Chuncheon & Soyang Lake

Mark Zastrow · CC BY 2.0

A city ringed by three lakes, and the birthplace of dakgalbi.

Chuncheon is surrounded by water on every side — three dams on the Bukhan turned the valleys around the city into lakes, and morning mist rolling off the water into the streets is routine. Soyang is Korea's largest artificial lake; a ferry runs from Soyang pier to Cheongpyeongsa temple hidden up in the mountains, and the walk up from the landing passes a small waterfall. In the centre of town there is a whole street of dakgalbi — chicken fried with cabbage, sweet potato and rice cake on a large iron pan, finished by tipping rice in to fry up whatever sauce is left.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Chuncheon & Soyang Lake?

May–June and September–November

How much does it cost to visit Chuncheon & Soyang Lake?

The ferry to Cheongpyeongsa is about 5,500–6,000 KRW return (3,000 one way), a 10-minute crossing

How long do you need at Chuncheon & Soyang Lake?

Half a day

What are the opening hours of Chuncheon & Soyang Lake?

Ferry 09:00–17:00

Did you know

Soyang Lake is Korea's largest artificial lake, created by the Soyanggang dam in 1973.
Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon province.
Dakgalbi was invented here in the 1960s.
Cheongpyeongsa temple is reached by ferry and then about a 20-minute walk.

Travel tips

The ITX from Yongsan station in Seoul takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Eat dakgalbi on Chuncheon's Myeongdong street, and order the fried rice at the end.
Ferries to Cheongpyeongsa thin out in winter — check the last departure.

Source: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?vcontsId=81429

Updated: 2026-08-04