Juknokwon in Damyang is a county-built bamboo garden of about 160,000 sqm, open all year round — 09:00-19:00 with last admission at 18:00 from March to October, per the Korea Tourism Organization’s English data.
For a visitor from Seoul, it is a day trip: the KTX to Gwangju Songjeong or a direct express bus from Seoul Central City, then a short bus or taxi ride into Damyang.
This post covers the two routes from Seoul, the hours (two official sources disagree, and it matters), the admission fee, how long to allow, and what else is within a few minutes of the gate.
Key facts — As of 2026-10-07
- Per the Korea Tourism Organization’s English data (checked 2026-10-08), Juknokwon is open 09:00-19:00 with last admission at 18:00 from March to October, and 09:00-18:00 with last admission at 17:30 from November to February, open all year round.
- The garden covers about 160,000 sqm with roughly 2.2 km of walking trails across 8 themed routes, including Unsu Daetong-gil and Cheolhakja-gil.
- From Seoul, the express bus from Seoul Central City to Damyang takes about 3 hours 30 minutes; by train, the KTX runs from Yongsan Station to Gwangju Songjeong Station, then it’s city bus No. 311 or a taxi to Damyang.
How to Get to Juknokwon from Seoul
| KTX + local bus | KTX Yongsan → Gwangju Songjeong Station, then city bus No. 311 or a taxi to Damyang (~40-50 min leg) |
|---|---|
| Direct express bus | Seoul Central City → Damyang, about 3 hours 30 minutes, one ride, no transfer |
| Starting in Gwangju | City bus No. 311, or about 30 minutes by car |
There are two confirmed ways from Seoul: the KTX to Gwangju Songjeong Station and then a local bus or taxi, or a direct express bus from Seoul Central City to Damyang.
By train, the KTX runs from Yongsan Station in Seoul to Gwangju Songjeong Station, and the last leg is city bus No.
311 or a taxi of roughly 40-50 minutes into Damyang.
From Gwangju, city bus No. 311 also reaches Damyang, or Juknokwon is about 30 minutes away by car.
By bus, the express bus from Seoul Central City (in the Gangnam area) goes straight to Damyang in about 3 hours 30 minutes.
- Take the KTX from Seoul Yongsan to Gwangju Songjeong Station.
- At the station, take city bus No.
311 toward Damyang, or a taxi.
- Ride about 40-50 minutes to the Juknokwon entrance in Damyang-eup.
If you want one ride and no transfers, take the direct bus; if you want the fastest total travel time, take the KTX and change at Gwangju Songjeong.
Exact bus route numbers from the station toward Damyang are not confirmed beyond No.
311, so check the local bus board at the station on the day.
If I were planning this trip, I would take the KTX both ways and spend the saved hour in Damyang itself rather than on the road.
Getting there — Juknokwon
- Seoul → Gwangju by train: fastest 1h 36m, from ₩37,800, 56 trains a day, first 05:08 · last 22:55 · timetable
- Seoul → Gwangju by express bus: fastest 3h 20m, from ₩22,700, 72 buses a day, first 05:30 · last 23:50 · timetable
- Last leg: about 33 km from Gwangju Songjeong Station — roughly 33 min by taxi or car without traffic; local buses also run (check the stop sign or a map app)
- Map: Naver Map · Kakao Map · Google Maps
Calculated by koreankorea.com from the national train and express-bus timetables, OpenStreetMap road distance. Plan your own route
Juknokwon Opening Hours — and Why Two Official Sources Disagree
Per the Korea Tourism Organization’s English data (checked October 8, 2026), Juknokwon is open 09:00-19:00 with last admission at 18:00 from March to October, and 09:00-18:00 with last admission at 17:30 from November to February — open all year round.
| Source | Hours (Mar-Oct) | Hours (Nov-Feb) |
|---|---|---|
| KTO English data | 09:00-19:00, last admission 18:00 | 09:00-18:00, last admission 17:30 |
| KCTG official-site listing | 10:00-17:00 | — |
The two official sources do not match, and the first thing I check before recommending anything here is which hours are current, because turning up at 18:00 against a 17:00 closing would end the trip early.
This post keeps the KTO figures, and the conflict is stated rather than smoothed over.
Before a tight-schedule visit, confirm the day’s hours on juknokwon.go.kr or by calling 061-380-2680.
If your visit window is afternoon, plan to enter before the last-admission time and leave margin for the earlier of the two listings.
Admission Fee and What Is Inside the Garden
KTO’s English data puts adult admission at approximately ₩3,000, marked as approximate, with parking available on site.
No current official fee table was found, so treat ₩3,000 as an approximate figure and confirm at the gate; the same applies to any child or group rate.
Inside the roughly 160,000 sqm garden (the figure other guides give, about 310,000 sqm, differs by source — the KTO figure is the one used here) there is an artificial waterfall, an ecology exhibition hall, a pond, a tea house, and pavilions including Myeonangjeong and Songgangjeong.
The hanok experience village Sigamunhwachon sits inside the garden with free admission, and hanok stays are bookable through the park’s online reservation system; the hanok inquiry line is 010-7633-2690.
The observatory looks over Damyangcheon — the stream that feeds the Yeongsangang River — plus Gwanbangjerim and the Metasequoia road.
If you want more than a walk, the tea house and the hanok village are what turn 1.5 hours into a half-day; pricing for overnight hanok stays was not found, so ask when booking.
How Long to Allow and the Walking Trails
Plan 1.5-2 hours for the main routes — the garden has about 2.2 km of trails across 8 themed routes, including Unsu Daetong-gil, Jukma Gou-gil and Cheolhakja-gil.
Eight routes over 2.2 km works out to about 275 m per route on average, and 2.2 km over 1.5-2 hours is a pace of about 1.1-1.5 km/h — a slow, photo-friendly walk rather than a hike.
Named spots worth building the route around are the curved section of the main path and the Sigamunhwachon hanok with bamboo behind it; the light through the bamboo is best around 2-4 PM.
In summer the inside of the forest runs 4-5°C cooler than outside, which changes when in the day you want to walk.
If I were planning the trip, I would go on a weekday morning — weekends and holidays see a surge in Korean group tourists, and this is a walk worth doing slowly.
Paths are lit and night walks are described as possible, but no fresh night schedule was found and opening hours at night vary by year and season — check the official guide before planning a night visit.
What Else Is Nearby in Damyang
Gwanbangjerim, a walking course of trees more than 300 years old, is close to Juknokwon; Metasequoia Road, Soswaewon garden and Tteokgalbi Alley are 5-10 minutes away by car.
At Hyanggyo Bridge near the garden entrance, more than 10 guksu (noodle) houses serve noodles in a broth simmered with onion, scallion and anchovy — one guide puts a bowl around ₩5,000 a person, though that figure is not from an official page, so read prices at the door.
Damyang’s traditional bamboo-leaf tea, Jukrocha, is made from wild tea leaves grown in the bamboo grove of the Chuwolsan area and can be tasted inside Juknokwon itself.
More Jeonnam and Gwangju stops are in the region-by-region guide on koreankorea.com.
If you are combining stops in one afternoon, Gwanbangjerim plus a noodle lunch at Hyanggyo Bridge needs no driving between them.
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Sources
- KTX Yongsan → Gwangju Songjeong then bus/taxi; express bus S (api.visitkorea.or.kr)
- Noodle Street 5-min walk (~5,000 won/person), Tteokgalbi All (nadli.kr)
- Lights installed; night openings vary — no fixed schedule fo (kctg.or.kr)
Quick Answers
- Hours: 09:00-19:00, last admission 18:00 (March-October); 09:00-18:00, last admission 17:30 (November-February); open all year round — but one official listing says 10:00-17:00, so confirm before a tight visit.
- Getting there: KTX Seoul Yongsan → Gwangju Songjeong, then bus No. 311 or taxi; or the direct express bus from Seoul Central City, about 3 hours 30 minutes.
- Time and pace: 1.5-2 hours for about 2.2 km of trails across 8 routes — go on a weekday morning.
FAQ
Q. How do I get to Juknokwon (Bamboo Garden) from Seoul, and when is it open?
Take the KTX from Seoul Yongsan to Gwangju Songjeong Station, then city bus No. 311 or a taxi to Damyang, or the direct express bus from Seoul Central City (about 3 hours 30 minutes). Hours per KTO data: 09:00-19:00, last admission 18:00 (March-October); 09:00-18:00, last admission 17:30 (November-February); open all year round.
Q. Which address romanization is correct — ‘Jungnogwon-ro’ or ‘Juknokwon-ro’?
Both refer to the same road. KTO’s English data writes it as 119 Jungnogwon-ro, while the official Korean site uses the Korean spelling of the same road name (Juknokwon-ro 119). For a taxi driver or a Korean map app, Juknokwon-ro 119, Damyang-eup, Damyang-gun is the spelling to use.
Q. What are the actual current operating hours?
The two official listings disagree: KTO English data shows 09:00-19:00 (March-October) and 09:00-18:00 (November-February), while a KCTG official-site listing shows 10:00-17:00. This post uses the KTO figures; confirm the day’s hours on juknokwon.go.kr or at 061-380-2680 before a time-sensitive visit.
Q. How much is admission to Juknokwon?
KTO’s English data lists adult admission as approximately ₩3,000, marked approximate, with no current official fee table found — confirm the exact fee at the gate.
Q. Is Juknokwon open at night, and can I stay in the hanok village?
The paths are lit and night walks are described as possible, but night opening hours vary by year and season and no current schedule was found — check the official guide first. Hanok stays in the Sigamunhwachon village inside the garden are bookable via the park’s online reservation system (inquiry line 010-7633-2690); pricing was not found in this check.
Planning more of the region? The Gwangju and Jeonnam guides cover tea fields, islands and food towns one place at a time.
Cover photo: Korea-Damyang-Yeongsan River at Sunset-01 by Byungjoon Kim — CC BY 2.0
#Juknokwon #Damyang #Jeonnam #bambooforest #daytripfromSeoul
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