How to Have A Great Day Outside Seoul: Nami Island, Garden of Morning Calm & Rail Biking!

When I was planning out my week-long trip to Seoul with Papu and his parents, I knew we needed to get out of the city at least once. One can only drink so much coffee and buy so many beauty products, right???

After narrowing down the options (and keeping in mind that Papu’s parents were traveling with us and had some physical limitations that ruled out national parks and long hikes), we settled on a day trip to Nami Island, Gangchon Rail Park, and the Garden of Morning Calm.

I loved this choice because it offered a varied lineup of things to do, but most importantly, a break from the city and a chance to breathe some fresh mountain air while enjoying the pretty fall colors.

This day trip, along with the Secret Food Tours Seoul experience, was actually a gift to Papu’s parents for their anniversary. They didn’t get many chances to travel internationally while raising kids, so being able to share South Korea with them through food, culture, and a little bit of outdoor fun felt meaningful in a way that blows any physical gift out of the water.

These guided tours turned out to be the cherries on top of the entire trip!

We learned so much about Korean culture, saw some pretty great sights, and had some super enjoyable moments that made the trip memorable for all of us.

The combo day trip had its highs and lows, but in the end, it turned out to be a really fun day for all of us (thanks to its senior-friendly nature!). We even made it back to Seoul in time for a stellar KBBQ dinner!

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Our tour kicked off with a meeting time of 7:50 AM in some bus terminal in Myeongdong, which honestly worked in our favor because we were based nearby at voco Seoul Myeongdong by IHG, and we were all still jet-lagged as heck, so waking up early wasn’t an issue at all.

Table of Contents

1st Stop: Garden Of Morning Calm

Garden of Morning Calm Entrance — Don’t forget to take a photo by the entrance, it’s so pretty!

The first stop of the day was the Garden of Morning Calm, and this was where the day really started on a high note.

The garden was created by a professor who studied landscapes around the world, and you can tell that he applied every ounce of his learned knowledge to these gardens!

There are more than 5,000 plant varieties tucked into a triangular layout, so all paths eventually lead back to the center.

As soon as I saw the entrance framed by hues of reds, yellows, and greens, I knew we were going to be ogling at just about every corner we explored. Papu’s mom and I are botanical garden kind of people, so she and I specifically were going to have a BLAST.

After crossing the suspension bridge, which was epic in itself, I might add, we popped over to the main garden areas and started exploring wherever our senses led us.

Garden of Morning Calm Suspension Bridge - South Korea

We snapped a few photos by the silvergrass fields (a popular spot for romantic couples’ photos, apparently), saw the majestic Millennium Juniper, where you’re supposed to make a wish, and lingered a bit at the observation deck for panoramic views at the colorful Sunken Garden.

Since we visited in November, the chrysanthemum displays were in full bloom, and the Korean Garden (with its hanok, small pond, and cute rest areas) ended up being one of my favorite corners to slow down in.

Before leaving, we took a quick peek inside the small gallery near the entrance, which displays photos of the garden in every season, so you get a taste of what the place looks like in every season.

The Garden of Morning Calm was so freakin’ beautiful in the autumn! I can’t imagine it being any better than this, despite the garden being renowned for its beauty all year round. I’ll definitely have to come back during the spring to see how it stacks up to its fall scenery.

2nd Stop: A Local Lunch

Next up was lunch near Nami Island (about a 20-minute bus ride from the garden).

Because the region is mountainous, chicken is the local specialty (no land to house pigs and cows!). Our friendly guide Lucia let us know we had two options: get lunch on our own at Nami Island or go with the group at the standard restaurant most tour groups get funneled into.

We were too lazy to figure out lunch on our own… plus with two seniors in tow, we figured the easier option was to just go with the group.

Lunch ended up being simple but solid: a chicken stir-fry with udon, and rice if you wanted to add it on.

👉 BOOK THIS TOUR ON VIATOR:

3rd Stop: Nami Island

After eating, we took the ferry over to Nami Island, and by that point (around 1pm) the island was packed. The line to buy ferry tickets was insane, but luckily, because we were with our tour guide, we were spared from enduring the long wait times.

Lucia gave us just about 2 hours to explore Nami Island. For me, the time allotted there was perfect because we were just there to soak in the atmosphere. After all, we were more excited about the rail bike ride to come afterwards.

Nami Island, officially known as the Naminara Republic, is an independent island nation with its own flag and currency. So cute!

All visitors must buy a Nami Island ticket and take the ferry to reach the island, as it is inaccessible by land. Alternatively, you could zipline your way over there, but this option is going to cost you a lot more than ferrying over!

In a nutshell, Nami Island is absolutely great for people who love taking cute photos for social media or families visiting with kids. There are tons of photo setups, character statues, open spaces, cafés, and little attractions that kids would have a field day with.

But if you’re hoping for a peaceful, nature-forward escape… this is not that place, especially in its peak season: autumn.

Autumn is arguably the most popular time to visit Nami Island, and it’s easy to see why. The entire island is glowing with reds, oranges, and yellows, especially along the Metasequoia Lane, Ginkgo Tree Lane, and Maple Lane.

Those tree-lined paths really are spectacular, but you’ll be sharing them with a lot of other people, so patience is key.

Scattered around the island, you’ll also find small attractions like the Song Museum, Picture Book Playground, MICE Center, the Charity Train, and the Story Tour Bus. There’s even a quirky soju bottle bridge you can cross, which was a fun little surprise.

We ducked into a small art museum for a few minutes of calm, which was actually quite nice!

Despite the outdoor crowds, we still found moments of quiet. After walking the central path (where everyone was trying to get their perfect ginkgo shot), we veered north and followed the trail along the water.

This part felt like a different island altogether. It was quiet, scenic, and actually peaceful.

Nami Island is undeniably charming, but it definitely has more of a theme-park feel with the sheer number of people taking photos at every corner.

The fall leaves at Central Korean Pine Tree Lane and Ginkgo Tree Lane were certainly beautiful, but the busy atmosphere didn’t compare to the calmness of the garden earlier that morning (which suddenly made its name feel very literal… garden of “morning calm” it was indeed).

👉 Pro Tip: If it weren’t for the fact that Nami Island was included as a stop on the tour, we probably would’ve skipped it. If you’re someone who doesn’t want to deal with crowds, this is a good window to sit down for a meal at one of the restaurants or grab a coffee and people-watch instead.

4th Stop: Gangchon Rail Park

We ended the day at Gangchon Rail Park, which turned out to be the highlight of the whole trip for me.

While our guide grabbed our tickets, we checked out the oversized storybook wall at the entrance and found a patch of pink muhly grass glowing in the late-afternoon sun. Absolutely spectacular!

The rail bikes are four-seaters by default, but you can upgrade to a two-seater for a small fee.

The ride is about 30–40 minutes and covers 6 km with four super adorably themed tunnels along the way: a bright and grassy tunnel with music, a galaxy-themed one, a bubbly tunnel that felt straight out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, and a final tunnel that was basically a mini rave!

At the end, you hop on a small train that brings you back to the starting point, where your shuttle is waiting to return to Seoul. You best believe we all napped on the bus ride back to Seoul!

We were back in the city by 7:30 pm just in time for dinner, which was the perfect way to wrap up a surprisingly full but manageable day.

BOOK THE SAME TOUR WE DID:

Day Trip From Seoul: Nami Island, Rail Bike & The Garden of Morning Calm

My Final Thoughts: Was The Tour Worth It?

There were clear highs and lows on this day trip, but taken as a whole, it was absolutely worth it.

Nami Island wouldn’t be my first pick on its own, but pairing it with the peaceful Garden of Morning Calm and the ridiculously fun rail bike at Gangchon Rail Park made the entire day feel balanced.

Looking back, I didn’t mind the Nami Island portion as much once I reframed it. If I were to do this day trip again, I’d treat those two hours as a built-in break to grab a coffee, enjoy the fall colors, and slip into one of the quieter corners of the island while everyone else crowds the main paths.

What also made this excursion special is that it was part of a gift to Papu’s parents. I’ve always been someone who prefers gifting experiences over things, and getting to do that on an international trip took it to an entirely different level.

They spent decades raising kids without many chances to travel abroad, so giving them a day filled with food, culture, easy outdoor fun, and quality time with us felt meaningful in a way no physical present could match.

Between this combo day trip tour and the walking food tour at Gwangjang Market, they got to experience South Korea at a comfortable pace, and seeing them soak it all in was the cherry on top of an already memorable trip!