Nami Island is a popular day trip for tourists staying in Seoul. Companies such as Klook regularly run this popular trip, often combined with other sights such as The Garden of Morning Calm (recommended) and Petite France (don't waste your time).
We took guided trips to Nami Island in August and October 2022, and enjoyed it immensely. Most tour companies offer various pick up points, and we went from outside the Myeondong Subway Station. We went with Klook (see link at bottom of page).
There is a convenience store right next to the pick up point in case you need snacks!
Once on board, it's around 1 hour and 20 mins to Nami, or more depending on the horrific traffic in Seoul. There are not usually toilets on the bus so make sure you go before.
It's great to see the more rural side of Korea once you get away from Seoul, and the scenery is quite beautiful so make sure you don't spend the whole time staring at your phone.
When you arrive at Nami Island some tour companies give you the option to pay extra to use the zipline to get from the mainland to the Island. It's very high but looks amazing!
The usual option is the ferry, and you are herded onto it by the guide as your ticket is included in the tour price.
The ferry ride is less than 10 minutes, as Nami Island is an Island in the middle of a river rather than the coastal island you might expect. It is also called the Nami Republic as it has gained independent status.
Once on the island we were told about the best places to go on the map we had been given, but as its really not that big you can just wander around and see most of it.
Nami Island is famous in Asia as the filming location for the K-Drama 'Winter Sonata' therefore there are a lot of references to it here. Having never seen it they were lost on me, but fans will love it I'm sure.
In Autumn the Island is particularly stunning and masses of people flock there to take pictures amongst the foliage. If you can get a clean shot without someone else in it, you will be lucky....
Wandering around the paths, we came across rabbits who would eat from your hand, and were followed around by a white peacock who was interested in my sons Hotteok (Korean pancake filled with nuts and brown sugar). We named it Snowflake Greedy Chops.
There are beautiful ponds and water features and some traditional style buildings dotted around the island. If you want to stay longer, there are cabins to rent, and the Nami Island Hotel.
There are a couple of restaurants and canteen style cafes clustered along a road in the middle of the island, but if you fancy something lighter there are stands selling hotteok and ice-cream, a very small convenience store, and stands selling sausages on a stick and corn.
When we went in Autumn there was also a traditional style bun seller, although the queue was massive.
We were given around 4 to 5 hours to explore the island, which I would say is plenty. Some tourists choose to take the ferry back over to the mainland slightly early to visit one of the Dakgalbi restaurants around the ferry port as this area is famous for the dish. There is also a cute coffee shop with views over the river.
On our first trip we had a visit to Petite France, which was an absolute waste of time. If you can avoid it, do. It is a village built in the style of a French village, but with none of the charm or authenticity.
We had two and a half hours here and really 45 minutes would do it.
We found a musty old doll museum to escape the heat although the displays of creepy dolls were straight out of horror movie!
There is a small cafe serving not very good food- we went with Teokbokki (rice cakes in a spicy sauce) and Eomuk (fishcakes in broth) and both ended up in the trash.
Nami Island is well worth a day out of Seoul to see a little of the other side of Korea and some pretty awesome nature. We plan on returning and trying out the zipline next time!
Klook do a huge variety of tours and experiences for your trip to korea. I still use them now I live here!
They also have airport transfers, train tickets, sim card and wi-fi deals and all sorts of useful stuff!
(This is an affililate link and I may get a VERY small amount of compensation. Barely enough for a coffee. Seriously, get booking. I need caffiene.)
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