Incheon(Ganghwa-gun)
, Ganghwado Island
In 2018, We will provide cheap tour packages from Ganghwa-do, which was selected as a tourism city this year, with donation from Ganghwa-gun. Located in the northwest of Seoul, Ganghwa-do takes one hour and thirty minutes from Seoul and belongs to Incheon metropolitan city. It is the fifth largest island in Korea and has many precious historical sites from ancient times to modern times.
It has a rich natural landscape with mountains and sea and is famous as a green tourist spot without air pollution. Also, the Ganghwa Peace Observatory, which can be seen from the closest location in North Korea, is 2.3km away from the naked eye to see North Korea.
Do not miss the chance to visit major cities and a variety of sightseeing, food, and something to buy.
★Tour course
Sochang Experience Hall(Handkerchief making experience) → Ganghwa tourism platform(Geryeo-style Hanbok and VR experience) → Chung-nyeon mall(Free lunch time) → Ganghwa story walk(Yonghung Palace - Hanok Cathedral - Goryeo Palace site - Central market) → Café house(One free drink) → Ganghwa Peace Observatory(The closest observatory to North Korea, 2.3m distance location) → Making Turnips Kimchi(Hwamunseok Experience Village / Offer kimchi 1kg wrapped gift) → Ganghwa foam market(Traditional market sightseeing)
Minimum number
4 person
Age restriction
None
Sponsor
WATERTREE
Included services
Round-trip vehicles during the tour, guide, admission fee, turnip kimchi experience fee
Non-inclusive service
Lunch (free lunch), Traveler’s insurance
Vehicle time
08:30 Pick up at Myeongdong Station Exit 3 / 09:00 Departing from Hongdae (in front of Exit 3)
※ Please be sure to board in time, as damage will occur to others after the departure time. Please arrive at 15 minutes in advance.
※ Vehicles are offered for 12, 25, or 45 passengers depending on the number of passengers.
※ When you make a reservation, please leave a contact form to be able to contact you locally.
Vehicle seat
On-site first-come-first-served basis (no designated seats)
※ If you have a passenger, please tell us when you board the vehicle.
※ Cancellation Policy: 5 days ago 0%, 6~7 days ago 70%, 8~9 days ago 50%, 11 days ago 100%
※ It is not possible to change or cancel the reservation 5 days before the entry date.
How to board
Check your voucher and ID before boarding the vehicle. (Mobile, printed voucher available)
※ Be sure to present your voucher. You cannot present reservation mail.
Costume
Participants will recommend sneakers and clothes that are convenient for movement.
Language
The guide’s primary language is English.
On-site first-come-first-served basis (no designated seats)
※ If you have a passenger, please tell us when you board the vehicle.
※ Cancellation Policy: 5 days ago 0%, 6~7 days ago 70%, 8~9 days ago 50%, 11 days ago 100%
※ It is not possible to change or cancel the reservation 5 days before the entry date.
★ Precautions
※ When you enter the Ganghwa peace observatory, you will need to check your ID at the checkpoint. Please bring your passport with you.
※ If you cannot board on that day, no refund will be given.
※ It is difficult to give another seat for 1 person. Please understand.
※ Follow the instructions of the field guide to avoid damaging others. Please be sure to keep your boarding time and assembly time.
※ You may be held liable if you have a problem with your entire tour due to your personal behavior.
※ The vehicle is insured. However, we are not responsible for accidents during individual activities during the tour.
★ Detail course of Tour / Ganghwa-do Goryeo Historical & Cultural tour 【TKKOR-KH01】
＊08:30 Pick up at Myeongdong Station Exit 3 / 09:00 Departing from Hongdae (in front of Exit 3)
＊10:00~10:40 Sochang experience hall(Handkerchief making experience) ※Field expert commentary explanation
＊10:45~12:00 Ganghwa tourist platform(Hanbok experience, Self-photo, Ganghwa area paragliding VR, watching Koryeo history VCR)
※ Explanation of special field commentary by language(English, Chinese, Japanese)
＊12:00~13:00 Free lunch time(Chung-nyeon mall and nearby commercial district) ※Coupon of 1,000 won per person
＊13:20~14:00 Story walk (Korea’s first Hanok cathedral, Yonghung Palace, Koryeo Palace place etc.)
＊14:00~14:30 Café house : 1 free drink (coffee, beverage)
＊15:00~15:30 Ganghwa peace observatory (The nearest observatory to see North Korea at the closest distance)
＊15:40~16:10 Making special turnip kimchi experience (Hwamunseok experience village)
※ Providing kimchi wrapping gift (1kg per person / plastic container)
＊16:30~17:00 Ganghwa pungmul market (Ganghwa-do tradition market tour)
＊18:30 Arrive at Hongdae station exit 3
＊19:00 Arrive in front of Myeongdong Shinsegae Department Store
1. 08:30 Pick up at Myeongdong Station Exit 3 / 09:00 Departing from Hongdae (in front of Exit 3)
08:30 Pick up at Myeongdong Station Exit 3
09:00 Departing from Hongdae (in front of Exit 3)
2. 10:00~10:40 Sochang experience hall (Handkerchief making experience) ※Field expert commentary explanation
Built in 1938, this Hanok experience hall provides an opportunity for you to stamp your own handkerchief as well as a history of Ganghwa-do’s past textile industry. You can enjoy a variety of history using ‘Sochang’, the fabric culture of Ganghwa-do.
3. 10:45~12:00 Ganghwa tourist platform (Hanbok experience, Self-photo, Ganghwa area paragliding VR, watching Koryeo history VCR)
The Ganghwa tourist platform is a comprehensive tourist information center that introduces various tourist sightseeing in Ganghwa. You can get a VR experience and a hanbok experience and at the information desk, you can get a guidebook for language-specific tourist attractions.
Especially, along with the history of the Goryeo period, you can leave your own memories by wearing a hanbok in the photo zone.
※ Field expert commentary explanation by language (English, Chinese, Japanese)
4. 12:00~13:00 Free lunch time (Chung-nyeon mall and nearby commercial district) ※Coupon of 1,000 won per person
Chung-nyeon mall(Youth Shop) in Ganghwa Central market opened on April 12th, 2017 and is a venue for fusion food and cute little items. Chung-nyeon mall is a cultural attraction where you can enjoy resting, performances and music.
5. 13:20~14:00 Story walk (Korea’s first Hanok cathedral, Yonghung Palace, Koryeo Palace place etc.)
‘Gangwha Story Walk Road’ is a theme-based alley tour product developed to the tourist city of the year 2018. It is a place where you can experience the old history of Gangwha and the modern tourist city together while walking in Korea’s first Hanok cathedral, Yongheung palace, and Goryeo palace place with new and various contents.
It is a roof-less museum of Gangwha-do which has a long history and has a travel course to enjoy with a special storyteller.
*GANGHWA ANGLICAN CHURCH : The Anglican church was first introduced to Ganghwado in 1890 and English Father Wangrando commenced preaching of the gospel right after he procured a house of residential church in Gapgotni in 1893.
Meanwhile, Father Wangrando returned to his country and Father Joma succeedingly assigned to Joseon arriving at Ganghwa in 1896, then he evangelized Kim Maga (Kim Hui jun) in Ganghwaeup, and also opened Yeonghwawon, a nursery house, to take care of many patients in means of western medical techniques. This church building still remains there which was built in a conventional architecture of Korea in 1900.
*Yongheunggung Palace (용흥궁) : Yongheunggung Palace is where King Cheoljong (a Joseon Dynasty ruler who reigned from 1849 to 1863) used to live before his ascension to throne. The chief of Ganghwa County, Jeong Gi-se, enlarged the original residence and named it Yongheunggung (meaning palace of the rising dragon) in the 4th year of King Cheoljong’s reign. Its architectural features include a paljak (Korean traditional half-hipped roof) and supporting columns rendered in Jusimpo style, the column brackets placed only on top of the columns. The palace was built in the tradition of dwelling houses such as the Yeongyeongdang and Nakseonjae houses in Changdeokgung Palace, so the palace buildings give off a simple and plain atmosphere. Within the precincts of the palace are a memorial stone and a monument house indicating that the palace used to be the old home of King Cheoljong.
*Goryeogung Palace Site : Goryeogung Palace Site on Ganghwado Island is the site of the royal palace where the people of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) resisted the Mongolian invasion for 39 years. In the 19th year of his reign, King Gojong moved the capital to Ganghwa on account of its natural and strategic advantages. During the Byeongjahoran (Chinese invasion of Korea) in 1637, the palace was lost by force to the Qing dynasty of China. Later, Joseon Dynasty palace building and Ganghwa Yusubu (Ganghwa governor’s office) buildings existed in the Goryeo palace site but were destroyed by the French army during the Byeonginyangyo (French Campaign against Korea). Nowadays, the only structures that remain are the Dongheon main office (built in 1638) and Ibangcheong administration office (built in 1654). The palace and its subsidiary buildings were restored in 1977. It has historical lessons of the spirit of independence and overcoming national crisis.
6. 14:00~14:30 Café house: 1 free drink (coffee, beverage)
With sweet desserts and enough caffeine to clear one’s head, cafés are a must! Many travelers make use of the comfortable ambiance and Wi-Fi found in cafés to enjoy a moment of rest in their busy schedule while fueling up on energy between meals. These days, some people are even going so far as to set off on café tours, exploring all the latest and greatest coffee shops available in the area!
The following cafés are the hottest cafés in Ganghwa based on Instagram posts.
7. 15:00~15:30 Ganghwa peace observatory (The nearest observatory to see North Korea at the closest distance)
It is the closest observatory in Korea that is 2.3km away from North Korea in naked eye which is hard to see in other regions.
The basement and the 4th floor are dedicated to military units, on the 1st floor is a souvenir shop which sell souvenirs of North Korea, a restaurant, a management office, a unification desire center, and a relaxation room. On the 2nd floor, there is a high-performance telescope and an exhibition room where you can observe the traces and horrors of war. On the 3rd floor, there is a screen facility to see North Korea’s panoramic view even in cloudy weather through the North Korean landscape view facility which can be seen at a glance.
※ Field expert commentary explanation by language (English, Chinese, Japanese)
※ High performance telescope fee: 500 won (1 time: 2 minutes)
* Size: Site area 9,975㎡, Gross area 2,277㎡ (B1-4F)
Operating Hours
December-February 09:00-17:00
March-November 09:00-18:00
* Subject to change
8. 15:40~16:10 Making special turnip kimchi experience (Hwamunseok experience village)
We provide experience of making kimchi using Ganghwa Turnip, which is a special product of Gangwha, with professional chef. We offer wrapping your own kimchi as a gift.
Hwamunseok village is a famous attraction where you can experience the farm village with traditional hwamunseok of Gangwha. *Separate experience course: Hwamunseok experience, Tofu making, walking spring, etc.
※ Providing kimchi wrapping gift (1kg per person / plastic container)
9. 16:30~17:00 Ganghwa pungmul market (Ganghwa-do tradition market tour / Folk Flea Market)
Moving a few steps from the Ganghwa Bus Terminal, you can easily locate the Folk Flea Market. The Folk Flea Market was built in 2007, being converted from Ganghwa Folk Market as part of the County’s project of creating numerous tourist attractions. Folk Flea Market and raw fish center are being opened at the 1st floor where the visitors can have fun not only in enjoying fresh raw fish but also in bargaining the prices with the merchants. Folk Flea Market and restaurants are opened at the 2nd floor so as to provide edible wonders that are not just pleasing to the palate but also to the eyes. Another wonderful thing to be seen and experienced in the Folk Flea Market!
Korean traditional markets surrounding the Folk Flea Market are opened every 2nd, and 7th day of the month. Aside from red pepper powder, the visitors can feast upon a variety of edible wild greens from mountainous places brought by old ladies.
*Scale : 1 story under ground, 2 stories above ground (Total area 8,842.28㎡)
10. ＊18:30 Arrive at Hongdae station exit 3 /
＊19:00 Arrive at Myeongdong Station Exit 3.
※The itinerary is subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.
★Ganghwa-do Goryeo Historical & Cultural tour 【TKKOR-KH02】
*08:30：Meeting at Myeongdong station exit 3 (명동역 3번출구미팅 )
*09:00：Meeting at Hongdae station exit 3 (홍대역3번출구미팅)
*10:00 - 10:30：Sochang Experience Center (handkerchief design/ 1 piece for free per pax )
*11:00 - 12:00 : Hanbok experience + paragliding with VR + Watching History video of Goryeo
*12:00 - 13:00 : Lunch time (KRW 1,000 coupon provided) (자유 점심 식사(1,000원 할인쿠폰 제공)
*13:20 - 14:00 : The first Korean Traditional Church (한국 최초 한옥 성당 관광)
*14:30 - 15:30 : Luge car 3 times +cable car (강화도 씨싸이드 루지+곤도라 3회 탑승)
*16:30 - 17:30 : Ganghwa-do Traditional Market (강화도 전통 시장 관광)
**17:30 : Drop off at Myeongdong Shinsaegae Department Store (명동역 신세계 백화점 앞 하차)
★SEASIDE Luge(Gondola + 3 Luge Rides Package)
The luge and gondola is the perfect family activity and fun for both kids and adults alike!
Race around the beginner blue track or challenge yourself around the more advanced red track
※Children must be aged 10+ and 120cm tall to ride the Luge on their own
※Young children must be able to walk and support their own body weights to be able to ride with an accompanying adult
