At a glance
| Dates | Expected Sep/Oct 2027Ten or eleven days from late September to mid-October 2027 (2024 opened on Thursday 3 Oct, a public holiday; 2025 on Friday 19 Sep; 2026 on Friday 2 Oct). The festival foundation's board set the 2026 dates on 11 December 2025, so the 2027 dates are likely to be decided around December 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Ten or eleven days from late September to mid-October 2027 (2024 opened on Thursday 3 Oct, a public holiday; 2025 on Friday 19 Sep; 2026 on Friday 2 Oct). The festival foundation's board set the 2026 dates on 11 December 2025, so the 2027 dates are likely to be decided around December 2026. |
| Weather | September average 26/15 °C (79/59 °F), 131 mm of rain October average 21/7 °C (69/44 °F), 56 mm of rainMild days, cold evenings: a jacket for after dark. Monthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Geumsan station. |
| Admission | Free entry to the square and street; some experience programmes cost ₩2,000–5,000 and food and ginseng are bought from vendors.General admission: Free · Public parking: Free (2026 prices) |
| Venue | World K-Insam Expo Square (Geumsan Insam Hall) and Insam Herbal Medicine Street충청남도 금산군 금산읍 인삼광장로 30 (신대리, 금산인삼관) |
| Nearest station | Daejeon Station (nearest rail; Geumsan has no railway) (대전역), KTX Gyeongbu Line; Daejeon Metro Line 1Geumsan is 52 minutes by intercity bus from Daejeon Bokhap Terminal; take the festival shuttle from Daejeon Station, or the bus to Geumsan Terminal and then a taxi (the organizer's own advice). |
| From Seoul | about 1 h 50 min · KTX + Bus + TaxiLeave from Seoul Station · One-way fare from ₩21,600 · Back to Seoul the same nightFull route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Geumsan Culture, Tourism and Festival Foundation (hosted by Geumsan County)재단법인 금산문화관광축제재단 (주최 금산군) |
| Usual timing | Ten or eleven days from late September to mid-October, opening on a Friday or a public holiday (2024: 3–13 Oct, from Thursday 3 Oct, National Foundation Day; 2025: 19–28 Sep; 2026: 2–11 Oct). The festival foundation's board set the 2026 dates on 11 December 2025 and the programme was announced on 30 September 2026, so expect the 2027 dates around December 2026. Browse September / October festivals. |
| First held | 1981 |
| Last checked | 21 October 2026Checked against 25 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Geumsan is Korea's ginseng town, and this festival, held since 1981 and named a top cultural tourism festival ten times by the culture ministry, is its market week. The main site is the World K-Insam Expo Square in Geumsan-eup, where a trade fair, a ginseng food market, a red-ginseng foot bath, a K-Insam beauty zone (sheet masks, ginseng mist, nail art) and a ginseng folk village are laid out around a main stage; the adjoining Insam Herbal Medicine Street is lined with wholesalers selling fresh roots by the basket. The most popular activity is the ginseng-digging trip: you are taken to a certified farm field, dig five-year-old roots (digging itself was free in 2025). Evenings bring a drone light show, trot concerts, a DJ night and a fusion-gugak concert, and 2026 opened with a prayer ceremony at Madangbawi rock and a ginseng-origin rite at Gaesamteo Park. Honest caveats: Geumsan has no railway, the square is a flat expo lot with little shade, weekends are very crowded, and much of the programme is shopping. Prices are low: admission is free, paid experiences run ₩2,000–5,000, and ginseng dishes such as samgyetang cost ₩9,000–15,000. English, Chinese and Japanese help is available at the entrance information centre.
Highlights
- Ginseng-digging trip to a certified field of five-year-old ginseng (free to join in 2025)
- Red-ginseng foot bath and K-Insam beauty zone with sheet masks and ginseng mist
- International Ginseng Trade Fair (91,200 visitors and ₩889 million in sales in 2026) on the Expo Square
- Insam Herbal Medicine Street and the Geumsan international ginseng market next to the square
- Nightly landscape lighting and a drone light show over the square in 2026
- Opening ceremony at 19:00 on day one after the Gaesamje ginseng-origin rite at Gaesamteo Park
Who it suits. Best for food-focused travellers, families with children (kids' café, bubble show, traditional games) and anyone shopping for ginseng or red-ginseng products at source. Less suited to visitors without a car who dislike shuttle-and-taxi logistics, or to those expecting a traditional performing-arts festival, since the programme is mostly market, wellness and pop stages.
Getting there
From Seoul
KTX from Seoul Station to Daejeon Station (about 1 hour, ₩21,600, roughly 90 trains a day), then either the festival shuttle that runs round trips from Daejeon Station during the festival (fare and timetable not published), or an intercity bus from Daejeon Bokhap Terminal to Geumsan Terminal (52 min, ₩5,400, departures 06:30–21:30 roughly every 30 minutes) and a taxi to the square. Driving: Gyeongbu Expressway, then Daejeon–Tongyeong Expressway to Geumsan IC.
From Busan
KTX from Busan to Daejeon Station, then the festival shuttle or the Daejeon–Geumsan intercity bus as above.
Last leg from Daejeon Station (nearest rail; Geumsan has no railway)
KTX Gyeongbu Line; Daejeon Metro Line 1. Geumsan is 52 minutes by intercity bus from Daejeon Bokhap Terminal; take the festival shuttle from Daejeon Station, or the bus to Geumsan Terminal and then a taxi (the organizer's own advice).
Festival shuttle
2026: round-trip festival shuttle between Daejeon Station and the square during the festival (timetable and fare not published), plus weekend/holiday shuttles between the square and temporary lots at the Geumsan History Museum and the sports complex.
Getting home
Buses between Geumsan and Daejeon Bokhap Terminal run until about 21:30 (52 min), and Seoul–Daejeon KTX trains are frequent into the evening; the festival closes at 21:00, so leave the square by 20:00 for a same-night return to Seoul.
Parking
Public car parks near the square are free during the festival; temporary lots with weekend shuttles at the Geumsan History Museum and the sports complex. The organizer advises public transport on weekends.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| General admission | Free | Free |
| Paid experience programmes | — | KTO lists 'some paid, ₩2,000–5,000'; individual programme prices not published |
| Ginseng dishes (samgyetang, ginseng bibimbap) at the food market | — | ₩9,000–15,000 per KTO |
| Public parking | Free | Free during the festival |
- Booking
- No booking for general entry. The sources checked did not say how to join the ginseng-digging trip (on-site sign-up or advance booking), so ask at the information centre on arrival. Trade-fair purchases are paid to individual vendors.
- English on site
- English, Chinese and Japanese assistance at the information centre near the entrance; the official site has English, Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese versions and an English site map.
- Crowds
- Very crowded on the two weekends and the opening night (1.17 million visitors over ten days in 2026); weekday mornings are manageable.
- Best time to go
- A weekday morning for the digging trip and market, staying for the evening lighting and drone show; the opening ceremony is at 19:00 on the first day.
- What to bring
- Closed shoes and clothes you can get muddy for the digging trip, a hat (little shade on the square), cash for small vendors, and a cool bag if buying fresh ginseng.
- Step-free access
- Stroller rental, rest areas and children's play zones on site; emergency medical services at the square.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Ten or eleven days from late September to mid-October 2027 (2024 opened on Thursday 3 Oct, a public holiday; 2025 on Friday 19 Sep; 2026 on Friday 2 Oct). The festival foundation's board set the 2026 dates on 11 December 2025, so the 2027 dates are likely to be decided around December 2026. | expected | No 2027 dates had been announced as of 16 October 2026; the county said only that it will keep developing new content. |
| 2026 | 2–11 Oct 2026 | ended | 44th edition, theme 'Always, youth' (언제나, 청춘). 1,167,000 visitors; trade fair 91,200 visitors and about ₩889 million in sales (up 23.5% on 2025). Weekend shuttles ran between the square and temporary lots at the Geumsan History Museum and the sports complex. |
| 2025 | 19–28 Sep 2025 | ended | 43rd edition, theme '애들아, 사랑한다', 70 programmes. Held in September because of the early-October Chuseok holiday; one source printed the end date as 29 Sep while describing a ten-day run from the 19th, so 28 Sep is used here. About 985,000 visitors (festival foundation, December 2025). |
| 2024 | 3–13 Oct 2024 | ended | 42nd edition, 11 days, theme '아빠, 힘내세요!', 56 programmes. |
Nearby
- Geumsan International Ginseng Market (금산국제인삼시장) — About 230 m from the festival address (KTO listing). Ginseng market and distribution centre beside the Expo Square where fresh roots are sold wholesale; listed by the organizer as a sight to combine with the festival.
- Daedunsan Nakjodae (대둔산 낙조대). Sunset observatory on Daedunsan mountain, recommended by the organizer.
- Taegosa Temple (태고사). Mountain temple on Daedunsan, recommended by the organizer.
- Wolyeongsan Suspension Bridge (월영산 출렁다리). Pedestrian suspension bridge over the Geum River, recommended by the organizer.
Questions travelers ask
When is the Geumsan Ginseng Festival 2027?
Not yet announced. It runs about ten days from late September to mid-October (2024: 3–13 October; 2025: 19–28 September; 2026: 2–11 October). The festival foundation set the 2026 dates in December 2025, so look for the 2027 dates around December 2026.
Is the Geumsan Ginseng Festival free?
Entry is free. Some experience programmes cost ₩2,000–5,000, ginseng dishes at the food market run ₩9,000–15,000, and public parking is free during the festival.
How do I get to Geumsan from Seoul without a car?
KTX to Daejeon (about 1 hour, ₩21,600), then the festival shuttle from Daejeon Station (fare not published) or the Daejeon Bokhap Terminal bus to Geumsan (52 minutes, ₩5,400, until about 21:30) and a short taxi ride.
Can I dig ginseng at the festival?
Yes. The ginseng-digging trip takes you to a certified farm field to dig five-year-old roots; in 2025 the digging itself was free and the field was at Cheonnae-ri, Jewon-myeon.
What are the festival hours?
10:00–21:00 daily in 2026, with the opening ceremony at 19:00 on 2 October and evening lighting, a drone show and concerts after dark.
Is there English support at the Geumsan Ginseng Festival?
Yes, the information centre near the entrance offers help in English, Chinese and Japanese, and the official site has English, Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese pages.
How crowded is it?
Very: 1,167,000 visits were counted over ten days in 2026, concentrated on weekends. The organizer recommends public transport on weekends and runs shuttles from temporary car parks.
What is the weather like during Geumsan World K-Insam Festival?
September in Geumsan: average high 26 °C (79 °F), low 15 °C (59 °F), 131 mm of rain (Geumsan station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). October in Geumsan: average high 21 °C (69 °F), low 7 °C (44 °F), 56 mm of rain (Geumsan station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Mild days, cold evenings: a jacket for after dark.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
21 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2027 edition. Confidence in the current facts: high.
- Geumsan World K-Insam Festival — official English siteofficial — 2026 dates, venue, programme names, address, car and public-transport directions, Daejeon Station shuttle, free parking, English/Chinese/Japanese help, stroller rental, nearby attractions list
- 금산세계인삼축제 — 공식 사이트 (국문)official — 2026 dates 2–11 Oct, venue, address with Geumsan Insam Hall, directions, free public parking, foundation contact
- Korea Tourism Organization — Geumsan World K-Insam Festivalkto — Hours 10:00–21:00, free admission with paid programmes, organizer and host, programme descriptions, food prices ₩9,000–15,000, held since 1981, ten-time top festival
- 더팩트 — 금산군, 제44회 금산세계인삼축제 10월 2일 개최 (2026-09-30)news — Theme, Madangbawi ceremony 1 Oct, Gaesamje 2 Oct, opening ceremony 19:00, programme zones, drone show, shuttle lots
- 더팩트 — 제44회 금산세계인삼축제 116만 명 방문 (2026-10-12)news — 1,167,000 visitors, trade-fair figures, popular programmes, absence of 2027 announcement
- 쿠키뉴스 — 금산세계인삼축제, 인삼캐기 체험여행 열흘간 펼쳐 (2025-09-21)news — 2025 digging trip 19–28 Sep, field location and size, digging free, paid workshops
- 시사뉴스 — 제43회 금산세계인삼축제 (2025-09-10)news — 2025 edition dates from 19 Sep ('ten days'), theme, 70 programmes
- 쿠키뉴스 — 김태흠 지사 '세계적인 인삼엑스포로 키울 것' (2024-10-03)news — 2024 dates 3–13 Oct, theme, programme names
- 더팩트 — 박범인 군수, 42회 금산세계인삼축제 최종 점검 (2024-09-30)news — 2024 opening 3 Oct, 56 programmes
- 아주경제 — 제42회 금산세계인삼축제에 세계 무예인들 힘 보태 (2024-10-07)news — 2024 martial-arts side event 4–6 Oct and parade on 5 Oct
- koreacharts (KTO TourAPI mirror) — 금산세계인삼축제 상세map — Venue coordinates 36.1002, 127.5005 (KTO data), admission note 'some paid ₩2,000–5,000', host/organizer, nearby bus stops
- ktriptips (KTO TourAPI mirror) — 금산세계인삼축제kto — KTO listing updated 13 Oct 2026: period 2–11 Oct 2026, hours 10:00–21:00, free admission with some paid items ₩2,000–5,000, host Geumsan County and organizer the foundation, held since 1981, ten-time top festival, drone light show, Geumsan International Ginseng Market 232 m from the address; no food prices listed
- train.asamaru.net — 서울역→대전역other — KTX about 1 hour, ₩21,600, about 89–95 trains a day
- transportation.asamaru.net — 대전복합터미널 출발 노선other — Daejeon–Geumsan Terminal bus 52 min, ₩5,400, 06:30–21:30
- Korail press release: 코레일-에스알 9월 1일 하나로…안전 최우선, 더 편리한 고속철도의 시작 (31 Aug 2026)official — Integration and integrated running from 1 Sep 2026; KTX and SRT merged into KTX; average KTX fare cut about 10%; Suseo-axis seats up about 30%; 5% mileage; Korail+ app (Korail Talk + SRT app) launched 3 Aug
- Korail 열차운임/시간표 page (fare and timetable downloads)official — Lists 'KTX 운임표(2026. 9. 1. 기준)', 'ITX-마음/ITX-새마을/새마을호 운임표(2026. 9. 1. 기준)' and 'Mugunghwa/Nuriro 운임표(2025.9.27.부터)' as the current fare tables
- Korail KTX fare table, effective 1 Sep 2026 (xls)official — Standard class: Seoul–Daejeon ₩21,600 (₩16,400 on Suwon-routed KTX); Seoul–Busan ₩54,400 (₩54,000 via Seodaegu, ₩49,300 via Gupo); Seoul–Cheonan-Asan ₩12,800; Seoul–Changwon Jungang ₩47,400 / ₩47,000 via Seodaegu; Seoul–Jinju ₩53,100 / ₩52,700; Seoul–Gangneung ₩27,600; Cheongnyangni–Andong ₩27,700 (KTX-Eum); Yongsan–Jeonju ₩31,600 / ₩31,000; Yongsan–Suncheon ₩42,300 / ₩41,800;
- Korail Tickets (English booking site)official — English booking site; letskorail.com redirected to korail.com; Suseo is in the KTX station list; language menu has English, Japanese, Chinese (simplified/traditional), Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian
- Hankyung: 9월 1일부터 서울~부산 KTX 5만4400원…운임 평균 10% 인하 (31 Aug 2026)news — KTX and SRT run as KTX from 1 Sep; former SRT trainsets renamed KTX-Sancheon; Seoul–Busan ₩59,800→₩54,400, Yongsan–Gwangju Songjeong ₩46,800→₩42,000; Suseo seats +30%; booking unified in Korail+
- SBS Biz: KTX표, 이제 두 달 전에 산다…10월부터 예매기간 확대 (20 Sep 2026)news — MOLIT and Korail: from 1 Oct 2026 tickets on sale two months before departure (was one month); foreigner web page has 7 languages, with French, German and Mongolian to be added; WeChat Pay/Alipay in development
- T-money intercity bus booking (시외버스 통합예매)official — Busan Seobu (Sasang) → Jinju route exists in the system; fare not read because results open only after accepting a booking-notice popup (not clicked)
- The Fact — 김태흠 충남지사 '금산세계인삼축제, 세계적인 엑스포로 키운다' (4 Oct 2024)news — 2024 festival opened on the 3rd and runs to the 13th, 11 days
- Aju News — 박범인 금산군수, 제42회 금산세계인삼축제 최종 점검 (30 Sep 2024)news — 2024 opening 3 October
- KTO Korea Tourism Content Lab — Japanese and Chinese listings (contentId 559522, 692773, 693906)kto — Japanese name 錦山世界高麗人参祭り; KTO's Chinese listings call it 锦山人参节 / 錦山人蔘節 (the site keeps 世界, which is part of the official Korean name 금산세계인삼축제)
- 아시아경제 (English) — '2026 Geumsan World Ginseng Festival' to Be Held for 10 Days from October 2 to 11 (15 Dec 2025)news — 2026 dates 2–11 Oct set at the foundation's 31st board meeting on 11 Dec 2025 (Chuseok, weather, harvest, six weekend/holiday days); 2025 festival about 985,000 visitors
What we could not confirm
- Prices of individual 2026 experience programmes (foot bath, beauty zone, digging trip) were not published; only KTO's '₩2,000–5,000' range is known.
- Timetable and boarding point of the Daejeon Station festival shuttle were not published.
- The 2025 end date is 28 Sep by the 'ten days from the 19th' description; one article printed 29 Sep.
- Foreign card acceptance at vendors and the trade fair was not stated.
- How to join the digging trip (on-site sign-up, advance booking or timed departures) and whether participants can buy the roots they dig were not stated in the sources checked on 21 October 2026.
- The ₩9,000–15,000 food prices rest on the KTO English page, which could not be opened in the 21 October 2026 audit; the KTO Korean listing shows no food prices.
Changes: 2026-10-16 — Full fact-first rewrite: hours, prices, stations, 2024–2027 editions, FAQs and sources. · 2026-10-16 — Rechecked against timetables, fare tables and organizer notices: conflicting dates and transport details; rail fares and train names after the 1 Sep 2026 KTX–SRT merger. · 2026-10-18 — Added a photograph from the Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Tourism Content Lab), KOGL Type 1. · 2026-10-18 — Japanese name aligned with KTO (錦山世界高麗人参祭り). · 2026-10-21 — Corrected after an independent fact audit: 2026 dates were set by the festival foundation on 11 December 2025 (not first confirmed in September), so the 2027 dates are expected around December 2026; unsourced claims about buying dug roots and timed digging departures removed; market distance and 2025 visitor count added from KTO and Asia Business Daily.
