Suncheon – Day 9 of a 14-Day Trip in South Korea
Suncheon is a 3-hour train ride from Busan using the S-Train. The S-Train is a Korail train and each cart has its own fun design and vibe. There’s a classroom cart and a tea room cart, just to name a few. Suncheon is not as often visited by international tourists, but there is a lot to do in the area including the Suncheon Bay National Garden, the Suncheon Wetland Reserve, the Nagan Eupseong Folk Village, and the Daehan Dawon Tea Plantation.
Day 9
Suncheon
We headed to the train station early as the S-train was leaving at 8:14am. The S-train only goes from Busan to Suncheon a few times a day, so make sure to check the times. We had booked our tickets ahead of time using the Korail website. At Busan Station, we picked up some pastries from the convenience store for the 3-hour train ride. Upon arrival, we learned that the katsu restaurant I wanted to go to for lunch was closed, so we instead had instant noodles at the convenience store (just like you would see in the Kdramas!). Next, we took the bus to Suncheon Wetland Reserve. Note: Head to the Tourist Information Center beside the train station for the bus times as the bus only comes every hour or so. The Suncheon Wetland Reserve is really interesting. It has various routes and pathways, as well as an observation deck of the Suncheon Bay. We headed to the observation deck first. It is about a 30 minute hike uphill from the base and is located at the opposite end of the entrance (takes about 30 minutes to walk to the base of the hike). Note you can buy a 1-day combined ticket for the Suncheon Wetland Reserve and the Suncheon Bay National Garden.
You can also rent a single bike for ~$10CAD or a tandem bike ~$20CAD and use it around the gravel roads at the park. We decided on the tandem and it was a lot of fun and much faster for wandering the park.
Afterwards, we took the bus to Suncheon Bay National Garden. The Garden has an area of over 1000 square kilometers – we wandered the gardens all the way to closing time due to the size of the space! There are gardens based on different countries (Mexico, Italy, and the Netherlands are some examples), as well as gardens for specific types of plants (examples are an azalea garden, grassland, and wetlands). There is a sky cube transport (for an extra cost) that connects the Suncheon Bay National Garden and the Suncheon Wetland Reserve. We did not know that ahead of time or we would have likely taken that instead of the bus.
We were a bit hungry, so we stopped at the cafeteria by the Botanical Garden. The cafeteria is essentially a food court with multiple vendors. We shared a chicken rice bowl, then explored the Suncheon Bay National Garden!
Next, we headed to our Airbnb to check in, then went to dinner at a gamjatang (spicy bone soup) restaurant called 통뼈연가. We ordered a small mild spice gamjatang and makgeoilli. The small gamjatang is for 2 people and included the pork bones, rice cakes, mushrooms, and chives. The meal also came came with rice and sides. It was really delicious! This was also the restaurant we struggled with most due to our lack of Korean! The owner was very nice, but spoke no english. There was luckily a restaurant patron at the next table who spoke some broken english and was able to help us with ordering.
Complete Day 9 Itinerary
*Travel times may vary. Check Kakao or Naver Maps for most accurate travel details.
7:00am: Pick-up breakfast at the Busan Train Station.
8:00am: Take the S-Train from Busan to Suncheon (3 hour train from Busan Train Station).
12:00pm: Have katsu for lunch at 이레돈까스 (4 minute walk from Suncheon Station).
1:00pm: Visit the Suncheon Wetland Reserve (49 minute transit from Suncheon Station).
4:00pm: Visit Suncheon Bay National Garden (41 minute transit from Suncheon Wetland Reserve).
7:00pm: Have gamjatang at 통뼈연가 (26 minute transit from Suncheon Bay National Garden).
14-Day South Korea Itinerary
Click “Download” below for an excel version of my 14-Day South Korea Itinerary. Feel free to use the excel file as a planning template for your own trip!
Travels with Carolyne 