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FestivalAutumn 2026

Iksan Treasure Hunt Festival

익산 보물찾기 축제

This edition · Data as of · Published · Compiled by

Iksan's Inhwa-dong — the Somni village — is a quarter of 1920s–40s shops and houses left from the colonial era. For one weekend the whole neighbourhood becomes a game board: you hunt for “the gold bars that vanished in 1945” with an AR app on your phone, collecting gold-bar cards that go into a draw for real gold. Around it are 1920s costume hire, gem-craft tables, a stamp tour and street shows. The 2026 edition is 7–8 November (Saturday and Sunday); entry is free and the AR hunt costs ₩5,000. Iksan is an hour from Seoul by KTX. We read Korean blog posts from people who went.

Iksan Treasure Hunt Festival
2026 보물찾기 축제 - 금괴를 찾아라! (1).jpg2026 보물찾기 축제 - 금괴를 찾아라! (9).jpg2026 보물찾기 축제 - 금괴를 찾아라! (8).jpg2026 보물찾기 축제 - 금괴를 찾아라! (6).jpg2026 보물찾기 축제 - 금괴를 찾아라! (7).jpg2026 보물찾기 축제 - 금괴를 찾아라! (2).jpg
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3). Shown uncropped, as supplied.

What’s on

From the official 2026 timetable (checked 4 October). Ongoing activities run 10:00–18:00. The AR start times differ slightly between the timetable and the booking notice — go by the slot you book.

Somni village

AR treasure huntBooking₩5,000 ahead · ₩7,000 on the day
7–8 Nov · Twice daily, morning and afternoon
Follow clues on your phone to collect gold-bar cards; the prize draw gives real gold (8 winners of 30g, 8 of 15g). Booked on Naver; app in Korean.
Booking 30 Sep–6 Nov via Naver Booking (Korean), linked from the festival Instagram. A Korean phone number and the Korean app are needed; on-site tickets ₩7,000 if places remain.
Check availability on Naver Booking →
1920s costume hireWalk-inPrice not confirmed
7–8 Nov · 10:00–18:00
Dress up in 1920s clothes for photos in the old streets; post it for an extra gold-bar card.
Stamp tourWalk-inFree
7–8 Nov · 10:00–18:00
Collect four or more stamps for a souvenir.

Treasure playground

Gem craftsWalk-inFree and paid (prices not confirmed)
7–8 Nov · 10:00–18:00
Free crafts (resin keyrings, gemstone bracelets, suncatchers…) and paid ones (silver rings and keyrings). First come, first served.

Iksan Modern History Museum

Ball-pit treasure huntWalk-inFree
7–8 Nov · 14:00–17:00
Find treasure capsules in a ball pit (two each) for a souvenir draw.

Somni village

Marching parade and street showsWalk-inFree
7–8 Nov · 13:00–15:00
Marching band and cheerleaders; bubble show on the 7th, K-pop dance on the 8th.

Main stage

Opening and closing concertsWalk-inFree
7–8 Nov · 17:30–18:00
Youth band Noya on the 7th; Lux Philharmonic Orchestra on the 8th.

Somni village

Village guided walkWalk-inPrice not confirmed
7–8 Nov · 12:30 · 16:30
For those in hired costume; 5–10 places each, first come.
Flea market and food stallsWalk-inPay as you go
7–8 Nov · 10:00–18:00
Local makers’ goods; food from the old-market traders.

Sources: the festival's official site (2026 timetable, programmes, parking and AR booking notice) and the Korea Tourism Organization listing (fees).

The essentials

Dates2026-11-07 – 2026-11-08
WhereSomni village (Inhwa-dong modern-history quarter), old-town Iksan — Somni Culture Forest, 28 Inbuk-ro 12-gil
CostFree entry · AR hunt ₩5,000 booked ahead (on the day ₩7,000 for non-residents) · some crafts cost extra
OrganisersIksan City · Iksan Culture City Support Center (+82 70-4909-1196)
Address전북특별자치도 익산시 인북로12길 28 (주현동)
Contact070-4909-1196 · iksan-treasure.kr/
ProgrammeAR treasure hunt, 1920s costume hire, stamp tour, gem crafts, marching parade, flea market — see “What’s on” below.

Official poster

2026 보물찾기 축제 - 금괴를 찾아라! 포스터.jpg

The organisers’ own poster, in Korean. Source: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3), shown unaltered. Tap to open full size.

What 11 visitors said

We searched Naver, the blog platform most Koreans use, for posts written during the festival and the month after (5 for 2023, 22 for 2025) and read every one to the end. Only one 2023 post and twelve 2025 posts were by people who went; we used eleven. So this is mostly about the 2025 (third) edition. Sponsored posts were dropped and no writer is counted twice. Every number counts the posts that mentioned something.

What people liked

The free craft activities are genuinely good6 of 11 posts

Make gem rings, bracelets, keyrings and suncatchers in an indoor “treasure playground” 25-02 25-04 25-11 25-16 25-18 25-19

The AR treasure hunt is great family fun6 of 11 posts

Roam the alleys with your phone collecting gold-bar cards; a six-year-old managed fine 23-01 25-03 25-05 25-11 25-20 25-22

You get back more than you pay5 of 11 posts

Water, a ₩3,000 food voucher and a wristband at check-in; stamp-tour gifts 25-03 25-04 25-05 25-11 25-22

Well staffed and safe4 of 11 posts

Plenty of marshals and floor signs; raincoats handed out when it rained 23-01 25-03 25-11 25-18

What people struggled with

Food is the weak spot4 of 11 posts

Little choice, sometimes cold or soggy, and nowhere to sit 23-01 25-05 25-11 25-19

On-site information is thin4 of 11 posts

Hard to find a map in advance; long on-site payment queues that closed early 25-04 25-05 25-20 25-22

You need your phone ready3 of 11 posts

Install and log in to the app beforehand, bring a power bank; hard for very young kids 25-05 25-11 25-18

These are raw counts, not percentages. Someone who did not mention something is not someone who disagreed.

Who goes, and when

Seven of the 11 posts are families with children. A six-year-old coped with the AR game; a family with a younger child stuck to the stamp tour and craft tables instead. Saturday afternoon was busiest; crowds bunched at each AR start time, then spread out.

Who they went with

With children7 of 11 posts
As a couple1 of 11 posts

3 of the 11 posts did not say.

Time of day

Day into night2 of 11 posts
Afternoon7 of 11 posts
Morning1 of 11 posts

1 of the 11 posts did not say.

Visiting from abroad

None of the posts mention foreign visitors or English support. The AR hunt runs on a Korean app with Korean text messages and booking through Naver, so it is hard going without Korean — but the costume hire, craft tables, stamp tour, parade and the old streets themselves need no language, and the colonial-era buildings are the real draw for a visitor.

Weather and crowds

On 1 November 2025 it was clear and mild, but the wind turned cold in the afternoon. The craft “treasure playground” is indoors. In 2023 (held in September) a short evening shower brought out free raincoats.

Getting there and access

There is no parking at the festival itself. The official list: Nambu Market public car park, the Iksan registry office, Iri Dongbu Church, Somni Culture Workshop, Iri Jungang Elementary School and the roadside by Iksan Station Hanulchae. In 2025 one family found parking easy, another found the narrow streets jammed. The Somni village is in the old town close to Iksan Station (KTX from Seoul Yongsan in about an hour), so the train is the simplest way in.

One writer advises parking close if you have a stroller — the alleys are narrow and the AR game involves a lot of walking. The craft hall had tables and chairs, and there was a first-aid booth in 2025. Nobody mentions wheelchairs.

Year by year

Autumn 2023

Second edition, held in September; one visitor said it had improved a lot on the first, with plenty of mini-games.

Autumn 2025

1–2 November, third edition: the AR “Gold Chase” plus a live-action RPG, with 10 don of gold as prizes. The ₩5,000 fee came back as water, a ₩3,000 voucher and a wristband. Gold winners pay 22% tax.

Tips from people who went

  • Book the AR hunt in advance and install and log in to the app the day before
  • Bring a power bank, water and comfortable shoes
  • Listen to the briefing at the main stage before you start
  • Don't lose your gold-bar cards or wristband
  • Four stamps earn a gift
  • With small children, do the craft hall and ball pit instead of the AR hunt
  • Keep food expectations low

The 11 posts we read

  1. 23-01 · 2023-09-02 2023 익산 보물찾기 축제 후기 | 사전신청 결과 | AR 보물찾기 후기 | ....
  2. 25-02 · 2025-11-01 전북 아이랑 가볼만한 곳, 익산 보물찾기축제 — 가족과 함께 즐긴 ....
  3. 25-03 · 2025-11-01 2025 익산 보물찾기축제 후기. 순금10돈!! 먹거리,스탬프투어. 보물찾....
  4. 25-04 · 2025-11-01 [내돈내산] 경품이 무려 금2돈!!!! 2025 익산 보물찾기 축제 실방문 후....
  5. 25-05 · 2025-11-01 AR 보물찾기 : 익산 골드체이스 후기
  6. 25-11 · 2025-11-01 2025년 익산 제3회 보물찾기축제 AR보물찾기 금괴를 찾아라 : 아이와 ....
  7. 25-16 · 2025-11-03 익산 보물찾기 축제 '금괴를 찾아라' 1945년으로 떠나는 시간여행
  8. 25-18 · 2025-11-03 전북 축제 추천, 문화도시익산 제3회 익산 보물찾기축제 탐방후기:....
  9. 25-19 · 2025-11-03 제3회 익산 보물찾기축제 볼거리 즐길거리가 한가득!
  10. 25-20 · 2025-11-05 2025 익산 보물찾기 축제 AR 보물찾기 후기!
  11. 25-22 · 2025-11-13 익산 보물찾기 축제 금괴를 찾아라 AR 체험 찐 후기

All posts are in Korean. We summarise them in our own words rather than quoting.