Nami Island

남이섬 · Gyeonggi & Incheon  ✓ Verified July 2026

The tree-lined lanes of Nami Island
Photo: Jocelyndurrey · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The half-moon island of tree-lined lanes that started K-drama tourism with Winter Sonata — still drawing about 3.3 million visitors a year, two decades on.

Address
1 Namisum-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon (ferry from Gapyeong wharf)
Getting there
ITX-Cheongchun train from Yongsan/Cheongnyangni to Gapyeong (about 1 hour), then shuttle or taxi to the wharf; enter by short ferry or zipwire.
Hours
Ferries roughly 07:30–21:40
Admission
₩16,000 including ferry (foreign visitor rate available)
Book a Nami Island day tour from Seoul →

Dramas filmed at Nami Island

Winter Sonata

The metasequoia lane and first-kiss bench — the original K-drama pilgrimage site.

Why it’s still the benchmark

Winter Sonata aired in 2002, yet Nami Island remains the single most visited drama location in Korea — proof of how long a filming site can keep earning. The island leans into it: statues of the leads, photo frames along the metasequoia lane, and signage in Japanese, Chinese, Thai and English for the fans who never stopped coming.

Practical notes

Most visitors do Nami as a day trip from Seoul, often bundled with the Garden of Morning Calm or Petite France (itself a My Love from the Star and Bon Appétit, Your Majesty location) on a combo tour — the bundled tours are usually cheaper than doing two spots separately by public transport.

Autumn (late October–early November) for the ginkgo and metasequoia colors, or snowfall days in January, match the drama’s look best.