[Updated 22 November 2019]
Located about an hour’s drive from Seoul, Everland might be dismissed by many travellers as getting here (especially by public transportation) requires quite a bit of time and effort. But the distance is no excuse to miss out on South Korea’s largest theme park!
Credit: GIPHY
It might be called a theme park but amusement rides are not the only thing to look forward to here. The park is also made of a zoo, safari world and plenty of instagrammable spots ? There’s so much to do here that you’d want to set aside an entire day for Everland!
The best part is that tickets are pretty affordable for such a huge park. The usual price for admission tickets is SGD65.79 but with Klook, it’s only SGD32.45? Plus, you can skip the entrance queues as you can enter the park with the QR code on your online booking.
Buckle up as we get you totally ready for an awesome Everland adventure!
1. Take the shuttle bus
While it’s possible to reach Everland via public transport, it takes almost double the time and as travellers, we know how precious time is when we travel ? So save all that time for actual fun in Everland by taking Klook’s shuttle bus. With multiple pick-up locations around Seoul, the shuttle bus is one of the most convenient, comfortable and fastest ways to get to Everland.
Though the pick-up timings for each location are fixed, make sure to check the different timings of return slots based on location so that you can plan ahead of time once you're ready to leave the theme park.
#HHWT Tip: Be sure to reach 10 minutes early for your pick-up timing as the bus is usually on time.
2. Beat the queue with Klook’s Q-Pass
Speaking of saving time…there’s only one thing that’s between you and all the fun you’re going to have in Everland – long, dreadful queues! Lucky for you, we’ve got a solution that is completely free ? When you book your Everland ticket on Klook, you are entitled to redeem a free Q-pass (only available on weekdays!) so you can skip the queue for one of the park’s 5 most popular rides. This is for a limited time only, so be sure to check Klook before you go!
There’s a separate queue dedicated to Q-pass users, and we were really impressed at how much time we saved! On average, queue timings are more than an hour long (even longer on weekends!) but with the pass, it only took us less than 10 minutes to board the ride ?
P.S. We recommend choosing your ride wisely as you only have 1 Q-pass ? If you’re into thrill rides, use it for the T-express as the queue is probably the longest compared to other rides. But if you’re looking for family-friendly experiences, Lost Valley would be a good place to use the pass!
3. Plan your park route
Credit: Everland
Prior to your Everland visit, it’ll be good to plan your route around the park to maximise your time here. Check the opening hours as it might change depending on the seasons! You’d also want to plan your route according to the different show timings.
You can choose to start with Zoo Topia and end at American Adventure, or the other way round depending on what attractions you’re most excited for ?
Download the map here so that you would not get lost navigating around the park. You can also grab a map at the entrance, but be sure to check the map’s language as there are many maps of different languages.
#HHWT Tip: Skip the long queues by getting your tickets online via Klook. Use these promo codes for discounts: TRAVELHHWTID (IDR 100,000 off for new users, min spend IDR 80,000), TRAVELHHWTMY (RM30 off for new users, min spend RM240) and TRAVELHHWTSG (SGD$10 off for new users, min spend SGD$80).
4. Skyway
Quite like the rest of South Korea’s streets, there are many uphill slopes in Everland. But if you don’t want to do all that walking, the Skyway is your best bet! The short 10-minute ride offers gorgeous panoramic views of Everland while taking you across the park, sweat-free ?
This one’s perfect even if you’re afraid of heights, as the Skyway travels pretty low and slow.
5. Immerse yourself in Zoo Topia
Now that we have the basics of the park out of the way, it’s time to dive into the actual fun! Kickstart your Everland adventure at Zoo Topia ? Home to over 2000 animals, Zoo Topia is filled with interactive and immersive experiences with your animal friends.
You wouldn’t want to miss the giant pandas at Panda World, as this is the only place in South Korea where you can find these adorable animals. Time your visit according to the feeding times of some animals (for example, pandas and tigers)! The feeding takes place at the animal attraction itself, allowing you to have an up-close and personal view of the animals.
Want to get even closer to the animals? Then you have to head to Lost Valley! Here, you’ll hop onboard an amphibious vehicle which can traverse a range of animal habitats. The vehicle will even submerge itself in water!
We love the absence of windows on the vehicle – making the ride true to a real safari experience? There’ll even be a feeding session during the ride where the zookeeper will offer food to some animals and attract them to the vehicle, bringing them even closer to you!
6. Take picture perfect shots while wearing a hanbok
With plenty of instagrammable spots around the park, there’s no better way to immerse yourself in all the beauty (and culture!) here than to don a hanbok at Everland’s Hanbok Experience Center! There is a wide range of hanbok designs and sizes available at Everland’s newest section but what we particularly appreciated about this attraction was the impeccable service.
The staff made us feel right at home, and it was easy to converse with them in English. They were also really patient in helping us with the hanbok selection and fitting ?
As you’d only have about half an hour for your shots, we’d recommend heading to the rose garden just in front of the shop. The beautiful Four Seasons Garden is also just a short walk away!
7. Scream your heart out on Everland’s thrill rides
Time to pick up the pace, literally ? Set your heart racing with the many thrill rides at American Adventure. Soar 33 metres above the ground onboard Columbus Adventure! For maximum thrills, sit at the ends of the ship, where you can enjoy the best views of the park while being almost vertical.
Looking for a ride that’ll toss you 360 degrees in the air? The Double Rock Spin is your answer ? The ride starts off mild with mere turns but the speed (and turns!) pick up pretty quickly towards the middle. For an added adrenaline rush, blaring rock music is played but we could barely hear it amidst all the screams!
Credit: @hyunjupark__ on Instagram
The thrill does not stop at American Adventure. You have to head to European Adventure for the highlight of Everland – T-Express! With a speed of 104km per hour at a 77-degree angle, the world’s steepest wooden coaster is bound to leave your heart thumping for hours ?
8. Hop on family-friendly rides
If you’re looking for rides that are just as exciting but less heart-stopping, family-friendly thrill rides like the Racing Coasters and Magic Swing are perfect for you. The rides (thankfully) do not turn 360 degrees, and the drops are not as steep!
After that whirlwind of fun, cool yourself down with a classic Carousel ride at European Adventure. And if you’re looking to let the little ones loose on their own for a bit, Magic Cookie House is a safe space to do just that as they will be busy navigating their way through the different mazes and slides ?
#HHWT Tip: Whichever rides you choose to experience, make sure to get your tickets online via Klook and save Use these promo codes for discounts: TRAVELHHWTID (IDR 100,000 off for new users, min spend IDR 80,000), TRAVELHHWTMY (RM30 off for new users, min spend RM240) and TRAVELHHWTSG (SGD$10 off for new users, min spend SGD$80).
9. Head to the prayer room
Halal food might not be available in the park yet, hence we recommend packing your own food or trying some of Everland’s seafood options. We tried the shrimp burger at Burger Café America (no pork but alcohol is served so do dine at your own discretion!). Food aside, the park still had its fair share of Muslim-friendly facilities!
Our reader has shared that a small prayer room is located between Lenny's School of Magic (number 155 on the map) and Shooting Ghost (number 154 on the map). It also comes with ablution facilities and prayer mats though you have to bring your own prayer garments, as they are not provided. Do note that it is a unisex prayer room with no separate areas for men and women.
10. Wind down while watching the parades
Take a breather and wind down, as you watch the lively parades taking place throughout the day! Some of the parades are even themed according to the occasion. For example, we visited during Halloween and managed to watch a Halloween-themed parade. Timings vary each day so check out the schedule here before heading to the park.
If you have time to stay till night, don’t miss out on the Moonlight Parade! The park’s street lights will be switched off, but the floats with thousands of colourful lights are enough to brighten the night sky of Everland and leave you in awe ?
11. Watch Everland’s spectacular fireworks display
Credit: @sharmainder on Instagram
End your Everland adventure with a bang, by watching the epic fireworks display! Timings vary according to day so check the time in advance to make sure you don’t miss the show.
P.S. This is probably the most popular show of the day so do come early to get the best seats ?
12. Use the family-friendly facilities available
One of the things which stood out to us most was how family-friendly the park is! There are big spaces dedicated to strollers outside many rides, and there are also special queues for families with strollers. And while the slopes around the park are pretty steep, there are many travelators around to ease your walking!
You can also rent strollers (single and double) and wheelchairs at the Customer Service Centre, located at the right side of the main gate.
13. Keep your belongings safe in the locker
You’d need to bring your belongings along for many of the rides (including some of the thrill rides), so we’d recommend keeping them in the lockers (KRW 1,000 for small and KRW 2,000 for large) and carrying around only the necessary items! After all, you wouldn’t want your belongings being soaked on the wet rides or worse, dropping metres above the ground ?
#HHWT Tip: It’ll be handy to use a cross body bag, or pouch to hold your belongings with you while exploring the park!
14. Go on a shopping spree
Surely you’d want to bring back some souvenirs to remember the amazing time you had here. The good news is that there’s plenty of shops around the park, offering the most adorable souvenirs! From animal plush toys to LINE merchandise, there’s definitely something for everyone to take home ?
With so much to do at Everland, it’s almost impossible to give this park a miss! We dedicated an entire day for this but still did not find it enough to explore the park completely ? But we hope this guide will go a long way in helping you achieve what we did not! Don’t wait any longer, book your heavily discounted Everland tickets here now and make sure to use these promo codes for discounts: TRAVELHHWTID (IDR 100,000 off for new users, min spend IDR 80,000), TRAVELHHWTMY (RM30 off for new users, min spend RM240) and TRAVELHHWTSG (SGD$10 off for new users, min spend SGD$80).
This article is brought to you by Klook.