A Guide To Skiing And Snowboarding In Vivaldi Ski Resort, South Korea
During the bitter cold winters of South Korea, there’s nothing better than spending your time in Vivaldi Ski Resort or one of the other many ski resorts of this mountainous country. The country’s well developed ski resorts and transport makes it a great winter sport destination.
South Korea is a popular ski destination in Asia especially for tourists from South East Asia. The ski resorts are easily accessible, have reasonable prices for foreigners and are perfect for first time skiers. Most of Korea’s ski resorts are located in Gangwon-do provence, with Vivaldi park ski resort Korea as being the best ski resort near Seoul.
As information about skiing in Korea and Vivaldi park are scarce and sometimes confusing, I have decided to make ‘A Guide To Skiing And Snowboarding In Vivaldi Ski Resort, South Korea‘!
Things To Know When Planning A Trip To Vivaldi Ski Resort
- What To Pack For Vivaldi Ski Resort – The ski season at Vivaldi ski resort starts at the end of November and lasts till mid March, which are the coldest seasons in Korea. Check here what to wear in Korea in winter.
- Travel Adapters – Travel converters are the key to keeping all your electronic devices fully charged. Find out more the right Korea travel converters here.
- Korea Itineraries – Check out the best Korea winter itinerary, made specially for you, so you don’t have to worry about what to do in Korea anymore.
- Foreigner Discounts – Save money during your trip to the Vivaldi Ski resort and book your entrance tickets and attractions in advance online. Check Trazy or Klook for the best foreigner deals.
- 4G Internet – Pick up your WiFi egg at the airport upon arrival in South Korea. Check more info here.
Quick Facts About Skiing In Korea And Vivaldi Park Ski Resort
- Vivaldi park or also called the Daemyung resort has been the most visited ski resort in South Korea for the past 7 years, and has a maximum capacity of 20 000 people a day.
- Located in Hongcheon, only 1h30 from central Seoul, Vivaldi park is the biggest ski resort in the Seoul metropolitan region.
- The Ski World has a total of 12 slopes: 2 beginner, 5 intermediate, 4 advanced and 1 expert slope and a total of 10 different lift facilities, which covers a total of 6300 meters.
- The snow in Korea starts falling around the end of November so the ski slopes open each year in end of November and finish at the beginning of March.
- Apart from Vivaldi Park Ski World, you can also find Ocean World, a golf club and an equestrian club.
How To Go To Vivaldi Park From Seoul
There are quite a lot of different free and paid options when coming to Vivaldi park. Most of these are leaving from Seoul, but buses to other cities are also available.
1. Free Daily Shuttle Buses
From Seoul it’s really easy to come to Vivaldi park as there are daily Vivaldi Park FREE shuttle buses for foreigners from different places in Seoul; Hongdae, Myeongdong, Dongdaemun and Shinsegae. You can make your reservation online in English, with a minimum of two days in advance.
There are other Vivaldi ski resort shuttle bus going to different places in Seoul like Gangnam, Word Cup Stadium, Sadang, Sogang etc. Reservations have to be made online or by phone (only in Korean).
If you book a Vivaldi park ski package you’re bus is included and will be leaving from Myeongdong or Hongdae.
2. Shuttle Bus From Or To Nami Island
There is another Vivaldi park shuttle bus going to (or coming from) Nami Island. This bus is only running from mid January to beginning of March and can be booked at the ‘Foreigner Service Center’ in Vivaldi Park or Nami Island. Check here for more information about the Vivaldi shuttle bus.
3. Public Transport from Seoul
If you don’t want to take any of the free shuttle buses, there’s one more option; public transport. There are buses leaving 4 times a day from Dongseoul Bus Terminal. Ticket price is 6800 won. Check time table here.
Guide To Vivaldi Ski Resort
1. Renting Ski & Snowboard Materials & Lift Passes
It is really easy to get all your ski & snowboard gear upon arrival. All ski resorts in Korea are aware that most people prefer to rent a ski outfit for a day instead of buying their own. These ski resorts are all fully stocked with equipment and clothing rental shops. You’ll rent all of these on a daily basis, even if staying for a couple of day, you’ll have to return them at the end of the day and get new ones the next day. Luckily these equipment rental shops are rather efficient in their process. You’ll have to buy your own gloves, sunglasses and hats; they are sold at a reasonable price in the resort.
The prices for Vivaldi Park are as following:
Clothing (jacket & trousers): 24 000 won a day
Ski rental (or Snowboard): 36 000 won a day
Lift pass: 75 000 won a day
Total: 125 000 won a day
TIP: instead of buying each item separately it is recommended to buy a package which is way cheaper and includes one hour of ski/snowboard lessons with an English speaking ski school. The cheapest package that I have found so far starts from 66 000 won ~ click Check prices here for more information about the one day package. A two day package is also available. Check more info here..
2. Vivaldi Park Hotels
There are a couple of accommodations around the ski slopes owned by Vivaldi park. These buildings all have different names such as Oak, Pine, Maple and Cherry. These are very conveniently located just next to the ski slopes. Make sure when making your reservation that there will be a bed; as some rooms are Ondol style where you have to sleep on the floor. Check more info here.
Online reservations have to be made in advance, this can be done by phone (in Korean only) or by making an online reservation.
Other hotels and pensions are located quite far from the resort and can be reached by car or bus. One of the more expensive and best hotel near Vivaldi park Korea is Sono Felice, located a 15 minute walk from the ski slopes.
Snowy Land
If skiing is not your thing, then why not go to Snowy land. The park is filled with all sorts of snow activities like the snow sled hill. This is a great activity to do with family or young kids.
Entrance tickets to Snowy Land are different than the one for the ski slopes. Snowy land can be reached by taking the Vivaldi ski resort gondola. Check more info here.
It is recommended to rent ski clothes as this will prevent you from getting wet during your snow fun.
Vivaldi Park Ocean World Korea
Vivaldi ocean world is ranked as the best water park in Korea and the second best in Asia! The park, inspired by the Egyptian culture is a must go destination in Korea.
The entrance ticket can be purchased on site and prices range between 50 000 won to 70 000 won a day, depending on the time of the year you are going. As foreigners it is much more cost efficient to buy your tickets in advance through a travel agency (up to 70% discount). Check here for more information and prices for Ocean world!
Other Tips For Vivaldi Ski Park & Ocean World Resort
- Is this your first time skiing? Take a 1 hour ski lesson to learn the basics like putting on your skies, using your sticks, learning how to stop!
- Dress appropriately, in can get really cold in the mountains of South Korea so make sure you’re wearing enough layers, ski gloves, a hat and thick socks.
- Buy your ski gloves and glasses upfront, as they will be more expensive at the ski resort.
- Vivaldi park resort has a Jjimjilbang, where you can take a bath after an exhausting day of fun.
- You can ski at the Vivaldi ski resort from 8.30am to 5pm and from 7pm to 5am. Perfect for an night ski when the slopes will be deserted.
- Book a ski package, it will save you around 40% of the total rental cost. The cheapest packages are starting from 66 000 krw.
Bottom Line: Vivaldi Ski Resort Review
I have spend a lot of time in the season of 2017-2018 in Vivaldi ski park as I was working there as a full-time ski and snowboard instructor. Even though the ski resorts in Korea are nothing compared to the ski resorts I know from back home; Vivaldi park is a good option if you want to go skiing in Korea.
This is not the best ski resort in Korea; but it is one of the better ones for a couple of reasons. It is a ski resort near Seoul, which means it is an easy day trip from Seoul. As the shuttle buses are FREE and there are special ‘foreigner’ packages, Vivaldi park can be a cheap Korea ski tour.
The best times to visit the resort is during weekdays especially in January and February. In weekends the resort gets very busy, as that’s when Korean people go skiing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you are a beginner skier and want to learn, then Vivaldi ski resort is the best place to start. They have very gentle and wide beginner slope that is perfect for first timers.
Yes, Vivaldi Ski Resort is just one hour away from Seoul and is very accessible using the resort shuttle bus.
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I’m not a skier or snowboarder (despite having grown up in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta) – but this is a great guide for anyone who wants to check out Vivaldi Park…especially the tip about getting a ski package instead of paying for everything separately. (BIG difference in price). 🙂
Whoa these are some wicked tips for budget-friendly skiing! I had no idea you could hit the slopes from 7 PM – 5AM. Seems like a dangerous way to live considering Korea’s soju obsession within those hours LOL. Do you teach snowboarding as well?
Ahhhh it’s skiing season again! I’ve actually never tried it and really want to but I’m unsure I’ll actually be able to try it out given that I only have a couple months left in Korea. Some of my friends went a couple weeks ago and I have a terrible case of FOMO!
I’ve been racking my brain at planning a ski trip to Korea! This can’t come at a more perfect time though since the Olympics are on the horizon and I’m sure before you know it, Korea is going to boom into a must winter destination. Great tip on buying a packaged deal instead of purchasing things separately. I would’ve made that mistake fast and hard!
A great guide to skiing in Korea, I wish you would continue and create more for all the different resorts. I havent been to Vivaldi yet, but your post is super helpful, especially the financial breakdown. Just curious what they mean by new day or new afternoon?!
Confession – I’ve actually enver skiied or snowboarded in my life! lol.. I like that this place has lessons AND a jimjilbang! Those things are key for apres ski!
wonderful guide… i have a little bit of a trauma when I tried to learn the first time… a very careless novice bumped into me making me fall flat on the snow:-(… he was uncontrollably going down the hill and didn’t know how to stop… my experience of Vivaldi was on a summer. nice on a summer, too.
I’ve noticed – skiing is a thing in Korea huh. I never got a chance to go during my stay! If I do return, this would be a great guide to reference as you’ve added all necessary information. For 125,000 w, I think it would be worth it! Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
Hi. I am planning to visit this resort with my family in Dec. Would like to check if it is easily accessible if we are to go there on our own from Seoul? My teens love skiing and joining day tour means shorter hours of play for them as we are not planning to stay there. 🙂
Also if we visit during weekdays in 2nd week of Dec, would it be less crowded? We are not sure when is Korea school holidays. Thanks in advance. 🙂
Awesome! You can easily take a shuttle bus from many different locations in Seoul. These are all free. They can be booked on the official vivaldi park website. The busses leave at 8am, and arrive at Vivaldi Park at 9.30 (this would also be the same bus if you would book a package.) You can find some earlier busses but these can only be booked by phone in Korean. The free return bus leaves at 6 or 9.30pm.
The 2nd & 3rd week would be quite busy. Not because of the Korean holidays but because of the holidays in singapore/malaysia/Hong Kong but only on the beginner slopes. The more advanced slopes would almost be empty.
Hope this helps 🙂 let me know if you have more questions.
Hi
If I wanted to ski at night, can I still rent the skiing gear like clothes and skis? You mentioned they have to be returned by 5pm everyday.
Thanks
Yes, so the gear has to be returned by 5. Unless you have paid for night skiing lift pass & rental. The ski slope closes at 5pm and reopens at 6.30pm. All the facilities stay open all night.
Hi,
This may be a bit off-topic as it is not related to skiing, but , are there any side trips/day trips from vivaldi park, like nami island etc… most of the tour trips originate and end at seoul, but if we are staying at vivaldi , are there any agencies that organize trips from vivaldi and back ?
thanks.
Actually, there is a free shuttle bus running between Vivaldi and nami island. (http://www.daemyungresort.com/web/dm_english/html/01vivaldi_english_sub_10_01.html) You can go there in the morning and make your way to Nami island, gapyeong rail bike, the garden of the morning calm, la petite france on your own using the gapyeong day bus. In the evening you can make your way back to the ski resort.
It seems that the free shuttle only operates from Jan 2019 onwards. We will be there in Dec 2018.
I don’t think there is, the easiest way would be to take the bus back to Seoul and from there on do day trips. Vivaldi park is not that well connected, except with Seoul.