Nami Island

남이섬

Why go

An island in the middle of the Bukhan River, on the border between Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do. The land belongs to Chuncheon in Gangwon-do, but the ferry leaves from Gapyeong in Gyeonggi-do. Trees were planted on what had been bare sand from 1965 and grew into a forest, and the operator dressed the island up as a small country and named it the Naminara Republic. It was selected for Korea Tourism 100 Selections 2025–2026, for the 7th time in a row.

Admission

₩19,000Adult — round-trip ferry included (19,000 won by regular ferry both ways · 29,000 won if entering by motorboat)

Ways in free: Children under 36 months with a guardian (regular ferry both ways)

Buy at the gate — no booking needed.

Highlights

History

According to the operator, Nami Island was formed in 1944 when the Bukhan River rose after the Cheongpyeong Dam was built. In 1965 Min Byeong-do bought the land and began planting trees of various species on the barren sand. The company Gyeongchun Tourism Development Co. was founded on 23 December 1966, and the history records that the island was designated a tourist site in June 1967 and a national tourist site by the Governor of Gangwon-do in March 1977.

From the 1960s to the 1990s Nami Island was known as an amusement area, a filming location for Choi In-ho's Gyeoul Nageune and the venue of the Gangbyeon Gayoje song festival. On 1 April 2000 the company was renamed Nami Island Inc., and in 2001 it declared a relaunch under the slogan "from amusement area to tourist destination". The operator explains that after the KBS drama Winter Sonata drew a strong response in December 2001, visitors from Taiwan, Japan, China and Southeast Asia increased quickly and the island changed into a cultural tourist destination.

In 2006 it declared the independence of the Naminara Republic, a theme park built around the idea of a country. The operator's history says it was selected as a UNICEF child-friendly park in 2010. The history also records that in 2024 it was certified as Chuncheon's first registered garden.

According to the operator, about 30,000 trees now grow on the island, where planting began in 1965. The island is divided into 27 garden stories, introduced in four groups: theme gardens tied to the region, memorial gardens remembering the people who tended the island, story gardens with tales behind them, and the national tree forest planted by visitors. Cultural spaces are scattered among the trees, such as the Norae Bangmulgwan (song museum), the world ethnic instruments exhibition hall, the Pyeonghwarang Gallery, the craft studio and the UNICEF Lounge. The operator says it holds about 600 performances, plays, festivals and exhibitions a year, and states that visitors number nearly 2 million a year, of whom more than 700,000 are foreigners.

Getting there

Address: 경기도 가평군 가평읍 북한강변로 1024

Make a taxi card

In these lists

Photos

Aerial view of Nami Island ringed by dark blue river water, covered in yellow and red autumn foliage

Tips

Nami Island can be entered on all 365 days of the year. To enter you take a boat from the Nami Island ferry terminal at 1024 Bukhangangbyeon-ro, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do (in a navigation app search "남이섬 매표소" or "남이섬 선착장"); the crossing takes about 5 minutes.

The admission fee includes the round-trip boat fare. As of the viewing date (2026-10-10), going in and out by regular ferry costs 19,000 won for adults, 16,000 won for discounted groups such as middle and high school students and people aged 70 and over, and 13,000 won for ages 36 months to elementary school. Going in by motorboat and coming out by regular ferry adds 10,000 won to each, making 29,000, 26,000 and 23,000 won. Children under 36 months are free with a guardian.

On the regular ferry the first boat in is at 08:00 and the last at 21:00, and the first boat out is at 08:05 and the last at 21:05. For 2026 the operator announces that in autumn (18 September to 22 November) the first boat is moved up to 07:30, and on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the last boat runs until 21:30. Schedules can change, so check the ferry information again before you visit.

For public transport, the guidance is to take a train to Gapyeong Station. The ITX-Cheongchun takes about 60 minutes from Yongsan Station and about 42 minutes from Cheongnyangni Station, and the Gyeongchun Line takes about 50 minutes from Sangbong Station. From Gapyeong Station to the terminal is about 1.5 km: about 20 minutes on foot, or about 5 minutes by city bus No. 10-4 or by taxi. There is also a direct shuttle bus between Seoul and Nami Island every day; the operator lists departures from Hongik Univ. Station, Myeongdong Station (Namsan Yejang Bus Transfer Parking Lot) and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station. Parking costs 6,000 won for small vehicles and 10,000 won for large ones.

Wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge at the tourist office, and strollers for children aged 24 months or under can be rented for 3,000 won.

Show details

Address: 경기도 가평군 가평읍 북한강변로 1024
Admission: ₩19,000