Gangchon Rail Park
To go or not to go?
Old tracks turned into a fun rail park! One can bike on the tracks in railway wagons. That’s what Gangchon rail bike park is all about and I was not sure about visiting it.
It is situated in Chuncheon, about an hour’s drive from Seoul. We went there on a sunny afternoon for our booking at 3:30 pm (Note that you have to book in advance!). Initially, I was skeptical if I would enjoy at this rail bike park as it seemed like a children’s park to me. However, the reviews indicated otherwise and true to the reviews, we, including my dad, enjoyed it to the hilt.
Some more info about the rail park
The rail bike park begins at Gimyungjeon station, which is covered with coloured umbrellas and tents all along. The park also has a cafe , photo zones and some games for all ages. The atmosphere looked great and the place was brimming with energy.
The rail park is built on a discontinued train line and is downhill for most of its course. One hardly has to bike along and gravity takes its course nicely. We could choose between a 2-seater and a 4-seater bike for our journey. Since we were 3 of us, we opted for the 4-seater bike where all can bike from their seats.
- Address: 383, Gimyujeong-ro, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do강원특별자치도 춘천시 신동면 김유정로 1383
- Website: www.railpark.co.kr
- Operating hours: 9 am to 5:30 pm. Check the official website for details
- Holiday: N/A (Open all year round)
- Inquiries: +82-33-245-1000
- Fees: Two-seater: 40,000 won
Four-seater: 56,000 won - Time required: 2 hours approximately
- Parking: Free parking is available at the entrance
The rail bike course
The total distance covered in this park is 8.5 kms with 6 kms on the biking track and 2.5 kms on the romance train. The journey starts from a sunflower field on our side. Artificial of course! However, it sets the momentum for the thrilling ride ahead.
We had to pass through 4 tunnels along the scenic Bukhan river by our side. The tunnels made me feel like a kid. The names were apt too. Bubbles tunnel, disco tunnel, magic tunnel and what not! All replete with lights and music along the way and one of the tunnels, as the name suggests, had bubbles too 🙂 I had a gala time trying to catch the bubbles. Felt like Alice in Wonderland, entering a magic land via a tunnel full of bubbles!
Full of fun
I am reiterating that I was not sure if I would like biking on a train track like a kid, but trust me, the experience was amazing and it did take me back to being a kid again , coursing through tunnels, scenic locations and beautiful landscapes on the side.
After the bike ride, we get to rest for about 15 minutes at a river-side station till we embark again on the Romance Train for the next leg of our journey. The train takes us to the end of the rail park from where we board a bus to get back to the Gimyungjeon station.
Totally recommend this park, especially for Seoulites 🙂
