Boseong Green Tea Fields

Boseong is about 5 hours away, and even though green tea fields are the main attraction, staying the night is a good idea so you are not on a bus for 10 hours of your day.

Before you go:
1. Check the forecast, gather up some friends, and plan a day ahead so you can get on one of the first buses.
2. If you plan on staying overnight then be sure to book accommodations a week in advance. There are not many options, as Boseong is a small town, but my friends and I stayed at the Bosung Tourist Motel (60,000 Won for a room for 5 people, think one bed and many blankets for the heated floor).
3. Pack: comfortable walking shoes for the hike to the top of the green tea hills, comfortable clothes for bus/overnight, snacks for bus, and bathing suit if you plan to trek to Yulpo Beach.

Boseong Tourist Motel

How to get there:
1. Take subway line 3, 7, or 9 to the Express Bus Terminal stop.
2. Purchase a bus ticket to Gwangju for about 26,000 Won. Buses leave all day long at 30-minute intervals or less.
3. About 3 hours and 30 minutes later you will arrive in Gwangju where you buy a ticket to Boseong (approx. 8,000 Won). The ride is just under 2 hours.
4. Once you arrive at the tiny bus station in Boseong, get a bus to the green tea fields, called Nok Cha Bat (approx 1,000 Won), it’s about a 10 minute ride.

Once you arrive at Nok Cha Bat:
When you get to the entrance of the fields there is a main road that you will follow all the way to the back of the park with the main fields. The first thing you must do after your long journey is get a fresh green tea ice cream cone from the stand you will approach on your right. Next you will walk along the beautiful tree lined dirt path until you find the ticket booth (3,000 Won). The paths to the main fields are very clearly laid out and once you arrive at the main hill you will know!

Proceed to take a million pictures and freak out in awe of how cool the green tea fields are. Once you’ve explored your way through and up the hills you will get to the very steep steps that lead you to the top of the hill. The view from the top is well worth the hike! From the top of the hill you can see the ocean in the distance, its beautiful. After you’ve climbed down and bought green tea chocolate and other souvenirs from the gift shop, treat yourself to a green tea churro at the cafe outside.

Side Notes:
You are traveling very far south so if you want to make a weekend out of the trip you could spend a day at Yulpo Beach, Mokpo, etc. Research and planning is all it takes! Enjoy Nok Cha Bat!

Article by Tara from the U.S.A.