A Visit to Byukchoji and First Garden in Paju County, Korea ‘

Byukchoji garden is a wonderful, beautiful botanical garden located in Paju County north of Seoul and not too far from the DMZ. It spans over 130,000 square meters and has a mixture of Eastern and western themed gardens divided into six thematic areas – Sensational, Mythical, Mindful, Breathtaking, Adventurous, and Freedom. There is a decent coffee shop, bakery and restaurant on site. There is also a nice art gallery showing pictures of famous botanical gardens from around the world and photos of the gardens taken by visitors.

There is also a garden shop with flowers and plants for sale. At the entrance gate, be sure to pick up the useful bilingual (Korean and English) guide map. It takes about an hour to walk around and truly appreciate the gardens. There is a very nice lotus pound in the center–the lotus flowers are in bloom in mid to late summer. The park is especially pretty in the Spring and Fall season.

Transportation options

To visit Byukchoji Garden from Seoul, you have several transportation options:

Note: to get there from Camp Humphreys take the GTX train from Pyeongtaek station, get off at Yongsan Station, got to Seoul station, then either take the subway or bus. The total trip should take about two hours. The park entry closes at 6 pm. The cost is quite modest, about 9,000 won (US$ 7) per person.

The

First Garden, s “퍼스트 가든 파주카운티“

First Garden, s “퍼스트 가든 파주카운티“¹. is another great botanical garden in Paju county, Korea near Goyang county.

It’s known for its 23 themed gardens, including the Adonis Garden, and offers a variety of experiences such as a mini zoo and amusement park ¹.

Transportation Options

To get to First Garden using public transportation, you can follow these steps:

From Camp Humphreys take the GTX line from Pyeongtaek station to Yongsan Station, then take the subway to Seoul station, take the Airport Express train one stop to Bangkok station then the Gyeongi Jungang subway and get off at Unjeong station and take either the bus or taxi. Total travel time is about two hours. The park is open until 9 pm seven days a week and has several restaurant options on site.

Subway: Take the Gyeongi Jungang subway line and get off at Unjeong Station.
Bus: From Unjeong Station, take bus number 088, which runs at intervals of 30-40 minutes, and get off at the First Garden station ¹.

Alternatively, taking a taxi from Unjeong Station to First Garden is also a convenient option, especially if you’re traveling in a group of 3-4 people. The taxi fare is approximately 10,000 won ¹.

The cost is also 9,000 won or US$7).

For more information, see the following:

The Paju Byukchoji Gardens, also known as The Botanical Garden BCJ, is one of the famous breathtaking tourist attractions in South Korea, which was founded in 1965. This garden is located in the village of Changman-ri in Paju’s Gwangtan Township. The BCJ Gardens is spread over a vast 130,000 square meters with the polyphony of Eastern Gardens and Western Gardens as its main theme. This is also one of the K-Dreamland staples.

Apart from that, the Garden is sorted into 6 amazing themes: Sensational, Mythical, Mindful, Breathtaking, Adventurous, and Freedom. As the name suggests, each themed portion of the Garden gives you a blissful experience.

Sensational Tour

The Sensational part of the garden greets you first as soon as you enter the BCJ Botanical Garden. This part of the garden has the majestic Queen’s Garden, which is surrounded by Wildflowers, potted herbs, and shrubs that look dramatically beautiful. The pine tree-lined grove is also a beautiful display to savor your eyes.

Mythical Tour

As you go through the tree-lined lane, you will find the Mythical area that is enclosed in Marley Castle’s gilded gates of Paju Byukchoji Gardens. This area covers some of the ancient sculpture gardens of Greece and Italy. Also, you can find a few sculptures that are done in honor of the Greek God Apollo and Italian artist Michaelangelo.

Mindful Tour

Then comes the Mindful-themed area, which is mostly covered by green natural forested paths, you will also find a nicely constructed wooden bridge over a pond which is one of the attractions of this area. The most captivating thing is the Waterfall in this area, which will comfort your eyes and release the tension from your body with its enchanting presence.

Breathtaking Tour

Right after the Waterfall comes to the Breathtaking area, and as the name suggests, it is truly a breathtaking sight. The wooden walkway on the Byukchoji Pond is just an amazing scene and bridge to walk upon, with many flowers in the pond. Needless to say, this is the pinnacle of BCJ Gardens.

Adventurous Tour

The Adventurous area is quite an adventure for kids, as it mainly consists of a birch forest playground and other things which attract kids to play in; other than that, there isn’t much to explore here.

Freedom Tour

Moving on to the final themed area Freedom. This part of the garden is filled with flower-covered arches, grassy fields, and a road completely dedicated to the harmonious reunification of North and South Korea.

European and Asian-style gardens are the main attraction that brings people from various parts to have a look and enjoy the moment. The main highlight of these gardens is that it is good for kids and also for the people around the place to spend a good day with their loved ones. They also provide Wheelchair accessibility at the entrance for the disabled, which is a plus point.

Timings and Entry Fee

The Paju Byukchoji Gardens is open every day from 9 am-7 pm. To enjoy this beautiful garden at a slow pace, you need at least 3hrs, so make sure you are on time. And the tourists who arrive after 6 pm are basically out of luck as the ticket sales close at 6 pm. The adult ticket is 9.500 KRW.

Timings and Entry Fee

퍼스트가든웨딩 (firstgarden.co.kr)

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