At a glance
| Dates | Expected Apr/May 2027Late April to early May 2027, if the 2024–2026 pattern holds: each year it opened on a Friday in the last week of April and closed on Children's Day (5 May) or the substitute holiday after it, 11–12 days in all (26 Apr–6 May 2024, 25 Apr–6 May 2025, 24 Apr–5 May 2026). Nothing announced as of 19 October 2026; in 2025 and 2026 the dates were public by mid-March, when advance tickets went on sale. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Late April to early May 2027, if the 2024–2026 pattern holds: each year it opened on a Friday in the last week of April and closed on Children's Day (5 May) or the substitute holiday after it, 11–12 days in all (26 Apr–6 May 2024, 25 Apr–6 May 2025, 24 Apr–5 May 2026). Nothing announced as of 19 October 2026; in 2025 and 2026 the dates were public by mid-March, when advance tickets went on sale. |
| Admission | Paid. Gate tickets run from about ₩3,000 (children and seniors) to about ₩7,000 (adults), with youth and soldiers in between, and cost about 10% less in advance. Adult and youth tickets have included a coupon worth about ₩1,000–2,000, spendable at festival booths and nearby shops. Culture Nuri cards accepted. Free-entry categories were not confirmed for this festival.Adult, at the gate: ₩7,000 · Youth and soldiers, at the gate: ₩5,000 · Children and seniors, at the gate: ₩3,000 (2026 prices) |
| Venue | Hampyeong Expo Park전라남도 함평군 함평읍 곤재로 27 |
| Nearest station | Hampyeong Station (Honam Line; KTX stops only on festival days) (함평역), Korail Honam LineDistance to Expo Park not verified. On KTX stop days a festival shuttle for KTX passengers runs to the Butterfly car park; otherwise plan on a taxi. |
| From Seoul | about 3 h · KTX + BusLeave from Yongsan Station · Same-night return is tightFull route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Hampyeong County (run by the Hampyeong Festival & Tourism Foundation)함평군 (주관: (재)함평축제관광재단) |
| Usual timing | 11–12 days from a Friday in the last week of April to Children's Day (5 May) or the substitute holiday after it: 26 Apr–6 May 2024, 25 Apr–6 May 2025, 24 Apr–5 May 2026. Advance tickets go on sale in mid-March. Browse April / May festivals. |
| First held | 1999 |
| Last checked | 21 October 2026Checked against 32 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Hampyeong is a small farming county about 30 minutes by bus from Gwangju, and in 1999 it staked its name on butterflies. The county launched this spring festival that year, when few Koreans knew the place; Hampyeong went on to host the 2008 Butterfly and Insect Expo, and its Expo Park is still the festival's home. It now runs for 11–12 days from a Friday in late April to Children's Day on 5 May, or the substitute holiday after it. It has been called off twice: in 2014, after the Sewol ferry disaster, and in 2020 because of COVID-19.
The festival is built for young children, and the activities are the point. The park holds about 200,000 live butterflies of 17 species and about 500,000 flowers of 30 species (2025 figures). Children release butterflies in the Butterfly and Insect Ecology Hall and outdoors, feed them from flower bouquets inside an air dome on the central plaza (new in 2025 and now the most popular activity, with queues every day in 2026), dress up as butterflies and make crafts. There is banana picking in the plant halls, and farm, fishing and maze activities on the Ecological Wetland along the Hampyeong Stream. Indoors, the specimen hall shows about 450 species of butterflies and insects, and the plant halls cover succulents, carnivorous plants and a room of cabbage white butterflies.
The 28th edition (24 April–5 May 2026) took the theme 'Dreaming Butterfly, a Journey Begins'. It opened Nabit Park, a new butterfly-themed play and learning centre with indoor and outdoor play areas, and added a Pinkfong and Baby Shark sing-along show to the Butterfly Fantasia parade, a dance-crew contest, concerts by invited singers on the main stage, a Sichuan culture zone run with the county's partner district in Chengdu, and tastings of Hampyeong beef and pork. About 236,000 people came, up from 224,098 in 2025.
Tickets are cheap and partly come back to you. Gate tickets run from about ₩3,000 to ₩7,000 depending on age, about 10% less in advance, and adult and youth tickets have included a coupon worth about ₩1,000–2,000 for festival booths and local shops. A festival ticket has also given half-price entry that day to the county's Natural Ecology Park and Amphibian and Reptile Ecology Park.
The honest caveats: this is a children's festival first, so adults without children may find less to do; Children's Day and the May holiday weekends are very crowded; programmes are in Korean only; the gates close at 18:00 (last entry 17:30); and Hampyeong is about three hours from Seoul. On festival days some KTX trains stop at Hampyeong Station with a shuttle to the park for their passengers, which makes a day trip easier. The 2027 dates had not been announced as of 19 October 2026.
Highlights
- Butterfly feeding inside an air dome on the central plaza (15 m across in 2026), using flower bouquets; the most popular activity since it began in 2025
- Butterfly release indoors in the Butterfly and Insect Ecology Hall and outdoors; in 2024 there were five sessions a day for families with young children
- About 200,000 live butterflies of 17 species and about 500,000 flowers of 30 species (2025); the county's 2026 plan added a 20,000 m² flower path on both banks of the Hampyeong Stream
- Nabit Park, a butterfly-themed play and learning centre that opened during the 2026 festival, with a two-storey building and an outdoor playground of about 4,000 m²
- Butterfly Fantasia parade show, a Pinkfong and Baby Shark sing-along show, a butterfly dance-crew contest and daytime concerts on the main stage
- Specimen hall with about 450 species of butterflies and insects from around the world, plus plant halls with succulents, carnivorous plants and a cabbage white butterfly room
- A coupon worth about ₩1,000–2,000 with adult and youth tickets, and half-price entry the same day to the county's Natural Ecology Park and Amphibian and Reptile Ecology Park
Who it suits. Best for families with children of kindergarten and primary-school age, who can release and feed butterflies, dress up and play, and for anyone who enjoys spring flower gardens. Less suited to adults travelling without children, to visitors who need English-language programmes, or to anyone who dislikes crowds on the early-May holidays; Hampyeong is also around three hours from Seoul each way.
Getting there
From Seoul
Any day: KTX from Yongsan (or Suseo) to Gwangju Songjeong, about 2 hours (₩42,000 standard class from Yongsan after the September 2026 fare cut), then Gwangju bus 500 to Hampyeong Public Bus Terminal (30 minutes to 1 hour) or a Kumho Express intercity bus (about 19 a day, about 30 minutes), and a taxi to Expo Park at Gonjae-ro 27 in Hampyeong-eup. On festival days Korail has also stopped some KTX trains at Hampyeong Station itself (eight days in 2026; three trains each way daily in 2024), with a festival shuttle to the park for KTX passengers. Slower options: direct Kumho Express buses from Seoul to Hampyeong (twice a day, about 4 h 30 m) or Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains from Yongsan to Hampyeong Station (about 4 h 10 m and 4 h 50 m).
From Busan
Intercity bus from Busan to Hampyeong, about 4 hours (county tourist map; departure terminal and frequency not stated).
Last leg from Hampyeong Station (Honam Line; KTX stops only on festival days)
Korail Honam Line. Distance to Expo Park not verified. On KTX stop days a festival shuttle for KTX passengers runs to the Butterfly car park; otherwise plan on a taxi.
Festival shuttle
In 2026 KTX trains made temporary stops at Hampyeong Station on 24–26 April and 1–5 May (eight days), and one shuttle bus, for KTX passengers only, linked the station with the festival's Butterfly car park: two trips to the park in the morning and two back to the station in the afternoon. KTX passengers got 10% off admission and a small souvenir. In 2024 the shuttle ran between Hampyeong Station and Expo Park and riders were given Hampyeong farm produce. Train and shuttle times were not published on the pages opened.
Getting home
The grounds close at 18:00 (last entry 17:30). On KTX stop days, the two afternoon shuttle runs go back to Hampyeong Station; the 2026 festival train times were not published on the pages opened. Otherwise return via Gwangju (30 minutes to 1 hour by bus) and take the KTX from Gwangju Songjeong to Yongsan or Suseo (about 2 hours) or an express bus from Gwangju U-Square to Seoul Central City. Direct buses from Hampyeong to Seoul run only twice a day. Train times changed on 1 November 2026 and the spring 2027 times are not out yet, so this page gives no last-train or last-bus time: check the last train in the Korail app (코레일+ / Korail+) or at the station, and the last buses at the terminal, before the festival day.
Parking
Drivers were told to navigate to the Butterfly car park (함평엑스포공원 나비주차장), and temporary car parks were signposted in 2026; capacity and fees were not published on the pages opened. Queues to park are likely on the May holidays.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, at the gate | ₩7,000 | Includes a ₩2,000 coupon for festival booths and nearby shops; Culture Nuri cards accepted |
| Youth and soldiers, at the gate | ₩5,000 | Includes a ₩1,000 coupon |
| Children and seniors, at the gate | ₩3,000 | |
| Adult, advance ticket | ₩6,300 | Sold 16 Mar–23 Apr 2026 on Ticketlink and Naver and at the foundation office in Expo Park (10% off); youth ₩4,500; children, seniors and kindergarten pupils ₩2,700; groups of 20 or more got a further discount |
| KTX passengers | — | 10% off admission and a small souvenir for visitors arriving on the festival KTX stops at Hampyeong Station |
| Natural Ecology Park and Amphibian and Reptile Ecology Park | — | 50% off their admission on the day of the festival visit with a festival ticket |
- Booking
- No booking needed: tickets are sold at the gate, though queues can be long at weekends and on holidays. In 2026 advance tickets (10% off) were sold 16 March–23 April on Ticketlink and Naver (search '제28회 함평나비대축제') and at the Hampyeong Festival & Tourism Foundation office on the third floor of the Theme Video Hall in Expo Park; groups of 20 or more got a further discount. Whether online purchase works without a Korean phone number is not stated.
- English on site
- No English-language programme or interpretation was found; programmes are run in Korean. KTO publishes Japanese and Chinese listings of the festival.
- Crowds
- About 236,000 visitors over 12 days in 2026 and 224,098 in 2025. Weekends and public holidays, above all the early-May holidays up to Children's Day, bring the longest ticket queues, and in 2026 the butterfly feeding dome had long queues every day.
- Best time to go
- A weekday morning soon after the 09:00 opening, for shorter queues at butterfly feeding and release; avoid Children's Day (5 May) unless you want the busiest day. Check the main-stage line-up if you want a particular concert.
- What to bring
- A hat and water for the open plaza and flower fields, comfortable shoes for a day on the park paths, and a plan for spending the ticket coupon at festival booths or in local shops.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Late April to early May 2027, if the 2024–2026 pattern holds: each year it opened on a Friday in the last week of April and closed on Children's Day (5 May) or the substitute holiday after it, 11–12 days in all (26 Apr–6 May 2024, 25 Apr–6 May 2025, 24 Apr–5 May 2026). Nothing announced as of 19 October 2026; in 2025 and 2026 the dates were public by mid-March, when advance tickets went on sale. | expected | This would be the 29th edition. The county's 2026 work plan budgets ₩100 million to prepare the 30th edition, in 2028. |
| 2026 | 24 Apr – 5 May 2026 | ended | Hampyeong Expo Park and the surrounding area, including the Ecological Wetland along the Hampyeong Stream. Drivers were directed to the Butterfly car park (나비주차장); temporary car parks were also signposted. |
| 2025 | 25 Apr – 6 May 2025 | ended | 27th edition. 224,098 visitors, about 20% more than in 2024; ₩849 million in ticket revenue and about ₩1.07 billion of sales at farm-produce stalls, booths and vendors. Expo Park closed on 7–8 May 2025 for maintenance after the festival. |
| 2024 | 26 Apr – 6 May 2024 | ended | Hampyeong Expo Park and the Hampyeong Stream ecological wetland |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
- Hampyeong County Museum of Art (함평군립미술관)Before or after
The county's art museum in the middle of Expo Park, in a building shaped like butterfly wings, with three galleries of donated works and changing exhibitions. It is a quiet indoor break from the butterfly-dome queues: from March to October it opens 10:00–18:00, closing with the festival, and it closes on Mondays (festival Mondays not confirmed). Admission is free (KTO), though during the festival it sits inside the ticketed park. Tip: see the garden of collected stones outside.
Getting there: Inside Expo Park, about 155 m on foot from the festival grounds; free
- Hampyeong raw-beef bibimbap street (함평 생고기비빔밥 거리)After
Restaurants around the Hampyeong-eup market serving the county's signature yukhoe bibimbap: rice and over ten vegetables topped with raw lean beef from the local cattle market, dressed with sesame oil and a chili, garlic and salted-shrimp seasoning instead of gochujang, with ox-blood soup. Go when the gates close at 18:00: Hwarang Sikdang is open daily 10:00–19:00 (last order 18:55). Tip: it is near Hampyeong Bus Terminal for the bus to Gwangju; it does not fit with the KTX shuttle.
Getting there: Taxi about 3 minutes from Expo Park (2022 news report) to the market in Hampyeong-eup, near the bus terminal
Questions travelers ask
When is the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival 2027?
Not announced as of 19 October 2026. It ran 26 April–6 May 2024, 25 April–6 May 2025 and 24 April–5 May 2026, opening on a Friday in late April and closing on Children's Day (5 May) or the holiday after it, so expect late April to early May 2027. Dates were public by mid-March in 2025 and 2026.
How much are tickets?
Entry is paid: gate tickets run from about ₩3,000 to ₩7,000 depending on age (adults at the top end), or about 10% less in advance on Ticketlink or Naver. Adult and youth tickets have included a coupon worth about ₩1,000–2,000 to spend at festival booths and nearby shops. Prices are announced with the advance sale, which opened in mid-March in 2025 and 2026.
What can children do there?
Release butterflies indoors and outdoors, feed them in an air dome on the central plaza, dress up as butterflies, make crafts, pick bananas and play in Nabit Park, the butterfly-themed play centre that opened in 2026. Feeding is the most popular activity, so go early.
What are the opening hours?
09:00–18:00 in 2026, with last entry at 17:30. KTO's listing also mentions free night entry, but no night programme times were published.
Does the KTX stop at Hampyeong during the festival?
On some festival days. In 2026 KTX trains stopped at Hampyeong Station on 24–26 April and 1–5 May, with a shuttle bus for KTX passengers to the festival's Butterfly car park, and KTX passengers got 10% off admission. On other days, take the KTX to Gwangju Songjeong (about 2 hours) and a bus to Hampyeong (30 minutes to 1 hour).
How crowded does it get?
About 236,000 people came over 12 days in 2026. Children's Day (5 May) and the holiday weekends are the busiest; a weekday morning is calmer.
Is there anything else to see in Hampyeong?
Expo Park also hosts the Hampyeong Grand Chrysanthemum Festival in late October and early November. In 2025 and 2026 a butterfly festival ticket gave half-price entry the same day to the county's Natural Ecology Park and Amphibian and Reptile Ecology Park.
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: medium.
- KTO tourist data — 함평나비대축제 (contentId 507598; ktriptips mirror, updated 2 Jul 2026)kto — 2026 dates 24 Apr–5 May; hours 9:00~18:00 (야간 무료개장); paid entry; venue 함평군 엑스포공원 일원, 곤재로 27 (labelled 전남광주통합특별시); coordinates 35.0591629/126.5221986; phone 061-320-2247; host 함평군, run by (재)함평축제관광재단; 28th edition, theme 꿈꾸는 나비, 시작되는 여정; programme list; about 450 species and over 9,000 specimens of butterflies and insects
- KTO tourist data (Japanese) — 咸平蝶祭り (ktriptips mirror, updated 31 Aug 2026)kto — Japanese name 咸平蝶祭り; 咸平エキスポ公園; theme 夢見る蝶、始まる旅路; 2026 dates 24 Apr–5 May, 9:00–18:00; specimens of about 450 species; Japanese listing exists
- KTO tourist data (Simplified Chinese) — 咸平蝴蝶庆典 (ktriptips mirror, updated 31 Aug 2026)kto — Simplified Chinese name 咸平蝴蝶庆典; 咸平EXPO公园; 2026 dates 24 Apr–5 May, 9:00~18:00; Chinese listing exists
- KTO tourist data (Traditional Chinese) — 咸平蝴蝶節 (ktriptips mirror, updated 31 Aug 2026)kto — Traditional Chinese name 咸平蝴蝶節; 咸平郡, 咸平EXPO公園; 2026 dates 24 Apr–5 May, 9:00–18:00
- Wikitree, 25 Apr 2026 — 2026 함평 나비축제 초대가수 누구? 일정표·입장료·가는법까지 총정리news — 28th, 24 Apr–5 May 2026 (12 days); 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:30; ₩7,000 adult incl. ₩2,000 coupon, ₩5,000 youth/soldiers incl. ₩1,000, ₩3,000 children/seniors; coupons for venue and nearby shops; Culture Nuri; singers 24 Apr–5 May (Children's Day); KTX at 함평역 24–26 Apr, 1–5 May (8 days); shuttle to 나비주차장, 2 morning/2 afternoon runs; KTX 10% off + souvenir; temporary parking; weekend queues
- twig24, 16 Mar 2026 — 함평나비대축제 입장권 10% 할인 혜택 받으세요news — 28th, 24 Apr–5 May 2026; theme; honorary festival; advance 16 Mar–23 Apr, 10% off, Ticketlink, Naver, foundation office 3rd floor Theme Video Hall; ₩6,300/₩4,500/₩2,700 (children, seniors, kindergarten); groups of 20+ more off; coupons ₩2,000/₩1,000; 50% off Natural Ecology Park and Amphibian and Reptile Ecology Park that day; release, feeding, Nabit Park
- twig24, 6 May 2026 — 제28회 함평나비대축제, 23만명 찾아 '성황'news — 24 Apr–5 May 2026 (12 days), closing 5 May; about 236,000 visitors; ticket revenue ₩830 million; farm-produce sales ₩286 million; booths and vendors about ₩900 million; butterfly feeding in the 팔랑나비 에어돔 with queues every day; Nabit Park opened temporarily; Fantasia parade; Hanwoo and Hanton tastings
- MTN, 1 May 2026 — 세계와 만난 함평나비축제, 체험형 축제로 날다news — Exchange with Pidu District, Chengdu, Sichuan: promotion hall, lantern tunnel, Sichuan cooking demonstrations; Butterfly and Insect Ecology Hall 'forest picnic' redesign; indoor butterfly release twice a day; feeding in a 15 m air dome with flower bouquets and artificial feed; 2026 butterfly 긴꼬리제비나비; 한국낙농육우협회 Hampyeong branch farm outing (milk soap, cheese)
- twig24, 26 Apr 2026 — 함평나비대축제 '자연생태관' 인기news — Natural Ecology Hall: 호접란 (phalaenopsis orchids), kudzu nest rest area, cabbage white butterfly room, small waterfall with turtles, carnivorous plant room; festival opened 24 Apr
- fanmaum community post, 2026 — 제28회 함평나비대축제blog — 24 Apr (Fri)–5 May (Tue) 2026; ₩7,000 adult, ₩5,000 youth, ₩3,000 children, advance 10% off; Nabit Park indoor and outdoor activities; costumes, face painting, ring and keyring, cookie and pizza making; Fantasia parade, concert, Pinkfong show; evening drive-in cinema; singers 24 Apr 김용빈, 25 Apr 김수찬, 1 May 부활, 2 May 비오, 5 May 안성훈
- Hampyeong County — 2026년도 주요업무 추진방향 (2026 work plan, PDF)municipal — 28th festival; Expo Park beds 30 species, 400,000 plants; 20,000 m² flower path on both Hampyeong Stream banks; 나비주차장 photo zone; cabbage white hall and banana harvest in the festival; Nabit Park 2 storeys, 1,536.31 m², playground about 4,000 m², due 30 Apr 2026; ₩100 million Pidu exchange; ₩100 million to prepare the 30th edition (2028)
- Pressian, 7 May 2025 — 제27회 함평나비대축제 폐막news — 25 Apr–6 May 2025 (12 days); theme; 224,098 visitors, about 20% up on 2024; tickets ₩849 million; sales about ₩1.07 billion; 17 species, about 200,000 butterflies; 30 species, about 500,000 flowers; feeding new and most popular; release, parade, masks, costumes, games, banana harvest, VR, wetland dairy, fishing, cycling; busking and dance contests; Hwangbak-i debut
- Wikitree, May 2025 — 제27회 함평나비대축제 성황리 폐막, 12일간 22만여 명 찾아news — 224,098 visitors over 12 days; ticket revenue ₩849 million; farm-produce stores ₩298 million; booths and vendors ₩780 million; about ₩1.07 billion in total; Hwangbak-i pop-up store and photo zone; Expo Park closed 7–8 May 2025, reopening 9 May
- Seoul Shinmun, 14 Mar 2025 — '함평나비대축제' 입장권 사전예매 시작news — 27th edition, theme 나비! 황금박쥐를 만나다, 25 Apr–6 May 2025; advance sale to 24 Apr, 10% off, Ticketlink and Naver, foundation office from 17 Mar; ₩6,300 / ₩4,500 / ₩2,700; groups of 20+ a further 10%; coupons ₩2,000 adult, ₩1,000 youth; 50% off the two ecology parks; Hwangbak-i photo zone and bread
- Seoul Shinmun, 15 Apr 2025 — 꽃·나비·황금박쥐 등 자연 속으로… 생태도시 함평 매력에 빠지다news — 27th festival, 12 days from 25 Apr 2025; about 200,000 butterflies in the ecology hall; 20 m air-dome outdoor butterfly hall for feeding; Fantasia parade; busking and dance contests; KTX temporary stop at Hampyeong Station, shuttle, on-site ticket discount for KTX arrivals
- Ajunews, 15 Apr 2024 — "봄이다, 함평 가자~" 제26회 나비대축제 '팡파르'news — 26 Apr–6 May 2024 (11 days), Expo Park and wetland; 산호랑나비; 800,000 flowers/30 species; 250,000 butterflies and insects/23 species; release 10:00, 11:00, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 50 teams; opening 19:00; concerts 27, 28 Apr, 1, 4, 5, 6 May; Memory Workshop 2 storeys, 2,223 m², 1970s–80s; succulents 650/3,000; aquatic 72/546; 12 VR, 2 AR; 5 tents; 20 booths; KTX 3 each way daily
- Korea JoongAng Daily, 16 Apr 2010 — Butterflies grace a spring festivalnews — English name Hampyeong Butterfly Festival; launched by the county in 1999 (12th anniversary in 2010); Hampyeong little known before the festival
- Asia Economy (English), 18 Mar 2020 — Hampyeong Butterfly Festival Canceled Due to COVID-19 Spread Concernsnews — 22nd festival (planned 29 Apr–10 May 2020) cancelled over COVID-19; second cancellation after the 16th festival in 2014 (Sewol ferry disaster)
- Stars and Stripes Korea (haps Magazine), 22 Apr 2026 — Hampyeong Butterfly Festivalnews — 28th festival at Expo Park; outdoor butterfly flying on the central plaza; wetland activities (mudfish catching, animals, cow farm); succulent hall
- Hampyeong County — Chinese-language tourist map (PDF, undated)municipal — Name 大韩民国菊香大典 (held each October); Expo Park and the 2008 Butterfly and Insect Expo; Kumho Express Seoul↔Hampyeong 2 runs, about 4 h 30 m; Gwangju↔Hampyeong 19 runs, about 30 min; bus 500 Gwangju↔Hampyeong 30 min–1 h; KTX to Naju about 2 h; Saemaeul 3 a day about 4 h 10 m, Mugunghwa 2 a day about 4 h 50 m; Busan about 4 h; 6 km Cheonji-ro trail; County Museum of Art
- 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+
- 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
- Gwangju Songjeong → Yongsan train timetable, 16–19 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — Last departure 21:22 KTX-Sancheon 442, arriving 23:26 (about 2 hours)
- Gwangju Songjeong → Suseo train timetable, 16–19 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — Last departures 21:53 (arr 23:51) and 23:03 KTX-Sancheon 636 (arr 00:54), every day shown
- Gwangju U-Square → Seoul Central City express bus timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-07)other — 92 buses a day; late departures 21:15, 22:00, 22:30, 23:20 and 00:00
- Hampyeong Festival & Tourism Foundation — festival overview pageofficial — Butterfly festival programme categories: butterfly concert, parade, dance contest; butterfly release, traditional games, dairy farm experience; no dates, hours or prices on the page
- VisitKorea (KTO) English site — festival page, contentId 507598kto — 2026 dates 24 Apr–5 May; 9:00–18:00 (야간 무료개장); paid entry; 곤재로 27; host Hampyeong County, organizer (재)함평축제관광재단; 061-320-2247; no English name given
- Hampyeong County — Korean-language tourist map (PDF, undated)municipal — Kumho Express Seoul↔Hampyeong 2 runs, about 4 h 30 m; Gwangju↔Hampyeong 19 runs, about 30 min; bus 500 Gwangju↔Hampyeong 30 min–1 h; Busan/Ulsan about 4 h; Saemaeul 3 a day about 4 h 10 m, Mugunghwa 2 a day about 4 h 50 m; Expo Park 곤재로 27; butterfly festival every April–May
- KTO (ktriptips mirror) — 함평군립미술관kto — Hampyeong County Museum of Art inside Expo Park (곤재로 37): Mar–Oct 10:00–18:00, Nov–Feb 10:00–17:00; closed Mondays, 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok; free; homepage hampyeong.go.kr/hpart/; 155 m to the festival grounds listing; modified 12 Aug 2026
- KTO tourist data — 화랑식당 (ktriptips mirror)kto — Hwarang Sikdang, Sijang-gil 96, Hampyeong-eup: yukhoe bibimbap; 10:00–19:00, last order 18:55; open daily; near Hampyeong Terminal and the market
- Jeonbuk Ilbo (jjan.kr) — 함평 생고기비빔밥 (3 Nov 2022)news — Raw-beef bibimbap from the Hampyeong cattle market; restaurants around the market square; lean beef, 10+ vegetables, sesame oil, chili-garlic-salted-shrimp seasoning instead of gochujang, ox-blood soup; Expo Park 3 minutes by car
- Maeil Shinmun — 함평 생고기비빔밥 (2 Nov 2022)news — Restaurants around the market; same-day beef from the dawn cattle market; Expo Park 3 minutes by car
What we could not confirm
- The official festival site (hpftf.or.kr) was opened on 21 October 2026, but its festival page lists only programme categories, so the 2026 programme timetable, free-entry categories, group prices, car parks and shuttle times were not read from the organizer.
- Free-entry categories for this festival were not confirmed (the chrysanthemum festival at the same park admits Hampyeong residents, children under 4 and others free, but no butterfly-festival source said so).
- Train numbers and times of the 2026 festival KTX stops at Hampyeong Station, and the shuttle timetable, were not published on the pages opened (a blog gives times, unverified); no 2027 stops have been announced.
- KTO lists '야간 무료개장' (free night entry) for 2026, but no night hours or programme were found; a community post mentions an evening drive-in cinema.
- Opening hours for 2024 and 2025 and the 2024 ticket prices were not found; the 2024 visitor total was not found (2025 is described as about 20% higher).
- Whether a 2021 edition was held was not checked (2014 and 2020 were cancelled).
- KTO's English page (english.visitkorea.or.kr, contentId 507598) gives no English name; the record uses 'Hampyeong Butterfly Festival', as in Korea JoongAng Daily and the Korea Herald.
- Distances from Hampyeong Station and the bus terminal to Expo Park, and to the Natural Ecology Park and the Amphibian and Reptile Ecology Park, were not verified; their own admission prices were not checked.
- Transport figures (bus 500, Kumho Express runs, slow trains to Hampyeong Station) come from the county's undated Chinese-language map, which predates the September 2026 KTX–SRT merger.
- The last bus from Hampyeong to Gwangju was not verified.
- KTO pages now label the province 전남광주통합특별시 (Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special city); the record keeps Jeollanam-do.
- Coordinates follow KTO's butterfly-festival listing (35.0592, 126.5222), slightly different from the chrysanthemum festival record (35.0562, 126.5199) for the same address.
- No 2027 announcement was found (searched 21 October 2026); the expected window is inferred from 2024–2026.
- Last train and last bus back to Seoul (KTX from Gwangju Songjeong, express bus from U-Square) on the festival dates under the timetables in force that day
- Hampyeong County Museum of Art: whether it opens on Mondays during the festival and whether its spring exhibition is included in the festival ticket were not confirmed (KTO lists it as free, 10:00–18:00 from March to October, closed Mondays).
- Hampyeong Natural Ecology Park, Dolmeori Beach, the Golden Bat hall and the Ecological Wetland were dropped from 'Before or after the festival': the first two need a car or taxi of unverified length, the last two are part of the festival grounds.
Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Added a Wikimedia Commons photograph of the 2013 festival (Piotrus, CC BY-SA 3.0). · 2026-10-21 — Corrected after an independent fact audit: the 2026 festival shuttle from Hampyeong Station was for KTX passengers only; corrected the dairy association's name; added the organizer's page, KTO's English page and the county's Korean map as sources. · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed the October 2026 last-train times from Gwangju Songjeong and the last express bus from U-Square, which the 1 November 2026 timetable replaces; the page now says to check the last train in Korail+ and the last bus at the terminal. · 2026-10-31 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: removed unverified blog shuttle times from an open question, no other clock times were left; prices: gate tickets, advance discount and coupons given as rounded ranges without a year label in the answer, description, highlights, practical and FAQ.
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