A 5-minute cruise over the Bukhan River leads to a 140,000-pyeong forest, Nami Island

5 minutes from Gapyeong Naru, an island administratively under Chuncheon

Namiseom’s road-name address is 1 Namiseom-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon State Special Self-Governing Province, but the departure point for the ferry is Gapyeong Naru, 1024 Bukhangangbyeon-ro, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. When bringing a car by navigation, you should enter the Gapyeong Naru address as the destination, not the Namiseom address, to reach the pier and Parking Lots 1 through 4.

The regular ferry ride from Gapyeong Naru to Namiseom takes about 5 minutes. The island is described as being about 140,000 pyeong in size, and if you are planning a half-day visit, it is safe to allow 3 to 5 hours including the round-trip boat ride and a walk along the main forest paths; if you add meals, bicycles, or activities, it is better to allow at least 5 hours.

The trees planted by Min Byeong-do in 1965 and the legacy of General Nami

Namiseom was originally also called Namsom (South Island), meaning “the island in front.” The current place name became established through a folk legend that General Nami, a military commander from the Joseon era, was buried in a mound of stones on the hill north of the island. In Jeong Yak-yong’s <Cheonwoogiheng> and <Sansusimwongi>, the island appears under the names Namiseom and Namiseo.

The forest-centered scenery visible today is not a natural, untouched resort but the result of landscaping. Founder Sujae Min Byeong-do began cultivating the island by planting trees in 1965, and the following year, on December 23, 1966, Namiseom was converted into a corporation. To honor the legacy of General Nami, Min Byeong-do arranged a burial mound and memorial stele around the stone pile in 1965; the memorial text was written by Nosan Lee Eun-sang and the calligraphy by Iljung Kim Chung-hyun.

From the 1960s through the 1990s, Namiseom was known as a riverside park famous for the Riverside Song Festival and for filming movies and dramas. After the success of the KBS drama <Winter Sonata> in December 2001, it drew a much larger number of tourists from across Asia and became more strongly identified as a cultural tourism destination. The “Naminara Republic” label inside the island is a tourism brand rather than an actual country, so the admission ticket should be understood as a ticket that includes the round-trip ferry fare, not a passport.

First boat at 08:00 and last boat at 21:00, admission ticket 19,000 won

As of 2026, the regular ferry operates every 30 minutes from 08:00 to 09:00, every 10 to 20 minutes from 09:00 to 18:00, and every 30 minutes from 18:00 to 21:00. The first boat from Gapyeong Naru to the island is at 08:00, and the last boat is at 21:00; the first boat leaving the island is at 08:05, and the last boat is at 21:05. During spring flower season, summer vacation season, and autumn foliage season, the service may be extended, so it is a good idea to check the official notice again on the day of departure.

The regular admission ticket, including the round-trip regular ferry, is 19,000 won. Middle and high school students, people with severe disabilities themselves, holders of a national merit certificate or bereaved-family certificate themselves, and those aged 70 or older pay the reduced fare of 16,000 won, while children aged 36 months to elementary school age pay the special reduced fare of 13,000 won. Infants under 36 months accompanied by a parent enter free, and groups of 20 or more general visitors receive a 10% group discount on the total payment amount, limited to regular ferry entry and exit.

If you enter by motorboat instead of the regular ferry and leave by regular ferry, the fare is 29,000 won for general admission, 26,000 won for the reduced fare, and 23,000 won for the special reduced fare. The motorboat operates seasonally from April to November, from 09:00 to 18:00; it departs only when there are two or more passengers, and each boat can carry up to five people.

From Gapyeong Station to Gapyeong Naru: 5 minutes by taxi or connected city tour

If you are traveling by rail, the simplest option is to get off at Gapyeong Station on the ITX-Cheongchun line and take a taxi for about 5 minutes to Gapyeong Naru. Another option is to use the Gapyeong City Tour bus from around Gapyeong Station and the Gapyeong intercity bus terminal to connect to the Namiseom pier, and if you plan to bundle Petite France and the Garden of Morning Calm on the same day, you should check the city tour route and operating days in advance.

For a Seoul departure day trip, you need to calculate the train arrival time together with the 21:00 last boat. In particular, if you have already decided on your return train, it is more important to allow time to travel from the island to Gapyeong Naru and prepare to board than to focus on the fact that the last boat leaving the island is at 21:05. Considering pier waiting times and weekend road congestion, it is recommended to leave the island at least 40 minutes before the departure time of the train from Gapyeong Station.

The main phone number is 031-580-8114, and tourist information inquiries are directed to 031-580-8153. The official website is https://www.namisum.com/ , and seasonal events, ferry extensions, and temporary changes should be judged based on the notices there for the most accurate information.

Parking fees for Lots 1 through 4 and avoiding congestion after 10:00

If you come by car, use Gapyeong Naru Parking Lots 1 through 4. The base fee is 6,000 won for small vehicles and 10,000 won for large vehicles, and an additional 1,000 won per hour is charged after 12 hours. If you register mobile payment in the Kakao T app before entering, the discounted rate of 5,500 won for small vehicles and 6,000 won for large vehicles applies.

Accessible parking spaces for people with disabilities are located in Parking Lots 2 and 4. Hotel Jeonggwanru guests are exempt from charges over 12 hours if they provide their vehicle number at check-in, but this does not apply to general day visitors. According to the Korea Tourism Organization information, Gapyeong Naru has a parking capacity of 600 spaces.

Recent visitor reviews repeatedly say that to avoid waiting and parking congestion around lunchtime on weekends, it is better to arrive in time for the first-boat period or at least finish the pier procedures before 11:00. This advice is not an official rule but a practical impression from 2025 reviews, so on holidays and festival days it may be worth arriving even earlier.

A 3-to-5-hour route that does not end after only seeing the Metasequoia Road

The essence of Namiseom lies not in a single spot but in the experience of walking along connected forest and riverside paths. Since the scenery is divided among paths that change with the seasons, such as Metasequoia Road, Central Pine Nut Tree Road, the maple forest, and the riverside path in the villa village, it is better to make a loop connecting the central area and the riverside rather than disembarking, taking one photo, and heading back.

Walking alone is enough, but if the distance feels burdensome, you can use the island’s rental facilities. A single electric bicycle costs 10,000 won for 30 minutes, with an additional 3,000 won per 10 minutes beyond that; a baby or dog electric bicycle costs 15,000 won for 30 minutes, with an additional 5,000 won per 10 minutes beyond that. Rather than trying to complete the entire island with a short rental, it is easier to control costs by deciding which sections you want to walk first and then using a secondary means of transport.

Namiseom also has cultural and activity facilities such as a song museum, a picture-book playground, the Sharing Train, a story tour bus, and bicycles. Hotel Jeonggwanru operates 44 rooms in the main building and additional annex rooms, and it is about a 15-minute walk from the pier after disembarking, following Central Pine Nut Tree Road.

Stroller and wheelchair rental counters and preparation for foreign visitors

The island has stroller rental counters, wheelchair rental counters, and accessibility facilities for people with disabilities. Wheelchair and stroller users should check the rental locations, restrooms, and the paved condition of the forest paths they plan to use on the Namiseom map before departure. If a companion has difficulty walking long distances, it is better to inquire about rentals immediately after arrival and choose a short route that includes rest points rather than packing in multiple activity facilities.

For foreign visitors, the most confusing part of Namiseom is that it is administratively under Chuncheon but entered from the Gapyeong pier. The official website and the Korea Tourism Organization’s English guide provide address, ferry, and fare information, and the admission fee includes the round-trip regular ferry ride. If Korean-language guidance is unfamiliar, it is safer to save “Nami Island” and “Gapyeong Wharf” separately and set a phone alarm for the time to return to Gapyeong Naru before the 21:00 last boat.

In winter, because it is an outdoor island, warm clothing and anti-slip shoes are necessary. In summer, you should bring water, a hat, and rain gear, considering the wait for the boat and the walking on forest paths. For summer 2026, the last boat on Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before public holidays from July 17 to August 23 is scheduled to be extended to 21:30, but since the regular last boat is 21:00, it is better not to plan your schedule on the assumption that the extension days are guaranteed.