22 Aug
It’s summer! I really enjoy outdoor activities, trips out of Seoul, and extreme activities. I’ve already explored three caves, rode three bike rails, taken a scenic cable car, river rafted, climbed a few mountains, paraglided and more in Korea’s countryside. On my most recent one day trip, I only had only one activity in mind! I wanted to cross bungee jumping off my bucket list! Join me on my bungee jumping adventure in Gapeyeong!
Gapyeong
After doing some research, I found the place where I could do both – Gapyeong! Gapyeong is only a 40 minute ITX ride away from Cheongryangri Station. The ticket was only 4,800 won one way, so the roundtrip was under 10,000won! Gapyeong is a famous destination for university students or just any group of friends taking a trip out of Seoul to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities during the summer. The area offers quad rides, a rail bike, bungee jumping, ziplining, and various water activities.
Top Land
It took only a five minute taxi ride from Gapyeong Station to Gapyeong Top Land! That is the name of the bungee jumping location. For anyone who purchases a jump while at Top Land, the cost is 40,000won. However, my friend got us a discount online. Thus, my jump was just 23,000won! I would give instructions on how to get this discount, but it is just on a Korean site, so you’ll need the assistance of a Korean friend. Sorry. Anyway, the jump is from a 55 meter tower. The tower is located next to Bukhan River. Their weight range is from 35kg-95kg. They strap you in from the waist.
After paying, one is escorted into a room where one places all their belongings. Have a friend on the ground when you jump! Top Land doesn’t record your jump and sell the footage to you either. Anyway, after dropping off all one’s belongings, one goes to the second floor. There is where everyone signs waivers. Also, they take your weight and give you the appropriate strap gear for your weight. An employee explains how to properly jump. Worth noting! They give you two attempts to jump. If you fail to jump on your two attempts, then you lose your ability to jump and you won’t be refunded! All these details are explained at this time. Next, one takes an elevator up to the jumping platform. There is a line for men and another for women. One by one, people take turns jumping.
Here is my list of jumping advice!
- Don’t eat anything at least 2 hours before jumping.
- Wear comfortable, casual clothing.
- Never look down! Look straight ahead.
- Jump on ‘1’, don’t wait for ‘Jump’!! They count down from 5 (5, 4, 3, 2, 1, JUMP).
The experiencing was all about overcoming my own fear and beating that internal, mental battle. The jump itself feels like nothing more than the feeling of going down the first dive of a rollercoaster ride. You feel it in your stomach. It makes you scream. The scream relieves the pressure in your stomach. Suddenly, the experience is over and you have officially joined the bungee jumping adrenaline junkee team!
There are a few places to bungee jump in Korea. The highest one is located in Jecheon’s Cheongpung Land. The height there is 62 meters. Also, the have a ‘Big Swing’ attraction. I’m adding this location to my must visit list.
Wherever you decide to jump, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you make it out to one of the locations and take bungee jumping off your bucket list while living and teaching in Korea!
Gapyeong Top Land
Address: Gyeonggi-do, Gapyeong-gun, Gapyeong-eup, Bukhangangbyeon-ro, 1044-15 KR
Hours: 9AM – 6PM
Phone Number: 031-582-5372
Giselle Moreno is from California, USA where she attended the University of California, Riverside. While a student, she always worked with international students and she decided to teach English abroad upon graduating during her third year of university. It was through the experiences of being an English tutor for international students that she felt really fulfilled. She found it particularly easy to get along with Korean students which is why she decided to pursue a teaching opportunity in Korea. She even attended Yonsei University in Seoul for a semester as a study abroad student and fell in love with the city. She is currently working at ChungDahm Learning’s April Daechi branch located in Gangnam, Seoul.
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