Korea Cross-Country Cycling Trip Day 1
- Jinwook Chang
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
On our first riding day, we set off from the Incheon starting point at Ara West Sea Lock and followed the riverside paths all the way to the Yangpyeong certification center. For the remaining trip blogs, I will try to include more pictures than words, so you can almost picture yourself joining us on the bike trip.
It was finally the official day 1 of our bike trip. After breakfast from the convenience store, Dingyu and I cycled to the starting certification center, where we bought the bike passport and the map for the cycling trip.
After biking for hours, we finally arrived at the first certification center in Seoul—the Yeouido certification center.
In these red booths, you stamp your bike passport.
Yeouido is a large island on the Han River in Seoul, known as the city’s financial and political hub. It hosts major institutions like the National Assembly, headquarters of major banks and broadcasters, and is famous for Yeouido Hangang Park, cherry blossom festivals, and skyscraper-lined streets. It’s also a popular leisure spot for cycling, picnics, and riverside activities.
We were also able to spot the Yeouido National Assembly Building on our way. The National Assembly Building in Yeouido is the home of South Korea’s legislative branch, where the National Assembly meets to debate and pass laws. It’s recognizable for its large blue-green dome and is a major political landmark in the country.
We stopped by the floating cruise café on the Han River to buy some energy bars from the convenience store.
We arrived at the Neungnae Certification Center—the first certification center outside of Seoul.
Neungnae Station is a former railway station located in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, along the old Gyeongui Jungang Line. The station was closed in 2012 when a new line alignment opened, but the site has been preserved as a cycling and tourism stop on the Han River bike path.
Today, it serves as a charming rest area for cyclists doing the Korea cross-country route, featuring the original station building, vintage train cars, small cafés, photo spots, and a certification booth for the national cycling passport. Surrounded by scenic riverside views and quiet countryside, it’s a popular place to take a break and enjoy a bit of railway nostalgia.
As we got out of South Korea's capital—Seoul—we started to see smaller towns.
We took a short break at the Neungnae certification center.
Along the cross-country cycling route, there are blue signs directing where to go. Nevertheless, I still recommend that you use an online map, especially during the first two days of your trip, as you may get lost.
As we arrived at Guksu Station, Dingyu's bike had a flat tire. Since there were no bicycle repair shops nearby, my mom drove him from the station to the pre-booked hotel in Yangpyeong.
I continued to bike 10-20 km until I reached the final certification center of the day—the Yangpyeong Bicycle Certification Center. It was somewhat scary having to bike alone as it got darker and darker, but I just kept my mind straight and continued.
After we got to the motel, we went out to get a late dinner at a convenience store nearby, as we weren't too hungry. On the way to the convenience store, we spotted a bicycle repair shop, where we purchased a brand new tire for Dingyu's bike.
After dinner, we headed straight to bed at around 11 pm, as we had to cover a longer distance the next day—we went around 20 km than we had originally planned due to the bike puncture.
This marks the end of our very first day on the Korea Cross-country cycling trip, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did. Stay tuned for our next blog!
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