🍙 2025 Gimcheon Gimbap Festival & 2-Day Gimcheon Travel Itinerary
Theme: Enjoy Korea’s “City of Gimbap” with an Autumn Picnic Vibe
Period: October 25 (Sat) – 26 (Sun), 2025
Highlight: Gimbap Festival + Jikjisa Temple Foliage + Yeonhwaji Night View + Downtown Vibes
🏷 Travel Introduction – Enjoy a Cozy Autumn Picnic in Korea’s “City of Gimbap” at the Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025.
Nestled between the clear streams of Gamcheon and the gentle peaks of Mt. Hwangaksan, Gimcheon is a city where nature and culture coexist. It preserves beautiful temples, seowon academies, and historic heritage sites from Korea’s past. Landmarks like Jikjisa Temple, Samyeongdaesa Park, and the World Ceramic Museum fill the city with art and history. This autumn, Gimcheon hosts the 2025 Gimbap Festival, a fun-filled celebration of flavor and tradition.
📅 Course Summary
Day 1: Gimbap Festival → Samyeongdaesa Park → Cafe Mill → Jikjisa Temple → Health Culture Center (Hanok Stay) → Jikji Temple Restaurant Street → Jikji Culture Park Night View
Day 2: Cheongamsa Temple → Old Craft Village → Pyeongchon Restaurant → Buhang Dam Zip-Wire → Yeonhwaji & Jasan-dong Mural Village → Return Trip
🗺 Transportation Summary
- Gimcheon-Gumi Station → Jikji Culture Park (Festival Venue): 15 min by taxi or free shuttle bus
- Jikjisa ↔ Samyeongdaesa Park: 5–6 min walk
- Health Culture Center (Stay): Located inside Samyeongdaesa Park
- Cheongamsa & Buhang Dam, Yeonhwaji & Jasan-dong Mural Village: approx. 40 min by car, 1 hr by bus from downtown
💡 Lucia’s Tip: During the festival, free shuttles run between Gimcheon Station and the venue!
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
🧭 DAY 1 — Enjoy Gimcheon, the City of Gimbap, like an Autumn Picnic
① Gimbap Festival
📍 Location: 130 Jikjisa-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon (Jikji Culture Park Area)
🕐 Hours: 10:00 – 18:30 / Oct 25–26, 2025
💵 Admission: Free
🎯 Programs: Local Gimbap Tasting Zone, DIY Gimbap Workshop, Bubble Show, Mime Performance, Live Concerts (Norazo & Jadu)
✨ Features: Gimbap Mascot Photo Zones with Autumn Foliage Backdrop
💡 Tip: Arrive before 11 a.m. to enjoy popular experience zones without lines!
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
② Samyeongdaesa Park & Hanbok Experience Center
📍 Location: 94-3 Unsu-ri, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
🕐 Hours:
· Park: Open year-round | Illumination from sunset to 23:00
· Hanbok Experience Hall: Tue–Sun 09:00–16:00 (Closed Mon)
From October 20 to 24, 2025, access to the Gimbap Festival area in Gimcheon may be limited due to festival operations.
From November 1 to 9, due to filming at Samyeongdaesa Park, Hanbok Experience Hall will be temporarily unavailable.
💵 Admission & Fees:
· Park: Free
· Hanbok (2 hrs): ₩10,000 (child) / ₩20,000 (adult) / ₩30,000 (premium)
🎯 Experiences: Electric Happy Car ride, Hanbok rental, foot bath & tea ceremony, Hanok café relaxation
✨ Highlights: 41 m Peace Tower night view + traditional architecture blending with modern comforts
About Samyeongdaesa Park
Located next to Jikjisa Temple at the foot of Mt. Hwangaksan, this eco-themed cultural park honors the patriotic Buddhist monk Samyeongdaesa (Yujeong, 1544–1610). He led Korean monk soldiers during the Imjin War and later traveled to Japan to negotiate the release of 3,000 captured Koreans. The park features the Peace Tower, Gimcheon City Museum, Solhyang Tea Pavilion, and Hanbok Hall — a space that reinterprets his spirit of peace and compassion for today.
💡 Lucia’s Tip: The Peace Tower illumination at sunset is one of the most magical sights in Gimcheon 🌆
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
③ Hanok Cafe Mill
📍 Location: Near Jikjisa Temple Entrance
🕐 Hours: 10:00–22:00
💵 Menu: Tea · Coffee · Bakery (₩5,000 – ₩7,000)
✨ Feature: Traditional Hanok with garden and wooden terrace
💡 Tip: The sunlight around 3 p.m. makes the courtyard photos beautifully warm.
④ Jikjisa Temple
📍 Location: 95 Jikjisa-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon
🕐 Hours: Open year-round / Free admission
✨ Highlights: Founded in A.D. 418, a 1,600-year-old temple famous for its autumn foliage. It takes about 40–50 minutes round trip to explore the Thousand Buddhas Hall, Main Hall, and Stone Pagodas.
Nestled on the western slopes of Mt. Hwangak, about 12 km from Gimcheon Station, this thousand-year-old temple is a timeless gem of Korean Buddhism.
Founded by the monk Ado in 418 during the reign of King Nulji of Silla, it has been rebuilt several times throughout history.
Though it was destroyed during the Japanese invasions of Korea (Imjin War, 1592–1598), it was beautifully restored in the early 17th century.
The temple is famed as the place where the legendary monk Samyeong was ordained, and it houses national treasures such as the Birojeon Hall, Daeungjeon Hall, and three-story stone pagodas.
In autumn, the vivid red foliage embracing the ancient temple creates one of Korea’s most breathtaking sights.
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
⑤ Wellness Center (Hanok Stay)
📍 Location: Inside Samyeongdaesa Park, 94-3 Unsu-ri, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon
🕐 Hours: 09:00–22:00
💵 Foot Bath Experience: ₩5,000 (free for guests)
✨ Feature: Lavender foot spa + Hanok stay for a healing experience
💡 Booking: Available on the Gimcheon Facility Management Corporation official site
From October 24 to 27, all guest rooms are fully booked (as of October 22).
From November 1 to 9, due to filming at Samyeongdaesa Park, the Wellness Center, Hanok Stay rooms, and Hanbok Experience Hall will be temporarily unavailable.
💡 Tip: After a foot bath, enjoy a cup of tea on the wooden terrace — pure healing.
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
⑥ Jikji Sanche Namul Street (Dinner)
📍 Location: Hyangcheon-ri Area, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon
✨ Feature: Cluster of 30 mountain vegetable restaurants.
Recommended restaurant: Sanjung-Go-Eul Hanjeongsik: Sanche Bibimbap – ₩10,000
💡 Tip: Arrive before 6 p.m. to avoid wait times!
⑦ Jikji Culture Park & Samyeongdaesa Park Night View
📍 Location: Jikji Culture Park, Gimcheon
A relaxing city park built to preserve temple heritage and provide citizen recreation. It features a music fountain, two-tier waterfall, open-air stage for traditional performances, and sculpture walks. At night, colorful lights reflect off the fountain and falls to create a stunning scene.
💡 Lucia’s Tip: The fountain plaza in front of the Ceramic Museum is the best photo spot 💧📸
💡 Tip: Between 8:00–8:30 p.m., the reflection lighting is most spectacular.
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
⑧ Where to Stay
Looking for a comfortable place to stay in Gimcheon? 🏨 You can easily compare hotel prices and find the best deals through these trusted platforms:
- Booking.com – Browse hotels, guesthouses, and hanok stays across Gimcheon.
- Agoda – Enjoy great discounts for early bookings and mobile users.
- Klook Hotels – Combine your hotel with local activities and tours for extra savings.
- Expedia – Find flexible options and free cancellation on most rooms.
💡 Lucia’s Tip: Staying near Jikjisa Temple or Gimcheon Station gives you easy access to both the Gimbap Festival venue and scenic autumn spots around Hwangaksan.
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
🌿 Jikjisa Templestay – A Peaceful Alternative
If you’d like a more spiritual and authentic experience, try a Temple Stay at
Jikjisa Temple, one of Korea’s oldest temples founded in 418 AD.
Set in the quiet foothills of Hwangaksan Mountain, this 1,600-year-old temple offers a unique chance to unwind, meditate, and experience Buddhist culture through programs like chanting, tea meditation, and forest walks.
Program Options:
- 🪷 “Looking Directly into Your Mind” – A traditional monastic experience with chanting and meditation.
- ☁️ “A Little Comma in Your Mind” – A relaxed, slow-paced stay for beginners.
- 🌸 “Why Don’t You Stay a Little Longer?” – 2 nights / 3 days combining both styles.
👉 Reserve your spot directly at templestay.com (English available).
Address: 95 Jikjisa-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
🌅 DAY 2 — Healing through Nature and Tradition
① Cheongamsa Temple
📍 Location: 335-48 Pyeongchon 2-gil, Jeungsan-myeon, Gimcheon
Founded in 858 by the revered monk Doseon Guksa, the temple carries an aura of timeless peace and quiet wisdom.
It’s best known as the place where Queen Inhyeon, the beloved consort of King Sukjong of the Joseon Dynasty, stayed for three years in deep prayer, seeking to regain her royal position.
Even after enduring several fires and reconstructions, Cheongamsa still holds its serene and mystical charm, surrounded by whispering pines and mountain mist.
Step through the Iljumun Gate, past the ancient stupas and stone monuments, and you’ll reach the Daeungjeon Hall, now registered as Gyeongsangbuk-do Cultural Heritage No. 120.
Within its humble walls, a quiet strength radiates — the kind that only centuries of faith can build.
Today, Cheongamsa is also home to a Buddhist nunnery college, where dedicated nuns study and meditate amid the pure energy of Sudosan.
Visitors often say they can feel the scent of devotion in the air, a rare harmony between nature and the spirit.
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
🌸 Lucia’s Tip:
If you’re visiting during autumn, arrive early in the morning — when mist still clings to the temple eaves. The sound of the temple bell echoing through the valley is an experience you’ll never forget.
🍂📸
📍 How to Get There: Gimcheon Intercity Bus Terminal → Cheongamsa Temple (청암사)
Take a local bus bound for Jinsan-myeon (증산면) and get off at the Cheongamsa stop near Mt. Sudosan.
If the schedule doesn’t match your plan, you can also take a taxi from the terminal (about 30 minutes) — it’s a scenic drive through quiet mountain villages.
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
② Old Craft Village
📍 Location: 20 Pyeongchon 3-gil, Jeungsan-myeon, Gimcheon (from Cheongamsa)
🎯 Activities: Tofu & steamed bun making, straw crafts, and local food classes
✨ Feature: Eco-friendly rural village ideal for hands-on traditional experiences
Located on Mt. Sudo near Mt. Gayasan, this traditional village offers a peek into Korea’s rural past. Visitors can try making tofu, steamed buns, and straw crafts amid pristine mountain scenery. Each season brings unique beauty — spring flowers, summer valleys, autumn foliage, and winter snow. Designated a “Rural Theme Village” in 2003, it runs workshops and flower tea tastings.
💡 Lucia’s Tip: Advance reservation is required — the 10 a.m. tofu-making session is most popular 🥢✨
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
③ Pyeongchon Restaurant (Lunch)
📍 Location: Pyeongchon-ri, Jeungsan-myeon | It takes about a 7-minute walk from the Old Craft Village or a 15-minute local bus ride from Cheongamsa Temple to reach Pyeongchon Restaurant (Pyeongchon Sikdang).
✨ Famous for country-style tofu and native chicken dishes
💡 Tip: Arrive before noon to avoid lunch wait times.
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
④ Buhang Dam Skywalk & Rainbow Zip-wire
📍 Location: 200 Buhang-dam-gil, Buhang-myeon, Gimcheon: About 1-hour local bus ride from Pyeongchon Sikdang
✨ Feature: Korea’s tallest (94 m) tower-type skywalk and zip-line with lake view
💵 Price: ₩30,000 weekday discount (online booking)
🕐 Hours: Winter 09:00–17:00 / Summer 09:00–22:00
💡 Tip: Ride the zip-line at sunset for the best panoramic view ✨
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
⑤ Yeonhwaji Pond & Jasan-dong Mural Village
Yeonhwaji Pond
📍 Location: 820-1 Gyo-dong, Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do: About 1-hour local bus ride from Buhang Dam
Originally built as an agricultural reservoir in the Joseon era, Yeonhwaji was named after a dream about a hawk turning into a phoenix in 1707. Later reborn as a city park in 1993, it’s now famous for its cherry blossoms, lotus flowers, and romantic night lights. Once a gathering spot for poets and artists, the pond offers peaceful walking trails and seasonal color.
💡 Lucia’s Tip: Visit at dusk when the reflections of the lights on the water are most enchanting 🌙💧
Jasan-dong Mural Village
📍 Location: 128-10 Moam-dong, Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do: About 20-minute local bus ride from Yeonhwaji Pond
Once a humble hillside village called “Seongnae-dong Daldongnae,” this area was reborn in 2015 through the Saetteulmaeul (New Village) Urban Regeneration Project. Colorful murals now adorn every alley, with pocket parks and cozy photo zones scattered throughout. Café Jasan, remodeled from the former township chief’s residence dating back to the Japanese colonial period, has become the symbol of the village and even won a Korea Architecture Culture Award. Walking paths connect Moam Mountain and Jasan Park, featuring poetry-lined trails and an octagonal pavilion with scenic views. From here, you can enjoy a panoramic view of downtown Gimcheon — a perfect spot for photography lovers.
💡 Lucia’s Tip: Around 5 p.m., when the sunset glow touches the murals, you’ll capture the most beautiful and warm-toned photos 🌇📷
⑥ Return Trip
📍 Gimcheon-Gumi Station → Seoul KTX: Approx. 1 hr 30 min
💡 Tip: Don’t forget your final photo stop at the “Gimbap Goods Photo Zone” in front of the station!
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary
🚄 Transportation & Getting Around
🚆 By KTX Train
- Seoul Station → Gimcheon-Gumi Station (Approx. 1 hr 30 min)
- KORAIL Gimbap Festival Package: Up to 40% discount + ₩15,000 meal voucher + ₩15,000 cashback
- Free Shuttle Bus: Gimcheon Station / Gimcheon-Gumi Station ↔ Jikji Culture Park
- Voucher Pick-up: Information Booth in front of the World Ceramic Museum
💡 Lucia’s Tip: KTX tickets sell out early! Reserve a train arriving before 10 a.m. if possible.
🚌 By Intercity Bus
🧭 From Terminal to Festival Venue: Taxi ~15 min (₩10,000) or free shuttle from Gimcheon Station during festival.
💡 Lucia’s Tip: Daegu route has more available seats and smooth connections.
🚕 Gimcheon Tourist Taxi (City-Supported Program)
- Fleet: 9 vehicles / Year-round operation
- Pick-up: Anywhere in Gimcheon City
- Eligibility: Visitors from outside Gimcheon (ID required)
- Fares:
3 hrs – ₩60,000 (₩30k + ₩30k subsidy)
4 hrs – ₩80,000 (₩40k + ₩40k)
8 hrs – ₩150,000 (₩70k + ₩80k)
Extra hr – ₩20,000 - Reservation: ☎ +82-54-435-2253 (Advance required)
- Recommended Routes: Jikjisa / Gammun Fortress / Buhang Dam / Sudo Valley
💡 Lucia’s Tip: Tourist Taxi drivers also act as guides — great for families and international visitors 👍
🚗 Car Rental (Near Gimcheon-Gumi Station)
- Lotte Rent-a-Car – Gimcheon-Gumi Station Branch
- Innovation Rent-a-Car
- Socar Zone – Station Parking Lot
💡 Tip: Ideal for outer areas like Cheongamsa Temple and Buhang Dam.
🌿 After exploring Gimcheon, continue your cultural journey to Yeongju — home to Buseoksa Temple, Sosu Seowon, and the famous Ginseng Festival.
💛 Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may contain affiliate codes. If you make a purchase through them, you won’t pay extra, but Lucia’s Travel Studio may receive a small commission — helping to keep this travel content alive and thriving.
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival Gimcheon 2025 & 1-Night, 2-Day Travel Itinerary