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Just a mere hour’s drive from Seoul is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Located in Gapyeong, the Naminara Republic (Nami Island) is a culturally independent “country” located inside South Korea!

Nami Island can only be accessed by one of two ways: riding a  ferry or taking a zip line. (The zip line is one-way only, so you’ll be leaving via the ferry).  Once you land on Nami Island you will find a fairy tale world that is beckoning you to discover it!

While on our trip to Seoul, I was very fortunate to spend a morning visiting Nami Island. Mr. Kim welcomed us to Nami Island and then gave us a personal tour. This tour is FREE for all guests. Use this form to request a private tour for the date you will be visiting. You can also visit the Tourism Bureau (located just after you get off the ferry at the wharf) and see if there is a tour guide available on the day you visit. Reservations are recommended.

Mr. Kim explained that the Naminara Republic declared itself culturally independent from the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in 2006. Nami Island has its own cultural and diplomatic policies. This “country” has its own flag, stamps, passports, and even currency!

Nami Island was created after the Cheongpyeong Dam flooded the area. The half-moon shaped island is home to the final resting place of General Nami, a famous Korean general during the Joseon period. The island is named after General Nami who lived an incredible life that was cut short in 1468 at the young age of 27.

In 2002, the K- drama “Winter Sonata” filmed many of their scenes at Nami Island. “Winter Sonata” is considered to be the show that started the K-drama phenomenon worldwide, and has many dedicated fans, even today over fifteen years since it last aired. This landed Nami Island on the tourist map and has become almost a pilgrimage for “Winter Sonata” fans.

One of the most famous scenes from “Winter Sonata” is called First Kiss. You will find many tributes to First Kiss peppered throughout the island. The lead couple during that famous scene made a snowman couple. This adorable frosty duo are now the official mascot of Nami Island. These cuties are found smiling at you all over the island!

The “First Kiss” scene was filmed on this bridge, that now has recycled Soju bottles as artwork on either side.

Nami Island is very committed to recycling, with required recycling at all restaurants. There are just as many recycle bins as there are waste bins for you to toss your trash in around the island. My favorite use of recycling at Nami Island are the many repurposed materials used for things such as landscaping, art sculptures, water features, and more.

There are eight beautiful tree-lined walking paths located all over the island. The paths include maples, ginkgo, metasequioas, tulip trees, and more! The ever-changing trees along these paths make for breath-taking pictures no matter what season.

Don’t miss the Ginkgo Tree Lane in the Autumn when it turns a brilliant shade of yellow! The Metasequoia Lane is flanked on either side by trees that Sequoia National Forest in California donated to Nami Island. These giants are incredible to see in person, and they are still babies!

Nami Island is a UNICEF Child-Friendly park and is the only one in Korea. There is a UNICEF Imaginary Playground located outside of UNICEF Hall that made me wish I were small again! It looked like so much fun! You can also take a ride on the UNICEF Charity Train and feel good about helping the world’s children while taking a load off, as a percentage of your ticket goes to the Korean UNICEF Foundation.

Nami Island introduced the International Children’s Book Festival in 2005 and has since then has collected thousands of picture books for children visiting the island to enjoy.  There is even a three-story children’s picture book library! All over the island, you can find Tiny Libraries full of picture books. It feels like you are walking through a library in the woods. How charming!

There are many different types of bikes to rent so you can enjoy a leisurely ride around the tree-lined paths on the island. You can choose from single and couple bikes to family bikes and even a sky bike!

You will see plenty of wildlife while visiting Nami Island. Peacocks casually stroll the grounds, while ostriches are fenced-in to keep them from stealing your cell phone. (Yes, this is an actual ostrich problem. Who knew?)

Amongst the many fairytale gardens is one called Goblin’s Knob. The bunnies are warned from crossing the bridge, or else they might meet the goblin. Mr. Goblin’s favorite meal is bunny stew! Imagine our surprise when we came upon this scene:

Personally, my favorite thing about Nami Island was all of the amazing artwork. There are lawn statues everywhere you look!

You can learn from artisans in the Handicraft Studio, where you can try your hand at making ceramics, glassware, woodworking, and other crafts. If you’d rather look and not touch, there are several galleries you can visit. At the Clay Art Factory, you will see the featured artist is the same artist who sculpted this statue located near the Metasequoia Lane:

Like I said – Nami Island is surprising in the best ways!

If you need a snack break you’ll find a handful of restaurants and cafes located all over the island. You can find many varieties of food from Korean to Halal and of course fantastic coffee! Be sure and try the Hotteok from the Sonata Cafe. This popular treat is a Korean red bean pancake. It’s served in a cup, so it makes for a great portable snack while you are walking around the Island.

For guests who would like to stay overnight on Nami Island, the boutique Hotel Jeonggwanru is the perfect place to stay! Each guestroom is designed by a different artist or craftsman (or even songwriter!), which makes every room special. There are also several uniquely designed bungalows and cottages for larger groups to stay in.  No pets are allowed in the hotel or cottages/bungalows.

Admission to Nami Island is through the Customs port, where you will get a “Visa”. Regular admission is 13,000 Won and this includes the ferry fare. To enter the island via zip line, your “Visa” will cost 44,000 Won and includes ferry fare to leave the island. The ferry departs every half hour beginning at 7:30 in the morning and the last ferry departs Gapyeong Wharf at 9:40 PM.

Getting to Nami Island from Seoul is pretty straightforward: direct shuttle bus, train/subway, taxi, or car.

The shuttle bus to Nami Island departs from Seoul in Insa-dong, Namdaem, and Myeongdong daily. Cost for the shuttle bus is 15,000 Won roundtrip for adults, 13,000 Won roundtrip for children.

There is a direct train line on the ITX train line to Gapyeong Station. This takes around an hour depending on where you board the line and if you had to take any connecting train lines. It took us over two hours to get to Gapyeong Station from Mangwon Station.

Once you arrive at Gapyeong Station, take the Gapyeong Intercity Bus to Nami Island. (You can use your T-Money Card/Discover Seoul Pass to pay for this bus.) The bus station is located just outside the train station. The bus starts running at 9 in the morning and picks up at the station once an hour.

This bus costs 6,000 Won if you purchase the Gapyeong Bus Pass from the bus driver. This pass is good for unlimited rides that day. Be sure to keep your pass because you have to show your pass to the driver every time you want to ride. The Intercity bus stops at Nami Island, but also Gapyeong Rail Park, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm.

For more detailed information about any of the ways I’ve shown you on how to get to Nami Island, the nice folks at Nami Island have put this together to help you. More information about the entrance Visa costs and more can be found here.

Nami Island was the highlight of our trip to Seoul. I absolutely cannot wait to return this fall to see the trees change color! For a girl like me who lives on a tropical island with only one season, visiting somewhere so beautiful in Autumn when all the trees are changing will be a fantastic treat! Take a morning away from the city to enjoy a lovely island “country” in the middle of South Korea. Nami Island is waiting to be discovered by you!

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