Festivals
Gimcheon Gimbap Festival 2026: A Day Trip from Seoul (Oct 23–25)
A Day Trip from Seoul
The Gimcheon Gimbap Festival (김천김밥축제) is a festival all about gimbap, Korea's seaweed-wrapped rice rolls. It is held in three parks below Jikjisa Temple (직지사) in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province.
In 2026 it runs for three days, Friday October 23 to Sunday October 25, and entry is free. You can do it in a day from Seoul by taking the KTX to KTX Gimcheon(Gumi) Station (김천구미역) and switching to a free shuttle. This guide covers getting there, plus a day-trip plan and an overnight plan.
At a glance
Dates: Friday, October 23 – Sunday, October 25, 2026
Hours: Fri Oct 23 10:00–18:00 · Sat Oct 24 – Sun Oct 25 09:00–18:00
Venue: Jikji Culture Park, Samyeongdaesa Park and Eco Park, Gimcheon
Admission: Free (gimbap and other food are paid for on site)
From Seoul: KTX Seoul Station → Gimcheon(Gumi) Station, about 1 hr 30 min, ₩31,800, then the free shuttle
Last checked: October 10, 2026
In this guide
- Venue and contacts
- Why go
- Festival program
- Getting there
- Sample itineraries
- Where to eat · Where to stay
- Tips for foreign visitors
- Nearby · Sources
Venue and Contacts
| Venue | Jikji Culture Park (직지문화공원), Samyeongdaesa Park (사명대사공원) and Eco Park (친환경생태공원) 118 Jikjisa-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon (경북 김천시 대항면 직지사길 118) |
|---|---|
| Nearest stations | KTX Gimcheon(Gumi) Station, Gimcheon Station (김천역) Free festival shuttles from both |
| How long to stay | Half a day or more (arrive in the morning, leave in the late afternoon) |
| Contacts | Email synergy0910@naver.com Instagram @gc_gimbapcity, Gimcheon City @gimcheon_official Phone 053-965-0910 (festival office), 054-420-6714 (Gimcheon City Tourism Policy Division) Website gimbapcity.kr |
Why Go
To understand this festival, you first need to know Gimbap Cheonguk (김밥천국). The name means "Gimbap Heaven," and it's a cheap snack-bar chain you'll see all over Korea, the first place most Koreans think of when they hear the word gimbap.
Koreans love shortening long names to their first syllables. If you shorten Gimbap Cheonguk that way, you get Gimcheon, the name of this small city in North Gyeongsang Province.
So among younger Koreans, the running joke was that "Gimcheon" brings the gimbap chain to mind before the city. When Gimcheon City asked the MZ generation (Koreans born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s) what came to mind when they heard "Gimcheon," "Gimbap Cheonguk" really was one of the answers, and the city turned the pun into a festival.
Gimcheon was never known for gimbap; it got a gimbap festival simply because its name sounds right.
How big it has become
- 2024: The first festival drew about 100,000 people, five times the 20,000 the city expected, and the gimbap ran out early.
- 2025: 150,000 people came over two days (80,000 on the first day, 70,000 on the second), more than Gimcheon's entire population of about 134,000. Every stall limited sales to four rolls per person, and "sold out" signs still went up on the first morning.
- 2026: The festival grows to three days and adds Eco Park to the grounds. About 60 kinds of gimbap will be on offer, including local Gimcheon gimbap, winning rolls from the Gimbap Cooking Contest and unusual gimbap from around the country.
Festival Program
The grounds are split into four zones: Gimbap Plaza (Jikji Culture Park, with the main stage), Gimbap Heaven (Samyeongdaesa Park), Gimbap Event Yard (at the Tower of Peace) and Gimbap Playground (Eco Park).
Main-stage concerts
The main-stage concerts are Bobby Kim on the 23rd, Jadu on the 24th and Cheeze on the 25th, all starting at 16:00, with comedian Park Young-jin as host. This table lists only the program items announced with both a time and a place, by date.
| Date | Program |
|---|---|
| Fri Oct 23 | Bobby Kim concert 16:00 · Main stage, Gimbap Plaza (Jikji Culture Park) R&B singer Bobby Kim (바비킴) opens the first day, booked for a festival pun: "What's gimbap in English? Bobby Kim." |
| Sat Oct 24 | Jadu concert 16:00 · Main stage, Gimbap Plaza (Jikji Culture Park) Singer Jadu (자두), best known for her song "Gimbap" (김밥). Her name also means "plum," and plums are a Gimcheon specialty. |
| Sun Oct 25 | Cheeze concert 16:00 · Main stage, Gimbap Plaza (Jikji Culture Park) Acoustic singer Cheeze (치즈) closes the last day, introduced with the line "the best gimbap is cheese gimbap." |
All three days (no set times)
- Gimbap Plaza (김밥광장, Jikji Culture Park)
Gimbap Factory, premium local gimbap, Gimcheon dessert zone, local specialty zone, flea market and a gimbap "mulmeong" zone (a spot to sit and zone out by the water).
The central zone, where you can watch gimbap being made, try it yourself and taste gimbap made with Gimcheon produce. - Gimbap Heaven (김밥천국, Samyeongdaesa Park)
gimbap from every province and unusual gimbap, curated gimbap, Gimbap Cooking Contest winners, Gimbap Studio, gimbap art hall, gimbap mailbox, cosplay, busking and a picnic exhibition hall.
Taste unusual gimbap from all over Korea and roll your own at the Gimbap Studio. - Gimbap Event Yard (김밥이벤트마당, Tower of Peace)
Gimcheon signature gimbap, the official Kkodari goods shop, a retro gimbap & cider zone (cider in Korea means lemon-lime soda), hanbok try-on zone, hands-on booths and a fringe stage.
The zone for souvenirs of the mascot Kkodari (꼬달이) and for trying on hanbok, traditional Korean clothing. - Gimbap Playground (김밥놀이터, Eco Park)
make-your-own Kkodari snacks, a giant gimbap bouncy castle, gimbap arcade, maze and gimbap train.
A play zone for families with children.
Getting There
All options below start in Seoul.
| Option | Route, time and fare (one way) |
|---|---|
| KTX (from Seoul Station) |
Seoul Station (서울역) → Gimcheon(Gumi) Station About 1 hr 30 min · ₩31,800 Fastest. Book on the Korail+ app; free shuttle from the station |
| KTX (from Suseo Station) |
Suseo Station (수서역) → Gimcheon(Gumi) Station About 1 hr 20–30 min · ₩30,300 Handy if you're starting from the Gangnam area |
| ITX-Saemaeul / ITX-Maeum |
Seoul Station → Gimcheon Station About 2 hr 35 min – 3 hr · ₩24,500 Free shuttle from Gimcheon Station |
| Kakao T direct shuttle |
Jamsil, Sadang or Seoul Station → festival grounds No transfers · Shown in the app Book in the Kakao T app. Comes with a roll of gimbap and festival goods |
| Intercity bus | Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (동서울터미널) → Gimcheon Intercity Bus Terminal (김천공용버스터미널) About 3 hr · Premium class ₩27,000 3 buses a day. You make your own way from the terminal to the festival |
There is currently no express bus from Seoul to Gimcheon, and Gimcheon has no subway.
Our pick
Take the KTX to Gimcheon(Gumi) Station and switch to the free shuttle. It's the fastest option, with only one change.
Good to know
KTX and SRT are now one. Since September 1, 2026, Korail has run KTX and SRT as a single service. Trains from Suseo Station are now also booked on the Korail+ app, and fares came down by about 10%.
From the station to the festival: free shuttle
- Buses: Sixty full-size buses run about every 20 minutes to the festival (Jikji Public Parking Lot 2, 직지 제2공영주차장).
- Stops: KTX Gimcheon(Gumi) Station, Gimcheon Station and Gimcheon Sports Town (김천종합스포츠타운).
- Hours: Fri Oct 23 10:00–19:00 and Sat–Sun Oct 24–25 08:00–19:00.
Good to know
There is no shuttle service 12:00–13:00 and 16:00–17:00. If you're driving, don't drive all the way to the festival; park at Sports Town or near one of the stations and take the shuttle.
Sopung Taxi
If the shuttle times don't suit you, call a Sopung Taxi (소풍택시, "picnic taxi"), an on-demand taxi service. Fares are per car (up to 4 people), not per person, one way:
- Gimcheon Station ↔ Jikjisa: ₩8,000
- Gimcheon(Gumi) Station ↔ Jikjisa: ₩8,000
- Sports Town ↔ Jikjisa: ₩5,000
Book through its own app or the call center at 1877-8293. During the festival it runs until 21:00 (last booking 20:30).
Sample Itineraries
Train times are from the Korail timetable checked on October 10.
Tip
In 2025 the popular rolls sold out in the morning. Buy the gimbap you want most first.
Day Trip (Saturday, October 24)
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 05:30 | Wake up |
| 06:33 | KTX from Seoul Station → 08:03 arrive at Gimcheon(Gumi) Station Next train 07:27 → 08:55 |
| 08:10 | Board the free shuttle in front of the station |
| 09:00 | The festival opens. Start with the Gimbap Plaza and Gimbap Heaven zones and buy the gimbap you want most first. |
| 12:00–13:00 | The shuttle takes a break, so stay at the festival. For a rice meal instead of gimbap, head to the mountain-vegetable restaurant row at the entrance to the Jikjisa parking lot (see Where to Eat). |
| 13:00–15:30 | Walk to Jikjisa Temple (free entry, about 1 km on foot from the festival) Gimbap Event Yard (Tower of Peace) and Gimbap Playground (Eco Park) |
| 16:00 | Jadu concert on the main stage at Gimbap Plaza |
| 17:00 | Shuttles start running again. The line back gets long, so join it as soon as the concert ends. |
| 19:12 | KTX from Gimcheon(Gumi) Station → 20:52 arrive at Seoul Station Earlier train 18:20 → 19:48, later train 19:58 → 21:31 |
If the shuttle line is too long, call a Sopung Taxi (₩8,000 per car to Gimcheon(Gumi) Station).
Overnight (Friday, October 23 – Saturday, October 24)
Day 1 (Friday)
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 07:30 | Wake up |
| 09:04 | KTX from Seoul Station → 10:34 arrive at Gimcheon(Gumi) Station Friday shuttles start at 10:00 |
| 11:00 | Arrive at the festival and start tasting gimbap |
| 12:00–13:00 | Lunch at the Jikjisa mountain-vegetable restaurant row (see Where to Eat) |
| 13:00–16:00 | Explore the festival zones and walk to Jikjisa Temple |
| 16:00 | Bobby Kim concert on the main stage |
| Evening | Head to your lodging: Jikjisa Templestay: check-in is 14:30–14:50, which clashes with the 16:00 concert → Where to Stay Gimcheon Park Tourist Hotel: about a 7-minute walk from the festival, so watch the concert and walk over → Where to Stay Hotel Logenir: take a station-bound shuttle before service ends at 19:00, and have dinner at Uri Bansang Siwol, Gimcheon main branch (Where to Eat) → Where to Stay |
Day 2 (Saturday)
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| Early morning | At the templestay: dawn service at 04:20, breakfast at 05:55 |
| 08:00 | At a hotel: catch the first shuttle from Gimcheon(Gumi) Station |
| 09:00 | The festival opens. Buy the gimbap you missed yesterday before the crowds arrive |
| 12:00–13:00 | Lunch at the Jikjisa mountain-vegetable restaurant row (see Where to Eat) |
| 16:00 | Jadu concert on the main stage |
| 17:00 | Shuttle back or Sopung Taxi |
| 18:20 | KTX from Gimcheon(Gumi) Station → 19:48 arrive at Seoul Station If you miss it, 19:12 → 20:52 |
Where to Eat
For a proper meal instead of gimbap, go to the sanchae (mountain vegetable) restaurant row at the entrance to the Jikjisa parking lot. About 20 restaurants serving wild-greens set meals are clustered here, a 5–7 minute walk from the festival.
A sanchae hanjeongsik is a set meal where the whole table fills up with side dishes of wild mountain greens and mushrooms.
Tip
During the festival, restaurants in the Jikjisa shopping area take ₩1,000 off per visitor.
Cheongsan Goeul (청산고을), "Green Mountain Village"
A wild-greens set-meal restaurant that has stood in front of Jikjisa for more than 30 years. The side dishes, mostly mushrooms and mountain greens, are mildly seasoned, and the vegetables come from the restaurant's own farm. The mixed set meal includes pork grilled on a wire rack over a coal-briquette fire and grilled deodeok (a mountain root).
Type: Sanchae hanjeongsik (wild mountain greens set meal)
Signature dishes: Wild-greens set with pot-cooked sticky rice ₩20,000 · Mixed wild-greens set with pot-cooked sticky rice ₩25,000 · Wild-greens bibimbap ₩12,000 · Special pine mushroom set ₩35,000
Hours: 09:00–19:30 (last order 18:30), break 14:30–16:30 on Sat–Sun, closed Tuesdays
Tip for visitors: The menu on Naver Map has photos, so it's easy to order by showing your screen (Naver Place)
Distance: About a 6-minute walk (about 450 m) to Gimbap Plaza (Jikji Culture Park)
Payment: Credit cards accepted (Korea Tourism Organization data)
Address & phone: 32 Hwanghakdong-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon (김천시 대항면 황학동길 32) · 054-436-8030
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): [경북/김천] 청산고을: 직지사 근처 대항면 한정식 맛집 (솔이, 2026-07)
[Century Store] Buil Sanchae Sikdang (부일산채식당), "Buil Wild Greens Restaurant"
Opened in 1982 and named a Century Store by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in 2019. Its signatures are the wild-greens set meal and bulgogi grilled on a wire rack over a coal-briquette fire, and the wild-greens bibimbap is popular too.
The restaurant makes its own doenjang (soybean paste), soy sauce and gochujang (chili paste).
Century Store (백년가게): a government certification under the Century Small Business program of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service, given to outstanding shops that have been in business for 30 years or more.
Type: Wild-greens set meals · grilled bulgogi
Signature dishes: Wild-greens set meal, mixed set meal, coal-briquette grilled bulgogi, wild-greens bibimbap
Hours: 09:00–21:00 daily, open year-round
Distance: About a 7-minute walk (about 500 m) to Gimbap Plaza (Jikji Culture Park)
Address & phone: 35-1 Hwanghakdong-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon (김천시 대항면 황학동길 35-1) · 054-436-6037
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): [김천 직지사 맛집] 부일산채식당에서 산채 한정식 (범기의 일상, 2026-10)
Iljik Sikdang (일직식당), "Iljik Restaurant"
A restaurant that specializes in dishes made with wild greens and mushrooms from the mountains. It cooks with ingredients you rarely come across, such as neungi mushrooms, deodeok, pine mushrooms and dureup shoots, and its wire-rack grilled dishes are popular too.
Type: Wild-greens and mushroom set meals
Signature dishes: Wild-greens set ₩20,000 · Mixed wild-greens set ₩25,000 · Iljik special ₩35,000 · Bulgogi with rice and sides ₩25,000 · Wild-greens bibimbap ₩12,000
Hours: Open year-round
Tip for visitors: Tables with chairs rather than floor seating, spaced well apart. High chairs for small children are available, and there are steps on the path to the entrance (Korea Tourism Organization, Accessible Travel). The menu on Naver Map has photos (Naver Place)
Distance: About a 5-minute walk (about 390 m) to Gimbap Plaza (Jikji Culture Park)
Address & phone: 4-7 Hwanghakdong-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon (김천시 대항면 황학동길 4-7) · 054-436-6027
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): 김천 일직식당 한정식 후기, 1인 2만원 산채 한정식 3인 상차림 (dailyeun, 2026-09)
Uri Bansang Siwol, Gimcheon main branch (우리반상시월 김천본점), "Our Table, October"
This Korean restaurant serving rice cooked in hot stone pots is not near the festival but in Yulgok-dong (Gimcheon Innovation City), on the KTX Gimcheon(Gumi) Station side of town. It's a good dinner spot on a night you stay at a hotel near the station.
Type: Korean meals with hot stone pot rice
Signature dishes: Healthy stone pot rice ₩14,000 · Gondre (thistle greens) stone pot rice ₩15,000 · Old-style barley rice ₩12,000 · Grilled mackerel ₩7,000 · Charcoal-grilled pork bulgogi ₩20,000
Hours: 11:30–21:00 (last order 20:30), weekday break 15:00–16:30 (no break on weekends), open year-round
Tip for visitors: The menu on Naver Map has photos (Naver Place)
Distance: You can't walk here from the festival. It's also about 2.6 km from Gimcheon(Gumi) Station, so take a taxi
Address & phone: 5 Hyeoksin 8-ro, Gimcheon (김천시 혁신8로 5) · 054-434-7729
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): 김천혁신도시 맛집 우리반상시월, 동김천IC 근처 한식 내 돈 내산 (능금아씨, 2026-09)
Where to Stay
You can do a templestay at Jikjisa right next to the festival, stay at a hotel near the festival, or stay at a hotel by KTX Gimcheon(Gumi) Station. The festival and the KTX station are about 25 minutes apart by car.
Stay near the festival if you're going back to it the next day, or near the station if you're heading straight back to Seoul.
Good to know
According to the Daegu Ilbo (August 2026), Gimcheon has only two lodgings above a certain size: the Park Hotel near Jikjisa and Hotel Logenir in the Innovation City. Once you've decided to go, book your room first.
Jikjisa Templestay (직지사 템플스테이), "a night at the temple"
A program where you spend a night following the monks' daily routine at Jikjisa, a temple founded in 418.
In 2002 Jikjisa invited foreign ambassadors in Korea to the country's first official templestay. After the evening meal, service and meditation, 19:20–21:00 is free time, so you can take a night walk in Samyeongdaesa Park and Jikji Culture Park.
Type: Temple stay. On the festival's Friday and Saturday nights only the meditation program runs (the relaxation program runs Tue, Wed, Thu and Sun)
Location: Templestay office (Janggyeonggak), 95 Jikjisa-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon (김천시 대항면 직지사길 95). About 1 km on foot from the festival (Jikji Culture Park). From KTX Gimcheon(Gumi) Station, take the free shuttle or a Sopung Taxi (₩8,000 per car) to the festival, then walk
Price (per person, per night): Meditation program, adults ₩80,000–90,000 (standard room, which you may share with other participants; men and women are placed separately), single-bed room ₩120,000. Lunch, dinner and breakfast included (official Templestay page, checked October 10, 2026)
Check-in / check-out: Arrive at the office 14:30–14:50, orientation at 15:00 (required) / leave after lunch at 12:00 the next day
Booking: Templestay English booking page · Korean page. Single-bed rooms can be booked until 5 days before the program starts. Contact 054-429-1716, jikjisa@templestay.com
Tip for visitors: The Templestay information center's English site marks Jikjisa as a "Temple for foreigner" and takes bookings for its English program. The Korea Tourism Organization's English site also lists it as a temple running regular templestays for foreigners. Practice clothes are provided, but bring your own toiletries and towel, and the rooms have no locks
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): 김천 직지사 1박 2일 템플스테이 후기 :: 새벽예불, 꽃무릇, 지옥 구경까지 (두두리, 2026-10)
Hotel Logenir (호텔 로제니아)
A business hotel in Yulgok-dong (Gimcheon Innovation City), right in front of KTX Gimcheon(Gumi) Station. There are plenty of restaurants, cafés and convenience stores nearby for dinner, and the next morning you can catch the first shuttle right outside the station.
Booking-site reviews say it's clean and well located, and also that the facilities are dated.
Type: Business hotel
Location: 16 Hyeoksin 3-ro, Gimcheon (김천시 혁신3로 16). About 470 m from KTX Gimcheon(Gumi) Station (Trip.com), under 10 minutes on foot. To the festival, take the free shuttle from the station (Fri Oct 23 10:00–19:00, Sat–Sun Oct 24–25 08:00–19:00, every 20 minutes, no service 12:00–13:00 and 16:00–17:00) or a Sopung Taxi (₩8,000 per car); about 25 minutes by car
Price (per night): About ₩65,000–130,000, booking-site prices (HotelsCombined lowest shown ₩64,563, average ₩128,845, checked October 10, 2026)
Check-in / check-out: From 15:00 / by 11:00. 24-hour front desk. Breakfast buffet costs extra (adults ₩16,000)
Booking: Agoda · Trip.com · Booking.com. Phone 054-429-4700
Tip for visitors: Trip.com and Tripadvisor list English and Japanese as languages the staff speak
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): 김천 호텔 로제니아 호텔 솔직후기 – 주차 주차요금 어매니티 객실 등 (투수하, 2025-09)
Gimcheon Park Tourist Hotel (김천파크관광호텔)
A tourist hotel next to the wild-greens restaurant row at the Jikjisa entrance, close to Jikji Culture Park. You can walk to the festival, so there's no shuttle line to stand in.
Booking-site reviews mention friendly staff and a quiet stay, and also that the building is old.
Type: Tourist hotel (3-star)
Location: 35-23 Hwanghakdong-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon (김천시 대항면 황학동길 35-23). About a 7-minute walk (about 500 m) to Gimbap Plaza (Jikji Culture Park). From KTX Gimcheon(Gumi) Station, take the free shuttle to the festival or a Sopung Taxi (₩8,000 per car to Jikjisa)
Price (per night): About ₩49,000–64,000, booking-site prices (HotelsCombined lowest shown ₩48,969, average about ₩64,255, checked October 10, 2026)
Check-in / check-out: 14:00 / 11:00 the next day (Korea Tourism Organization)
Booking: Agoda · Trip.com · Expedia (the booking sites in HotelsCombined's price comparison). Phone 054-437-8000
Facilities: Elevator and accessible restroom; the entrance is wheelchair accessible (Korea Tourism Organization, Accessible Travel)
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): 김천 직지사 김천파크관광호텔 내돈내산 | 뚜벅이 혼여행 방문 후기 (이하루, 2026-05)
Tips for Foreign Visitors
- Payment: This year the stalls added Kakao Pay QR ordering and payment, which cuts down time spent in line.
- Maps: Naver Map and KakaoMap are more accurate than Google Maps. Scan the QR codes around the festival grounds to get KakaoMap directions to each zone.
- Translation: Papago's camera translation lets you read menus and signs.
- Crowds: In 2025, "sold out" signs went up from the first morning. Buy the popular gimbap in the morning, and don't plan your trip home during the shuttle breaks (12:00–13:00 and 16:00–17:00).
- What to wear: In October, Gimcheon averages about 7°C (45°F) in the morning and about 20°C (68°F) in the daytime. That's a big swing, so dress in layers.
Nearby
The festival grounds are Jikji Culture Park ("Gimbap Plaza," with the main stage) and Samyeongdaesa Park ("Gimbap Heaven," plus "Gimbap Event Yard" at the Tower of Peace), all an easy walk from the shuttle stop (Jikji Public Parking Lot 2).
If you have time left after the gimbap, walk to Jikjisa Temple and the museum inside Samyeongdaesa Park. If you have a car, you can drive out to the Buhang Dam Suspension Bridge.
Jikjisa Temple (직지사), "a thousand-year-old temple on Hwangaksan Mountain"
Founded in 418 at the foot of Hwangaksan Mountain (황악산), just above the festival, Jikjisa is the head temple of the 8th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It has Birojeon Hall, home to 1,000 baby Buddha figures, and the main hall Daeungjeon, a national Treasure, and with no entrance fee it's an easy stop before or after the festival.
The Jikji Seongbo Museum (직지성보박물관) on the temple grounds shows Buddhist cultural heritage, including National Treasures and Treasures.
What to see: Through the Iljumun gate, Cheonwangmun gate and Manseru Pavilion to the main hall Daeungjeon (Treasure) and its three-story stone pagoda, and Birojeon Hall with its thousand Buddha figures. The Jikji Seongbo Museum, on the hill to the left of Manseru, holds pieces such as the gilt-bronze hexagonal sarira reliquary from Dorisa Temple (National Treasure)
Distance & transport: About 1 km along the same road from the festival (Jikji Culture Park), about 15 minutes on foot. From Gimcheon Station or Gimcheon bus terminal, city buses 11 and 111 go to Jikjisa (about 25 minutes)
Hours: Temple 07:00–18:00, open year-round. Jikji Seongbo Museum 09:00–17:30 (tickets until 17:00), closed Mondays and over the Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (harvest festival) holidays, so it's open during the festival (Fri–Sun)
Admission: Temple free (heritage admission fees were dropped in May 2023). Jikji Seongbo Museum adults ₩1,000, teenagers ₩500
Time needed: 1–2 hours for the temple grounds, 30 minutes more for the museum
Tip for visitors: The Korea Tourism Organization's English site still lists adult admission as ₩2,500, but entry has been free since May 4, 2023.
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): 김천가볼만한곳 9월 직지사 꽃무릇 풍경 (28청춘, 2025-09)
Tower of Peace & Gimcheon City Museum, Samyeongdaesa Park (사명대사공원 평화의 탑·김천시립박물관), "a park in memory of the Great Master Samyeong"
The landmark of Samyeongdaesa Park, one of the festival zones, is the Tower of Peace, a five-story wooden pagoda 41.2 m tall. The Gimcheon City Museum in the same park covers Gimcheon's history from prehistoric times to the modern era.
After sunset the lights come on and the tower is reflected in the pond (Bugamji, 북암지), which makes a nice evening walk if you're staying overnight.
What to see: A video on how the wooden pagoda was built and an exhibit on Samyeongdaesa on the tower's ground floor (the floors above are closed, so it doesn't work as a viewpoint), the pond and water wheel in front of the tower, and the city museum's two permanent galleries
Distance & transport: Inside the festival grounds (Samyeongdaesa Park, 130 Jikjisa-gil, Daehang-myeon, Gimcheon / 김천시 대항면 직지사길 130). Walk from the shuttle stop
Hours: Park open year-round, night lighting from sunset to 23:00. City museum 09:00–18:00, closed Mondays, January 1 and over the Seollal and Chuseok holidays
Admission: Park and Tower of Peace free. City museum adults ₩1,000, elementary school students and teenagers ₩500
Time needed: 30 minutes for the tower and pond, 1 hour for the museum
Tip for visitors: At the Hanbok Experience Hall in the park you can rent hanbok and wear it around the park (adults ₩20,000 for 2 hours, Tue–Sun 09:00–16:00, closed Mondays). The tower's ground floor has a vertical lift, so wheelchair users can get in
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): 김천 가볼만한곳 김천 김밥축제 사명대사공원 직지사 (강철새잎, 2024-10)
Buhang Dam Suspension Bridge (부항댐 출렁다리), "a swinging bridge over the lake"
A 256 m pedestrian suspension bridge across the Buhang Dam lake in southern Gimcheon. It sways with every step, and you get the lake and the mountains in one view.
The bridge is free, and next to it are a zipline that starts from a 94 m tower and a skywalk (both paid). It suits overnight travelers with a car.
What to see: The suspension bridge over the lake, the zipline and skywalk tower, and a lakeside trail of about 8 km linking the Water Culture Center and the constructed wetland
Distance & transport: 352 Buhangdam-gil, Buhang-myeon, Gimcheon (김천시 부항면 부항댐길 352). About 24 km from the festival, about 30 minutes by car or taxi (OpenStreetMap routing). The festival shuttle doesn't go here
Hours: March–November 09:00–22:00 (December–February 09:00–17:00), open year-round. Access is restricted in rain, strong wind or snow
Admission: Bridge and parking free. The zipline and skywalk are paid
Time needed: 30 minutes to 1 hour to cross the bridge and back, about 2 hours 30 minutes for the full lakeside trail
Visitor review (in Korean, use your browser's translate): 김천 부항댐 수변 둘레길 (백고무신 부부, 2025-12)
Sources
- Official Instagram: @gc_gimbapcity / Sopung Taxi's extended festival hours: official Instagram post / Gimcheon City: @gimcheon_official
- Korea Tourism Organization festival listing: VisitKorea – Gimcheon Gimbap Festival (Korean)
- Shuttle and Sopung Taxi: News1, Pressian, Gimcheon Shinmun, Today Gyeongbuk
- Hours, concerts and zones: Namuwiki (2026 Gimcheon Gimbap Festival), Korea Tourism Organization (above)
- Festival program (concert times, zone contents): Travel Plus, Gukje News, Today Gyeongbuk schedule, Korea Tourism Organization (above)
- Kakao T shuttle: Gimcheon Shinmun, Gyeongbuk Domin Ilbo
- 2026 festival layout, payment and shop discounts: Edaily, Gimcheon Ilbo
- Past festivals: Yonhap News (2024), Yonhap News (2025)
- Train times and fares: Makka (Seoul → Gimcheon-Gumi), Makka (Suseo → Gimcheon-Gumi), Makka (Gimcheon-Gumi → Seoul), Train timetable (Seoul → Gimcheon-Gumi), Seoul → Gimcheon conventional trains, Gimcheon-Gumi → Seoul KTX
- KTX–SRT merger (September 1, 2026): Seoul Economic Daily, Korea Railroad News
- Intercity bus (Dong Seoul → Gimcheon): Korea Charts, Asamaru intercity bus timetable
- Directions to Jikjisa: Jikjisa official website / Admission fee waiver: Yonhap News
- Where to stay: Jikjisa Templestay Templestay information center, meditation program single-bed room dates and prices, relaxation program days, English page, Korea Tourism Organization English templestay guide / Hotel Logenir HotelsCombined, Trip.com, Tripadvisor / Gimcheon Park Tourist Hotel Korea Tourism Organization, Accessible Travel, HotelsCombined, Hotelping (review summary) / Lodging in Gimcheon: Daegu Ilbo (August 2026) / Walking and driving distances to lodgings: OpenStreetMap routing
- Where to eat: Cheongsan Goeul Naver Place, DiningCode, Korea Tourism Organization data, Biz Joongang, The Buyer / Buil Sanchae Sikdang: Naver Place, Korea Tourism Organization data / Iljik Sikdang: Naver Place, DiningCode, Korea Tourism Organization, Accessible Travel / Uri Bansang Siwol: Naver Place, Korea Tourism Organization data
- Century Store program: Ministry of SMEs and Startups press release / Restaurant walking distances: OpenStreetMap walking routes (from Naver Place coordinates)
- Nearby: Jikjisa Korea Tourism Organization, Accessible Travel, VISITKOREA (English) / Jikji Seongbo Museum museum visitor information, Central Buddhist Museum / Samyeongdaesa Park and Tower of Peace Gimcheon Facilities Management Corporation, Korea Tourism Organization night tourism, Media Life / Gimcheon City Museum public facility information (provided by Gimcheon City) / Buhang Dam Suspension Bridge Reportera, Telltrip, Korea Charts (Korea Tourism Organization data) / Distances: OpenStreetMap routing
- Map and translation apps: Come On Korea
- October average temperatures: page citing Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals
- Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Last checked: October 10, 2026