Taebaek

Taebaek Travel Perfect Guide — 700m above sea level plateau summer retreat + 'Descendants of the Sun' filming location + muldakgalbi

Taebaek is a plateau city 700m above sea level in southern Gangwon Province. It's cool even in midsummer, making it a perfect summer retreat, and in summer, you can find sunflower fields, year-round drama filming locations, and spicy muldakgalbi — a travel destination where nature, Hallyu, and mukbang all come together.

Summer Highlight — Taebaek Sunflower Festival 🌻

Guwau Village, a plateau 800m above sea level, is dyed yellow with 1 million sunflowers in midsummer. As it's a high-altitude area, it's relatively cool even in the daytime, allowing visitors to get their best "life shots" without getting exhausted by the heat, which is the biggest advantage of this festival.

Period: July 17, 2026 ~ August 17, 2026 (approximately one month)
Location: Guwau Village area, Taebaek-si, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province
Operating Hours: 07:00 ~ 19:00 (Last entry 18:00)
Admission Fee: Adults 7,000 won / Students·Groups of 20 or more 5,000 won (2026 official standard, check official announcement for changes)
Parking: Free on-site
Inquiries: 033-553-9707 / Official website sunflowerfestival.co.kr

How to Get There: For public transportation, it is realistic to take a taxi from Taebaek Station or Taebaek Intercity Bus Terminal. If you use a rental car, it's convenient to group Guwau Village → Geomnyongso → Cheolam area into a one-day trip, especially for family and photography tours.

Photo Tip: Early morning when the light is soft, and sunset are the best times for photography. Sunflowers turn their heads towards the sun, so to capture the flowers facing forward, you should shoot with front light (with the sun behind you). Looking down from the top of the hill, you can capture the yellow waves of flowers and the plateau ridge in one frame.

Plateau Attractions

Hill of Wind (Maebongsan Wind Farm)

Wind turbines on a ridge about 1,300m above sea level + summer highland cabbage fields. A famous spot for sunrise and sea of clouds. The green cabbage fields and white windmills are representative summer scenery.

Geomnyongso — Source of the Han River

At the foot of Daedeoksan Mountain, a gentle walking path 30 minutes from the parking lot. The spring where the Han River begins. (Hwangji Pond, the source of the Nakdong River, is also in Taebaek)

Chujeon Station — The Highest Train Station in Korea

855m above sea level, the highest station in Korea. Plateau railway sensibility.

🎬 For Drama Fans — 'Descendants of the Sun' Filming Location, Tantann Park

Tantann Park in Tong-ri was created on the site of the former Hanbo Coal Mine, and it is a filming location for the popular 2016 drama 'Descendants of the Sun'. It's an example of a closed coal mine transforming into a Hallyu (Korean Wave) pilgrimage site. → For drama stories, refer to Drama.

🍲 Mukbang — Taebaek Muldakgalbi

Taebaek's representative dish, muldakgalbi (spicy watery dakgalbi). It is famous enough to have restaurants featured on Baek Jong-won's '3 Great Emperors'. → For mukbang, refer to Mukbang.

How to Get There & Tips

Seoul → Taebaek: Cheongnyangni KTX-Eum/Mugunghwa or express bus (approx. 3 hours).
Best time for summer retreat: Mid-to-late July to early August after the monsoon season. Since it's a high-altitude area with large temperature differences, bring a light jacket.
Sample Itinerary (1 night, 2 days): Sunflower Festival (Guwau) → Hill of Wind → Muldakgalbi → Tantann Park → Geomnyongso.