Lunar New Year Skiing at Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang
Happy New Year! This post is preceding one of the most important holidays in Korea: Seollal aka Korean New Year! Seollal, similar to Chinese New Year, is observed on the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar—generally sometime between January and February. This year’s Seollal will be January 22, 2023. While Seollal is called ‘Korean New Year’, it should not be confused with the New Year following the Gregorian calendar, i.e. January 1st, which is called sehae in Korean. During Seollal, families often travel across the peninsula to visit home, perform ancestral rites—or charye—wear colorful traditional hanbok, play folk games, and eat extensive quantities of delicious food including rice cake soup (tteokguk), japchae, and Korean pancakes. Because of the immense amount of work that goes into preparing for Seollal, the holiday is normally extended to three days.
Besides traditional Seollal activities, families will also often take the time to participate in fun weekend activities together. One of the most popular activities to do is skiing; every year numerous families and individuals across the peninsula flock to ski resorts in celebration of the Lunar New Year. This brings us to Phoenix Park.
Phoenix Park, also known as Phoenix Pyeongchang, is located in Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang and is one of the largest ski resorts in the country. It also hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics and 2018 Winter Paralympics freestyle skiing and snowboarding events, making it one of the most popular ski resorts in South Korea—especially during Seollal.
This blog will cover all you need to know about visiting Phoenix Park during Seollal: from transportation to amenities, accommodations, and nearby attractions. So, without further ado let’s get started!
Transportation
Car
From Seoul, it takes on average two to two and a half hours by car to reach Phoenix Park. Keep in mind, however, that during Seollal the traffic will be exponentially worse—a two-hour drive can easily become a 5 hour one—so give yourself extra time. There is free parking in front of the resort, however during the holidays, open spaces become harder to find and many people end up parking along the side of the main road outside the resort for lack of space.
Train
If you don’t have a car, the KTX train is the most convenient way of getting to Phoenix Park. From Seoul Station, you can take the KTX to Pyeongchang Station. From there, Phoenix Park has a free shuttle bus service which will take you directly to the park. This method will take about four and a half hours.
Check the Phoenix Park website here for their shuttle times going to and from the park. You can also check the Korail website here for KTX times and prices. A single adult ticket to Pyeongchang Station is between 19,700~23,600 won. I recommend booking train tickets in advance—especially if traveling in a group.
Bus
While slightly less convenient, you can also take the bus to Phoenix Park. Board the Dong Seoul Terminal Bus (동서울종합터미널) and take it to Jangpyeong Bus Stop. From there, you can take the free Phoenix Pyeongyang shuttle bus or board Jangpyeongsi Bus Terminal (장평시외버스터미널) bus #152 which will take you to Phoenix Park. This method will take about five hours, but is more budget-friendly than the KTX.
Tour Organizations
The last option is to go through a tourism organization. You can either rent a shuttle bus through a company such as Trazy or book the entire ski trip, including transportation, accommodations, etc. through companies like Adventure Korea.
Amenities
Slopes
Phoenix Park has a total of 21 slopes with difficulties ranging from beginner to advanced. There is also a freestyle park, Olympic sized half pipe, and an alpine slope. Near the entrance to the park is a practice slope where you can take ski/snowboarding lessons or practice.
The slopes open in the morning at 9:00am and close anytime between 14:30-16:00. They then reopen for the night anytime between 16:00-22:00. The specific hours for each slope are listed on the website in Korean here. Slope names in English, their difference in altitude, average
/max. gradient, and difficulty ratings are listed in English here.
Phoenix Park is known to have some of the best snow in the country. The three times I visited between January and February, the snow was indeed wonderful. However, when I visited at the beginning of March the snow was rather icy. So, if planning to go in the winter, I recommend visiting no later than the end of February.
Lift
The resort has nine ski lifts, including a gondola ride, which takes you to the top of the park’s highest mountain.
A little tip! There’s usually a long line for the gondola lift. However, if you’d like to go up just to sightsee and not to ski/snowboard, you can bypass the line. Look for a designated sign written in Korean, “관광곤돌라 탑승대기라인.” If you don’t see the sign, join the main line without any ski/snowboard equipment and an employee should pull you out and move you up faster. Even if you don’t want to ski down the mountain, I recommend going to the top at least once to get a view of the beautiful sunset before riding the gondola back down.
Day Pass prices (lift)*:
All day pass (09:00~22:00): 110,000 won
Half day pass (13:00~22:00): 90,000 won
Night pass (17:00~22:00): 60,000 won
*These are the current prices listed on the Phoenix Park website.Sunset view from the top of the mountain
Snow Village
The park also has their Snow Village, where you can ride on sleds, play in igloos, and eat food in the rest area. This is a great area for kids to play in. The tube sledding zone is open from 10:00 ~ 17:00 while the plastic sled / snow playground zone is open 10:00 ~ 19:00. Tickets for both adult and children are 40,000 won/each. Ticket sales end two hours before closing time.
Lockers
There are numerous storage lockers located throughout the resort. There are large lockers available for 10,000 won/day and medium lockers for 2,000 won/day. There are also small lockers available which cost two 500 won coins per use. A lot of people also just left their equipment resting against the railings on the second floor without locking them up.
Equipment Rental
Phoenix Park has an in-house rental center located on the first floor of the resort. Skis and boards are 30,000 won for adults and 20,000 won for children. Clothing is about 12,000 won per item/day or 18,000 won for a jacket and pants/day. Goggles and other additional items are 5,000~8,000 won/day.
Besides the resort’s in-house rental shop, there are numerous equipment rental stores located throughout Pyeongchang. At the store I went to, ‘basic’ clothing items were 5,000 won per item/day while ‘premium’ clothes were 10,000 won per item/day. So, for ski pants and a ski jacket for two days, you are looking to pay anywhere between 20,000~40,000 won. Gloves were an additional 15,000 won.
Wherever you rent from, make sure to check what time you must return the items by!
One of many ski rental shop located outside of Phoenix Park; me with my rented equipment and clothes
Buffet and Bar
Phoenix Park’s buffet is decent, though they have more options for breakfast and lunch than for dinner. The food selection is a mix of Korean and western food, including fried rice, japchae, seaweed and fish cake soups, kimchi and other banchan (side dishes), toast, salad, and a noodle bar. For drinks, there’s coffee, soda, water, and yujacha (citron fruit tea). At night, the area is converted into a lounge bar hosting a live DJ, unlimited draft beer, and snacks. The buffet is free for those with all-day lift passes.
My plate consisted of omuk (fish cake) soup, egg fried rice and noodles, mushrooms, carrots, kimchi, tiny bungabong (red bean filled fish-shaped bread), and ssiatjjorim (braised seeds).
Buffet Hours:
Breakfast/Lunch: 8:30~15:00
Break time: 15:00~16:00
Dinner Buffet: 17:00~19:00
Bar: 19:00~21:00
Buffet Price 2022*:
Adult : 45,000 won
Children (under 12): 25,000 won
*There is a 20% discount for guests staying at the resort.Lounge Bar 2022 Price:
Adult : 25,000 won
Children (under 12): 15,000 won
Waterpark + Additional Amenities
Besides the slopes and food, Phoenix Park has a multitude of other amenities including an indoor and outdoor waterpark, bowling alley, arcade, karaoke rooms, and a pool table room.
The waterpark is open 14:00 – 22:00 (last admission 21:00)* and is 60,000 won for adults and 52,000 won for children, though discounts may apply.
The bowling alley, pool table room, and arcade are open 10:00 ~ 24:00 while the karaoke rooms are open 16:00~24:00.
*Hours may change depending on the seasonAccommodations
Phoenix Park has their own accommodations on-site, including western-style hotel rooms and condos. Prices start at about 430,000 won (~$340 USD) per night during Seollal weekend. Check out Phoenix Park’s website for more information.
Another option is the newer With Land Hotel The Story Residence, which opened in 2020 and is located just 2 minutes by car and 16 minutes by foot from Phoenix Park. I don't have any personal experiences with this place, but have heard good reviews. Room prices average ~$150~$200 per night. Check here for more information.
Whenever I visited Pyeongchang, I stayed at a hotel called Greentel which is located about 12 minutes away from the resort by foot and is a a decent choice if on a budget. The room I got was simple and tidy with a basic bathroom and floor bed that came with a heating mat (ondol-style). The heating mat was greatly appreciated after spending a full day in the snow. Overall, the room was cozy and worked well for the 4 days I was there. However, if you’re not used to sleeping on the floor, the hotel also offers rooms with framed beds. Besides Greentel, there’s another budget-friendly option, White Cabin, which has good reviews online and is even closer to Phoenix Park than Greentel.
Nearby Restaurants
Outside of Phoenix Park, there’s a few other restaurants in the area you can try. Here’s a few of my favorites:
Sesujak (세수작): Sesujak is small woman-owned book café serving delicious drinks and brunch in a cozy atmosphere. The café is rather small, but the floor-to-ceiling windows help to open the space up and provide a beautiful view of the outside snowfall. The owners are extremely kind and one of them can speak some English, so even if you don’t know Korean ordering isn’t a problem. Do note, that the food is a bit slow to come out and is rather pricey, so I would recommend this place only if you have some extra time and cash on your hands.
Kkorovei (꼬로베이): Kkorovei is a café and restaurant that specializes in making western-style dishes using local ingredients. Their menu includes items like pasta, sandwiches, Korean beef burgers, and homemade organic bread. They also make their own jams, marmalades, and stewed chestnuts which they sell online and in-store.
Snow Field Garden (설원가든): This restaurant specializes in ssam bap (Korean lettuce wraps). Main dish choices include grilled mackerel, pollack, beef brisket, pork belly, and braised bellflower along with the banchan (side dishes), lettuce and dipping sauce, soybean soup, and purple rice with beans. You cannot eat here alone, so bring someone with you!
Other Activities
If you want to explore Pyeongchang and the surrounding area further:
Visit Gangneung: This costal city is known as the home of many historically famous Korean writers and artists. It is also recognized as the coffee city of South Korea, with its very own “Gangneung coffee street.” If you are a K-pop fan, the city is also home to the “BTS bus stop” from their “Spring Day” album cover. Check the Gangnenung tourism website here for more info.
Go for a snow hike at Seonjaryeong (선자령): Seonjaryeong is known as one of the snowiest places in South Korea, garnering an average snowfall of more than 1 meter from late December to early March! When I visited in February, I only needed crampons to hike, though if the snow is thicker more equipment may be needed. Check the weather before going! The hike is considered relatively easy as it lacks any steep inclines, though after skiing or snowboarding it might be a bit harder. The hike takes about 4 hours to complete and is filled with beautiful scenery. You can read this blog post for more information about Seonjaryeong.
Visit Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm (대관령 양떼목장): Near Seongjaryeong is the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm. You can walk around the farm and feed the sheep! This is a great family activity.
Group hike at Seonjaryeong
Conclusion
In all, Phoenix Park is a great place for friends or family to visit together during Seollal as the varying types of slopes and plethora of other amenities make it fun a exciting experience for everyone.
If you have any more questions, feel free to post them below and have a happy Seollal!
Additional Information
Address: 강원 평창군 봉평면 태기로 174
174 Taegi-ro, Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea