Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort Review — Review a ski day in Gangwon, super cool, extremely value for money

November 28, 2019

It seems that backpackers to South Korea have not paid much attention to skiing, partially because they hesitate to travel away from the city downtown, or because there is not enough information about the destination and transportation. But if you travel to South Korea during the winter and not go skiing, almost half of your trip would be a waste. So Living Nomads’s #SouthKoreatravelteam has decided to have some fun by booking a skiing tour to give you the most authentic review of the trip. So, what’s hot in Gangwon in winter? Let’s explore one of the best ski resorts in South Korea through our Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort review by joining a skiing course in 1 day at Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort Korea (1-day skiing in Gangwon, Elysian Gangchon Resort Korea) from how to get there, top things to experiences… to find out the answer!

View from above of Gangwon-do Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort

There are various ski resorts located in Gangwon Province, this time we went to Elysian Gangchon Resort because this place is really close to Seoul and offers English-speaking ski instructors.

Gangwon skiing — Elysian Gangchon Resort, Gangwon Province

Talking a little more about Gangwon Province, this was the venue for the 2018 Winter Olympics and also the setting of the famous Korean drama “Winter Sonata” so tourists enjoy coming here for skiing and visiting around the area conveniently at the same time.

Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort review: How to get there?

Subway

KoreaRailPass(KRPASS) How to buy Korail Pass and where to buy Korail Pass — Korea Train Express (KTX)

From Seoul to Elysian Gangchon Resort, it takes about more than an hour by the subway, just sitting and listening to a song playlist and you will be there in no time. If you have bought a T-money card, you can take the subway from Sangbong Station to Baegyangri Station to arrive at Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort. Order your Klook T-Money card for home delivery. Link: Klook Tmoney Card Pick Up and Delivery (ICN/TW/MY/TH/PH).

The card helps you travel more convenient while in Korea.

Or if you have bought a KTX card, you may want to take the ITX-Cheongchun Train to Baegyangri Station, which is also fine. To find more information, you can go to http://www.elysian.co.kr/global/eng/gangchon/directions/directions.asp and check the details more carefully.

Korail Pass-Korea train express-way to move in korea13 — | elysian gangchon resort korea

Daytour by Klook

For more convenience, you can book a one-day ski service package at Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort that includes full shuttle bus transport, ski suits and equipment, an instructor as well as unlimited lift tickets. Actually, I would like to discuss more about the ski instructor. At first, we decided to ski by ourselves because each and every one is a real fan of Google and Youtube so we assumed that we could learn how to ski by watching online tutorials.

But life is not a dream. After falling on our butts a few dozen times, we learned a lesson that not everything can be learned right away just by watching. So especially for those who are about to go skiing for the first time, instead of relying on Youtube or Google, you should hire an instructor to ensure that you can achieve your goal. Book your tour at KKday to be fully equipped with shuttle bus transport, ski suits and equipment, lift tickets and instructor. Link for booking: Gangwon-do Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort Day Tour. Or you can consider to choose another tour which including of visiting Nami Island here: Gangwon-Do Nami Island and Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort Day Tour.

Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort Korea: Packing your luggage before the trip

You should bring warm clothes, but keep them light weight. If possible, stop by the supermarket (such as eMart or Lotte Mart) to purchase thermal underwear (in the underwear section) and leather gloves (waterproof), they will be really useful for you while skiing.

Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort review: Tickets, ski suits and equipment rental

Early purchase

The ski service package costs about USD 91. You will get a good price for early purchase which is only USD 80 including shuttle bus, full equipment and ski suits rental, an instructor for a 2-hour lesson, and unlimited lift tickets. Our package is the Beginner package for those who do not know how to ski, including an instructor teaching us how to start skiing (without falling on our butts), and how to stop (without rushing into a wall).
Those who have some basic skiing skills, the Advanced package will teach you additional skills for more complex moves like a real athlete. The price for this package is about USD 125 (early bird price is only USD 93).
If you buy the package without an instructor, it is much cheaper, which is only about USD 72 and 63 USD for early birds.

Purchase at the resort

If you have not purchased the service package before coming here, you can rent ski suits and equipment at the Alpensia Resort and the rental price depends on demand. Available for half-day or full-day rentals. Night rental is cheaper than daytime.

Full-day Basic ski suits rental package is KRW 20,000/set (USD 20).

Ski equipment provides 2 options: Ski or Snowboard. Full-day ski equipment rental costs KRW 36,000/set (~ USD 35).

You have to buy lift tickets to ski on different ramps (beginner, intermediate, and advance). The beginner ramp has a low slope, which you can walk up without using a lift.

You can sign up for ski lessons in English with one-on-one instruction for KRW 280,000/2 hours (~ USD 270) or 3-4 people/class for KRW 340,000/2 hours (~ USD 129). If you register for a class, you do not need to buy a ticket to use the lift.

However, in order to avoid waiting for a long time or the instructor not being available (the most stressful thing is you will need an English-speaking instructor) because the number of tourists coming here to ski is enormous, you should book your trip on Klook to save your time and ensure you can get your tickets. Here is the link for those who are lazy to scroll up: Gangwon-do Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort Day Tour.

Elysian Gangchon Resort Korea: Skiing and sightseeing

After finishing the basic skiing class, we were free to ski by ourselves. There are 3 types of ski ramps for 2 levels: Beginner and Intermediate (Long ramp). If you’re just starting out, you can ski on the Beginner ramp, which has a low slope. After getting acquainted, you can take the lift to the intermediate ramps. Skiing on these ramps was a little scary to be honest.

However, the ski shoes were very heavy, walking and skiing down the slope were tiring so spending on hour skiing would be enough for us.

Another option for those who are afraid of height but still enjoy the feeling of skiing is to choose Snow sled. Purchase half-day ticket for only KRW 20,000 (USD 20).

Achievements after training with the instructor instead of Youtube:

If feeling bored skiing, you can go sightseeing in the resort for the beautiful winter scenery. There will be recreation areas for you to regain your energy after putting on a pair of heavy shoes walking around. Food stalls are also located around the area so if you are hungry, you can stop by to pick up some snacks. Top recommendations here are hot dogs and cup noodles (sounds boring but in the winter, especially when you are hungry, they are absolutely delicious), as well as convenient stores with a variety of selection.

Hanging out until about 4 p.m, we returned the ski suits and equipment and get ready to go back.

If you feel tired and want to ski on the next day or try the feeling of skiing at night, you can stay overnight at the hotel, but it will cost extra fee for room rental. Thus, to save more for our stay in Seoul, we took the shuttle bus back to the city and arrived at around 5-6 p.m.

In general, for those who have never gone skiing, you have to try it right away. The winter is coming soon, what are you waiting for?

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in and from Seoul you can refer to

Are you looking for more Seoul travel guide and top things to do in Seoul: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Seoul travel blog — The fullest Seoul travel guide blog for a wonderful budget trip to Seoul for the first time.