Every November the same question goes around the expat group chats. Is it open yet? Korean ski resorts do not open on a fixed date. They open when the snow cannons have had enough cold nights to cover one beginner slope, and they announce it about a week ahead.

Last updated: October 19, 2026 (KST)

Here is the bottom line. As of October 19, only Phoenix Pyeongchang has published a 2026-27 date: a target of November 27, weather permitting. Last season the first resorts opened on November 21 and the resorts closest to Seoul opened in the first two weeks of December. You do not need a car. Shuttle buses run from Hongdae, Myeongdong, Gangnam and Jamsil to almost every major resort, but the biggest operator's Korean booking site refuses foreign cards, so use its English site instead. A full day with bus, lift ticket and rental costs about 196,000 KRW (about $140) at counter prices, but online lift tickets and an off-site rental shop bring it closer to 140,000 KRW, and a foreigner day tour package starts at 110,000 KRW.

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When the Slopes Open This Season

Resorts usually confirm their opening date only one to two weeks in advance, once the weather forecast stays below freezing. So the most useful guide right now is what happened last season. The 2025-26 season opened about a week earlier than usual because of an early cold snap, and pre-season targets moved. Vivaldi Park was expected in late November and opened on December 5.

Travel times are by shuttle bus from central Seoul without heavy traffic. Welli Hilli's and Jisan's 2025-26 opening dates come from aggregator listings, not press releases.

Three things to know before you plan around these dates:

• Day one is one slope. Yongpyong opened last season with only its Pink beginner slope, 1 of 28. Most resorts open one or two beginner runs and add slopes over the next few weeks. If you are not a beginner, wait until mid December.
• Bears Town is closed. The Pocheon resort suspended operations in October 2022 and has no plan to reopen its slopes. Starhill in Namyangju (2021) and Yangji Pine in Yongin (2022) are also gone, so older guides that list them are out of date.
• Yongpyong runs longest. It planned to stay open until March 31 last season. Oak Valley planned to close first, on February 28.

💡 TIP: The opening announcement usually appears on each resort's Instagram and in Korean news one to two weeks before. Search Naver for the resort name plus 개장 (gaejang, opening), for example 곤지암 개장.

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The Shuttle Bus Catch for Foreigners

Most Seoul to ski resort shuttles are run by a few private operators, not the resorts themselves. The biggest is Daewon (대원관광, KD Tour), which runs the Seoul and Gyeonggi buses for Yongpyong, Alpensia, Phoenix, Welli Hilli and High1.

Its Korean booking site, skibus.purplebus.co.kr, states that cards issued overseas cannot be used. Payment is Korean card, KakaoPay or bank transfer only, and the ticket arrives by SMS to a Korean phone number. If you have a Korean bank card and a Korean number, the Korean site is the cheaper option. If you do not, book on the English site.

• English booking site kdtour.rideus.net, run by Grace Travel (tourtokorea.com). Its fares are about 2,000 KRW higher per trip than the Korean site. Contact +82-2-335-5889, WhatsApp or Line +82-10-9388-5889, help@tourtokorea.com.
• Morning pickups Hongik Univ. station exit 8 at 05:25, Sinchon exit 7 at 05:30, Myeongdong exit 1 at 05:25 and Dongdaemun (Doota) at 05:35, all meeting at Sports Complex station at 06:20. A later run picks up around 08:45 to 08:55 and leaves Sports Complex at 10:00.
• Return buses leave the resorts at 13:00 and 17:00 (12:30 and 16:30 from Alpensia). They do not wait for late skiers.
• When to book Daewon opens bookings about two weeks before each resort's confirmed opening date and shows dates on a rolling three-week window. Buses run only if enough people book, and online booking closes the day before, usually around 16:00 or 17:00.

Daewon's 2026-27 season pass for the shuttle goes on sale in three rounds: October 20 to November 15, November 20 to December 6 and December 10 to 20. It is valid until March 3, 2027, but buying it needs Korean SMS or KakaoTalk verification, and the price had not been posted on October 19.

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Resort by Resort from Seoul

Fares below are 2025-26 prices. The operators say 2026-27 fares may change slightly, and most will post them in November.

Within about an hour of Seoul

• Gonjiam (Gwangju, Gyeonggi) The closest big resort. A paid shuttle runs from Jamsil station exit 4 (Lotte Mart Zettaplex) for 20,000 KRW one way or 38,000 KRW round trip. Book online by 18:00 two days before and pay by Korean bank transfer, with the depositor's name matching the booking. Without a shuttle, take the Gyeonggang line to Gonjiam station and then village bus 9 or a taxi.
• Jisan Forest (Icheon) A paid shuttle runs from City Hall exit 2 and Sports Complex exit 1 for 20,000 KRW one way or 38,000 KRW round trip, booked at jisan.allthatlimo.net or 02-2039-7728, with no same-day booking. By public transport, take a bus from Dong Seoul or Gangnam to Icheon, then city bus 12 for about 40 minutes and a 15-minute walk.
• Elysian Gangchon (Chuncheon) The easiest resort by train. Baegyang-ri station on the Gyeongchun line is right in front of the slopes, so you can ride the subway system from Sangbong or Cheongnyangni with your gear. Trazy also sells a shuttle from Hongdae, Myeongdong, Dongdaemun, Gangnam and Jamsil for 21,200 KRW.

Gangwon-do, one and a half to two hours

• Vivaldi Park (Hongcheon) The official shuttle operator, Daemyung Tour (vivabus.co.kr), had not posted winter fares yet, and the official site's foreigner booking button is switched off. Trazy sells the same route for 12,500 KRW one way or 25,000 KRW round trip from Hongdae exit 8 at 07:00 and Euljiro 1-ga exit 8 at 07:30, returning at 18:00.
• Welli Hilli Park (Hoengseong) Daewon shuttle 16,000 KRW one way or 30,000 KRW round trip on the Korean site, 18,000 KRW or 36,000 KRW on the English site. Gyeonggi routes run on weekends only. You can also take the KTX to Dunnae station, about 1.5 hours from Seoul station, and a resort shuttle for the last ten minutes.
• Oak Valley (Wonju) No Seoul shuttle. Free shuttles run from Wonju city, so take a KTX or bus to Wonju first.

Pyeongchang and beyond

• Mona Yongpyong and Alpensia Daewon shuttle 18,000 KRW one way or 34,000 KRW round trip (22,000 KRW bought on the day), or 20,000 KRW and 40,000 KRW on the English site. Daewon also sells bus plus lift packages for Yongpyong from 62,000 KRW on a weekday. By rail, the KTX from Seoul to Jinbu is listed at 22,000 KRW on Yongpyong's site. Both resorts run a Jinbu station shuttle twice a day for resort guests, so day skiers usually take a taxi of about 20 minutes.
• Phoenix Pyeongchang Daewon shuttle 17,000 KRW one way or 31,000 KRW round trip. The KTX to Pyeongchang station takes about 1.5 hours, but Phoenix lists no station shuttle, so budget for a taxi.
• High1 (Jeongseon) Daewon shuttle 22,000 KRW one way or 38,000 KRW round trip. Express buses from Seoul to Gohan-Sabuk terminal take about 2 hours 40 minutes, and the resort runs a circulating shuttle from there.
• Muju Deogyusan (Jeollabuk-do) The only major resort with no Seoul shuttle. Take an express bus from Seoul Nambu terminal to Muju (about 2.5 hours), then the free resort shuttle from the Muju tourist information center or a 20-minute taxi. This is a weekend trip, not a day trip.

💡 TIP: Korail allows two carry-on items as long as they do not block seats or aisles, but has no explicit rule for skis. Renting at the resort is far easier than carrying gear on the KTX.

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What a Day Costs

None of the resorts had published 2026-27 lift prices by October 19. Yongpyong and Muju say they will be announced later, and Vivaldi's page shows them as being prepared. These are the 2025-26 official adult prices from the resorts that published them.

• Gonjiam Weekday or weekend: 4 hours 81,000 or 96,000 KRW, 6 hours 87,000 or 105,000 KRW. Ski set rental 36,000 to 39,000 KRW, clothing 27,000 to 35,000 KRW.
• Jisan Forest Weekday or weekend: 4 hours 75,000 or 92,000 KRW, 6 hours 79,000 or 97,000 KRW. Booking online is always 25 percent off. Rental 26,000 to 34,000 KRW, clothing 20,000 to 30,000 KRW.
• Mona Yongpyong Half day or night 68,000 KRW, full day 96,000 KRW. Rental 40,000 to 48,000 KRW, clothing 20,000 to 30,000 KRW.
• High1 4 hours 73,000 KRW, 7 hours 86,000 KRW, full day 111,000 KRW. Rental 28,000 to 54,000 KRW. Helmets are free for everyone.

So a full day at Gonjiam on a weekday, with bus, a 6-hour lift ticket, skis and clothing, comes to about 196,000 KRW (about $140) at full price. Two things bring that down a lot.

• Book lift tickets online. Resorts sell discounted tickets on their own apps and on NOL (formerly Yanolja). Last November Gonjiam's early-bird tickets were 30 percent off, which put the 6-hour pass at 61,000 KRW. Korean partner credit cards also give 30 percent off at Vivaldi.
• Rent outside the resort. Rental shops on the road into Gonjiam and Vivaldi list ski and clothing sets for roughly 15,000 to 25,000 KRW each, about half the resort counter price, often with free pickup from the bus stop. Bring your passport, since rental shops ask for ID.

There is no official passport discount at any resort. What you will find instead are foreigner-only packages from resellers like Trazy, where the passport just proves you are not a resident Korean.

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Day Tour Packages for Foreigners

If you would rather not book three things separately, a day tour bundles the bus, lift ticket, rental and clothing. These were the prices on Trazy on October 19. The listings do not state the season, so confirm before you pay.

• Vivaldi Park day tour 110,000 KRW (about $79) for round-trip bus from Hongdae or Euljiro, a 7-hour lift ticket, equipment and clothing. 135,000 KRW adds a one-hour English lesson. Foreigners only, passport required, gloves and goggles not included.
• Jisan Forest day tour 160,000 KRW with pickups at Hongik Univ., Myeongdong or DDP.
• Oak Valley package 153,000 KRW for 2 hours or 188,000 KRW for 4 hours, including a private lesson, lift, equipment and clothes.

Trazy's catalogue also covers Elysian Gangchon, multi-night Pyeongchang packages and shuttle-only seats, and its early-bird pricing ends on October 31. Klook sells Elysian day tours as well.

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Lessons in English

English-speaking instructors exist, but you have to look for them.

• Mona Yongpyong has a "Classes for Foreigners" program with English-speaking instructors. No price is posted, so call +82-33-330-7373 or book at booking.mona-yongpyong.com.
• High1's official ski school charges 270,000 KRW for a 2-hour private lesson and 370,000 KRW for 4 hours, with the lift ticket included during the lesson.
• Through Trazy English private lessons run from about 141,100 KRW at Welli Hilli to 337,500 KRW at Yongpyong for roughly two hours.
• Gonjiam's official ski school lists no English lessons, and its booking rules exclude foreigners from some lesson types.

Split a private lesson between two or three friends and the price per person drops quickly.

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A Plan for Your First Ski Day

① Now to mid November Decide which resort you want. If you will ski five or more times, look at season passes now. NOL's X6+ pass for Yongpyong, High1, Jisan, Welli Hilli, Elysian Gangchon and Alpensia was 599,000 KRW in its September round.

② When the opening date is announced Book the shuttle on the English site as soon as your date appears, usually about two weeks ahead.

③ The week before Book your lift ticket online and reserve a rental shop. Check the weather. Opening weeks run only beginner slopes, which is perfect for a first day.

④ The day Be at the pickup point 10 minutes early, since a 05:25 bus leaves at 05:25. Pack gloves, goggles, a neck warmer and sunscreen. Our guide to what to wear in Korea by temperature covers the layers. The mountains are several degrees colder than Seoul, so pack one layer more than you think.

⑤ After Catch the 17:00 bus back. For night skiing without a car, Elysian Gangchon is the easy one, since the Gyeongchun line runs back to Seoul; check the last train time before you buy a night ticket. For more winter ideas, our Korea in winter guide covers ice fishing festivals and other January events.

If an accident happens, call ski patrol and ask for the patrol report. Resorts carry liability insurance by law, but it is not personal accident cover, so check whether your travel or personal insurance includes skiing.

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Korean ski culture is social. Night skiing until midnight, ramen at the base lodge, a crowded bus home full of sleeping snowboarders. Your first trip takes a bit of booking, and every trip after that is easy.

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Planning a whole winter in Korea? Homes in Korea helps foreigners find furnished apartments and monthly rentals in Seoul, close to the subway lines that get you to the ski buses before sunrise.