Stay away from the bustle city – Pocheon tour

Highlights

• One-day private tour from Seoul to Pocheon
• Tour the suburbs of Seoul, stay away from the bustle and noise of the city
• Take a slow walk in the Korea National Arboretum, where you can breathe the fresh air
• Visit the popular Korean TV program shooting place, Pocheon Art Valley
• Enjoy the smell of Mediterranean herbs in Herb Island
• Optional tour: Admire the Blue-green pool waterfall or apple picking (Apple picking is only available from Sep to Oct)

Minimum travelers 2     Duration 9 hours

Overview

The rugged town of Pocheon is located less than two hours’ drive from Seoul, but once you arrive, it feels like another world. This painting-like place is composed of deep green forests, refreshingly cool rivers, emerald lakes, and endless hills. Add in some hearty local cuisine, and you’ve got everything you need for the perfect day away from Seoul. 

Description

If you want to see a different side of South Korea and the busy city of Seoul, we recommend that you dive into nature in Pocheon and enjoy a fresh and healing day. You will find yourself standing in the forest museum and the National Arboretum(UNESCO Biosphere Reserve), surrounded by both natural and human-made Art Valley and a flower world with aroma called Herb Island.

Located in the Gwangneung forest, the Korea National Arboretum, aka (KNA), spreads across 1,157 Hectares and was opened in 1987. It is home to more than 6,870 species of conifers and other plants, but also 4,370 species of animals, birds, and insects, all living in harmony.
15 forests, each different and offering a different experience, you can find Conifer Garden, the Garden of Ornamental Trees, the Aroma and Touch Garden, and many others. In the arboretum, you can find the Forest Museum, which is all about the nature surrounding this place. It is an educational and enriching activity to do. You will be able to learn about the fauna and flora and see unique trees and plants.
Strolling around the path in the forest will allow you to pack a lot of phytoncides and breathe fresh and pure air.

Pocheon Art Valley is a well-known filming location of many K-dramas such as ‘Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo’ and ‘Legend of Blue Sea’, and the popular TV show ‘Running Man’. Located at the top of the hill, you can walk or take the monorail to arrive there. This former 20-meter deep quarry, which was used to build some of Korea’s most famous buildings, such as the Blue House, National Assembly, Sejong Culture Center for Performing Arts, etc. Now revamped as a lake, you can enjoy the deep indigo valley with clean water inhabited by minnows, crawfish, and salamanders. If you don’t mind getting down steep spiral stairs, you can climb to enjoy the view from above the granite hill. After posing for some Instagram-worthy pictures, you can head to the Sculpture Park and enjoy the artworks. You can come back to the station by taking the monorail. Don’t forget to visit a souvenir shop here to get a bottle of Pocheon Magkeolli, one of the best quality rice wines in Korea.

Herb Island is a theme park of aromatic plants, located only 30mn away from the Art Valley. There, you will be able to put your senses to the test, going through the spacious greenhouse packed with Mediterranean trees, flowers, and herbs. One of the highlights of Herb Island is the everlasting Santa Village, filled with lights and decorations. This is perfect for those of you who are always missing the Christmas vibe. Beside a tunnel with cards written by visitors expressing their wishes and desires, is a wide expanse of the herb field with colorful small lamps attached. Before wrapping up the tour, drop by the Herb Market and have a free taste of herb tea and look around for some teas, candies, air fresheners, candles, oils, soaps, healthy goods, and cosmetics. For lunch, we recommend Hanjeongsik(Korean Table d’hote or Korean full course meal). It is a meal composed of rice, vegetables, meat, and 3 main fermented sauces of Korea(soybean paste, chili pepper paste, and soy sauce). The meal usually starts with an appetizer like porridge, salad, or gruel, and the main dishes (meat or fish) are either grilled, boiled, steamed, fried, or salted and mixed with seasonings. It also includes various kinds of side dishes such as kimchi, seasoned acorn jelly salad, Korean pancake, stir-fried pumpkin, and many more.

Options for this tour:

Bidulginangpokpo waterfall, located in a small valley, is a 19-meter high top waterfall falling into an indigo pool. This is a popular spot for Korean dramas as it offers a captivating view. This area is a national geological park that is the result of a volcanic eruption that happened a hundred thousand years ago.
If you have acrophobia, we do not recommend that you choose this option, as the climb down the long stairs can be triggering.

Notice: When the Korea National Arboretum is closed or fully booked, we will visit the Sanjeong Lake instead.
We will begin the tour by crossing a wooden bridge that looks down at the Nakcheonji Waterfall (Paradise Waterfall). Head to the fountain shaped like Sanjeong Lake that is surrounded by mountains and hills, creating a painting-like scenery. You can choose to walk along the 3.2 km long lane, or we can drive around the lakeside road. Depending on each season, you will be able to enjoy in spring the newly sprouting buds and flowers in spring, canoeing and motor boating in summer, various colorful foliage or Flame Grass, and finally, in winter, you will be able to skate, sled-ride, and ride a 4-wheeled bike on the ice.