Chuncheon launches gastronomic rail tours featuring dakgalbi — Korea Herald
In Chuncheon, South Korea, Korail Tourism Development and the city government have launched the “2026 Chuncheon K-Chicken Belt” tourism packages dedicated to the local dish dakgalbi. The programs combine rail travel with tastings of traditional alcohol, local cuisine, farm activities and establishments run by young entrepreneurs, Korea Herald reports.
The one-day program, scheduled for October 16 during the Chuncheon Makguksu and Dakgalbi Festival, offers five themed routes. Prices range from 67,000 to 85,000 won; the source lists 67,000 won as approximately $45. The price includes train travel, bus transfers, meals, participation in activities and guide services.
Dagkalbi and traditional drinks
Dagkalbi is marinated chicken cooked on a large metal griddle with cabbage, sweet potatoes and rice cakes. In the 1960s, Chuncheon residents began grilling chicken over charcoal because beef and pork were difficult to obtain. In the 1970s, the dish began to be prepared on a wide metal pan, with vegetables and rice cakes added so that a small amount of meat could feed an entire group.
The two-day Chuncheon One Night Hansang route includes a tasting at Jisiul Brewery, which produces takju, yakju, gwaju and distilled soju. Brewery owner Yu So-young opened it in 2020. The full tasting includes five drinks with an alcohol content ranging from 12% to 52%, as well as traditional sweets and hwajeon rice cakes with edible flowers.
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Cable car, forest and potato beer
The route also includes a dakgalbi lunch, a ride on the Chuncheon Samaksan Lake Cable Car across Uiam Lake, and dinner at the Korean gastropub Hosoo. About 70% of the ingredients in its seasonal set menu are local.
On the second day, tourists visit the National Forest Activity Center in Chuncheon, where they can relax in hammocks among the trees, as well as the Makguksu Museum. There, participants make buckwheat noodles themselves and learn about the dish’s history. The trip ends at Gamja Island, a beer venue in a former church building. It brews 16 varieties of beer, including a signature lager made with potatoes instead of barley.
Two two-day trips scheduled for October 23–24 and 30–31 have already sold out. Their prices started at 224,000 won per person, and each departure was intended for up to 30 participants.
