This post summarizes official announcements; it is not a review of a visit. Sources: Namyangju City's Gwangneung Forest Festival website (festival introduction, front page, and directions page updated October 6, 2026), the city's cultural events listing with the official poster, and the city's press release (October 6, 2026), checked on October 7, 2026. The character illustrations are GPT-generated images.
- Dates
- Sat, Oct 24, 2026 ~ Sun, Oct 25
- Hours
- 10:00–17:00 both days
- Venue
- Around Gwangneung Forest, Jinjeop-eup (진접읍 광릉숲 일원)193 Bongseonsa-gil, Jinjeop-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기 남양주시 진접읍 봉선사길 193), around Gwangneung Forest
- Organizer
- Namyangju City (남양주시)
- Official
- Official notice (Korean) ↗
- Updated
- when we last re-checked the official notice
📅 Schedule at a glance
October 2026
Event daysHighlightsTodayKorean public holidays
Korea Meteorological Administration · 10/17, 2 AM issued · forecasts can change
📌 What's on each day
🔁 Daily · ★ Trail open · Forest walk · forest busking · photo zones · village flea market 10:00–17:00 · Shuttle bus
Gwangneung Forest Festival 2026 — Dates, Shuttle Bus & Parking Before You Walk the Once-a-Year Forest Trail with Kids
News for an autumn forest-trail outing 🌳
A forest that opens just once a year:
the 21st Gwangneung Forest Festival
(제21회 광릉숲축제)
runs Sat, Oct 24 – Sun, Oct 25,
two days, 10:00–17:00,
around Gwangneung Forest
in Jinjeop-eup, Namyangju.
We put this together from
Namyangju City’s festival website
(directions page updated October 6)
and the city’s press release (October 6).
🎪 What kind of festival is it?
Gwangneung Forest Trail — A small stream flowing through the forest and dense trees (Aug 2024) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 안영관 · KOGL Type 1)
Gwangneung Forest Trail — A clear mountain stream in a dense forest (Aug 2024) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 안영관 · KOGL Type 1)
The festival website calls it
’Korea’s only forest-culture festival’
and says it aims to be
an eco-friendly festival.
Access to Gwangneung Forest
is normally restricted,
so the website’s front page reads:
a forest trail that opens just once a year.
It’s the forest around Gwangneung,
the royal tomb of King Sejo of Joseon
and Queen Jeonghui,
protected for some 550 years.
In 2010 it became a UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve,
and some 6,251 taxa
of living things live here.
The official poster lists
Namyangju City as the host,
with the National Institute of Forest Science,
the Korea National Arboretum
and Bongseonsa Temple as partners.
✨ What happens in the forest?
Gwangneung Forest Trail — A wooden walking path leading into the forest (Aug 2024) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 안영관 · KOGL Type 1)
Gwangneung Forest Trail — A wooden deck walking path in a dense forest (Aug 2024) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 안영관 · KOGL Type 1)
These are the programs listed in
the website’s ‘Program Preview’
and on the official poster.
They all run on both days, around Gwangneung Forest.
| Program | What it is |
|---|---|
| Forest Walkers (광릉숲뚜벅이) | The festival’s main program: a walk along the thousand-year-old forest trail |
| Forest Stage (광릉숲테이지) | Gugak (Korean traditional music), jazz and instrumental shows; busking along the forest trail |
| Forest Photo Studio (광릉숲사진관) | Photo zones set in the forest |
| Forest Yoga (광릉숲요가원) | Yoga in the forest |
| Forest Library (광릉숲도서관) | Reading in the forest |
| Forest Post Office (광릉숲우체국) | Letter writing |
| Forest Teacher (광릉숲선생님) | Guided forest talks |
| Forest Rest Stop (광릉숲멍쉬멍) | Rest area |
Food and the market
run separately as side events.
| Side event | What it is |
|---|---|
| Open, Gwangneung Forest! (열려라광릉숲) | Opening ceremony (pre-show, official ceremony, commemorative and celebration performances) |
| Forest Village Market (광릉숲마을장) | A citizen-run flea market on the lotus path at Bongseonsa Temple |
| Forest Info (광릉숲알리미) | Promotion booths |
| Forest Eats (광릉숲먹거리) | Food booths |
The timetable for each program
and the opening ceremony’s date and time
aren’t in the notices yet.
🚌 Getting there & parking
The website’s directions page
lists a festival shuttle bus.
| Shuttle bus | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | Oct 24 (Sat) · Oct 25 (Sun) |
| Hours | 09:00–18:00 |
| Route | Jinjeop Station Exit 6 ↔ military base parking lot (군부대 주차장), round trip |
| Interval | Every 15 min (route info), about every 20 min (notice text) |
| After you get off | About a 15-minute walk to the festival grounds |
The same page gives the interval
as both 15 minutes and about 20 minutes,
and says the buses will run flexibly
when traffic is heavy.
| Parking lot | Address |
|---|---|
| Bongseonsa Temple parking lot (봉선사 주차장) | 193-13 Bongseonsa-gil, Jinjeop-eup (진접읍 봉선사길 193-13) |
| Military base parking lot (군부대 주차장) | 27 Gwangneungnae-ro 57beon-gil, Jinjeop-eup (진접읍 광릉내로57번길 27) |
The parking lots close after 18:00
Parking fees aren’t listed in the notices.
| From | Bus · where to get off |
|---|---|
| Jinjeop Station Exit 1 (board at Jugok 2-gyo, 주곡2교) | Bus 21 toward Gwangneungnae → Bongseonsa Temple entrance (봉선사 입구) |
| Uijeongbu Station (Line 1) Exit 5 | Bus 21 → past the Korea National Arboretum and Gwangneung → Bongseonsa Temple entrance |
| Uijeongbu Intercity Bus Terminal (의정부시외버스터미널) | Bus 21 → Bongseonsa Temple |
| Cheongnyangni Station (Line 1) transfer center | Bus 707 → Janghyeon (장현), then village bus 2 → Bongseonsa Temple entrance |
| Gangbyeon Station (Line 2) Exit 4 | Bus 1 or 11 → Janghyeon, then village bus 2 → Bongseonsa Temple entrance |
| Jamsil Station (Lines 2 & 8) Exit 7 | Bus 7007 → Janghyeon, then village bus 2 → Bongseonsa Temple entrance |
Bus 21 runs every 40–50 minutes.
For the festival address,
the website’s directions page gives 193 Bongseonsa-gil,
while the city’s cultural events listing
gives 32 Bongseonsa-gil — different numbers.
This post follows the website,
and the map shows the Bongseonsa Temple
parking lot next to No. 193.
👨👩👧 Going with kids
It’s a festival about
walking forest trails,
so pack comfortable walking shoes
for the kids.
If you take the shuttle,
it’s another 15 minutes or so on foot
from the military base parking lot
to the festival grounds.
There are restful programs too,
like reading in the forest,
letter writing and a rest area.
If the kids get tired, drop in for a break.
Parking lots close after 18:00
Shuttles run until 18:00 too
If you came by car, head out in good time
⏳ Not announced yet
□ Admission fee (free or not)
□ Opening ceremony date & time
□ Program timetables & advance sign-up
□ Forest trail length & stroller access
□ Parking fees
□ Pets & picnic mats
□ What happens if it rains
None of this is in the official notices yet.
We’ll update this post once it’s out.
👍 Recommended for these families
✔ Families who want to walk a forest trail that’s usually off-limits
✔ Families looking for a restful outing, like forest yoga and reading
✔ Families who’d like to catch forest busking and a flea market together
The forest trail opens only once a year,
so this is a festival you have to plan your dates around.
We put this together from official announcements before going ourselves. Photos marked ‘Photo Gallery’ are from the Korea Tourism Organization under KOGL Type 1 (shooting dates noted). The character illustrations are GPT-generated images.
📷 The festival in photos 7
Swipe to see more
🔄 Updates
- One-week check
- First write-up
📎 Sources
- 한국관광공사 관광사진 갤러리 — 진접읍 사진(공공누리 제1유형) 한국관광공사 · 관공서
- 광릉숲축제 소개(축제개요·행사내용) 남양주시 광릉숲축제 누리집 · 주최
- 광릉숲축제 누리집 첫 화면(일정·프로그램 엿보기) 남양주시 광릉숲축제 누리집 · 주최
- 광릉숲축제 오시는 길(셔틀버스·주차장·버스) 남양주시 광릉숲축제 누리집 · 2026.10.6 · 주최
- 1년에 딱 한번만 열리는! 제21회 광릉숲축제(포스터) 남양주시 문화행사 · 관공서
- 대표 콘텐츠 키우고 지역자원 잇는다…남양주시, 축제 활성화 전략 논의 남양주시 보도자료 · 2026.10.6 · 관공서
This is a guide based on official announcements, not a visit review. Schedules, programs and fees can change, so please re-check the official notice before you go.
Translated from our Korean post with AI assistance. Dates, times and other numbers were checked against the Korean original on October 7, 2026. We did not check whether the festival offers guidance in English. Original post (Korean)