About this festival
The Hantangang is a UNESCO Global Geopark river that carved through ancient lava flows to create dramatic canyon walls up to 30 metres high. In winter the river freezes solid enough to walk on, and the festival organises guided treks of 3 to 8 kilometres through the gorge. The canyon amplifies the silence in a way that is hard to find elsewhere in Korea. Cheorwon is the closest civilian point to the DMZ, adding an unusual historical backdrop to the natural spectacle.
Getting there
Take an intercity bus from Seoul Express Bus Terminal or Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Cheorwon (about 1 hour 50 minutes). Festival shuttle buses connect Cheorwon Bus Terminal to the trekking start point during the event. Driving from Seoul takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes via Expressway 56.
Tips
Hiking boots with grip or crampons (often rented on-site) are essential on the ice. The festival operates timed entry to manage crowd flow. Cheorwon town has limited accommodation, so booking nearby Chuncheon or arriving as a day trip from Seoul is the practical choice. The gorge can be windy, so a windproof outer layer matters.
Dates by year
- tentative
2027
January 17 – 25, 2027
Source: Manual editorial. Last verified 2026-05-09.