Best Ski Resorts in South Korea
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The 10 Best Ski Resorts in South Korea

December 5, 2022/Last Updated March 10, 2023
Reading Time: 7 minutes

Do you want to go skiing in Korea? With more than 70% of the country being mountainous, there are lots of options! Most ski resorts are located in the Gangwon-do area, which isn’t too far from Seoul, but you can also find some ski resorts in the southern part of the country that are worth visiting. Let’s break down the 10 best ski resorts in South Korea below.

Where to ski in Korea

While South Korea might lack the Alps’ stunning, jagged peaks or Hokkaido’s volcanoes blanketed in 15 meters of snow, the mountainous country makes up for its lack of tradition with efficiency: small, modern ski resorts with fast lifts and good snowmaking.

Ever since the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, South Korea is a world winter sport nation. Tourists from many southeast Asian countries flock to Korea to experience winter temperatures and skiing for the first time.

Therefore, ski resorts in South Korea are extremely tourist-friendly, with ski lessons offered in different language and rental shops for ski and snowboard equipment readily available.

There are 21 ski resorts in South Korea with over 195 kilometers of slopes. Most of the resorts are located in Gangwon-do Province in the northeast of the country, but you can find a ski resort in pretty much every corner of the nation all the way down to Busan.

Here are the 10 best ski resorts in South Korea

Trip map courtesy of Wanderlog, a trip planner app on iOS and Android

Ski Resorts in Gyeonggi-do Province near Seoul

Jisan Forest Ski Resort (지산 포레스트 리조트 스키장)

Jisan Forest Resort has been a popular ski resort in Korea since 1996. It’s ideal for a day trip from Seoul as it’s only a forty-minute drive from the city surrounded by beautiful white pines. Due to this proximity to Seoul, the ski resort gets very busy on weekends so a visit on a weekday is recommended.

The ski slopes were designed to be environmentally friendly, making them a popular local attraction. The new snow removal machine makes the drive from Seoul safer, allowing more people to visit the resort at night to enjoy night skiing. For those visiting with family, the beginner courses make learning to ski and snowboard simple. 

Address: 267, Jisan-ro, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 경기도 이천시 마장면 지산로 267

Available trip packages:

Ski Resorts in Gangwon-d Province

Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort (엘리시안 강촌 스키장)

Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort is the only ski resort in South Korea accessible by subway and ITX train. The convenient 6-person lifts ensure a short lift wait time. Eight of the ten slopes at Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort are designed for beginners to intermediates, and it also has a practice slope for beginners. This makes the Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort perfect for anyone just starting out skiing or snowboarding. You can also take English-speaking skiing lessons here.

Address: 688, Bukhangangbyeon-gil, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do 강원도 춘천시 남산면 북한강변길 688 (남산면)

Available trip packages:

Source
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service

Vivaldi Park Ski World (비발디 파크 스키월드)

Vivaldi Park Ski World entices skiers with one-day and nighttime skiing options, as well as large accommodation facilities. The condos provide direct access to the ski slopes, making this ski resort even more convenient to visit. For maximum enjoyment, there are 12 ski slopes, one gondola, and ten lifts. Vivaldi Park Ski World also hosts a variety of competitions, with excellent slope and snow conditions for all visitors, from novices to winter sports enthusiasts.

Address: 262, Hanchigol-gil, Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do 강원도 홍천군 서면 한치골길 262

Available trip packages:

Oak Valley (오크밸리)

Oak Valley Snow Park is another excellent ski resort in Gangwon province, approximately 1.5 hours from Seoul. It has three ski lifts and nine slopes: two green (beginner), five blue (intermediate), and two red (aka black, advanced). There’s also a small bunny hill for those who want to practice before hitting the slopes.

Address: 66, Oak valley 1-gil, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do 강원도 원주시 지정면 오크밸리1길 66

Available trip packages:

Welli Hilli Park (웰리힐리파크)

Welli Hilli Park is near Wonju, the largest city in Gangwon-do province; the other Wonju hill is Oak Valley, which is located to the northwest of the city, but Welli Hilli’s location in the higher mountains to the east makes it a more serious option. Welli Hilli is the closest hill to Seoul that advanced riders will find adequately satisfying, at least if they enjoy riding park and pipe.

Welli Hilli Park has eight chairlifts and a gondola that ascend from a single base, mostly to the top station or halfway there, though the ‘Alpha’ chairs ascend the short A runs to the side and thus also serves as park chairs. A beginner park can be found near the top of this A piste on the skier’s left.

Address: 451, Gowon-ro, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon-do 강원도 횡성군 둔내면 고원로 451

Available trip packages:

Phoenix Pyeongchang Gondola (휘닉스 평창 곤돌라)

Visit Phoenix Park Ski Resort, the world-renowned venue for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympics! 

Phoenix Park Ski Resort is located in Pyeongchang, about two hours from Seoul. It served as the setting for the Korean dramas Winter Sonata and Autumn in My Heart. With easy access to and from its cozy hotel and condominiums, it offers a convenient stay for anyone trying to enjoy the Korean winter.

There are 21 excellent slopes and 14 lifts and gondolas strategically placed throughout the resort. The gondola ride up to Mont Blanc (1,050m) is a must-do in Phoenix Park!

Address: 174, Taegi-ro, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do 강원도 평창군 봉평면 태기로 174

Available trip packages:

Alpensia Ski Resort (알펜시아리조트 스키장)

Alpensia Ski Resort, which hosted the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Ski Jump Event, is one of the best ski resorts in South Korea for a winter vacation! Skiers and snowboarders have access to six excellent slopes at Alpensia Ski Resort. Longer runs of up to 1.4km offer a dynamic experience for both beginners and experienced skiers and snowboarders. There is also a fun practice area for advanced snowboarders to fine-tune their skills. 

Address: 325, Solbong-ro, Daegwallyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do 강원도 평창군 대관령면 솔봉로 325

Available trip packages:

Yongpyong Resort (용평리조트)

With an annual average snowfall of 250 centimeters and nestled at the foot of Balwangsan Mountain (alt. 1,458 meters), Yongpyong Resort provides the ideal environment for a great ski trip. It was Korea’s first ski resort, opened in 1975 to promote Korean winter sports and resort culture. The resort also has a golf course, a water park, cable cars, and several other amenities. Visitors can participate in wellness programs such as forest interpretation, music therapy, and healing yoga.

Address: 715, Olympic-ro, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do 강원도 평창군 대관령면 올림픽로 715

Available trip packages:

Source
Flickr 문화체육관광부

High1 Ski Resort (하이원리조트 스키장)

Visit High 1 Ski Resort, the highest ski resorts in South Korea at 1,345 meters with lots of beautiful puffy snow! The resort offers lifts and ski slopes for beginners, intermediate, and advanced skiers – so anyone can have a good time here! With one full rotation every hour, the revolving restaurant on the mountain top, 1,340 meters above sea level, provides an amazing view of the surrounding area.

A one-way trip from High 1 Ski Resort to Seoul takes 3 hours, resulting in a round trip of 6 hours on highways. That’s why many skiers opt for extended stays rather than a day trip to make their long journey more worthwhile and fully enjoy the winter thrills at High 1 Ski Resort.

Address: 500, High1-gil, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do 강원도 정선군 고한읍 하이원길 500

Available trip packages:

Ski Resorts in the Southern Provinces

Deogyusan Ski Resort (무주덕유산리조트 스키장)

Muju Deogyusan Resort is a popular mountain peak ski resort in Korea’s Jeollabuk-do Province. The resort, which spans over seven million square meters, is located in the Gucheon-dong Valley, at the foot of the famous Deogyusan Mountains. Nature lovers will especially enjoy visiting the resort, which is located in one of Korea’s most beautiful national parks and was specifically designed to blend in with its surroundings.

Deogyusan is particularly well-known for having one of the longest (Silk Road, 6.1km) and most diverse ski slopes, with a total of six slopes ranging from beginner to expert. The Raiders Course has the nation’s steepest slopes.

If you don’t ski, you can take the gondola up and do a winter hike. The views are superb.

Address: 185, Manseon-ro, Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do 전라북도 무주군 설천면 만선로 185

Available trip packages:

Eden Valley Ski Resort (에덴밸리스키장 (에덴밸리리조트))

Eden Valley Ski Resort, located at an elevation of 1,209 meters on Sinbulsan Mountain, has 7 slopes for skiers of all levels. Two of the seven ski slopes are for beginners, three are for intermediate skiers, and two are for advanced skiers. There are three lifts available, each of which can carry six people at once.

The ski resort is smaller in size than other major ski resorts like Yongpyong Ski Resort and Phoenix Park. However, because it is the only ski resort in Gyeongsangnamdo Province, it is an excellent choice for your ski experience if you live in or near Busan.

Address: 1206, Eosil-ro, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 경상남도 양산시 원동면 어실로 1206

Available trip packages:

Source
visitkorea.or.kr

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Linda

Linda has been living in Asia since 2012 and loves sharing her travel and life experiences on her website. She currently works remotely in Online Marketing and also teaches various English classes in South Korea.

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