Naejangsan National Park
Naejangsan National Park
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Joseph_YK_Ng
Hong Kong, China285 contributions
Oct 2014 • Couples
I want to write this review so that more visitors from the English-speaking community can know about this beautiful place.
This national park is very famous for viewing autumn leaves foliage. Even on a regular Tuesday and Wednesday in late October (when we visited the park), there are a lot of local Koreans visiting the park at day time.
This park is easily accessible from Seoul. Take KTX from Seoul to Jeongeup station. There are tourist information center right outside of the station. Ask for bus #171, which as a bus stop across the street from the KTX station. Bus #171 is a circular line, so you don't have to worry about the direction of the bus line - if you get on a #171, it will get you to the national park. Once you get on #171, it takes about 30 mins to go to the terminal, which is a small town with restaurants and tourist motels. (To go back to Jeongeup, get on the same #171 at the same spot.)
Walking from the town to the national park entrance takes about 15 mins. There is only 1 major road, so you won't get lost. At the park entrance, pay 3000 won / adult for the fee. From there, you have the option of walking into the park's Cable Car station (takes about 45 mins), or taking the shuttle (1000 won/person) to the Cable Car station directly.
The Cable Car will attract a lot of people after 10 a.m. (see my pictures). For this reason, I would recommend the following itinerary: go to Jeongeup and stay for a night, and wake up early and enter the park at around 7:30-8 a.m. Take the 1000 won shuttle from the entrance to the Cable Car. From there, take the cable car up the mountain and walk to the Observation Tower (an easy walk of about 300 meter). You will see a breathtaking view. Then, go back to the Cable Car station and take Cable Car downhill, and walk to other attractions such as Naejang Temple and the "maple leaves tunnel". To leave the park, walk 45 mins back to the entrance (or take the 1000 won shuttle if you're tired).
This national park is very famous for viewing autumn leaves foliage. Even on a regular Tuesday and Wednesday in late October (when we visited the park), there are a lot of local Koreans visiting the park at day time.
This park is easily accessible from Seoul. Take KTX from Seoul to Jeongeup station. There are tourist information center right outside of the station. Ask for bus #171, which as a bus stop across the street from the KTX station. Bus #171 is a circular line, so you don't have to worry about the direction of the bus line - if you get on a #171, it will get you to the national park. Once you get on #171, it takes about 30 mins to go to the terminal, which is a small town with restaurants and tourist motels. (To go back to Jeongeup, get on the same #171 at the same spot.)
Walking from the town to the national park entrance takes about 15 mins. There is only 1 major road, so you won't get lost. At the park entrance, pay 3000 won / adult for the fee. From there, you have the option of walking into the park's Cable Car station (takes about 45 mins), or taking the shuttle (1000 won/person) to the Cable Car station directly.
The Cable Car will attract a lot of people after 10 a.m. (see my pictures). For this reason, I would recommend the following itinerary: go to Jeongeup and stay for a night, and wake up early and enter the park at around 7:30-8 a.m. Take the 1000 won shuttle from the entrance to the Cable Car. From there, take the cable car up the mountain and walk to the Observation Tower (an easy walk of about 300 meter). You will see a breathtaking view. Then, go back to the Cable Car station and take Cable Car downhill, and walk to other attractions such as Naejang Temple and the "maple leaves tunnel". To leave the park, walk 45 mins back to the entrance (or take the 1000 won shuttle if you're tired).
Written November 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex W
Singapore, Singapore1,426 contributions
Nov 2016 • Solo
Naejangsan is most popular in late October and early November. Looking at the reviews here, it appears that most people come all the way from Seoul. Given the distance, that will mean arriving late morning (or almost noon) and hitting the crowds.
That said, it's a big national park, and if you walk deep in, you will find quiet. But you'll still need time to walk deep in and it would be better if you got in before the tour buses arrived.
The nearest town is Jeongeup (sometimees spelt as Jongeup, Jongeub, Jeongeub, etc). I thought I might stay overnight there before going (early) to Naejangsan, but couldn't find any accommodation options online. The next best bet was to stay in Jeonju. So that's what I did, and below, I will detail how to go cheaply from there to Naejangsan.
I stayed in the Hanok Village of jeonju. I took a local bus (#163, 1,200 won) at about 8am from Paldal Road to the west of Hanok Village to the Intercity Bus Terminal on Garinae Road.
At the terminal, I bought a ticket (4,300 won) from a machine (English available) to Jeongeup. Buses depart every ten or twenty minutes. I boarded the 8:20am bus which arrived at Jeongeup intercity bus terminal at 9:25am.
From there, I walked out to the main road and turned left (without crossing the road). About 50 - 100 metres away was a local bus stop where I waited for bus #171. This bus is not frequent. It comes to this bus stop at 9:00am, 9:45am, 10:15am, 10:45am and so on. I got onto the 9:45am bus (1,400 won) which arrived at Naejangsan gate at 10:10am (the #171 bus route ends there).
You'll find yourself in a biggish souvenir-stalls camp with no clear directions to the main gate of Naejangsan park. Just follow your instincts and the flow of people. It's another 500m or so to the entrance to the park. Entry fee 3,000 won. At that hour, it was busy, but not yet crowded. Even so, keep walking for another 1 - 2 km to be free of people.
To return to Jeonju, follow the same route in reverse.
Altogether, it's a bit of time and effort getting there, but it's a beautiful place and well worth it. Others have posted photos here on Trip Advisor, and they are accurate representations.
Needless to say, avoid weekends.
That said, it's a big national park, and if you walk deep in, you will find quiet. But you'll still need time to walk deep in and it would be better if you got in before the tour buses arrived.
The nearest town is Jeongeup (sometimees spelt as Jongeup, Jongeub, Jeongeub, etc). I thought I might stay overnight there before going (early) to Naejangsan, but couldn't find any accommodation options online. The next best bet was to stay in Jeonju. So that's what I did, and below, I will detail how to go cheaply from there to Naejangsan.
I stayed in the Hanok Village of jeonju. I took a local bus (#163, 1,200 won) at about 8am from Paldal Road to the west of Hanok Village to the Intercity Bus Terminal on Garinae Road.
At the terminal, I bought a ticket (4,300 won) from a machine (English available) to Jeongeup. Buses depart every ten or twenty minutes. I boarded the 8:20am bus which arrived at Jeongeup intercity bus terminal at 9:25am.
From there, I walked out to the main road and turned left (without crossing the road). About 50 - 100 metres away was a local bus stop where I waited for bus #171. This bus is not frequent. It comes to this bus stop at 9:00am, 9:45am, 10:15am, 10:45am and so on. I got onto the 9:45am bus (1,400 won) which arrived at Naejangsan gate at 10:10am (the #171 bus route ends there).
You'll find yourself in a biggish souvenir-stalls camp with no clear directions to the main gate of Naejangsan park. Just follow your instincts and the flow of people. It's another 500m or so to the entrance to the park. Entry fee 3,000 won. At that hour, it was busy, but not yet crowded. Even so, keep walking for another 1 - 2 km to be free of people.
To return to Jeonju, follow the same route in reverse.
Altogether, it's a bit of time and effort getting there, but it's a beautiful place and well worth it. Others have posted photos here on Trip Advisor, and they are accurate representations.
Needless to say, avoid weekends.
Written December 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greg
Hong Kong, China64 contributions
Nov 2017
The perfect time to go is beginning of Nov. From Seoul, I took the KTX from Yongsan station to Jeong-Eup station, took about 1.5 hours. From Jeong-Eup train station, cross the road at the traffic light, by the CU store there is a 171 bus (see the enclosed map) which goes direct to Naejang san as the final stop (takes about 30 mins). There's no decent hotel in Jeong-Eup, they are all motel. I didn't stay at Jeong-Eup and decided to stay at one of the motels in Naejang san instead, its right next to the national park which is very convenient if you want to beat the crowd in the morning. I stay at the following motel, which is good, Mr. Wontak Kim speaks good English and very responsive via e-mail, have a look at maple-village dotcom for more info. The motel is right behind the Naejang san bus stop, its 20 mins walk to the national park entrance
제일장(第一莊): MAPLE-VILLAGE
Tel: 82-63-538-9639
Mobil: 82-10-5283-6803
Following are some useful translation between English - Chinese - Korean for the area,
Jeongeup - 井邑 - 정읍
Jeongeup station - 井邑站 - 정읍역
Yongsan station - 龍山站 - 용산역
Baek Yang temple - 白羊寺 - 백양사
Baek Yang temple station - 白羊寺站 - 백양사역
제일장(第一莊): MAPLE-VILLAGE
Tel: 82-63-538-9639
Mobil: 82-10-5283-6803
Following are some useful translation between English - Chinese - Korean for the area,
Jeongeup - 井邑 - 정읍
Jeongeup station - 井邑站 - 정읍역
Yongsan station - 龍山站 - 용산역
Baek Yang temple - 白羊寺 - 백양사
Baek Yang temple station - 白羊寺站 - 백양사역
Written December 5, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
caryn105
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia34 contributions
Nov 2016 • Friends
It's the most worthwhile place throughout my 9D trip to South Korea. I made a day trip to Naejangsan on my 4th day at Seoul. It's my virgin trip travelling alone in a foreign country and I felt good. I took a bus to Jeongeup from Central City bud terminal. It's a 3-hours bus ride and it cost about 21500₩ since it was a luxury & comfortable coach. Take a local bus #71 at a nearby bus stop (about 50m from Jeongeup bus terminal). The bus which I took was 'sardines-packed' with ahjussi & ahjumma fully geared in hiking attires. The journey to the foothill of Naejangsan takes about 30minutes at a bus fare of 1400₩. I strolled for about 10 minutes (from the drop-off point) before I see the main entrance to the park. I paid 3000₩ entrance fee and continue my journey. There's option of taking a mini bis ride to the cable car station at 1000₩ but I chose walking to enjoy the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. The distance to the cable car station was about 30-45minutes walk but the picturesque autumn foliage erased my tiredness of walking. I paid 8000₩ for the return cable car trip. The queue line for the ride was long and waited for about 20-30 minutes for my turn. In summary, I spent 4 hours at the park and make my trip back to Seoul by 530pm bus.
Written November 22, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel S
Guelph, Canada34 contributions
Mar 2013 • Friends
My partner and I live in Jeongeup, a city just northwest of Naejangsan National Park. We've been to the park maybe 10 times, now, and each time we leave satisfied, well-hiked, and convinced we'll come back again soon.
If you take the bus into the park (as most do), you'll arrive in the small Naejang village, and walk into the park from there. The village has convenience stores to stock up on hiking snacks and drinks, and some delicious mountain-food restaurants (the bibimbap here is fantastic) for you to try on your way in or out.
Walk 15 minutes and you'll be in the park itself. Entry is 4000won, I believe? From there, there's a lovely path leading you to the main visitors centres, the cable car, a small cafe and souvenir shop, and hiking trails of various skill levels.
There are also two old Buddhist temples to visit while at the park! Sadly, the closer one suffered some fire damage last year, but it is still mostly intact. There's another temple further up one of the mountains in the park, which is bigger and a bit more spectacular -- but either one is an interesting experience!
If you do choose to take the cable car up the main mountain, you'll be able to sit down for a snack (try the haemul pajeon or gamjajeon), or hike further up the mountain from there.
There's an autumn leaves festival at Naejangsan in the fall, but even if you want to see the brilliant fall colours, wait until the festival is over. The park becomes ludicrously crowded during "official" festival times, and it really detracts from the natural experience of visiting Naejangsan. Spring and early summer are also excellent times to visit.
If you take the bus into the park (as most do), you'll arrive in the small Naejang village, and walk into the park from there. The village has convenience stores to stock up on hiking snacks and drinks, and some delicious mountain-food restaurants (the bibimbap here is fantastic) for you to try on your way in or out.
Walk 15 minutes and you'll be in the park itself. Entry is 4000won, I believe? From there, there's a lovely path leading you to the main visitors centres, the cable car, a small cafe and souvenir shop, and hiking trails of various skill levels.
There are also two old Buddhist temples to visit while at the park! Sadly, the closer one suffered some fire damage last year, but it is still mostly intact. There's another temple further up one of the mountains in the park, which is bigger and a bit more spectacular -- but either one is an interesting experience!
If you do choose to take the cable car up the main mountain, you'll be able to sit down for a snack (try the haemul pajeon or gamjajeon), or hike further up the mountain from there.
There's an autumn leaves festival at Naejangsan in the fall, but even if you want to see the brilliant fall colours, wait until the festival is over. The park becomes ludicrously crowded during "official" festival times, and it really detracts from the natural experience of visiting Naejangsan. Spring and early summer are also excellent times to visit.
Written July 16, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yipjcs88
Hong Kong, China9,964 contributions
Nov 2019
I went to Naejangsan almost every year in recent years. The autumn colours were fascinating. Admittedly they varied from year to year depending on weather conditions. This year, the summer was unusually long and the weather was dry, so the autumn colours were inferior to those of last year. It was also a cloudy day with very little sunshine, so the visit was a little disappointing. The consolation was that the sun came out momentarily when I was taking photos of the Uhwajeong Pavilion.
Written November 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alice C
Hong Kong, China462 contributions
Nov 2015 • Solo
Beautiful Naejangsan! I've been there twice, a decade apart, there is a cable car built in the area now. Even more tourists and hikers than before. But the nature, especially during autumn, is still captivating. From Seoul or Jeonju, express bus to Jeongeup, then local bus #171 or 171-1 to Naejangsan. The local bus is a small vehicle and very often it is full. If you are in a group of four or can group with other visitors at the bus stop, share a taxi is a faster option to get to the destination.
Written August 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tkfvirg
HK39 contributions
Oct 2012 • Solo
One can take the 171 bus to reach the National Park. You can find the bus station is across the street from the Jeongeup train station, right in front of the "Toast & Coffee" (you can find nice egg toasts there + staff very friendly, can speak both Mandarin & bits of English). The ride is approximately half an hour and costs W14,000 per adult.
The trail is very easy & gentle in gradient (saw elderly in wheelchair seriously!). The brilliant multi-coloured autumn foliage along the way is truly awesome. The little streams, bridges, and dangling branches in amazing red, yellow & green makes poetic sceneries. Beyond words. Lots of local visitors lay casually on the lawn between the trees and enjoy a sunny picnic. If you don't want to bring your own food, there are little food & drinks stalls along the way, selling local snacks like fish-balls and pancakes. After around 2 hours of very casual walking/photo-shooting, you can find the Naejangsan temple (me-think not as spectacular as the red-leaves though).
The trail is very easy & gentle in gradient (saw elderly in wheelchair seriously!). The brilliant multi-coloured autumn foliage along the way is truly awesome. The little streams, bridges, and dangling branches in amazing red, yellow & green makes poetic sceneries. Beyond words. Lots of local visitors lay casually on the lawn between the trees and enjoy a sunny picnic. If you don't want to bring your own food, there are little food & drinks stalls along the way, selling local snacks like fish-balls and pancakes. After around 2 hours of very casual walking/photo-shooting, you can find the Naejangsan temple (me-think not as spectacular as the red-leaves though).
Written November 2, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AllegraLC
Malaysia450 contributions
Nov 2016
I fell in love instantly upon seeing the pictures in the website by chance and was determined to visit South Korea again.
There are various ways to reach this destination depending on your starting point. We started our journey from Busan by taking a direct bus from Busan Seobu Sasang Bus Terminal to Jeongeup Bus Terminal. This bus runs twice daily at 9:20 am and 11 am (no online booking). If you miss this, there's another route with more frequencies that requires changing of bus in U-Square, Gwangju. From Jeongeup Bus Terminal, take bus no. 171 for half an hour to reach the entrance to Naejangsan Park.
There is accommodation at the park. If one is into hiking, it is recommended to put up at least one night. When we visited during the 2nd week of November, room was still available in one of the hotels we inquired.
The landscape was illuminated by the vibrant and amazing colours. The maple leaves were fiery red. There were plenty of photogenic views, so get ready your battery, power bank, tripod, etc. We started our day before 7:30 in the morning, we visited the Uhwajeong Pavilion, took the cable car ride to the observatory, hiked to Naejangsa Temple. From this temple, we continued to Wonjeokam. We took our sweet time hiking, strolling and immersing in the autumn colours coupled with the cool and fresh air. However, due to the drizzle for the entire 2nd half of the day, some portions of the trail were slippery, we had to abandon the intended trail. We made a turn to Byeokryeonam Temple instead. From here, we proceeded to the entrance to Naejangsa Temple, the Maple Tunnel, the Visitor Center, and eventually back to the park entrance.
Should we have one more day, we would have explored the other hiking route, Baekyangsa. If you have the luxury to stay in any nearby city for a long period of time, you can consider visiting twice if the colour of the foliage is not at its peak during your first visit.
There are various ways to reach this destination depending on your starting point. We started our journey from Busan by taking a direct bus from Busan Seobu Sasang Bus Terminal to Jeongeup Bus Terminal. This bus runs twice daily at 9:20 am and 11 am (no online booking). If you miss this, there's another route with more frequencies that requires changing of bus in U-Square, Gwangju. From Jeongeup Bus Terminal, take bus no. 171 for half an hour to reach the entrance to Naejangsan Park.
There is accommodation at the park. If one is into hiking, it is recommended to put up at least one night. When we visited during the 2nd week of November, room was still available in one of the hotels we inquired.
The landscape was illuminated by the vibrant and amazing colours. The maple leaves were fiery red. There were plenty of photogenic views, so get ready your battery, power bank, tripod, etc. We started our day before 7:30 in the morning, we visited the Uhwajeong Pavilion, took the cable car ride to the observatory, hiked to Naejangsa Temple. From this temple, we continued to Wonjeokam. We took our sweet time hiking, strolling and immersing in the autumn colours coupled with the cool and fresh air. However, due to the drizzle for the entire 2nd half of the day, some portions of the trail were slippery, we had to abandon the intended trail. We made a turn to Byeokryeonam Temple instead. From here, we proceeded to the entrance to Naejangsa Temple, the Maple Tunnel, the Visitor Center, and eventually back to the park entrance.
Should we have one more day, we would have explored the other hiking route, Baekyangsa. If you have the luxury to stay in any nearby city for a long period of time, you can consider visiting twice if the colour of the foliage is not at its peak during your first visit.
Written June 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FarAway569879
85 contributions
Nov 2017 • Solo
I learned about this round trip bus tour from Seoul to Naejangsan from Jeonbuk Shuttle Center. They sent me a notice since I joined a bus tour going to Jeonju in 2013. I paid 10,000 won. I registered for this trip since my Korean autumn adventure in 2017 fit the said bus tour schedule. Pick-up and drop-off was at Gwanghwamun Square. After 4 hours of travelling (this is a good time to rest and sleep), we arrived at Naejangsan National Park. The tour assistant told us how to get around the place. There were many restaurants and stores to choose from since by this time we we were already hungry. After walking around and taking pictures and videos (of course!) we went back to the bus at 5:00PM to go back to Seoul. This is a relax tour to try specially if you had a full-packed schedule the day before. 🍁🏔
Written January 17, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I will be in Korea Nov. 5-13th. I'd like to see fall foliage and it seems Naejansan will have the latest peak for colors. I see lots of day trips from Seoul, but is it worth it to stay overnight? is there a cute town nearby? If so, how easy would it be to get to the park w/out a car?
Written September 29, 2019
Yes it is possible to walk around with out car. There is a bus #171 park right in front of the park
Written October 15, 2019
Hello!
We are arriving in South Korea quite late for autumn already but based on the fall foliage forecast, Naejangsan has the latest peak. We plan to go there on the 22nd hopeful we can catch some autumn colors. Does anybody know how it is now? Are there still autumn colors that we can enjoy?
Thank you!! :)
Written November 19, 2018
I was there last Nov 15, and the leaves have fallen off. I think you're late already.
Written November 26, 2018
Is there luggage storage near naejangsan? Or can I leave my luggage in the visitor center?
Written October 27, 2018
seem no but you may keep it into Yongsan or Jeongeup station(latter one i'm not sure). or you could call 1330 for questioning it. not sure 24x7 or office working hours. The hotline is offered in 4 languages: Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean.
Written October 31, 2018
Hi, how will I go here from incheon?
Written October 23, 2018
that has KTX from ICN airport direct to Jeongeup but the train already stopped operation in Sep this year. So that you only to take the train in Seoul Yongsan station for transferring to Jeongeup station then catch bus 171 to Naejangsan. or seoul in gwangmyeong station then express bus to jeongeup also ok. schedule you need to check in website. enjoy
Written October 23, 2018
Is there any campsite here? Or can I camp in the parking lot?
Written October 14, 2018
yes, refer official website that has Naejang Campsite and Gain Campsite, former not so far and getting 50 site size of it also accept on site reservation but latter i don't know where is it. you could searching further info via website of Korea National Park Service
Written October 23, 2018
Travelling from Seoul by train to Jeongeup for Naijangsan National Park to see autumn foliage.How long ? How much fare?where to take train ?
Written October 1, 2017
Hi Saichalee V,
Does it need to book bus ticket in advance? When taking bus to Naejangsan, is it easiy? I heard that it is difficult. Therefore most of guys advice me to take tour. So confused.
Looking for your info.
Many thank
Van
Written October 26, 2018
Hi, can we do one day trip to Naejangsan National Park from Seoul? Which fastest transportation that I can take from Seoul Station? Thank you
Written June 2, 2017
yes, day tour is possible but without hiking activity. Simply visit 3 parks and take the cable car ti the peak. The fastest way departs from Seoul is driving by your self, we drive about 3.5 hours (without counting traffic jam).
Written August 4, 2017
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