Auraji Rail Bike Experience

For the long awaited AURAJI RAIL BIKE trip!! For this I'm going to do a super detailed post because I realise there is not enough information online, especially in English. Even before I went, I was very unsure if I will get there alive... Haha! So this is the ultimate Auraji Rail Bike survival post!! Bookmark this page!!

What you need:

Sunglasses (it’s sunny in summer out in the mountains)

Cardigan (how should I explain.. it’s warm but at the same time windy at times? And for those who don’t want to get a tan because the ride is about an hour, a thin cardigan will do)

Packed lunch

Comfortable shoes (to cycle)

Note: the trip to Auraji is especially tricky because of the timings involved. The timings of the train there, timings of the ride and for the train ride back to Seoul. We managed to fit everything well together =)

More information at this website

1) book a day-tour package

 if you can read Korean, try this website. They offer day trips - all included, so you don't even have to worry about the transportation. The thing about this is that you need to have a Korean to help you with the booking. I'm very lucky to have my Korean friend help me book this but the booked trip was cancelled in the end (yes it might happen!!) due to poor turnout rate. That was partly due to the fact that the package I signed up for was the Auraji + Folk village and not the Auraji + traditional food market which Auraji is famous for.. so maybe it wasn’t as popular.. (They have different packages on different days and our schedule could only fit the folk village tour..)

So what's next? I really wanted to go...

2) book train trip

You need to get to Auraji. Our way was Cheongyangni > Mindungsan > Auraji because that was the only available train route on that day. It's about 3 hours to Mindungsan and we had to transfer train. Fell dead asleep on the train because we woke up at 5am. (there is also bus rides but i prefer train rides!) Remember to pack lunch!!

there's a train cafe at cabin 4 though...

At Mindungsan. THE FRESH AIR.

Next was train to Auraji. About an hour?

 

 

We are here!!! The big fishes =) sure sign that I made it here alive LOL

3) Then you wait for the shuttle bus at the train station. It brings you to the Grasshoppers (starting point)!

4) the HUGE Grasshoppers!! Start point of Auraji. Buy your tickets at the counter.

The trick is here: once you go back to the Fishes (ending point), if you wanna come back to the Grasshoppers it's gonna cost you another rail trip (free train shuttle back but not down the trail - that's extra money spent and extra exercising - the biking is no joke!! ) so buy the right timing so you can have time to explore both areas =) we were in time for the 11am but we chose the 2pm one because we wanted to explore the area. P.S. the rides don’t start exactly on time so don't worry if you are a little late.

5) Explore! The grasshopper cafe is HUGE. And the train tracks are good background for your photos!

 

 

 

 

6) time for ride! Before the ride they have a longgg safety speech in Korean. Don't worry, stay calm and bike safely :D

Trick: get on the bike last.. Like LAST of everyone. You wanna bike on your own pace do you? Not under necessary stress of the bikers behind who might be serial bikers lol D: we did a crazy bike rush at the end cos the couple behind us suddenly decided to speed up, that really drove us crazy. It's like exercising in the gym.

7) Enjoy the view! There are a few tunnels that you will go through, the last one even having Kpop songs playing in it. The tunnels are really cooling.

8) Say hello again to the fishes! It takes about an hour…

*

9) Explore the rest of the town while waiting for the train back to Seoul. Check out the train timings before walking about.. there is a great area beyond the Auraji rail bike area that not many people know of! Let me show you :D

Walk across the tracks and the bushes beyond the fishes..

 

 

scenic right?

made it back to Seoul safe and sound =)

thank you Jeongseon, you were beautiful!