Travel to Bears Town with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Less than an hour’s drive from the city of Seoul, Bears Town is a fully-equipped ski resort nestled in a deep valley on Mount Sorak. It is an excellent resort for beginners, with gentle novice trails on which to develop skill and confidence, and is popular with city dwellers due to its convenient proximity.

Bears Town is a highly developed, self-contained ski resort which is known as a ‘leisure town’ due to its extensive size, wide range of accommodation options and prolific leisure choices, while the resort’s long ski hours make it a great place to experience both night and early morning skiing.

There are 11 ski runs at the resort in total, ranging in level of difficulty from beginner to advanced, and served by 11 ski lifts including nine chairlifts and two surface lifts. Part of Bear Town’s burgeoning attraction is the ski resort’s suitability for all ages and abilities, with easy novice runs like Little Bear Run and extreme trails like the Challenger Run on offer. Bears Town encompasses almost 60 snow-making machines, which help to improve descent conditions throughout the ski season.

Bears Town is home to an enormous selection of lodgings and facilities offering accommodation to suit almost any preference or budget requirement as well as an extensive range of leisure options. The ski resort is popular with day-skiers due to its close proximity to Seoul; however, visitors wanting to stay overnight can choose between hotels, condominiums and youth hostels. In addition to its ski runs, Bears Town encompasses a swimming pool, leisure centre, Korean and Western dining options, a karaoke bar and a tennis court.

There are a number of interesting tourist sites in the area, the most notable of which is the Korea National Arboretum, located in Gwangneung Forest and home to the fascinating Forest Museum and a vast natural area that encompasses 15 specialised woodlands.

The ski season at Bears Town runs from December to March, and although the resort has an extensive snow-making system, slope conditions are extremely variable depending on crowds and fluctuations in weather. The easiest way of getting to the resort is via hire car or bus from Seoul.

Skiing in Bears Town

Conveniently situated less than an hour’s drive from Seoul, Bears Town is one of Korea’s most popular skiing destinations, attracting numerous day-skiers from the city as well as overnight visitors. It is perched roughly 2,625 feet above sea level on Mount Sorak and is known for its exceptionally fresh mountain air.

Bears Town offers skiing for all ages and levels of ability ranging from beginners to advanced riders, but it is particularly popular with learners, with roughly 90 per cent of its visitors belonging to this category. The resort is home to 11 ski runs in total, with good novice slopes including Little Bear Run and the Family Run, while more advanced skiing is available on the Big Polar Slope and the Challenger Run. There are 11 ski lifts in total at Bears Town, consisting of nine chairlifts and two surface lifts. Slopes are open to snow boarders as well as skiers, and a 1,312 foot sledding hill offers opportunities for alternative outdoor fun.

Known as a ‘leisure town’ rather than just a ski resort, Bears Town is equipped with an excellent selection of leisure and convenience facilities including a swimming pool, arcade, various dining options, bowling alley, paintball area, karaoke bar, tennis court and a sauna. Ski rental equipment is available from the on-site ski shop.

Accommodation is available at a range of hotels, condominiums and a youth hostel. A supermarket, medical centre and a general information centre are located within the resort grounds.

The ski season usually runs from December to March, but is subject to slight variations depending on seasonal weather fluctuations. Although Bears Town has almost 60 snow-making machines, the slopes can be icy at times due to crowds and uncooperative weather conditions.

Transportation to Bears Town

Bears Town is located within easy driving distance of Seoul and is accessible from the city within 1 hour by car or bus. The most convenient means of travelling to the resort is by hiring a car in Seoul and driving there yourself, but if you are nervous about travelling on unfamiliar roads it’s easy enough to take public transportation to Bears Town.

If you are driving, take the Olympic expressway from Seoul and then national road No. 47 until you reach Bears Town. The journey should take between 40 minutes and 1 hour depending on road and weather conditions.

Seoul’s international airport at Incheon, roughly 32 miles from the city centre, receives flights from overseas destinations, while Gimpo Airport in Gwahae-dong, Gangseo-gu is the city’s domestic air hub.

There are a number of options for reaching the resort by bus and shuttle bus. You can take the City Express bus No. 707 from Cheongyangni in Seoul and get off at the last stop (Gwangneungnae) before taking another bus to Bears Town. Alternatively, you can take an Ildong-bound bus from Seoul’s Sangbong Terminal, get off at Nacheon and then take a taxi the last mile to Bears Town. Additionally, free shuttle buses provide transportation to Bears Town from Bundang, Ilsan, Sanggye, Jongno, Sinsadong, Jamsil and Gangbyeon.

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