Pyeongchang Private Day Trip from Seoul

Pyeongchang was a small town away from 3 hours by car from Seoul but is the city hosting 2018 Winter Olympic Games. You first visit Alpensia Ski Jump (K98) Tower after ascending monorail car. Standing on the 98 meter-high spot, you could experience to become a ski jumper. On the observatory, you can overlook Courses for Cross-country, Biathlon, Alpine, and Sliding Center, as well as some facilities like MPC, IBC of 2018 Winter Olympic Games scattered on hills and mountains. Even though we cannot see the Main Stadium and major monuments because of Pyeong Chang’s original eco-friendly plan that most of the venues and facilities should be demolished or restored to nature or original state, it’s also worth visiting the remaining sites of 23rd Winter Sports Festival of Mankind. You can also have the pleasure to purchase some official Olympic souvenirs.

For a traveler hungry for the nature and its beauty, other 2 places are remaining on the way back to Seoul. One is Daegwallyeong Sheep Ranch with 200,000 m2 green field seated at 900-meter altitude. Walking up and down the green hill, let’s watch the sheep grazing grass. Full of peace, you will feel yourself harmonized with nature, especially surrounded by the ambient, scarlet light at sunset. Besides, you can try to feed cute, little sheep with dry grass yourself. The other is Woljeongsa Buddhist Temple, built in 643 AD, with a number of cultural heritages such a nine-story stone pagoda and a seated statue of Buddha. On Fir Forest Trail 1-kilometer long towards the temple from Iljumun, the main gate with 2 pillars, you can feel urge to throw away your shoes. This fir tree lane is also a shooting spot of K-drama ‘Goblin’, where Dokkaebi(Goblin) confessed his feelings for Eun-tak by saying, “I want to continue to live, with you.” And one more spot: you will find Haetalgyo Bridge, the snow-covered bridge where Dokkaebi(Goblin) followed Eun-tak slowly from behind in episode # 9. Whilst passing through these 1,800 fir trees, high-rising to the sky, over 80 years old, and ambling on smooth mud on your feet, you feel like a human being liberated from worries and apprehension. Nature consoles and cures us, humans!

Optional tour to Gangneung Olympic Park and Anmok Beach:

From Pyeong Chang, you can go farther for more 1 hour to Gangneung, one of 2018 Winter Olympic host cities. After you move around venues of Gangneung Olympic Park for hockey(Hockey Center), speed & short-track skating(Speed Oval), and figure skating(Ice Arena), and curling(Curling Center in Indoor Sports Complex), you will arrive at Anmok Beach, where you can drink a cup of coffee while watching the beach scenery of East Coast.

At the end of your your, you will be dropped off at your hotel in Seoul at around 7-8 p.m.