Guide to Nami Island (남이섬), Petite France (쁘띠프랑스) & Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원)
Hi dears! I'm back again! ^_^
In this post, I will be providing you with details on how to get to Nami Island (남이섬), Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원) & Petite France (쁘띠프랑스) . It is all linked via the shuttle bus in Gapyeong. Very convenient and you can cover at least 2 of these 3 locations within a day. You will be able to cover all 3 if you plan your timing strategically based on the shuttle bus timings ;)
Here's the map of Gapyeong and the yellow arrows are pointing to the 3 places of interests which we are going to cover in this guide:
Before this, let me show you how you can get from Seoul to Gapyeong Station where you can board the Gapyeong Shuttle Bus.
There are several ways that you can reach Gapyeong but for us, we picked the ITX way as it was faster :)
Transferred to Cheongyangni Station before we bought ITX tickets at the station to bring us to Gapyeong Station. (I think we paid 4000 KRW each for the tickets if I did not record wrongly.)
Alternatively, here's the link to book your train tickets before hand: http://www.letskorail.com
Fooling around while waiting for our train haha.. Our train departed Cheongyangni at 09:17 and arrived at Gapyeong at 09:55 (less than 40 mins) pretty fast! ^_^ Oh yes, the seats were comfy and clean too! After taking selfies on the train and watching one episode of the K-drama, we have reached Gapyeong station!
Upon arriving, you can approach the friendly staff at Gapyeong station and check with them which is the shuttle bus queue. Hop over and join the queue just like we did! ;)
Or alternatively, you could also take a taxi at the nearby taxi stand. Advisable for groups of 4 who intend to visit Nami Island only as the taxi fare costs approx 4000KRW only.
(if you do not intend to visit other destinations on the shuttle bus route apart from Nami Island).
It costs only 5000KRW to board the shuttle bus and you can alight at any stop and board the bus again to travel to your next destination in the shuttle bus route. ^_^ So do remember to keep your shuttle bus ticket properly!
And here's the time table: The intervals at each stop is approximately one hour so do plan your time strategically and be at the bus stop at least 10mins before the estimated time. :)
Without further ado, let me show you what we experienced in beautiful Gapyeong.
Here's our first stop: The famous Nami Island (남이섬)
Situated 63km from Seoul, in the middle of the Han River, Nami Island looks like a leaf floating gracefully on top of Cheongpyeong Lake.
Most people who are fans of the K-drama Winter Sonata would remember Nami Island as it consists of several of the filming locations for this drama.
There are 2 ways to get to Nami Island from Gapyeong Wharf:
1. Ferry
2. Zipwire
Here's a snapshot of the brochure on the entrance fees and prices for bicycle rental & lodging on Nami Island:
Being the thrill seeker and as we wanted to avoid the huge crowd of tourists at the Ferry, we opted for the second option hehe! Although it was more expensive, but we thought it was cooler & faster to zip-wire our way to Nami Island. ^_^
It's pretty safe, and you are just sitting down and wheeee!!! In a jiffy, you will reach Nami Island! ^_^
Here's the map of Nami Island to facilitate your itinerary planning! The above yellow arrows indicated in the map are places of interest in Nami Island which I highly recommend you to visit and take pictures at! :D
More pictures of our Nami Island adventures in this post:
After taking the ferry back to Gapyeong Wharf, we grabbed some snacks and went to queue for the shuttle bus to our next destination. The place to wait for the bus towards Petite France direction is where the 7-11 is located at. :)
You can refer to www.namisum.com for more information! ^_^
So our intended second stop was Petite France (쁘띠프랑스)
It is a small French Culture village where you will get to enjoy and experience the various European cultures. It is also the filming locations of several K-dramas like 'Beethoven Virus', 'You who came from the stars', 'Secret Garden' and even variety shows like 'Running Man'.
Photo credits to: Petite France
Photo credits: http://damagebutstillokay.blogspot.sg/2013/11/korea-2013-gapyeong-petite-france.html
Super pretty for phototaking right? ;)
Entrance fee: 8000 KRW
Here's a snapshot of the map of Petite France:
You can find more information on Petite France via www.pfcamp.com
Due to time constraint, we decided to skip Petite France and head to The Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원) instead. ^_^
Entrance fee: 8000KRW per person.
You can check out http://morningcalm.co.kr for more information :)
Here's a map of The Garden of Morning Calm which i've screenshot from their official website:
More pictures of our Garden of Morning Calm adventures in this post:
After touring the Garden of Morning Calm and massively depleting my camera's memory space, we rushed to catch the Gapyeong shuttle bus towards Cheongpyeong Station to continue our itinerary for the day! ^_^
Here's a rough estimate and summary of the time needed to transfer from one location to the other:
*Do remember to factor in the time taken from whichever location you stay at to transfer to Yongsan or Cheongnyangni Station! ^_^
Yongsan Station or Cheongnyangni Station ⇒ ( ITX 청춘 Train) ⇒ Gapyeong Station
[40/55 minutes]
Gapyeong Station ⇒ (Gapyeong Tour Bus or Taxi) ⇒ Gapyeong Wharf (Nami Island) [5 minutes]
Nami Island ⇒ (Gapyeong Tour Bus) ⇒ Petite France [25 minutes]
Petite France ⇒ (Gapyeong Tour Bus) ⇒ Garden of Morning Calm [50 minutes]
Garden of Morning Calm ⇒ (Gapyeong Tour Bus) ⇒ Cheongpyeong Station [25 minutes]
Cheongpyeong Station ⇒ ( ITX 청춘 Train) ⇒ Cheongnyangni Station [40 minutes]
*****
Here's a PDF File of the maps that might be useful for your trip to Gapyeong when you are visiting Nami Island (남이섬), Petite France (쁘띠프랑스) & Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원) .
Do like and share this post if you find that it is useful for you! ^_^ Thanks for reading!
Follow me on Chloe WL for more updates on the next Korea Travel Post! ;)
74 comments
Thanks for the informative sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for supporting my blog! :)
Deletehow much time did u spent on Nami Island? I was hoping to visit all 3 places within a day :) Tq for the info!
ReplyDeleteHi dear, we spent about 3 hours on Nami Island :D Hope this helps!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Thank you for the info! It helped me so much planning out my trip with some friends to Nami Island. I've got a question, we are taking the shuttle bus (5000won) from Gapyeong station. Does it include ferry fare or do we need to purchase a separate ticket for it? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi dear! :) Glad you found this info useful!! Yes, you will need to purchase a separate ticket for the ferry towards Nami Island. Hope this helps!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Hi, i am interested to go to Nami Island via the zip-wire too! Can i know do you need to pre-book the ticket or just buy the ticket on the spot?
ReplyDeleteHi. What day did you go there? I was told that the 3 places get too crowded on fridays, saturdays and sundays. And I'm planning to go on a friday.
ReplyDeleteHi :)
DeleteIf I did not remember wrongly, we went on a Friday too :) Would advise you to start your day early to avoid the crowd. Hope this helps!
XXOO,
Chloe
Hi chloe, thanks for the details info. Is it possible if we want cover this 3 place within a day? Thank you. ��
ReplyDeleteHi :)
DeleteYes, it is possible but you might want to plan such that you spend lesser time at one of the 3 places shortlisted :) You can take reference to the shuttle bus schedule to plan your time. Hope this helps!
XXOO,
Chloe
Hi :)
ReplyDeleteI did not pre-book the zip wire tickets, we bought it on the spot. Hope this helps in your planning!^^
XXOO,
Chloe
So informative! Well-written blog post, clear and interesting, Thanks Chloe for your effort! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words!! I'm so motivated to write more travel posts becos of readers like u <3 Thanks so much!!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
hi Chloe,
ReplyDeleteJust wondering ITX train 4000 won is one way ticket right? how much it cost from Cheongpyeong Station to Cheongnyangni Station?
Hi dear, sorry for the late reply! Yes, it is one way for the ITX train. Sorry i'm not too sure about the cost from Cheongpyeong Station to Cheongnyangni Station. You might want to check out http://www.letskorail.com for more details.
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Hello! Than you for sharing these amazing information, It was really useful!
ReplyDeleteHowever, may i ask if the zipwire to nami island works during winter?
Hi dear! :) Thanks for the support! Glad you found it useful! Sorry, I'm not too sure about Winter, you might want to drop the zipwire company an email to check?
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Oh and i have one more question!
ReplyDeleteI am a bit confuse with the Bus time schedule, how do i read the schedule?
Thank you !
Wonderful sharing, and thanks for the valuable information.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support!! :D You made my day!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Hi Chloe. My friends and I are planning to visit Nami Island and Petite France in the same day so this information is very useful. Thanks a lot ! :)
ReplyDeletethanks for e wonderful info this make my planned at korea much easier
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support!! :D You made my day!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Hi,
ReplyDeletegreat information. Can i ask how do we get around Nami island? Is there a shuttle bus around the island?
Hi dear :) You can refer to the shuttle bus details in this post. If not, you might want to consider taking a cab around but the costs might be significantly higher. Hope this helps!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Which train you are on from Cheongpyeong?
ReplyDeleteHi Chloe! May I know what time you guys departed from Cheongpyeong Station? Thanks!
ReplyDelete-Pat
Hi! When you were going back to Cheongnyangni station, why did you depart from Cheongpyeong station and not from Gapyeong station?
ReplyDeleteHi dear, I departed from Cheongpyeong station as Garden of Morning Calm was nearer to this station. If we were to go to Gapyeong, it would take a way longer route as the shuttle bus needs to go back to Petite France, pass by Nami Island then reach Gapyeong station. Hope this helps! :)
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
hi, thanks for the useful info, it helps! however, i'm still confused about something, do we need to book the Gapyeong Tour Bus or can we buy at the spot?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support! Glad you found it useful! :) We bought the tickets for the Gapyeong shuttle bus on the spot using cash. We didn't make any bookings before hand. Hope this helps! :)
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
thank you for such a detailed post! would like to check if there were phototaking while doing the zipwire. Was thinking of doing it too and it would be great if there were some photos we can purchase for keepsake. Or can we get the staff to take a pic while we are at it?
ReplyDeleteHi dear! Thanks for the support! I did not see any video/photo package available when I was there in 2015. Think you can request for them to take the photo for you before you zip down :) You can hold on to your camera while zip lining down too! (but make sure u hold on and secure it tight haha!) Hope this helps!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
hi chloe. can i use the T-MONEY for the shuttle bus at any stop we want to go? :)
ReplyDeleteHi dear,
DeleteSorry i'm not too sure if there's any changes now but when I took the shuttle bus then, i paid in cash. I will advise you to prepare some small change just in case. :)
Hope this helps!
XXOO,
Chloe
Thank you very much for all the information! Really make my planning easier! =D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support!! :D You made my day!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Hey dear! I really need some information, I'm planning to go to a Halal restaurant near Nami Island's Ferry Dock, afterwhich I will be going straight to Petite France. How long will it take to go Petite France from Nami Island Ferry Dock? Will it be expensive for me to take a taxi from Nami Island's Ferry Dock to Petite France. hehe really need to save more time! Hope you can reply this asap thank you babe^^
ReplyDeleteHi dear!
DeleteBased on the shuttle bus journey timing, think the distance between Nami Island to Petite France is around 25 mins? :) Taxi fare might not be very cheap but if you are going in a group of 4 and to save time without waiting for the shuttle bus, you might want to try out this option :) Sorry, I can't give an approximate taxi cost as I took the shuttle bus when I was there. Hope this helps!
XXOO,
Chloe
Hi,
ReplyDeleteCan I check if there are any food and beverages at nami island? We are planning to go there in May but it seems like there isn't any rail pass available from Seoul and we probably have to go the long route which takes about 100minutes to arrive at Gapyeong Station! :(
Hi dear,
DeleteYes, there are food and beverages stores at Nami Island but to save costs, you might want to pack some food during your long journey to Gapyeong station since you can snack in the train! ;) My advice would be to pay a visit to a convenience store or grab some food along the way. Hope this helps!
XXOO,
Chloe
Hi Chloe, this coming April I'm planning to visit only Nami Island cos I read some feedback that there is nothing much in Petite France. Are there enough activities in Nami to occupy me for 4 hrs? Ill be there from 11 am to 3 pm.
ReplyDeleteHi dear, you can probably rent a bike or take a stroll to explore Nami Island. There's a lot of pretty photo spots everywhere and there are souvenir stores as well as food stores on Nami Island itself. For me, phototaking takes up the bulk of my time, therefore in my opinion, there will be enough activities to occupy 4hrs. Do note to factor in time to take the ferry back to the main island in case you are catching the shuttle bus. :)
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Nami Island ⇒ (Gapyeong Tour Bus) ⇒ Petite France [25 minutes]
ReplyDeletePetite France ⇒ (Gapyeong Tour Bus) ⇒ Garden of Morning Calm [50 minutes]
Garden of Morning Calm ⇒ (Gapyeong Tour Bus) ⇒ Cheongpyeong Station [25 minutes]
Cheongpyeong Station ⇒ ( ITX 청춘 Train) ⇒ Cheongnyangni Station [40 minutes]
*****
these all places was in NAMI ISLAND ? after explore all these then only out from nami to gapyeong right?
Hi dear, nope. Nami Island, Petite France and Garden of Morning Calm are 3 separate attractions in Gapyeong. :) Hope this helps to clarify. You might like to refer to the first pic at the top with a brief map of Gapyeong.
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Hi Chloe!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. Can i check, so within the Nami Island itself is all by walking? from one photo spot to another or to food places would it be very far?
Hi dear! :)
DeleteYes, you can walk from one photo point to the other. They are all within walking distance. However, you can also rent a bike to cycle through the whole island :) Hope this helps!
XXOO,
Chloe
Hello! Really enjoyed reading your post! May I know what time you arrived at the wharf to buy the tickets for the zipwire? And how long did you wait to get on the zipwire?
ReplyDeleteHi! :)
DeleteI think we arrived at the wharf at 10 plus, before 11am :) We didn't need to wait for long, approximately about 15mins then we went up for the zipwire experience!
Hope this helps!
XXOO,
Chloe
Hi Chloe
ReplyDelete1. Can I buy the ticket (ITX) in Cheongnyangni station or do I need to book it online in advance? I don't have credit card to book in advance so I'm a bit worried.
2. ITX ticket worth 4000 KRW, is this a roundtrip ticket or one way? Do I still need to buy again an ITX ticket in Cheongpyeong station?
Thank you :)
Hi! :)
Delete1. Yes you can buy it there, but it's subject to availability at the moment. Some timing might be sold out especially during weekends. It is still advisable to book before hand to ensure that your schedule wont get disrupted :)
2. I think it is only for one way.Yes, another ticket is required when you are going back. But apart from ITX, you can consider the normal subway route as well :)
XXOO,
Chloe
Hi Chloe
ReplyDeleteI really like this blog, but I still have few questions.
1. Can I buy ITX ticket in Cheongnyangni station? or do I need to book online?
2. ITX ticket 4000 KRW, is this a roundtrip ticket or 1 way? If it's one way then can I buy ITX ticket in Cheongpyeong station?
Thank you! :)
Dear Chloe, I am planning to visit Korea next month and trying to figure out how to get to Nami Island from Seoul. I'm a hopeless directions idiot =, and after searching thru a few blogs and info online, I'm still quite lost till I accidentally chanced upon your blog! Now everything seems so easy hehe. Many thanks!
ReplyDeletefangz
Hi! :)
DeleteThanks for the support!! Glad you found the info useful!! Hope you check back for more travel & beauty tips :D
XXOO,
Chloe
Hi chloe! I'm going to nami in apr with my friend too. May i know if the direct shuttle from insadong is only available in the morning 930am? We touched down incheon at 730am. Not sure if we'll hv enough time to reach insadong for the shuttle. As we r with big luggages, prefer to hv more straightforward transport than to changing here and there.
ReplyDeleteHi! :)
DeleteSorry, I have not taken the direct shuttle before so i'm not too sure about the timing. You might want to email them :)
XXOO,
Chloe
thanks for sharing is really helpful....
ReplyDeleteThank u!! :D Glad it is useful for you!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Hi Chloe, i'm quite confused.Im staying in Hongik Univ area,so i need to take a train to Cheongnyangni Station right?? Then from there, is there any other way to reach Gapyeong Station other than taking ITX? Able to transfer to a normal train to Gapyeong Station?
ReplyDeleteHi! :)
DeleteYes, apart from ITX, you can get to Gapyeong via the usual subway line which stops at every station (takes a longer time). ITX only stops at certain stops and is a fast speed rail therefore will get you to Gapyeong at a faster speed :) Hope this helps!
XXOO,
Chloe
Hi Chloe,
ReplyDeleteany other ways from Cheongnyangni Station to Gapyeong Station other than ITX?can just transfer by the normal subway train??
Yes, apart from ITX, you can get to Gapyeong via the usual subway line which stops at every station (takes a longer time). ITX only stops at certain stops and is a fast speed rail therefore will get you to Gapyeong at a faster speed :) Hope this helps!
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Hi Chloe, we are going with my 3 year old girl. I wonder if anything can be attractive @ name island to 3 year old girl ? I plan to skip name island but cover france pettie and the-garden-of-morning-calm for whole day. would like to know your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHi dear! :)
DeleteOverall, the area near Nami Island has more restaurants/F&B places as compared to Petite France and Garden of Morning Calm (if food is your concern) It is also good for cycling as well as picnic and numerous photo opportunities ^^
I think it's ok to skip it if you plan to only cover 2 locations for a day :) My personal favourites and picks would be Nami Island and Garden of Morning Calm though. Hope this helps! :)
XXOO,
Chloe
Hi! What time did you take the ferry back to Gapyeong to go to Petite France?(:
ReplyDeleteHi! :) We did not visit Petite France. Instead, we went to Garden of Morning Calm. Think we left Nami Island at about 1-2pm Hope this helps! :)
DeleteXXOO,
Chloe
Hello!! This post is heaven-sent! I'm building my own itinerary and it's been a struggle. I'm making an itinerary for my Nami Island-Petite France day and I found it difficult especially with the transportation part from Seoul. You explained everything clearly and I am so much relieved right now!! I'm going to read your posts about your Korea experience so I can learn from you and make my travel easier. Thank you so so much!! PS: What time did you start your day and what time did you get back to Seoul?
ReplyDeleteFollow up question! You guys took the Zipwire to Nami Island which costs 38,000 KRW (zipwire + entrance fee) and took the ferry back to the wharf. Did you pay separately for the ferry fare going back to the wharf? I read somewhere that it is included in the 38,000 KRW fee.
ReplyDeleteHello!I just went to Nami recently and yes,the ferry fare back is included!
ReplyDeletehello chloe, can i just use t-money to pay for all my subway ride? because i don't think that i will use the itx train :)
ReplyDeleteHi! What month did you go to Nami Island? Would you recommend going there in late August? I'm worried it might be too hot by then. And have you been to Everland? We have a free day and I'm contemplating whether spending it in Nami Island or Everland. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteHello...if we using ferry to Nami how many hours will reach there? Tq
ReplyDeleteHello..may i know how many hours will reach at Nami by using ferry?
ReplyDelete