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FestivalWinter 2027

Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival

화천 산천어축제

This edition · Data as of · Published · Compiled by

Every January the Hwacheoncheon stream in Gangwon freezes solid and turns into a field of thousands of holes: this is Korea's most famous winter festival, where you jig through the ice for mountain trout (sancheoneo) and have your catch grilled over a wood fire or sliced as sashimi on the spot for ₩3,000 a fish. Around the fishing there is bare-hand catching in icy water, ice sledding, snow slides, a bobsleigh run and a huge indoor ice-sculpture hall. The 2027 festival runs 9–31 January; fishing costs about ₩15,000 (2026 price), a third of it returned as a local voucher, and there is a separate fishing area for foreign visitors. We read Korean blog posts from people who went in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival
얼음나라화천 산천어축제 7얼음나라화천 산천어축제 22026 얼음나라화천 산천어축제 (3).JPG2026 얼음나라화천 산천어축제 (4).JPG2026 얼음나라화천 산천어축제 (1).jpg얼음나라화천 산천어축제 3
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3). Shown uncropped, as supplied.

What’s on

The 2027 details are not out yet (checked 4 October; the official site is currently showing its summer water park). This is the 2026 programme and prices. Hours 9:00–18:00, night fishing 18:00–21:00.

Hwacheoncheon stream

Ice fishing for mountain troutBooking₩15,000 adults · ₩10,000 concessions (₩5,000 voucher back, 2026)
9–31 Jan · 9:00–18:00
Jigging through the ice. Separate pre-booked and walk-in areas; weekend bookings sell out early. Rods are sold on site.
Sold through Interpark Ticket (Korean) in past years; weekend slots sold out in minutes. 2027 sale dates not announced. Without a booking, queue at dawn for walk-in tickets, or use the foreign visitors’ area.
Check availability on Official site · Interpark →
Ice fishing area for foreign visitorsWalk-inPrice not confirmed
9–31 Jan · 9:00–18:00
A dedicated fishing area and grill station for foreign visitors (run in past years).
Bare-hand trout catchingWalk-in₩15,000 · children ₩10,000 (2024)
9–31 Jan
Wade into icy water and grab trout by hand. Sign-ups close early.
Night fishingWalk-inPrice not confirmed
9–31 Jan · 18:00–21:00
Free with a receipt from a hotel in Hwacheon (2024 and 2026).
Grill station and sashimi centreWalk-in₩3,000 a fish
9–31 Jan
Have your catch wood-fire grilled or sliced. No outside food inside.
Snow slide, ice sleds, bobsleigh, zip lineWalk-inSnow slide ₩5,000 · zip line ₩12,000 (2024–26)
9–31 Jan
The snow slide can mean an hour’s wait at weekends. Part of each fee comes back as a voucher.
Indoor ice-sculpture hallWalk-in₩5,000 (₩3,000 voucher back, 2024)
9–31 Jan
Huge ice sculptures under cover — very cold inside.

Hwacheon town

Lantern streetWalk-inFree
9–31 Jan · Evenings
Streets hung with trout-shaped lanterns at night.

Sources: the Korea Tourism Organization listing (2027 dates, 2026 programme) and past visitors' posts (prices and how it ran).

The essentials

Dates2027-01-09 – 2027-01-31
WhereAlong the Hwacheoncheon stream, Hwacheon-eup, Hwacheon, Gangwon
CostFree to enter · fishing and bare-hand catching paid (2026: ₩15,000 adults, ₩10,000 concessions, ₩5,000 back as a voucher) · grilling/slicing ₩3,000 a fish
OrganisersHwacheon County · Nara Foundation (+82 1688-3005)
Address137, Sancheoneo-gil, Hwacheon-eup, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do
강원특별자치도 화천군 화천읍 산천어길 137
Contact1688-3005 · www.narafestival.com
ProgrammeIce fishing (walk-in, booked, foreign visitors), bare-hand catching, night fishing, sledding, bobsleigh, ice sculptures — see “What’s on” below.

Official poster

2026 얼음나라화천 산천어축제 포스터

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

What 30 visitors said

We searched Naver, the blog platform most Koreans use, for posts written during each festival and the month after (30 a year), read every one to the end, kept only people who went (25, 18 and 10), and took ten per year. Sponsored and official-supporter posts were dropped and no writer is counted twice. Every number counts the posts that mentioned something.

What people liked

Fair prices, no rip-offs20 of 30 posts

A third of the ticket back as a local voucher; grilling or slicing your fish ₩3,000 each 24-03 24-05 24-13 24-14 24-22 24-23 24-28 25-02 25-06 25-13 25-19 25-23 25-27 25-28 25-29 26-07 26-17 26-19 26-21 26-30

Your catch, grilled or as sashimi13 of 30 posts

Wood-fire grilled trout and sashimi that isn’t fishy 24-09 24-10 24-22 24-23 24-28 25-02 25-27 25-28 26-07 26-17 26-19 26-21 26-30

Well run: warm shelters, clean toilets, helpful staff13 of 30 posts

Heated shelters, nursing rooms, free charging and lockers, fishing helpers 24-03 24-11 24-13 24-22 24-23 24-28 25-06 25-19 25-27 25-28 26-07 26-17 26-19

A full day out with children11 of 30 posts

Ice sleds, snow sledding, bobsleigh, bare-hand catching, ice sculptures 24-05 24-10 24-11 24-14 25-06 25-24 25-28 26-07 26-17 26-19 26-30

What people struggled with

Bitterly cold10 of 30 posts

Down to −17°C, with wind across the ice 24-03 24-11 24-13 24-23 24-28 25-02 25-13 25-19 26-07 26-30

Plenty of people catch nothing10 of 30 posts

Hard in the busy afternoon and in crowded central spots 24-03 24-11 24-22 24-23 25-19 25-23 25-29 26-07 26-28 26-30

Weekend parking and crowds are hard8 of 30 posts

Car parks full early; queues before the Hwacheon bridge 24-05 24-10 24-14 25-22 25-24 26-07 26-19 26-30

Long queues for sledding and sashimi6 of 30 posts

An hour for the snow slide, over an hour to have fish sliced 24-13 24-14 25-02 25-19 25-24 26-30

Weekend fishing tickets go fast5 of 30 posts

Online tickets sold out in minutes; walk-in tickets gone by morning 24-05 24-10 24-22 26-07 26-25

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

Who goes, and when

Mostly families with children, plus couples and groups of friends. Many drove from Seoul or Icheon, leaving at 5–6am for a two-hour run; some stayed overnight and fished at night too. Weekends are packed from before opening; weekdays were far calmer.

Who they went with

With children10 of 30 posts
As a couple7 of 30 posts
In a group (incl. volunteer teams)2 of 30 posts
Alone1 of 30 posts

10 of the 30 posts did not say.

Time of day

Day into night14 of 30 posts
Afternoon8 of 30 posts
Morning3 of 30 posts

5 of the 30 posts did not say.

Visiting from abroad

There is a separate ice-fishing area and grill station for foreign visitors (2024 and 2026), and in 2026 a mini shuttle just for foreign guests; several writers noticed lots of international visitors. Staff were described as friendly and fishing helpers show you how to jig. Bring cash for small stalls (the dalgona stand was cash only). Book a hotel in Hwacheon or Chuncheon early if you stay overnight — staying in town also gets you free night fishing with your receipt.

Weather and crowds

It is a frozen river in Gangwon in January, so it is very cold — the 2025 opening weekend hit −17°C. Sunny, windless days can feel almost warm, but the wind bites after about 4pm. Fifteen of the 30 posts call it crowded, and 2026 weekend tickets sold out online within minutes.

Getting there and access

Most people drove — two hours to two hours forty from Seoul. On weekends the car parks by the river fill early, so arrive before 8am or park in a further lot and take the free shuttle. The pre-booked and walk-in fishing areas have different nearest car parks (for booked fishing, the Nara Foundation and Hwacheon Jeil Church lots) and they swapped in 2026, so check before you park. Parking is free. None of the posts we used came by public transport.

No post mentions wheelchairs. Most of the site is on ice, so wear non-slip boots or slip-on crampons (take them off inside shelters). Toilets were plentiful and clean, with heated shelters, nursing rooms, free phone charging and lockers (which fill early).

Year by year

Winter 2024

6–28 January. Walk-in fishing queue numbers reached the 1,900s on opening day; more staff at the sashimi centre cut waits. Night fishing was free with a local hotel receipt.

Winter 2025

11 January–2 February. A −17°C cold snap on the opening weekend; the first day's fishing was excellent for some. Bare-hand catching filled up early.

Winter 2026

10 January–1 February. Weekend online tickets sold out in minutes; the car parks for booked and walk-in fishing swapped sides; a shuttle for foreign visitors was added.

Tips from people who went

  • Book weekend fishing in advance (or queue for walk-in tickets at dawn)
  • Arrive before opening — the first hour and after 4pm bite best
  • Pick holes at the edges, away from crowds
  • Buy a rod and stool beforehand; on-site is pricier
  • Insulated boots, two pairs of gloves, hand warmers, a seat pad, non-slip soles
  • Hand in fish for grilling early and keep fishing
  • Caught nothing? Check the sharing bins by the entrance

The 30 posts we read

  1. 24-03 · 2024-01-07 얼음나라 화천산천어축제 주말 현장 접수 방문후기
  2. 24-05 · 2024-01-07 [강원도/화천]2024 화천 산천어축제 | 얼음나라 방문 찐후기 소개 기....
  3. 24-09 · 2024-01-08 2024년 화천 산천어 축제 꿀팁 대량 방출 (숙소 펜션, 마트, 예약, 낚....
  4. 24-10 · 2024-01-08 2024 화천 산천어축제 후기 / 얼음낚시터 준비물 / 회센터 / 매점
  5. 24-11 · 2024-01-08 2024 얼음나라 화천 산천어축제 현장접수 주말 이용후기
  6. 24-13 · 2024-01-09 2024 화천 산천어 축제 (추워도 존버하면 손맛 보는 산천어 낚시 썰 ....
  7. 24-14 · 2024-01-09 2024.화천 산천어 축제_운수좋은 날.
  8. 24-22 · 2024-01-13 2024화천산천어축제 평일 주말 비교후기 준비물 이용료 예약 주차방....
  9. 24-23 · 2024-01-14 2024 화천 산천어축제 예약 현장 후기 강원도 겨울 축제 (주차, 준비....
  10. 24-28 · 2024-01-16 <화천산천어축제>초등아이와 겨울에 가볼만한 얼음 낚시
  11. 25-02 · 2025-01-11 2025년 1월 11일 / 화천 산천어축제 개장날 다녀왔어요
  12. 25-06 · 2025-01-13 [화천] 2025 얼음나라화천 산천어축제, 축제기간 | 이용금액 | 주차정....
  13. 25-13 · 2025-01-15 2025 화천산천어축제 정보
  14. 25-19 · 2025-01-18 화천 산천어축제 가격 얼음낚시 준비물 먹거리 예약방법 총정리
  15. 25-22 · 2025-01-20 화천 산천어축제 숙소 숙박 로터스모텔
  16. 25-23 · 2025-01-20 [얼음나라화천 산천어축제] 매점, 농특산물교환권, 현장 얼음낚시, ....
  17. 25-24 · 2025-01-21 2025년 화천 산천어 축제 주말 현장 방문 후기, 주차 위치 공유, 먹거....
  18. 25-27 · 2025-01-24 2025 화천 산천어축제 다녀온 따끈 후기와 꿀팁 (기본정보, 준비물, ....
  19. 25-28 · 2025-01-24 2025 산천어축제 기간 강원도 화천 겨울 나라 주차 간식 꿀팁
  20. 25-29 · 2025-01-25 화천 산천어축제, 25년 개장 첫날, 미노우와 마커채비!
  21. 26-07 · 2026-01-11 1월 가볼만한 축제 화천 산천어축제 예매 후 오픈런 1마리 잡아 구워....
  22. 26-13 · 2026-01-13 화천 산천어축제 맛집 현지인 추천 코다리조림 찐맛집 화천코다리
  23. 26-15 · 2026-01-14 화천 산천어축제 숙소 월송리캠프 가성비 카라반 글램핑 커플펜션
  24. 26-17 · 2026-01-15 2026얼음나라 화천산천어축제 아이들과 1월 중순 방문후기
  25. 26-19 · 2026-01-16 국내 겨울 여행 추천 강원도 화천 산천어축제
  26. 26-21 · 2026-01-17 화천 산천어축제 후기: 2026 이용요금 산천어 맨손 잡기 운영시간 및 ....
  27. 26-25 · 2026-01-19 2026화천산천어축제 / 가평산장관광지...1/17
  28. 26-26 · 2026-01-19 2026 평창 송어축제 0마리? 입장료 예약 방문 후기
  29. 26-28 · 2026-01-20 포천 백운계곡 동장군축제 송어얼음낚시
  30. 26-30 · 2026-01-22 아이들과 화천 산천어 축제, 얼음조각광장 다녀온 후기

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