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Alpensia or Yongpyong?

Both resorts are in Daegwallyeong-myeon, and both bring KTX guests from Jinbu Station on their own shuttles. Alpensia is the Olympic park, with the ski jump, the Sliding Centre and the ranches in the same district; Yongpyong is the ski mountain, with the 2018 slalom venue and the cable car up Balwangsan. Here is how to choose.

The verdict

For the Olympic venues, families and a public bus from Seoul, choose Alpensia: the ski jump and its ski history museum and bobsleigh at the Sliding Centre are both there, Yangtte Ranch and Sky Ranch are in the same district, and Alpensia names a bus from Dong Seoul to Hoenggye. For skiing, choose Yongpyong: the IOC calls it the largest ski and snowboard resort in the Republic of Korea, KTO gives it 250 cm of snow a season, and night sessions run to 23:30. Two nights? Ski Yongpyong, then spend a day at Alpensia.

Side by side

Daegwallyeong & Alpensia and Yongpyong & Balwangsan, side by side
Daegwallyeong & AlpensiaYongpyong & Balwangsan
Getting there by KTXKTX to Jinbu Station, then Alpensia's guest shuttle: about 20 minutes, twice a day, from Jinbu at 11:00 and 14:10 (Alpensia).KTX to Jinbu Station, then Yongpyong's guest shuttle: 20 minutes, from Jinbu at 11:00 and 15:00 (Yongpyong, schedule from March 2024).
Buses and carsA public bus from Dong Seoul to Hoenggye, and seasonal ski buses from Seoul and Incheon Airport on Alpensia's shuttle page.Shuttle buses from Seoul and the greater metropolitan area (KTO, 2025); by car, about 200 km and two and a half hours from Seoul via the Daegwallyeong Interchange (Yongpyong).
Best forOlympic sights, families, the Daegwallyeong Snow Festival, arriving by bus.Skiing and snowboarding, night skiing, mountain views, summer golf.
SkiingSki700, with six slopes on Alpensia's facility list, plus sledding and the Alpine Coaster.28 slopes and 14 lifts (resort); the largest ski and snowboard resort in the Republic of Korea (IOC); 250 cm of snow a season on average (KTO).
EveningsThe resort's concert hall and Music Tent, on Alpensia's facility list.Night skiing 19:00–22:00, and a later session to 23:30 (KTO).
Olympic legacyThe ski jump, biathlon, cross-country and sliding centres; bobsleigh in summer and winter at the Sliding Centre (IOC).The 2018 men's and women's giant slalom and slalom (CONI); the FIS 2020 Alpine Skiing Far East Cup (IOC).
Sightseeing within reachYangtte Ranch's sheep, Sky Ranch's tractor tour and the Snow Festival grounds by Songcheon Stream.The Balwangsan Cable Car to 1,458 m, the water park and 45-hole golf course, and Woljeongsa and Odaesan on Yongpyong's list of local attractions.
FeelAn Olympic park on the high pastures, at 700 m by Alpensia's own figure.A ski mountain at the centre of the Baekdudaegan range, in KTO's words, with a cable car to Balwangsan.

Choose Daegwallyeong & Alpensia if

  • The 2018 Olympic venues are the point of the trip
  • You are travelling with children who want to feed the sheep
  • You are coming by public bus from Seoul
  • You want to try bobsleigh, in summer or winter

Choose Yongpyong & Balwangsan if

  • Skiing or snowboarding is the point of the trip
  • You want to ski at night, until 22:00 or 23:30
  • You want the view from Balwangsan without a climb
  • You want golf and a water park in summer

Questions visitors ask

Is Alpensia or Yongpyong better for skiing?

Yongpyong. The IOC calls it the largest ski and snowboard resort in the Republic of Korea, with 28 runs, KTO gives it an average of 250 cm of snow a season, and night sessions run until 22:00 and 23:30. It also hosted the 2018 giant slalom and slalom, by CONI's venue page. Alpensia's Ski700 has six slopes on the resort's list, enough for a ski day between the Olympic sights.

Which is easier without a car?

Alpensia, by a little. Both resorts run guest-only shuttles from Jinbu Station twice a day, but Alpensia also names a public bus from Dong Seoul to Hoenggye, where the resort is located, and lists seasonal ski buses from Seoul and Incheon Airport. For Yongpyong, KTO's 2025 article says shuttle buses run from Seoul and the greater metropolitan area.

Can I stay at one and visit the other?

Yes. Both are in Daegwallyeong-myeon: Alpensia at 325 Solbong-ro and Yongpyong at 715 Olympic-ro. Each resort's shuttle runs only to and from Jinbu Station, so drive between them. For a ski trip, stay at Yongpyong and give Alpensia's Olympic venues a day.

Read both in full.

Daegwallyeong & Alpensia guideYongpyong & Balwangsan guide

Sources & review

Editorial review: · Korea Standard Time