Damyang Juknokwon Bamboo Forest 2026: Entry Fee, Hours, and How to Get There from Seoul

Bottom line: Juknokwon Bamboo Garden in Damyang requires a bus or taxi transfer from Gwangju-Songjeong Station, but that still makes it a doable day trip without renting a car. Catch an early KTX from Seoul and you can be walking through the bamboo grove before lunch — and still have time to swing by the Gwangju Kimchi Festival (Oct 23-25) the same day.

If you didn't know: Assuming you can simply walk to Juknokwon from Gwangju-Songjeong Station — because it's technically 'in Damyang' — means discovering on the spot that you actually need one more bus or taxi transfer, which throws off a tight schedule. On the other hand, assuming public transit is too inconvenient and booking an extra night in Gwangju costs you 50,000 to 100,000 won more in accommodation you didn't need.

Past the entrance, tall bamboo canopies close overhead almost immediately, and every gust of wind sets off a dry rustle of leaves knocking together. The paths are split into eight named themed trails — Unsudaetong-gil, Philosopher's Path among them — and walking all of them takes a little over an hour. From Gwangju-Songjeong Station, take an intercity bus to Damyang's bus terminal and switch to a local bus, or just take a taxi if you're carrying luggage and want to save time. On the way back, check the last KTX time first — on weekdays, the last Seoul-bound KTX from Gwangju-Songjeong is said to leave around 8 p.m., but it shifts by day and season, so it's safer to check that day's schedule on the Korail app. Since the Gwangju Kimchi Festival runs the same week, October 23-25, at Gwangju City Hall Square, you can see the bamboo forest in the morning and head to the festival grounds in the afternoon.

Journey stage: During the trip · Verified 2026-10-20 · Source Korea Tourism Organization, Damyang County (via media reports).