Phoenix Park Ski Resort

Olympic halfpipe & snowboard cross setup at Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park during Pyeongchang 2018

Phoenix Park is located in the Pyeongchang county of Gangwon-do province and is known for being the best freestyle hill in Korea; it’s therefore no surprise that Phoenix Park was the host hill for most of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics snowboarding and freestyle skiing events.

Here’s the Olympic superpipe:

The Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic halfpipe at Phoenix Park

…and Chloe Kim destroying it:

Chloe Kim in the halfpipe at Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park: the hill

Mountain stats
Highest lifted point: 1,050m
Lowest skiable point: 670m
Vertical drop: 380m
Lifts: 9
Runs: 10
Longest run: 3.4km (‘Panorama’ > ‘Sparrow’)
Terrain park: yes (large park for all levels, halfpipe)

Homepage and interactive piste map

While still very small by European or North American standards, Phoenix Park is the fourth biggest ski area in Korea and they make a big effort to make the most of what they’ve got.

Phoenix Park piste map

It also has one of the better natural snowfall records in Korea, so isn’t quite as reliant as most Korean hills on snowmaking – that still isn’t saying much though, and from this author’s observations they’re going to have to work hard keeping it all ship-shape in 2018 (but no harder than they did with Cypress Mountain for Vancouver 2010, so I’m sure they’ll pull it all off. Update: and so they did)

Phoenix Park has a gondola and 8 chairlifts going up from the one base area; the gondola goes to the top of the main peak, Mont Blanc, which also has 5 chairs going all or partway up its slopes. A further 3 chairs open up the terrain on the smaller Phoenix Peak (Bulsaemaru) to the side.

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

As noted above, by European & North American standards it’s small; with 380m of vertical the runs are fairly short, and advanced riders will ski the whole place out well within a 4-hour ticket. That said, it still has more satisfying downhill skiing than the majority of resorts in Korea (behind only Yongpyong, High1, and Muju Deogyusan), with a decent gradient and a few nice steep sections. Combined with the good freestyle on offer, Phoenix Park is probably the best option in the country for advanced riders who’re into park & pipe.

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Phoenix Park is good for:

Freestyle; the park is the best in Korea (arguably along with Welli Hilli Park), and it has a halfpipe (one of only a few in Korea).

Intermediate and advanced riders.

Phoenix Park is not so good for:

It’s hard to fault Phoenix Park really; it’s not very big, but that’s standard in Korea.

Here’s the terrain park:

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

They usually have a boardercross course too, roped off on the right of this pic:

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Phoenix Park lift tickets

Phoenix Park lift tickets follow the typical ticketing model in Korea, with the operating hours split into day & night by a 2-hour snow grooming break at 4:30pm; the daytime hours (8:30am – 4:30pm) are subdivided into morning and afternoon, and the nighttime hours (6:30pm – 1:00am) are subdivided into night and midnight. You can get a lift ticket for any of the individual time slots, or for various combinations of the above. Also at weekends, operating hours are extended to 4:00am with ‘White Night’ tickets available. Prices range from 50,000 won for a 3-hour Midnight ticket to 89,000 for Afternoon & Night combined (8 hours), see here for details. If you also need rentals it works out cheaper to book a lift & rental combo, see here

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Phoenix Park: accommodation

Phoenix Park has the usual hotel/condo mega-development at the base of the slopes, and you can view and book their rooms here, here, and here. If you also need rentals etc it probably works out best to book a package, see here

If you’re planning to stay in Seoul and hit Phoenix Park from there, search Hotels Combined for hotel deals in Seoul

Airbnb is also a great choice in Korea, and they have listings near Phoenix Park in addition to those in Seoul. If you haven’t used Airbnb before, you can get a 35-dollar discount off your first rental by signing up through Snow Guide Korea; simply click on this link and register!

How to get to Phoenix Park

The new Gangneung KTX line opened in late 2017 and serves nearby Pyeongchang Station, about 90 minutes from Seoul Station for 19,700 won. Phoenix Park has a free shuttle bus for Pyeongchang Station (25 minutes, also calling at Jangpyeong bus terminal), here’s the 2019 schedule:

Phoenix Park shuttle bus schedule to Pyeongchang Station

To read it:

휘닌스 평창 출발 = depart Phoenix Park
장평터미널 경유 = Jangpyeong Terminal stop
평창역(KTX) 도착 = arrive Pyeongchang Station

The bottom section shows departure times in the other direction, from the KTX station to the resort.

Train tickets: you can easily buy train tickets on the day from the ticket machines or manned ticket counters at railway stations, but trains do sell out (especially during peak hours & on holidays) so if you want to be sure of a seat on a specific train it’s better to book in advance. You can either do this in person by visiting a station, or book online on 12go Asia

There are also direct shuttle buses from Seoul to Phoenix Park & back (2-3 hours depending on boarding point, 15,000 won each way); you can make online reservations here (in English). Reservations must be made by 5pm the previous day for morning buses to the resort, however the evening return buses can be booked on the day at the resort (ask at reception). If you have trouble with that you can book the shuttle on Trazy here; they can also arrange direct private airport transfers

Should you want to travel by public highway bus, the resort’s free shuttle from the KTX station also calls at Jangpyeong bus terminal (see schedule above) which can be reached by highway bus from Dong Seoul (East Seoul) Terminal located next to Line 2’s Gangbyeon Station. The highway bus takes 2 hours, costs around 12,000 won, and runs roughly every 30 minutes, and then the shuttle takes another 20 minutes. The boarding point is in front of this building opposite the bus station, though this may change so check when you arrive:

Waiting point for the Phoenix Park shuttle bus

If you take a taxi from Jangpyeong, expect to pay around 17,000 won (there’s a taxi company just outside the bus terminal).

If you also need rentals etc it may be best to book an all-in-one package including transportation (see here, or here to include accommodation)

Here’s the setup for the Pyeongchang 2018 moguls & aerials:

Olympic courses at Phoenix Park

And some scenery shots from the top (Welli Hilli Park is visible in the distance in the first pic, and in the second Yongpyong is actually visible in the far distance bang in the centre of the horizon, though it’s hard to make out in the pic):

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Phoenix Park, Pyeongchang

Any questions about Phoenix Park? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you.

For more Gangwon-do resorts, see here; for full reviews of every Korean ski resort, see here

Also check out the best Korean ski resorts according to various criteria, and this size comparison of Korea’s ski resorts using satellite imagery

If you’re visiting before/during the Olympics, see the top 5 hills to ski at during Pyeongchang 2018, and for more information and the latest updates on Pyeongchang 2018 see here


90 comments on “Phoenix Park Ski Resort
  1. Paul says:

    Hi, thank u for your imformative page, may i ask if there would be any tourist spot around pheonix park ski closed between 10-18Dec 2017?

  2. Shamsul says:

    Hi Simon, your page is amazingly helpful, thanks so much. This is the only place I got to learn about the new KTX line, and I have already booked for early January, thanks! I emailed the hotel to enquire about the shuttle bus from Pyeongchang, but did not get proper reply, it’s as though they know nothing about that, hmm.. Really hope to see you update this page once you found out. Thanks very much again, excellent job !!

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Shamsul, glad to hear it’s helpful!

      I find that Phoenix Park respond much better on Facebook than they do by email – if you go to their Facebook page and send a message there, they usually respond within 24 hours.

      I’m still waiting for them to send me the shuttle bus schedule, and actually I’ve just sent them a reminder message! Will update this page as soon as I can. Cheers!

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi again Shamsul, I’ve just had a message from Phoenix Park, and they said the shuttle bus schedule will be announced next week. I’ll let you know when that happens

      • Shamsul says:

        Hi Simon, many thanks again. kudos to you. Here’s hoping Phoenix Park will respond with something sensible. Regards

        • Simon Norton says:

          Hi again Shamsul, ok so the schedule’s finally fixed and you can see it here. Left table shows Pyeongchang Station to Phoenix Park, right table shows Phoenix Park to Pyeongchang Station. There are only 8 per day, so check the KTX schedule here and ride a train that has a good connection to the shuttle. Let me know if you have any questions!

          • Shamsul says:

            Thanks again Simon, extremely helpful. I hate to keep asking, but there’s no English version to this. I’ve figured out a lot from the Korean version (google translate helped), but do you know:
            – If a reservation is required for the free shuttle (just in case KTX gets busy)
            – If we couldnt get the shuttle, are there taxis there?
            – There’s also all-in-one special offer at the bottom of the page, I really couldnt figure out. Looks like ski lift passes, but the original prices not the same with their own website? Or is this the all-in-one prices?

            Appreciate all you’ve done.

            Regards, Shamsul

            • Simon Norton says:

              Hi Shamsul,

              No I don’t think you need a reservation for the shuttle, just wait at the boarding point and hopefully their vehicle is large enough! (I’m sure it will be). If you take a taxi, it will probably cost around 15-20000 won.

              I’ve actually already emailed Phoenix back for clarification about the special offer – haven’t heard back yet, but I’ll post again once I know the details!

  3. John says:

    Hello Simon, its john again. I would love to know what time does phoenix park closed at night?

  4. Gordon says:

    Until when will Phoneix Park reopen their Ski Resort???

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Gordon, their original plan was to open until January 10th, but they’ve changed this and will now be closed from January 21st

  5. Brombacher Gabriel says:

    I went today to Phoenix Park with the KTX. There is actually a 7.55 shuttle bus as well (non-stop in just 15minutes). I was prepared to take a Taxi after the arrival of the 7.37 train from Seoul. But somebody told me that they introduced a 7.55 shuttle.

    So this is perfect for an early start.

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Gabriel, thank you for the update! I’ll add this information to the page for the benefit of other readers. Cheers!

  6. Clarice says:

    Hi, Can I Know If There Is A Shopping Centre? Or any places to shop and eat at the Phoenix Ski Park? Thanks, It’s our first time going there so i don’t know much. ^_^#

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Clarice, there isn’t really a shopping centre, but there’s a large base area with various cafes & restaurants where you can eat, have coffee etc. Hope you have a great trip!

  7. BMurray says:

    Simon, Your pages are an extraordinary service, thanks from so many all over! One question if I may, it looks like the posted shuttle schedules don’t include Feb 8 through 26, the actual dates of the games. Any idea why that is? I’m going to try to reserve KTX seats from Seoul per your advice but am now wondering if I should wait for whenever Phoenix Park might post accurate shuttle info.

    (By just saying there will be shuttles, the official Olympic site will naturally make readers think there will be shuttles waiting at every KTX arrival to take them to the various venues so thank you again for highlighting that this won’t be the case…)

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi, yes the reason they haven’t posted those details is that the resort isn’t running shuttles during the games – the resort shuttles are for skiers & resort guests, but the resort’s closed during the Olympics so no shuttle service.

      Instead, during the Olympics there’ll be shuttle buses operated by the organising committee, exclusively for use by event ticket holders. So, if you have tickets for an event at Phoenix Park don’t worry about the shuttle bus schedule – you can go ahead and book your KTX tickets! Once you arrive at Pyeongchang Station, follow the directions to the shuttle buses (when choosing your train arrival time, I’d allow plenty of time for navigating the station and potentially lining up & waiting for the shuttle bus).

      If you don’t actually have event tickets, then don’t try to visit Phoenix Park during the Olympics as the security arrangements won’t let you close – head to Welli Hilli Park or Yongpyong instead.

      Let me know if you have any more questions!

  8. kate says:

    hi simon, want to reconfirm that the ski slope is still open till 21st Jan 2018? i am going to phoenix park on 18th, and we are going with two 3 years old kids, and we want to find a private tutor for them, and from the official ski school. they could only do a lesson for at least 5 years old kids, do you know any ski school or private coach which i could find?
    thanks

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Kate, yes, they’re open until the 21st. But I really don’t think you’ll be able to get lessons for your 3-year olds I’m afraid… I was an instructor in the Canadian system, and we never took kids under 5 for lessons. I assume the rules are similar in Korea. Maybe you could look into doing sledding instead? (I’m not sure of the minimum age, you’d need to ask Phoenix Park)

  9. Sarah says:

    Hi Simon, first of all thank you for all the useful information! I have a question that you may be able to answer: During the Olympics I’ll stay at the Atrium PyeongChang Hotel which I read is (hopefully) near Phoenix SnowPark.My question is: You said the shuttles are suspended during the Olys except for spectators having a ticket; how do I best get from Seoul to my hotel? Taking a KTX to PyeongChang station & then take a taxi? Thank you for your help 🙂 Sarah

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Sarah, actually I think the shuttles can be used by anyone, there was some conflicting information but you should be fine to use them without holding a ticket that day.

      And yes, your hotel’s right next to Phoenix Park, good call booking that! So the best route would be KTX to Pyeongchang Station, then shuttle TS15 to Phoenix Park; although this might depend on your arrival date, as the trains are pretty booked out on some dates and the shuttles don’t start until the 8th. What day are you travelling to Pyeongchang?

      • Sarah says:

        Hi Simon, thanks so much for all the info; makes me feel relieved knowing that. I’ll go to PyeongChang Feb 13th (arriving in Seoul Feb 8th & commuting to the venues for Opening Ceremony etc until I move there until Feb 26th). Still need to get all the public transport; for some reason cannot even access the letskorail site to book tickets. Anyway; thanks a lot again! Sarah

  10. Raffaella Brutto says:

    Hello. My boyfriebd rent appartment in pheonix park during the olympics. Is there a bus from Seoul for come there? Or is better rent a car?

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi, you could take a bus to Jangpyeong Bus Terminal, or a KTX train to Pyeongchang Station. They’re both near Phoenix Park. You could also drive if you prefer. Personally, I’d take the KTX – if you can manage to get tickets!

  11. Michelle Forbes says:

    Hi Simon,

    Thank you so much for your amazing website – I’ve been reading all over it in the past few weeks to help get ready for the Olympics! We are staying in Dunnae and I have KTX tickets from there to Gangneun or Jinbu for all of our events, so we are set for that. Thanks for posting all the helpful information about the shuttles and trains!

    I have a question about sledding at the various ski resorts – I read somewhere that Yongpyong will have sledding open – do you know if that is even during the games? I also was wondering if any of the other ski resorts listed on your website have sledding areas – I have a three year old who would appreciate that if I could find it for some weekend outings this month. 🙂 Finally, do you happen to know if there is still generally snow on the ground at Pheonix Park in early March? Or will it likely be gone by the end of the Olympics?

    Thank you!

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Michelle,

      Thanks for the comment, it’s always great to hear the site’s been useful.

      Ok, so if you’re in Dunnae you can easily go skiing or sledding – there’s actually a ski resort in Dunnae! It’s called Welli Hilli Park, see here. I go there every week! They have a shuttle bus from Dunnae Station, see the schedule here (the third box is Dunnae Station > Welli Hilli Park, the fourth box is the return direction. Don’t worry about the first 2 boxes, those are train times). You can also easily take a taxi up to the resort, it’s just a few km out of town.

      If you want to go to Yongpyong, they’re actually still (half) open for skiing throughout the Olympics, and I think this includes the sledding. And yes, basically all of the other resorts also have sledding areas too.

      And yes there is still snow on the ground at Phoenix Park in early March, they’re usually still open for skiing at that time. However, this year they’re staying closed after the Olympics finish – if you go there in March I’m not sure if you’ll even be able to access anything, you might find the buildings all locked up and nobody around, or there might be loads of workers still there taking the Olympic stuff down. Not sure! But I guess you could possibly just walk around the back of the big main resort building just to have a look at the slopes.

      • Michelle Forbes says:

        Thank you so much!!! We will definitely check out Welli Hilli, that sounds great! I really appreciate your reply! We may check out the sledding at Yongpyong too although I’m sure it will be way too crazy to be worth it. 🙂

        Thank you! Olympics here we come! 🙂

        • Simon Norton says:

          You’re welcome! And Welli Hilli has sledding too if that helps (quite a few people were doing it today)

  12. Angie says:

    Hi Simon! We found out late that our tickets have to picked up at Cosport Host City Collection Center in Gangneung. We’re arriving same day in Korea and booked a KTX to Pyeongchang Station already. Any idea what’s the fastest way from Collection Center to Phoenix Snow Park?

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Angie,

      Yeah, heard about this, what a crazy system that is. I’m not sure exactly where in Gangneung the collection center is, but generally speaking the fastest way from Gangneung to Phoenix Park is KTX from Gangneung Station to Pyeongchang Station (2 stops, 30 minutes) then shuttle bus TS15 to the venue (20 mins, runs every 10 mins). Main issues: check where the collection center is in relation to Gangneung Station and factor in the travel time there. Also factor in that there may be some waiting time to board the shuttle bus at Pyeongchang Station.

  13. Stacey Wells says:

    Hi Simon,
    Thanks you so much for all the info. I am flying in to Incheon airport and staying the night near the airport. I cant get KTX tickets to Phoenix Park until very late the following evening. Am I better to take the bus? Do I need to book it. If so, how do I do that? WIll it leave from close to the airport or do i need to go somewhere else? will the bus take me right to Phoenix or do I need to change to the Ts15. do they run the shuttles late at night? thanks for all your help?

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Stacey,

      I think the best bet is to try for a standing ticket on one of the morning trains. You can only buy these in person at stations in Korea, but you can do it at the airport station right after you land – go to the ticket counter and see what’s available.

      Also remember that if you ride the subway into Seoul, you could board the KTX from Seoul Station, Cheongnyangni, or Sangbong – there are many more departures to Pyeongchang Station from these 3 than there are from the airport. If you search for them now you may even be able to find a seat you can reserve online. Of these 3 stations, Seoul Station is most convenient and Sangbong is least convenient.

      If you take a bus it’ll drop you at Jangpyeong Bus Terminal, which is a short distance from Pyeongchang Station where you’d get off the train. The train station & bus terminal are both connected to Phoenix Park by shuttle bus TS15 which takes 20 mins and runs every 10 mins. The shuttles run until 2 hours after the day’s last event.

      My recommendation is to see if you can book online using the 3 stations in Seoul. If that’s no good, try for standing tickets after you land. I’d leave the bus as a backup in the event there really aren’t even any standing tickets. (Buses to Jangpyeong go from Dong Seoul Terminal (dong = east), though you might be able to find one direct from the airport to somewhere nearish Phoenix and then taxi for the last bit)

  14. Mindy Russell says:

    You’ve provided an amazing amount of great information! Being that I live in Phoenix, Arizona, I’m curious if you know how the Phoenix Park got it’s name.

    • Simon Norton says:

      Cheers Mindy!

      And good question, which I can partly answer – there are 2 peaks at Phoenix Park, one of which is called Phoenix Peak. So the ski resort is named after one of the mountains it’s located on. However, I don’t know if there’s any particular reason why the mountain has that name. But Phoenix imagery is quite common in Korea (as in all East Asian cultures), and I believe Phoenix AZ is also named after the legend of the Phoenix for historical reasons?

  15. Paula says:

    Thank you for a very detailed information about Phoenix Park! Truly helpful.

    My family and I are staying at Phoenix Park (condo) after the Olympic games on March 8-9 – would you know if Phoenix Park’s ski facilities would be open to the public by then? Are the free shuttles from Gangneung KTX station still available by Mar 8?

    Cheers!

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Paula, there’s no public skiing whatsoever at Phoenix Park this season I’m afraid.

      The shuttle bus runs from Pyeongchang Station, not Gangneung Station, but I don’t think it’s running for the rest of the season. You’ll probably have to take a taxi (should be about 15000 won)

  16. Ronald says:

    Hi, I am going to stay near Pheonix Park in Dec 2018. Will the KTX train run from Incheon airport to Pyeongchang? There is no service from Incheon to Pyeongchang on the Korail website. Any shuttle from Pyeongchang station to Pheonix? Thanks.

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Ronald,

      The direct KTX to Pyeongchang from the airport was only during the Olympics, so you won’t find it online anymore (in fact, there’s no KTX service from the airport at all these days). You have to take the AREX to Seoul Station first, then the KTX from there. Phoenix Park should have a free shuttle from the station, but the details for this season haven’t been confirmed yet.

  17. Alanna says:

    Hi, I’m planning to head to Phoenix Park for a night stay after landing at Gimpo airport at 12.45pm. Is this a viable plan? What is the best way to get to phoenix park from gimpo airport? Thanks

    Alanna

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Alanna,

      Yes you can do it, just ride the AREX subway line from Gimpo to Seoul Station, then take the Gangneung KTX to Pyeongchang Station. Hopefully there’ll be a free shuttle bus from Pyeongchang Station to Phoenix Park, but they haven’t confirmed this for the coming season yet (if not, it’s about 20 dollars by taxi). Last KTX from Seoul Station to Pyeongchang leaves at 5pm, which you should easily catch; but if you don’t make that for some reason, there are also several more evening trains stopping at Pyeongchang which leave from Cheongnyangni Station in eastern Seoul (15 minutes from Seoul Station on Line 1)

  18. elvani aprilia says:

    Hi Simon,

    Im planning to go phoenix pyeongchang ski resort
    so the first thing i have to do is go to seoul station take a train to pyeongchang station right? then after arrived in pyeongchang station take free shuttle bus to phoenix ski park is that true?

    then when return is the same?

    thank you

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Elvani,

      Yes that’s correct.

      Alternatively you can go by shuttle bus (see here)

      • elvani says:

        thank you simon

        i see that your already visit daemyung vivaldi park
        does vivaldi park have a snow sled?

        because im thinking to visit daemyung vivaldi park
        because they have free shuttle bus from myeongdong station 😀

        • Simon Norton says:

          Yeah the free shuttle bus does make Vivaldi a good choice! They have snow sledding as part of ‘Snowy Land’, it’s a kind of winter fun park on the mountain with various activities you can do. Tickets are around 40 dollars and it opens in mid-December

  19. May says:

    Thank you Simon for the helpful information on Phoenix Park Ski Resort!

    I’m having some difficulty finding out transportation options for my stay in January 2019. I have booked accommodation at Hotel Atrium Pyeongchang and was wondering how easy is it to get to and from Hotel Atrium from (a) the shuttle bus stop (b) the ski slopes?

    On the map it looks like it’s a good 400m to 500m from Hotel Atrium on an open road which worries me given the weather and the luggage that we are bringing…

    Also, is The White Hotel the same as Hotel Atrium? They seem to share the same address.

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi May,

      Yeah it looks like they’re the same place, not sure why it has two names. It seems like White Hotel is the Korean name and Hotel Atrium is the English name, but again I have no idea why!

      According to Kakao Map it’s actually over a kilometre to walk from the Phoenix Park parking area (where the shuttle would drop you, and also where the ski slope base is), so 20 minutes or more with luggage. It’s probably better to take a taxi directly to the hotel from the train station/bus terminal.

      • May says:

        Oh dear, it sounds a lot more tricky to shuttle between the ski slope and the hotel than I had hoped 🙁

        Thanks Simon for your help! So glad that you have this site up to help people like me to better plan our ski trips 😀

  20. JJ says:

    Hi Simon, thank you very much for all the information you shared with us. But i have one question, do you happen to know where can i book a day ski pass ticket online for this coming december? as im having difficulties to book it online..

  21. Sylvia sew says:

    Hi Simon, would like to know if I wanted to stay at Goodstay elf spa resort, is there any taxi willing to go there and probably how far it is from there to the train station (Pyeongchang station)? I seem to cannot find where the station is at google map. Tq

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Sylvia, it’s about 15km and a taxi would cost maybe 25 dollars (and take around 25 minutes).

      Google Maps doesn’t work well in Korea – I advise that you download the app called KakaoMap instead, it has an English language setting. Goodstay Elf Spa is listed in the app as ‘Elf Pension’, so search Elf Pension & Pyeongchang Station and you can check the directions.

  22. Calvin says:

    Hi Simon, how can I get to Phoenix Park Ski Resort from Yongpyong Resort? Is the Gangneung KTX line an option?

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Calvin,

      Yes that would be one option, it’s just one stop from Jinbu Station to Pyeongchang Station, taking under 10 minutes and about 8 dollars per ticket. Yongpyong resort has a free shuttle bus to Jinbu Station, likewise Phoenix Park has one for Pyeongchang Station. However, the frequency of trains which actually stop at both of those stations is fairly low; you can search the timetables & make bookings here. As you can see, there’s a train at 6.50am and then the next one isn’t until 1.50pm; looking at the return times, you really only have 2.36pm or 9.37pm that make any sense. So it’d be a very early start, or a late return (and thinking about it, you’d actually need taxis to catch that early morning train, or to get back to Yongpyong on the evening train).

      The alternative would be a direct taxi, which would take about 45 minutes for maybe 60-70 dollars.

  23. Michael Yeo says:

    Hi Simon.
    Is there a shuttle bus from phoenix resort to Gangnam area?

    Thanks.

    Regards,
    Michael

  24. Marlin says:

    Hi. Does this place still operating in March?

  25. Akmal Zamin says:

    Hi Simon, i’m going to the phoenix park next month by ktx train. So i wonder does the bus shuttle schedule has from pyeongchang station to phoenix park is still valid?

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Akmlal,

      It should be, though I can’t 100% guarantee it – they may stop the shuttle a few days before they finally close.

  26. Larry says:

    Hey Simon, thx for all the info .Do you know if any of the resorts are still operating in the pyeongchang area?

  27. Adeline says:

    May I ask if there is any shuttle from White Hotel to the ski slopes?

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Adeline,

      Actually last time I went to Phoenix Park (a few months ago) I saw a White Hotel shuttle bus waiting in front of the main resort building. So, from that observation yes I think they do operate a shuttle, though I don’t know the schedule or any other details

  28. Ivy Agustin says:

    Hi! I would just like to ask if I need to buy a lift pass, rent a gear or if I have to pay entrance fee to enter Phoenix Park? I am planning to go to the Phoenix Park in the morning maybe stay in one of the cafes there then go to Elf pension in the afternoon then back again to Phoenix Park the next day so I was planning to purchase the lift pass on my next day. Also, if you have time, could you please send me the updated rates of the park and the shuttle schedule? or maybe just a website where I can find it? Thank you so much in advance!

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Ivy yes you can do that, no problem. There’s no entrance fee, you can just walk in to the building, that’s where all the ticket counters etc are located along with cafes, food court and so on.

      The rates & schedules will be on their homepage once they’ve been decided (usually at the last minute)

  29. Michael says:

    Dear Simon

    Would kindly like to ask what the most cost efficient way to go from Phoenix Ski Park to Yong Pyong Ski Resort.

    I plan on staying at Phoenix Ski Park but want to ride atleast 1 day in Yong Pyong Ski Resort.

    Thank you very much for your advise

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Michael, it’s not very far but there’s no straightforward route.

      You can do it by shuttle bus & KTX, so shuttle bus from Phoenix to Pyeongchang Station, then KTX to Jinbu Station, then shuttle bus to Yongpyong. However, most KTX trains only stop at one or the other – there are only 5 or 6 per day that stop at both stations. So the schedule’s pretty limited, you can check it here

      You can also probably ride a local bus from Jangpyeong bus terminal to Jinbu bus terminal. The Phoenix shuttle stops at Jangpyeong terminal (near Pyeongchang Station), however the Yongpyong shuttle doesn’t stop at Jinbu bus terminal – it only goes to Jinbu train station, which is actually located out of town, a 30-minute walk along the river from the bus station (I did it once).

      A direct taxi would be about 60 dollars, or maybe 45 from Jangpyeong bus terminal.

  30. Jawuy says:

    Hi Simon, can you help me to give me the details about tickets or prices in Phoenix Park Ski?

  31. Will says:

    Hi Simon,

    Just wondering if you know when the season ends usually?
    Also if they have announced the ski lift rates? Can’t seem to find any information on that.

    Thanks

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Will,

      They usually close in mid-March. They haven’t posted their rates yet as they’re still doing cheap early season tickets, but it’s usually around 60 dollars for 4 hours. If you go in March you should be able to get a big late season discount (around 50% usually)

  32. Angela says:

    Hi Simon,

    Can I get some advise on do I need to buy gondola ticket / lift ticket to just play snow and build some snowman?

    I tried to find on the Phoenix’s webpage on the free shuttle bus from Pyeongchang KTX station to the ski area but couldn’t find them.

    Can you direct me to the webpage?

    Thanks.

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Angela,

      No you don’t need a ticket to just walk on to the snow at the bottom, it might be quite hard to build a snowman there to be honest (very busy area) but maybe you could make a small one somewhere.

      The shuttle bus schedule is here, it’s in Korean but you can see where it says KTX and the terminal stops are the resort & the KTX station.

  33. James says:

    Hi Simon thanks for all the awesome info you provide. Am going to be in Seoul on the 15th dec for a few nights and was going to try and board either Welli Hilli or Phoenix Park mid week. Do you know which resort has the most runs open at this stage, am struggling a bit with their websites.
    Thank you

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi James, yeah I know the feeling mate, I’ve been struggling with their websites for years!

      Open slopes: Phoenix here, Welli here

      Between the two, I’d go Phoenix at this stage. Yongpyong probably the best call though

  34. Kenneth Tang says:

    Hi Simon, nice to read your comments. I am a family of 4 beginner/novice snowboarders from Singapore and keen on Phoenix Park for Dec 2021. Wanted to ask your thoughts on when ski bookings are open for foreigners and your recommendation on the best hotel/condo block to stay in (blue condo?) for convenience.

    • Simon Norton says:

      Hi Kenneth,

      Sorry for the slow reply, haven’t been checking comments much these days as not much web traffic due to the pandemic.

      You should already be able to make bookings, but are you aware of the entry requirements for Korea? As things stand you’d have to do hotel quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. This can be waived for fully-vaccinated citizens & residents, but so far not for short-term visitors.

      Hopefully this will change soon, but I probably wouldn’t make any bookings until there’s an announcement.

      • Kenneth Tang says:

        Thanks Simon. Understand about the pandemic and the frequency of the post. Hope you are well and things improve from here. Yeah, Singapore will establish a VTL with Korea from 15 Nov this month, allowing travellers to move around after confirmation of PCR test. Cumbersome but beats the quarantine. Planning a 3D2N for a family of 4 (novice) December so appreciate your tips to maximise the most from the trip ie accommodation, ski itinerary etc.

        • Simon Norton says:

          oh really, I didn’t know that. Thanks, that’s good information – it even looks like with the UK-Singapore VTL I could avoid 2 weeks in Korean quarantine by spending 2 weeks in Singapore en route to Korea. Could be a useful option.

          As for accommodation in Phoenix, I’ve never actually stayed there – I’ve only done day trips. So I can’t make any recommendation from personal experience. But I do know the condo buildings are all clustered at the base of the slopes, so they should all be more or less the same in terms of convenience just a short walk from the car park and short walk to the chairlifts.

          Let me know if you have any further questions.

      • Kenneth Tang says:

        Hi Simon

        My trip from Singapore to Seoul (without quarantine) is set. I am choosing between some of the nearby ski resorts near Seoul for the BEST 1 day trip. Bear town, Elysian or Vivaldi? We are beginner/novice snowboarders.

        • Simon Norton says:

          Hey Kenneth, they’re all fine for beginners but Vivaldi is the best of the three in terms of facilities and ease of finding English-speaking staff. It’s normally super crowded but this might be a good time to go there without the heavy crowds. The usual free tourist bus isn’t running at the moment though, so the best bet is probably to book the day-trip package with Trazy here.

          Also I heard there will be some new quarantine requirements due to the omicron variant, I don’t know if this affects you but please be sure to check.

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Hi I’m Simon, British snowboard addict & travel blogger presently based in NE Asia. I run this site to help international visitors plan their trips to Korean ski resorts; you might also be interested in my travel blog, especially the Korea sightseeing and Japan snowboarding content

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