Gangwon has 5 festivals in February: Daegwallyeong Snow Festival (30 Jan – 9 Feb 2027), Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival (expected Jan/Feb 2027), Pyeongchang Trout Festival (expected Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27), Taebaeksan Snow Festival (expected Jan/Feb 2027), and Inje Icefish Festival (2026 edition cancelled). The Daegwallyeong Snow Festival (대관령눈꽃축제) is a ten-day snow-sculpture and sledding festival run by local residents beside the Songcheon stream in Hoenggye, Daegwallyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang, about 2 h 10 min by direct bus from Dong Seoul.
Typical February weather (average high/low): Pyeongchang 1/−10 °C (33/14 °F); Hwacheon 5/−7 °C (42/20 °F). Source: KMA normals.
| Festival | Dates | Admission | Nearest station | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daegwallyeong Snow Festival대관령눈꽃축제 | 30 Jan – 9 Feb 2027 | From ₩10,000 | Jinbu (Odaesan) Station | Upcoming |
| Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival얼음나라화천 산천어축제 | Expected Jan/Feb 2027 | Paid admission | Chuncheon Station (ITX-Cheongchun), then bus | Expected |
| Pyeongchang Trout Festival평창송어축제 | Expected Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27 | Paid admission | Jinbu (Odaesan) Station | Expected |
| Taebaeksan Snow Festival태백산눈축제 | Expected Jan/Feb 2027 | Free entry | Taebaek Station | Expected |
| Inje Icefish Festival인제빙어축제 | 2026 edition cancelled | Free + paid activities | See festival page | Cancelled |
Dates marked “expected” follow the organizer's usual pattern and are replaced when the official announcement comes. Each festival page lists the sources.
| Festival town | Average high | Average low | Rain | Measured at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyeongchang | 1 °C 33 °F | −10 °C 14 °F | 49 mm | Daegwallyeong (Pyeongchang)about 15 km away |
| Hwacheon | 5 °C 42 °F | −7 °C 20 °F | 28 mm | Chuncheonabout 25 km away |
What to wear. Well below freezing at night: a down coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers.
Monthly averages, not a forecast. Source: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, via the KMA-sourced climate tables for Daegwallyeong (Pyeongchang), Chuncheon. Where a festival town has no station with published normals, the nearest one is used and its distance shown.
The Daegwallyeong Snow Festival (대관령눈꽃축제) is a ten-day snow-sculpture and sledding festival run by local residents beside the Songcheon stream in Hoenggye, Daegwallyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang, about 2 h 10 min by direct bus from Dong Seoul. Held since 1993, it last ran 13–22 February 2026, and the 35th edition is planned for 30 January–9 February 2027, 09:30–17:30.
The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival (얼음나라화천 산천어축제) is Korea's largest winter festival: three weeks of ice fishing for mountain trout through holes in the frozen Hwacheon stream in Hwacheon, Gangwon, about 3 h 30 m by direct bus from Seoul. The 2026 edition ran 10 January–1 February; 2027 is expected 9–31 January.
The Pyeongchang Trout Festival is a month-long ice-fishing event on the frozen Odaecheon stream at Jinbu, Pyeongchang, Gangwon, about 1 h 40 min from Seoul by KTX. The 17th edition ran 9 January–9 February 2026, 09:00–17:00; ice fishing cost ₩25,000, tent fishing ₩39,000 and bare-hand catching ₩20,000.
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The Taebaeksan Snow Festival (태백산눈축제) is a free winter festival of large snow sculptures, sledding and a snow-flower hike, held since 1994 around Dangol Plaza in Taebaeksan National Park, Taebaek, Gangwon, about 2 h 50 m by bus from Dong Seoul. The 33rd edition ran 31 January–8 February 2026, 10:00–17:00, with the sculptures lit until 22:00.
The Inje Icefish Festival (인제빙어축제) is a free ice-fishing festival for bingeo, a small icefish, on Bingeoho, a dammed arm of upper Soyang Lake at Bupyeong-ri, Nam-myeon, Inje, Gangwon, about 1 h 45 min by bus from Dong Seoul. Held since 1998, it last ran 20–29 January 2023 and was cancelled in 2024, 2025 and 2026 because Soyang Dam's water was too high for safe ice.
The ice and snow festivals run into the first days of February: the Daegwallyeong Snow Festival in Pyeongchang is planned to run until 9 February in 2027, Taebaeksan's snow festival in Taebaek usually falls in late January or early February, and the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival in Cheongyang keeps its ice fountains and sledding going into mid or late February. On Jeongwol Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar year (expected on 21 February in 2027), the Haeundae Dalmaji Hot Spring Festival sets a pine moon house hung with wishes alight on Haeundae Beach in Busan at moonrise. In the second half of the month Gangjin opens its celadon festival around the Goryeo Celadon Museum, running to around the 1 March holiday. Busan's Gwangbok-ro light trees have stayed lit into February in recent winters, and the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong keeps its lights on until mid-March. Seollal, the lunar new year, usually falls in late January or February; most organized festivals pause for it, and intercity trains sell out weeks ahead.
Tip. If you are in Korea over Seollal, book KTX seats the day Korail opens its holiday sale (a few weeks ahead) or plan to stay in one city.
Gangwon has 5 festivals in February: Daegwallyeong Snow Festival (30 Jan – 9 Feb 2027), Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival (expected Jan/Feb 2027), Pyeongchang Trout Festival (expected Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27), Taebaeksan Snow Festival (expected Jan/Feb 2027), and Inje Icefish Festival (2026 edition cancelled). The Daegwallyeong Snow Festival (대관령눈꽃축제) is a ten-day snow-sculpture and sledding festival run by local residents beside the Songcheon stream in Hoenggye, Daegwallyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang, about 2 h 10 min by direct bus from Dong Seoul.
30 Jan – 9 Feb 2027. Upcoming. From ₩10,000. Nearest station: Jinbu (Odaesan) Station. Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.
Expected Jan/Feb 2027. Expected. Paid admission. Nearest station: Chuncheon Station (ITX-Cheongchun), then bus. The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.
Expected Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27. Expected. Paid admission. Nearest station: Jinbu (Odaesan) Station. The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.
Pyeongchang: Average high 1 °C (33 °F), low −10 °C (14 °F), 49 mm of rain (Daegwallyeong (Pyeongchang) station, about 15 km away, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Well below freezing at night: a down coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers. Hwacheon: Average high 5 °C (42 °F), low −7 °C (20 °F), 28 mm of rain (Chuncheon station, about 25 km away, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Well below freezing at night: a down coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers.
KTX from Seoul Station to Gangneung in about 2 hours; Hwacheon by intercity bus from Dong Seoul Terminal.
11 festivals across Korea fall in February, including Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival, Gangjin Celadon Festival, Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm. If you are in Korea over Seollal, book KTX seats the day Korail opens its holiday sale (a few weeks ahead) or plan to stay in one city.