A Cycling Holiday in South Korea

A recent trip by NRC Member and Global Cyclist, Simon Tickle

South Korea may not be on everyone's list of top cycling destinations, but maybe it should be. I spent seven days in May cycling in South Korea, from Seoul in the north west to South Korea's second city, Busan, in the south east.

The Four Rivers Cycling path is one of thirteen national cycle routes. It was opened in 2012 and  claims to be the longest dedicated cycle path in the world. The 633km route follows four rivers, the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan. The cycle path was created as part of the government's Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, to prevent flooding and secure water resources. The then president, Lee Myeung-bak who instigated the water plan, was a keen cyclist and wanted a cycle route built.

Although the official start of the route is about 20km east of Seoul at the Ara Sea Lock, we started our journey about 30km east of Seoul, at Paldang train station.

The route is very well signposted, which is good, as GPS can be a bit tricky, due to a law limiting the export of mapping data. Along the route there are water and toilet facilities, all are very clean and well cared for. There are also camp sites, exercise spots and rest areas. Also along the route are red booths containing stamps. You can get a route cycling passport from K Water, (who administer the route) to collect the stamps. A full passport gets you a certificate and you can buy a medal at the finish. At some points the route uses old railway lines with dedicated tunnels for cyclists.

You regularly cross the rivers, sometimes on the weirs built to control the river flow. The route is relatively flat with a few climbs and occasionally, some very steep ramps. The paths are busy at weekends with local cyclists coming out from the cities. When cycling along the route we saw lots of bike packers cycling the route. Sometimes, the route takes you off the cycle path and onto the roads. In the countryside this isn't a problem, as the roads were quiet with very little traffic. The short sections in the cities can be like cycling in the UK.

During the trip we stopped at various cultural sites along the way and had very hearty lunches followed by coffee and cake. The food was predominantly traditional Korean food, stews with noodles and rice but also Korean barbecue and Korean fried chicken. There are lots of pickles and kimchi as side dishes. The food can be very spicy and the vegetarian and vegan options can be limited.

The coffee culture is strong, so there were lots of coffee shops along the route, with excellent cakes. We normally stopped for a coffee after lunch. Water and snacks were provided every 20km or so. The temperature varied, the first couple of days it was around 20°C, with some rain. Towards the end it was over 30°C. The tours only run in spring and autumn when the temperature is comfortable for riding.

The tour was very well organised by the local tour company, We Ride Korea. We had a cycling guide and a support driver. I hired a bike as part of the holiday package, a new Giant Escape hybrid. This is not the holiday for KOM times on Strava, it is the holiday for seeing Korea and enjoying its culture. I would highly recommend cycling in South Korea.

NRC Members can contact Simon directly for more information about his trip. Alternatively, send an email to marketing.newburyroadclub@gmail.com and we'll connect you.