Ice Fishing at Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival from Seoul

Catch trout through the ice, cook it yourself, eat it the same day.

A day trip from Seoul to the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival where you fish for trout through holes in the frozen river, then bring your catch to a restaurant kitchen to be cooked and served. The tour runs 9 to 12 hours with hotel pickup, a live guide in English, Korean, Chinese or Japanese, lunch, and access to snow sledding, ice skating and other winter activities on the festival grounds. If you don't catch fish, lunch is included anyway.

Step-by-step itinerary

Ice fishing and snow activities at festival

• Arrive at Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival
• Ice-fishing trout
• Enjoy snow sliding and sledding
• Try bobsled and ice skating
• Cook caught fish as BBQ or steamed
• Taste cooked fish at festival

The Experience

The day starts with a pickup from your Seoul hotel and a drive to the festival site on the frozen Sancheo River. Once there, you get a fishing rod and a spot on the ice. The trout are stocked in the water below, and the method is straightforward: drop your line through a hole and wait. Families and groups spread across the ice together, and the catch rate is high enough that most people land something. If you do, you carry your fish to one of the restaurants on the grounds, hand it to the kitchen staff, and choose how you want it cooked—grilled as BBQ or steamed. You sit down and eat it while it's still warm.

Between fishing sessions or while waiting for your catch to cook, the festival grounds offer snow sledding, traditional sleds, bobsled runs and ice skating. These aren't separate bookings; they're all available at the site, and you move between them as you choose. The guide stays with your group throughout the day and handles logistics—translation, timing, making sure everyone knows where to go next. Lunch is provided even if fishing doesn't happen; the meal is included in the price, not contingent on a successful catch.

The minivan is air-conditioned for the drive to and from Seoul, and the guide speaks your language (English, Korean, Chinese or Japanese). Bottled water is provided. The festival runs during winter, and the ice is thick enough to support foot traffic and fishing, but dress warmly—you'll be standing on frozen water for stretches of the day. The whole experience, from pickup to drop-off, takes between 9 and 12 hours depending on traffic and how long you spend at the festival.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Seoul.
• a live guide in your choice of English, Korean, Chinese or Japanese.
• lunch at the festival.
• bottled water.
• transport by air-conditioned minivan.
• access to ice fishing, snow sledding, traditional sleds, bobsled runs and ice skating at the festival grounds.
• and cooking of any fish you catch at the on-site restaurant.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Here Korea Travel

Is this one for you?Bring kids or a group of friends who want to do something together—the festival is built for families and groups, and the mix of fishing, sledding and skating means everyone finds something to do. The guide stays with you the whole time, so you don't navigate the site or the cooking process alone.

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Top questions

Can kids actually catch fish at the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival?

Yes. The trout are stocked in the river below the ice, and the catch rate is high enough that children and adults both land fish regularly. Kids can fish with a rod or catch trout with their bare hands if they want to try that method instead.

What happens if I catch a fish—do I have to cook it myself?

No. You bring your caught trout to one of the restaurants on the festival grounds and tell the chef how you want it cooked—grilled or steamed. You sit down and eat it there. The restaurant handles the cooking; you just eat.

Is lunch included if I don't catch any fish?

Yes. Lunch is included in the tour price regardless of whether you catch fish. If you don't fish or don't catch anything, you still eat at the festival.

What snow activities are available besides ice fishing?

The festival grounds have snow sledding, traditional sleds, bobsled runs and ice skating. All of these are available to you during the day; you can move between fishing and the other activities as you choose.

How long is the drive from Seoul to the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival?

The full tour runs 9 to 12 hours from hotel pickup to drop-off, which includes the drive, time at the festival and meals. The drive itself is part of that window, but the exact timing depends on Seoul traffic.

What language does the guide speak?

The guide speaks English, Korean, Chinese or Japanese. You choose your language when you book.