Gapyeong Day Trip: Nami Island, Petite France & the Original K-Drama Trail
The original drama trail
Gapyeong county packs three filming heavyweights into one valley: Nami Island (Winter Sonata — the location that started K-drama tourism), Petite France (My Love from the Star, Secret Garden, Bon Appétit Your Majesty) and the Garden of Morning Calm (a four-season drama and CF regular). One ITX train and a loop bus connect all three.
The route
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | ITX-Cheongchun from Yongsan | ~60 min to Gapyeong Station; use T-money |
| 09:15 | Nami Island | Ferry (or zipwire) across; metasequoia lane, first-kiss bench, couple statues |
| 12:00 | Lunch on-island or at the wharf | Dakgalbi is the local specialty |
| 13:30 | Petite France + Italian Village | Gapyeong City Tour bus or 15-min taxi; 1.5–2 hours is enough |
| 16:00 | Garden of Morning Calm | Especially worth it during the winter Lighting Festival (Dec–Mar) |
| 18:30 | Return ITX from Cheongpyeong Station | Back in Seoul by 20:00 |
Loop bus vs. tour vs. taxi
- Gapyeong City Tour bus: a few thousand won for a day pass linking the station and all three sights — cheapest, but check the last-departure times.
- Bundled day tours from Seoul: usually include transport + Nami entry and often undercut doing it solo; the right call on autumn weekends when everything sells out.
- Taxis between spots: 10–15 minutes each hop; fine to mix with the bus when timings misalign.
When to go
Autumn (late October–early November) for the metasequoia and ginkgo color that made Nami famous; December–March evenings for the garden’s light festival; May for spring green. Summer weekends are the one time to expect ferry queues.