Image adapted from (clockwise from top-right): @elysianresort, @boarder_choisimjang, @yujinheo and @fissnowboard
From a wide selection of good food to an abundance of Korean skincare and makeup, Seoul sure has a lot to offer to its visitors. But apart from all these, Seoul also has some adrenaline-pumping activities to offer when winter arrives.
Being surrounded by mountainous ranges means there is no shortage of ski slopes in Korea catering to everyone, avid skiers and beginners alike. From as low as USD35 (excluding gear rental), you’ll be able to ski your way through the dumps. Fret not, we’re not asking you to visit anything terrible. “Dump” is a modern ski term that refers to a fresh snowfall.
Night owls are also in for a treat as all the Korean ski resorts we’ve listed here are open past midnight during the winter.
Korean ski resort conveniently located near Seoul
Image credit: @brompnbong
Yangji Pine Ski Resort is situated at the foot of Mount Dokjo, right next to Seoul. This place is popular with both locals and tourists for day trips dedicated to skiing.
The resort has slopes ranging from beginner to intermediate and advanced levels. This is especially convenient if you have skiers of varying skill in your squad. Parents who want to get their children started on skiing can head to the beginner slope – at only 7 degrees of inclination, this slope is a safe one to begin with.
Image adapted from: @audrey_shin
Since you’ve already made a day trip out of the city, we recommend maximising your day by visiting nearby attractions, such as Everland and the Korean Folk Village after a morning ski session (9AM-1PM).
Address: 34-1, Namgok-Ri, Yangji-Myun, Cheoin-Gu, Yongin-City, Kyunggi-Do, Korea
Opening hours: 9AM-5AM, Daily
Telephone: 031-321-9491
Price: KRW50,000 (only for lift pass). Entrance timing(s) for this price 9AM-1PM (morning), 1PM-5PM (afternoon), 6.30PM-11PM (evening), 10PM-2AM (night) or 12AM-5AM (all-night). More details can be found here.
Estimated travel time: 1.3hr
Getting here: Free shuttle service available.
Reservation has to be made a day prior to your visit, before 6PM. If you want to take the shuttle service on Sunday or Monday, reservation has to be done by 1PM on the preceding Saturday.
Note: Shuttle service may be cancelled if there are less than 10 passengers, so make sure to call prior to your visit to make sure. The hotline is 031-329-9440-1
Website
Image credit: @boarder_choisimjang
Boasting an area of 1,322,314.05m2, which is equivalent to 185 soccer fields, Bears Town Ski Resort is the largest ski resort near Seoul.
Image credit: @clairechoi11
Bears Town has 11 slopes of varying difficulties, ranging from beginner to advanced level. The gentlest slope here is 548m long – 40m more than that of the height of Taipei 101. This means that skiers can keep a comfortable distance between each other as they make their way down the slope.
Image credit: @williamlwl90
Bears Town has cafeterias, snack stalls as well as restaurants. From a comforting bowl of stew to a stick of piping hot fish cake, you’ll never run out of food options to keep you warm.
Image credit: @p.pjihunis
Out of all the resorts on our list, Bears Town offers one of the best ski packages. A package including a round trip shuttle service and lift ticket for an adult costs USD49 for a PM time slot (12PM-5PM), while a package including shuttle service, lift tickets and gear rentals is only USD59 (~$67). Check out other packages and prices here.
Note: These packages are only available for shuttle bus passengers who have made reservations via this link. A 20% down payment has to be paid by PayPal and the balance can be paid by cash on the day itself. Reservations have to be made, cancelled, or revised before 5PM one day before your trip. No refunds will be made after the stipulated time.
Address: 295, Sohak-ri, Naechon-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
Opening hours: 9AM-3AM, Daily
Telephone: Ski 031-540-5000, Reservations 031-540-5151
Price: KRW50,000 (only for lift pass). Entrance timing(s) for this price 12AM-3AM. More details can be found here.
Estimated travel time: 1.5hr
Getting there: Shuttle service departure stops and timings available here.
Getting back to Seoul: Shuttle service departure timings from resort and destinations are available here.
Website
Image credit: @elysianresort
Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort is a resort near Seoul that is accessible by the Seoul subway transport system.
The resort is a two-minute shuttle service away from the nearest train station, Baegyang-ri station. The free shuttle service is chartered by the resort and runs every 20 minutes, starting from the hour.
Tip: Read our article to navigate Seoul’s subway system with greater ease.
Image credit: @ssongssongcom
Aside from its convenience, the resort is open to skiers of all skill levels. With 6 lift lines serving 10 ski slopes ranging from beginners to advanced levels, the waiting time here is short and sweet.
Image credit: @radentofan
Skiing is tough to master in a day or two. If you’re having difficulties navigating your way through the powdery snow or have kids that are too young to hit the slopes, have a go at sledding instead. Unlike skiing, sledding is an activity that’s easy to pick up. All you have to do is sit on the sled and hold onto the rope while you make your way down a slope.
Image credit: @miss_nidy
Travelling with family or friends is always a good way to catch up and bond, but it’s unavoidable to have different interests when it comes to things to do on the trip.
Since Elysian is close to other sightseeing locations such as Gangchon Rail Park (10 minutes), Animation Museum (25 minutes) and Petite France (38 minutes), those who want to ski can hit the slopes, while the rest can enjoy the fun that these attractions have to offer.
Address: 688, Bukhangangbyeon-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do
Opening hours: Sun – Thurs 9AM-5AM | Fri – Sat 9AM-4AM (Snow grooming 5PM-6.30PM)
Telephone: 033-260-2000
Price: KRW55,000 (only for lift pass). Price is for a 4-hour ticket for weekdays. More details can be found here.
Estimated travel time: 1.5hr
Getting there: Alight at Baegyang-ri station on Gangchon subway line, then board the free 2-minute shuttle bus service to the resort. It comes every 20 minutes, starting from the hour.
Website
Image credit: @kim_doyeon85
Welli Hilli Park Ski Resort has been popular with snowboarders ever since it hosted the Snowboard World Championship back in 2009.
Image credit: @sil_kongsil
The resort even has a halfpipe park where snowboarders can perform tricks in a halved tube of snow. The halfpipe is one of the most popular contests at international snowboarding competitions, including the Winter Olympics!
Image credit: @skier_min
Skiers who are up for a challenge can try the mogul course. This course sets out to make the descent challenging as you’ll have to try to navigate your way through a bumpy slope.
Image credit: @vivian_ssu
Besides challenging courses for the pros, Welli Hilli also has a range of slopes ranging from beginner to advanced levels for skiers wanting to perfect their skills.
Address: Welli Hilli Park. 225-832 #451 Gowon-ro Dunnae-myon Heongsung-Gun
Opening hours: 8.30AM-4AM, Daily
Telephone: 1544-8833
Price: KRW43,000 (only for lift pass). Price is for a 3-hour ticket, and entrance from 8AM onwards. More details can be found here.
Estimated travel time: 1.5hr
Getting here: Take the Gangneung KTX from Seoul Station to Dunnae Station and board a free shuttle service from there. The schedule for the shuttle service can be found here. (First column = departure from Dunnae Station, last column = arrival at resort).
Note: The first bus departs from Dunnae Station at 8.25AM and the last bus departs at 9.30PM.
Website
Minimal waiting times at this Korean ski resort
Image credit: @envy0725
Nobody likes spending ages waiting for a ski lift. At Konjiam Ski Resort, however, the daily number of skiers is limited to 7,000. This means that queues for the ski lifts are short and you can fully utilise your time to ski instead of waiting in line.
Setting itself apart from its competitors, Konjiam has also come up with a unique ticketing system called ME-TIME Pass. Unlike the conventional time passes offered by other ski resorts, ME-TIME Pass allows skiers to check into the slopes according to their schedule and check out once the time limits (from 1-6 hours) for their passes are up, as long as it’s within the resort’s operating hours.
Address: Kojiam Resort, Konjiam Country club 278, Dochegwit-Ro, Docheok-Myeon, Gwangju-Si, Gyeonggi-Do
Opening hours: Mon – Thur 9AM-10PM | Fri 9AM-4AM | Sat 7AM-4AM | Sun 7AM-2AM
Telephone: 02-3777-2100
Pricing: KRW29,000 for 1-hour ticket, KRW55,000 for 2-hour ticket, KRW61,000 for 3-hour ticket, KRW63,000 for 4-hour ticket, KRW70,000 for 6-hour ticket (only for lift pass). More details here.
Estimated travel time: 1.5hr
Getting here: From Jamsil Station, take bus no. 500-1 (red intercity bus) and alight at Dongwoon University stop. Then, board a taxi for a short ride towards the resort.
Note: The first bus departs from Jamsil Station at 5.40AM and the last bus departs at 1.10AM.
Website
Known by locals as the hottest ski resort amongst teenagers, Daemyung Vivaldi Park in Gangwon-do offers many entertainment options, food places, as well as facilities. This resort was the filming site of the 2016 hit K-drama The Legend of the Blue Sea, which starred Lee Min-ho and Jun Ji-hyun. Turn your K-drama fantasy into reality by bringing a date to this resort and reenact the scene where Joon-jae (Lee Min-ho) taught Shim Chung (Jun Ji-hyun) how to ski.
Image credit: @jungdae_kim83
Keeping in line with the resort’s musically-themed name, the ski slopes here are not only named after different genres of music, but also have said genre of music blasting through the speakers.
With a slow tempo music playing in the background and a gentle incline, “Ballads” is the right slope to hit for beginners. “Rock”, on the other hand, is a challenging slope with upbeat music designated for experts to conquer.
Go snow tubing at this Korean ski resort
Image credit: @yujinheo
Apart from having ski slopes catering to different skill levels – 2 beginner, 1 intermediate, 4 upper-intermediate, 4 advanced, 1 expert – Vivaldi also has other facilities to keep you occupied for an entire day.
After a back-breaking ski session, you can continue your winter experience at Snowyland, an area designated for snow tubing. Making your way down the slope on a rubber tube is nothing short of exhilarating, and the best part about it is that you don’t even have to exert physical effort to enjoy snow tubing.
Daemyung Vivaldi Park also offers indoor activities such as an indoor shooting range, bowling alley, arcade, and rides like bumper cars and merry-go-round.
For our Muslim friends out there, you’ll be glad to know that Vivaldi has a halal restaurant and a dedicated prayer room.
Address: 135, Beobwon-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Korea
Opening hours: 8.30AM-4AM, Daily
Telephone: 033-439-7799 and 033-439-4317
Price: KRW55,000 (only for lift pass). Entrance timing(s) for this price 12AM-4AM. More details can be found here.
Estimated travel time: 2hr
Getting there: Free shuttle service for foreigners and estimated time of arrival at Vivaldi Park is 10.40AM. Do bring along your passport for verification purposes. Pick-up from 4 stations:
Getting back to Seoul: Free shuttle service for foreigners and departure from Vivaldi Park is 6PM. Drop off at 4 stations:
Image credit: @leebamtole
Oak Valley is a smaller establishment with a smaller crowd, ideal for those who want a more intimate ski session with your friends or family.
With beginner slopes that are wide, long and of a gentler incline, this resort is good for beginners and kids who want to take on the slopes without fear of colliding with other skiers.
Korean ski resort with an observatory
Image credit: Oak Valley
Take advantage of the observatory at Oak Valley and go stargazing. There’s minimal light pollution here compared to the city, which means that you’ll be able to study the stars to your heart’s content, or even identify planets like Jupiter and Saturn. During winter, the observatory is open daily from 9PM till 4AM.
Address: 66, Oak Valley 1-gil, Wolsong-ri, Jijeong-myeon, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do
Opening hours: 8.30AM-4AM, Daily
Telephone: 033-730-3500
Price: KRW52,000 (only for lift pass). Entrance timing(s) for this price 11PM-4AM on Weekdays. More details can be found here.
Estimated travel time: 1.8hr
Getting here:
Getting back to Seoul:
Image credit: @fissnowboard
There’s no way to leave out Phoenix Snow Park if you’re an avid skier or snowboarder. The resort offers 21 slopes with top quality snow, mogul and halfpipe Olympic courses, as well as a parallel giant slalom slope.
Olympic-level Korean ski resort
Image credit: @alpinecanada
A parallel giant slalom is a slope that has identical courses parallel to each other for two skiers to compete head to head. And of course, the first one to reach the bottom of the slope after conquering all the obstacles along the way, wins.
Phoenix Snow Park has made it convenient for foreigners to get to the resort without hassle by offering an English online booking platform for its shuttle service (KRW24,000 for a roundtrip). Simply click on the link 3 hours prior to your departure time and your day trip is all set.
Address: 174, Taegi-ro, Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, Korea
Opening hours: 8.30AM-4.30AM, Daily
Telephone: 1577-0069
Price: KRW42,000 (only for lift pass). Entrance timing(s) for this price 10PM-1AM. More details can be found here.
Estimated travel time: 2.5hr
Getting there: Click on this link to check the schedule of the shuttle service to and fro the resort.
Website
Family-friendly Korean ski resort
Image credit: @contempo_seoul
Jisan Forest Ski Resort ticks all the boxes for a good resort – smooth slopes, beginners and kids-friendly, and relatively short waiting time for lifts.
Image credit: @hi_j.a0
Despite being a smaller establishment, Jisan is popular with families and groups of friends who want to have a go at skiing or snowboarding. There’s a variety of slopes available for beginners. If you’re just starting out, stick to slope 1 and 1-1. However, if you have prior experience, proceed to intermediate slopes 2 and 3 and try perfecting your skills.
Address: Haewol-ri 274-1, Majang-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Opening hours: 7AM-4AM, Daily
Telephone: 031-644-1200
Price: KRW51,000 (only for lift pass). Entrance timing(s) for this price 7AM-11.30AM. More details can be found here.
Estimated travel time: 3hr
Getting there: Starting off at Incheon International Airport, take an airport limousine bus to Icheon bus terminal. Then, get on bus 12 and alight at Jisan Resort.
Website
A ski trip doesn’t mean you have to be isolated in a remote resort up on a mountain while paying exorbitant prices for its services and facilities. These 9 Korean ski resorts are accessible from Seoul and prove that a true winter experience doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. All that’s left for you to do is make a day trip down to one of these resorts to fully indulge in all that dump!
Thinking of what else you can do in Seoul? Check out our other articles for more ideas:
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