How to Spend a Day in Wonju Korea

Wonju Korea is the perfect place to go for a day trip. Since South Korea’s transit system is fantastic, you can get to Wonju-si within 2 hours if you leave from Seoul.

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About Wonju Korea

The municipal city was the site of three crucial battles in the Korean War.

The city holds history and there are a few museums as well as universities.

It is also home to one of South Korea’s best basketball teams and holds some of the most popular shopping centers in Korea: emart, Homeplus, and AK Plaza.

Near the station though, is quiet and still. And inside the station, you can hear echoes.

There were barely any cars on the road and the buses ran but very sporadically.

However, the mountain views surrounding Wonju are amazing.

Near the railway park, which is about ten minutes away from the KTX station, you will see countless restaurants, stores, and even Spiderman on top of an emart convenience store.

Where is Wonju Korea?

From Wonju to Seoul is about 147 kilometers (87 miles) and is located southeast of the country’s capital.

It is in Gangwon province which is east of Gyeonggi province, which is where Seoul is.

What You Will Need for Wonju

• Coat
• Money
• Reusable water bottle
• Selfie stick
• Sunblock
• Umbrella
• Walking shoes

TIP: you may want to buy your returning ticket before you leave the station. You can even book before you get to Wonju if you’d like. Either way, I recommend that you have a returning ticket before you step foot out of the station. Unless of course, you are staying in Wonju for a few days then you can just book online.

How to Get to Wonju City

From Pyeongtaek

If you are going to Wonju from Pyeongtaek, you will have to get on the train at AK Plaza Pyeongtaek. You will take Line 1 from Cheongnyangnibound to Seoul.

From Seoul

Wonju Station is called Seowonju.

If you are going to Wonju from Seoul, you can take the KTX from Cheongnyangnibound to Seowonju. The ticket costs KRW 9,000 (USD 7).

Look for the subway line that is heading to Sancheon.

How to Travel Around Wonju

If you brought a car, then there is your answer.

If you took public transportation, then you will have to take a bus from Wonju Station (Seowonju) to wherever you want to go. You should have your map application open for this or better yet, have a downloaded map of the city, as well as your navigation app.

From the station, bus 57 will drive ten minutes and then you will land close to the Wonju Railpark.

You should also have enough money on your Tmoney card or bank card.

If you want to walk, then you can do that as well. I love to walk so that is how I got around during my trip to Wonju.

Things to Do in Wonju

The only reason I went to Wonju was that a bunch of people in a Facebook group recommended it but I do not regret going, it was awesome.

There are plenty of things for everyone to do in Wonju Korea. There are parks, cable cars, gardens, bridges, temples, and more.

You can easily spend a few days in the city if you are up for exploring.

If you are a fan of K-dramas, you’ll want to take a trip to Wonju Korea.

These are the two that I was able to do:

The Wonju Railpark will take you through the mountains of Wonju for around 25 minutes. You can book your ticket ahead but the website is in Korean. The ticket is KRW 38,000 (USD 31).

If you enjoy views, then taking the train might be worth it to you.

Once you reach the end, there will be a four-person bicycle and you will ride your own way back down.

If you are worried about not having enough people, don’t be. I rode the four-person bike all the way back down by myself. It looks more difficult than it is.

In total, it will take about an hour to go to and from the rail park. And don’t be afraid to scream when you are inside the dark tunnels. Everyone does it!

You can take in the gorgeous views of the city and at one point, you will be able to see the Sogeumsan Suspension Bridge from the rail tracks.

Sogeumsan Suspension Bridge (Ganhyeon Rocking Bridge) is the bridge from the Kdrama “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.” I have never seen it before so if you have, let me know how it is.

From the Wonju Railpark to the bridge is only a ten-minute walk. That is why I say if you like to walk, then this city is perfect for you.

From the parking lot, you will walk along this strip of restaurants until you see even more restaurants and vendors and then you will come across a bridge.

Once you cross the bridge, you will have to pay the entrance fee. It will be KRW 3,000 (USD 2). That will get you a wristband and a gift certificate worth KRW 2,000.

Then, you will cross another bridge and it will lead you to the vendors. Walk along the road and then you will find the entrance to get to the suspension bridge.

It will take about 20 minutes to reach the first platform. From there, you can snap a few photos of the ground below. Then you will come across the suspension bridge. You will essentially walk in a loop and will be able to see the suspension bridge from afar as you’re making your way back down to the surface.

If you do decide to stay in Wonju for a few days, don’t forget to book a room. Click below to check out accommodation on Agoda.

Where to Eat in Wonju

If you’re looking for some authentic traditional Korean food, you will most definitely find it in Wonju.

On your way back from the bridges, you will see the restaurants that you previously walked by. There are numerous restaurants and street vendors to choose from.

You can use the gift certificate at some of the vendors along the road for a bottle of water or a snack. Just show the ticket or if you can speak Korean, ask them.

If you are looking for a Korean snack, I recommend getting a Korean cheese corn dog. Sometimes the ends of the corn dogs have small hot dogs, sometimes they don’t.

Korean Restaurant has some good Korean food and it is cheap.

Going Back to the KTX Station

If you are just spending a day in Wonju, make sure to check the time every so often so you don’t miss your way home.

The drive to Seowonju Station is only a 5-minute drive from the parking entrance. Walking will be about 20-25 minutes.

You might also want to take a screenshot or plan out your trip beforehand in case you don’t have cell reception.

My Naver Maps was malfunctioning when I was in Wonju. Even though I could see the station from where I was, I wasn’t sure if I could walk that way so I asked for help through my Papago app.

Check out a few TikToks about my trip to Wonju Korea.