Event·Baekdudaegan National ArboretumEndedFree
Bongja Festival at Baekdudaegan National Arboretum — free entry 1–11 October 2026
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Summary
The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang, holds its autumn wildflower festival, the Bongja Festival, from 1 to 11 October 2026, with free admission throughout except on Tuesday 6 October, when it is closed. Free same-day return shuttle buses run from Sadang Station in Seoul, Dongdaegu Station and Andong via Yeongju, but they take only 40 people a day each and must be booked on Naver Booking, which needs a Naver account; we could not confirm that it accepts a non-Korean phone number.
Article
In short
- The 2026 Baekdudaegan Bongja Festival runs from Thursday 1 to Sunday 11 October at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang.
- Admission (normally KRW 5,000 for adults) is free during the festival; the arboretum is closed on Tuesday 6 October.
- Free shuttle buses make a same-day return trip from Sadang Station in Seoul, Dongdaegu Station and Andong Bus Terminal (via Yeongju Station), 40 seats a day, booked on Naver Booking.
- About 320,000 native wildflowers grown by Bonghwa farmers, including fine-leaved Elsholtzia, Siberian chrysanthemum and Tatarian aster, fill the entrance plaza and Wildflower Hill.
- Booking the shuttle needs a Naver account; entry itself needs no booking, so driving or a train to Chunyang plus a taxi avoids the booking step entirely.
The Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute is holding the 2026 Baekdudaegan Bongja Festival at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in Bonghwa from 1 to 11 October. The arboretum is filled with native wildflowers grown under contract by local farmers, and this year's theme is "Savouring the world: sniff, stroke, taste". For visitors, the big change is practical: no admission fee during the festival, and free shuttle buses to a corner of the country that is hard to reach by public transport.
What is the Bongja Festival?
The arboretum started the Bongja Festival in 2019 to support the local economy of a shrinking rural county. It runs hand in hand with a contract-growing scheme: the arboretum commissions Bonghwa farmers to raise native plants and then displays them. The Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute estimates that last year's festival generated about KRW 21.7 billion in direct and indirect economic effects.
The name "Bongja"
A Korea Forest Service document once explained "Bongja" as short for "Bonghwa native plants", but neither this year's press release nor the arboretum's notices say what the name means.
What is there to see this year?
The theme's three sound-words stand for smelling, touching and tasting. About 320,000 native wildflowers from Bonghwa's mountains are planted on the entrance plaza and Wildflower Hill: strongly scented fine-leaved Elsholtzia, Siberian chrysanthemum that turns autumn hillsides white, and pale-purple Tatarian aster. Local residents and arboretum staff plant them out together before the opening, and that planting is itself the contract-growing partnership in action.
Programmes running alongside the festival (arboretum event listings)
- Bongja Market
- Market of local forest and farm producers and small traders, including a Bonghwa social-enterprise sales fair (fair until 4 October, visitor centre plaza)
- "The Forest Is Open Today"
- Special exhibition built around the arboretum's mascot characters (22 September 2026 – 30 June 2027, visitor centre 2F special exhibition room)
- Dr Bong's Plant Lab
- Hands-on programme on the scent and texture of native plants (festival period)
- Forest playground
- Family play programme for the monthly Culture Day series (until 7 October, around the arboretum)
How do I use the free shuttle bus?
Every shuttle is a same-day return: buses reach the arboretum around noon and leave for home at 5:00 pm. Booking opened on Naver Booking at 10:00 am on 23 September 2026; each date takes 40 people and closes at 5:00 pm two days before travel. One booking covers up to four people, and dates can sell out early.
Free shuttle routes and times (arboretum notice)
- Sadang Station, Seoul
- Out: 8:20 am → arboretum 12:00 pm / Back: arboretum 5:00 pm → Sadang 8:40 pm
- Dongdaegu Station
- Out: 9:30 am → arboretum 12:00 pm / Back: arboretum 5:00 pm → Dongdaegu 7:30 pm
- Andong Bus Terminal and Yeongju Station
- Out: Andong 10:30 am → Yeongju 11:20 am → arboretum 12:10 pm / Back: arboretum 5:00 pm → Yeongju 5:50 pm → Andong 6:40 pm
Two notices give different shuttle dates
The 21 September press release says the shuttle runs on weekends and public holidays from 3 to 11 October, but the arboretum's shuttle notice lists eight dates: 3, 4, 5, 9, 10 and 11 October, plus 17 and 18 October after the festival ends. If you want the 17th or 18th, check that the date is open on the booking page first.
What to check before you go
- The arboretum is closed on Tuesday 6 October. Monday 5 October is the substitute holiday for National Foundation Day, so it opens that day and closes the next.
- Hours are 9:00 am – 6:00 pm with last entry at 5:00 pm. On the shuttle you get about five hours on site.
- Free admission covers the entry ticket only. The in-garden tram still charges its usual one-way fare (KRW 2,000 for adults).
- Pets are not allowed in the arboretum or on the shuttle.
- Be at the shuttle stop five minutes before departure.
Getting there without Korean
The Sadang Station shuttle is the easiest way in from Seoul: Sadang is on Seoul Subway Lines 2 and 4, and the bus goes straight to the arboretum and back. The catch is booking. Naver Booking needs a Naver account, and we could not confirm that it accepts a non-Korean phone number; if it will not let you in, call the arboretum on +82 54-679-1000 before your trip rather than turning up at the stop unbooked. Without the shuttle, the arboretum's own directions suggest a car, or a train on the Yeongdong Line to Chunyang Station and a taxi from there. Entry needs no booking at all during the festival. Festival notices and plant labels are in Korean, but the wildflower displays need no translation.
Frequently asked questions
- Q. When is the Bongja Festival 2026?
- From Thursday 1 to Sunday 11 October 2026 at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in Bonghwa. The arboretum is closed on Tuesday 6 October.
- Q. How much does the Bongja Festival cost?
- Admission is free during the festival. The normal adult ticket is KRW 5,000, and the in-garden tram is charged separately even during the festival.
- Q. How do I book the Bongja Festival shuttle bus?
- Book on Naver Booking, linked from the arboretum's website. Each date takes 40 people, one booking covers up to four, and bookings close at 5:00 pm two days before travel. Buses run same-day return from Sadang Station (Seoul), Dongdaegu Station and Andong Bus Terminal via Yeongju Station.
- Q. What time does the Bongja Festival shuttle leave?
- Sadang Station at 8:20 am, Dongdaegu Station at 9:30 am, and Andong Bus Terminal at 10:30 am (Yeongju Station 11:20 am). All return buses leave the arboretum at 5:00 pm.
- Q. Can I bring my dog to the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum?
- No. Pets are not allowed in the arboretum or on the shuttle bus.
- Q. Is it worth going if I do not read Korean?
- Yes. The draw is a hillside of autumn wildflowers, which needs no translation, and entry is free with nothing to book. The one hurdle is the shuttle's Naver booking; if that fails, ask the arboretum by phone or go by car or train and taxi.
Editor's note · Kang Shin-wook
For visitors who want to reach a remote mountain arboretum without a car. The arboretum's normal fees, tiger forest and tram are covered on our Baekdudaegan National Arboretum guide, which compares Korea's national arboretums.
Sources
- Official notice (Korean)
- Arboretum notice — free shuttle bus and booking (Korean)
- Baekdudaegan National Arboretum — cultural events (Korean)
- Baekdudaegan National Arboretum — exhibitions (Korean)
- Baekdudaegan National Arboretum — admission and tram (Korean)
- Kyongbuk Ilbo — festival report (Korean)
Written in our own words from the sources above, never copied from them, and every date and price checked against at least two pages. The originals are in Korean. Spotted a mistake? Ask for a correction.
