using the t-money will be okay? All the blogs I’ve read so far on how to go there mentioned reserving/buying a ticket for KTX/ITX kasi. Thanks in advance!
Hi! IF you’re going to take the ITX then it’s better to make a reservation BUT you could just take the Metro and use T-money. No reservation needed and it’s cheaper than ITX. That’s what my friends and I did. We only took ITX on the way back to Seoul.
hi there, do you have to book the ITX in advance for your trip back to seoul ? Is it a direct subway train from Sangbong station to Gangchon Rail Park?
He booked the ticket after arriving in Chuncheon. Yes, it is a direct subway train from Sangbong to Gangchon (Gimyujeong station)
Hi would like to ask are you able to teach me how to get the tickets directly from the rail park’s website?
Hi!!! Can you help me with the directions? We will be staying at Seocho…. so we ride a train going to Yongstan then go to chuncheon. Then after chuncheon how to get to the gyeomstan station???