At a glance
| Dates | Expected Oct 2027Mid to late October 2027. Since 2023 the festival has opened on the third Friday of October (20 Oct 2023, 18 Oct 2024, 17 Oct 2025, 16 Oct 2026) and run 10 days in three of those four years, which would point to about 15–24 October 2027; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Mid to late October 2027. Since 2023 the festival has opened on the third Friday of October (20 Oct 2023, 18 Oct 2024, 17 Oct 2025, 16 Oct 2026) and run 10 days in three of those four years, which would point to about 15–24 October 2027; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. |
| Admission | ₩5,000 per person (16 October 2026 free for everyone), refunded in full as a ₩5,000 Hwasun Sarang gift voucher for festival booths and shops in Hwasun. Free for Hwasun residents, preschool children, registered disabled people and national, independence, 5·18 democracy and war-veteran merit holders, with proof.Admission (from 17 October): ₩5,000 · Opening day, 16 October: Free · Free entry: Free (2026 prices) |
| Venue | Hwasun Dolmen Site (UNESCO World Heritage)전라남도 화순군 도곡면 고인돌1로 180 |
| Nearest station | Sotae Station (Gwangju Metro Line 1), then bus 218 or taxi (소태역), Gwangju Metro Line 1Not walkable; Hwasun county bus 218 (some runs go to Dogok and Hyosan junction) or a taxi. Free festival shuttles left from Sotae Station in 2023. |
| From Seoul | about 3 h 30 min · KTX + Subway + BusLeave from Yongsan Station · Same-night return is tightFull route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Hwasun County화순군 |
| Usual timing | Ten days in the second half of October, opening on the third Friday of the month: 20–29 Oct 2023, 17–26 Oct 2025 and 16–25 Oct 2026. The 2024 edition was longer, 17 days from 18 October to 3 November. In 2024 the dates were public by 11 September. Browse October festivals. |
| First held | 2013 |
| Last checked | 18 October 2026Checked against 31 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Hwasun County, next to Gwangju, has hundreds of Bronze Age stone tombs packed into a small area along a valley pass between Hyosan-ri in Dogok-myeon and Daesin-ri in Chunyang-myeon. UNESCO inscribed the site in 2000 together with the Gochang and Ganghwa dolmens. KTO's data counts about 596 dolmens over roughly 2 km², among them a Daesin-ri capstone about 7.3 m long, 5.0 m wide and 4.0 m thick that weighs around 280 tons, the largest in Korea.
The festival began in 2013 as a chrysanthemum show in Hwasun town, was held at Namsan Park, and later moved out to the dolmen valley, where the county plants a new flower theme among the stones each autumn. The 2026 theme is "A thousand-year story along flower paths": about 270,000 plants, mostly gaura and purpletop vervain with cosmos added, over about 4 ha. The Dogok side has a welcome garden, a chrysanthemum garden with a bonsai show, a butterfly garden and a dinosaur village for children; the Chunyang side has the Hwasun Farm animal garden and a playground, and a rock garden lines the road towards Bogeomjae pass.
The programme mixes heritage with family fun. Children can dress in Bronze Age costume, play Bronze Age games and try mock hunting, make dolmen accessories or get a "dolmen name". Kakao Friends' Chunsik and Apeach appear as giant balloons in Chunsik Village, and Chunsik History Road explains how the dolmens were built. Youth heritage guides lead walks to the main dolmens. The DM Concerts (DM for DolMen) fill the lawn stage on 17 October (trot), 18 October (retro) and 25 October (ballads). Around them are main-stage shows, a prehistoric-life reenactment on the Chunyang stage, a Dogok farm-produce fair, and food from local restaurants, single-dish stalls and food trucks, with coal-briquette ice cream and chrysanthemum bread as Hwasun's signature snacks. A stamp tour links the festival with Goindol Traditional Market, Unjusa Temple and a park golf course.
Entry costs ₩5,000, but the whole amount comes back as a Hwasun Sarang gift voucher to spend at festival booths or shops in the county, and opening day (16 October 2026) is free for everyone.
The honest caveats: the valley is rural, and a travel guide puts the county bus at 1.5–2 hours from Gwangju's bus terminal; no 2026 shuttle timetable had been published on the pages opened; the grounds stretch along a road that is closed to general traffic, so plan on walking; no English-language programme was found; and the gates close at 18:00.
Highlights
- About 270,000 autumn plants, mainly gaura and purpletop vervain with cosmos, over about 4 ha among the UNESCO World Heritage dolmens (2026)
- DM ("DolMen") Concerts on the lawn special stage: trot on 17 October, retro on 18 October and ballads on 25 October 2026
- Bronze Age hands-on corners: costume studio, games and mock hunting, dolmen accessory workshop and a dolmen naming studio
- Kakao Friends' Chunsik and Apeach balloons in Chunsik Village, plus Chunsik History Road on how the dolmens were made
- Guided walks to the main dolmens with youth heritage guides; Daesin-ri holds Korea's largest dolmen capstone, about 280 tons
- ₩5,000 ticket returned in full as a Hwasun Sarang gift voucher; free entry for everyone on opening day, 16 October 2026
- Signature snacks (coal-briquette ice cream and chrysanthemum bread) from 8 local restaurants, 8 single-dish stalls and 6 food trucks
- Stamp tour linking the festival with Goindol Traditional Market, Unjusa Temple and a park golf course
Who it suits. Best for families with children, photographers and anyone curious about prehistoric Korea who wants flowers and World Heritage dolmens in one day out from Gwangju; less suited to travellers without a car who want an easy trip (the site is rural and the 2026 shuttle details were not published), to anyone wanting evening events (gates close at 18:00), or to those who need English-language programmes.
Getting there
From Seoul
KTX from Yongsan (or Suseo) to Gwangju Songjeong, about 2 hours (₩42,000 standard class from Yongsan after the September 2026 fare cut). In Gwangju, Hwasun county bus 218 stops at Gwangju U-Square bus terminal, Namgwangju Station and Sotae Station (Gwangju Metro Line 1), then runs through Hwasun town and Neungju; some runs continue to Dogok and Hyosan junction on the Dogok side of the dolmen site, others to Chunyang. A travel guide puts the bus ride from U-Square at about 1.5–2 hours. A taxi from Sotae Station is the simpler last leg. The main festival address is Goindol 1-ro 180, Dogok-myeon.
From Busan
There is no direct bus from Busan, so change at Gwangju. Intercity bus from Busan Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal (Sasang, Line 2 Sasang Station) to Gwangju U-Square: 23 a day, 2 h 57 m, ₩28,300 deluxe or ₩36,800 premium (16 a day also leave Busan Central Bus Terminal, Nopo, taking 3 h 03 m). Then Hwasun county bus 218 from U-Square, or a taxi for the last leg, as above. Start early: the festival closes at 18:00.
Last leg from Sotae Station (Gwangju Metro Line 1), then bus 218 or taxi
Gwangju Metro Line 1. Not walkable; Hwasun county bus 218 (some runs go to Dogok and Hyosan junction) or a taxi. Free festival shuttles left from Sotae Station in 2023.
Festival shuttle
Hwasun County says it runs a loop bus during the 2026 festival, besides more than 2,000 parking spaces, but routes and times were not published on the pages opened. Arrangements from earlier editions do not apply to this one: in 2024 tourist shuttles ran from Hwasun town and a free loop bus linked the Chunyang and Dogok sides, and in 2023 free shuttles ran from Sotae Station in Gwangju.
Getting home
The festival closes at 18:00. Get back to Gwangju by bus 218 or taxi (bus times from the dolmen site were not verified; a visitor in October 2025 had to walk about 15 minutes to the Dogok stop for a return bus). KTX trains from Gwangju Songjeong to Yongsan and Suseo take about 2 hours, but the last departures on the festival dates were not checked with Korail: check the last train in the Korail+ app (코레일+, where KTX and former SRT trains are booked) or at the station before you go, and the last express bus to Seoul Central City at Gwangju U-Square.
Parking
More than 2,000 parking spaces in 2026 (county); in 2025 the temporary car parks, also over 2,000 spaces, were free. The road through the dolmen valley between the Dogok and Chunyang information centres is normally closed to general traffic to protect the dolmens. In 2023 the car park in front of the Dogok information centre was kept for elderly and disabled visitors and pregnant women.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Admission (from 17 October) | ₩5,000 | Refunded in full as a ₩5,000 Hwasun Sarang gift voucher, usable at festival booths and shops in Hwasun |
| Opening day, 16 October | Free | Free for everyone (county announcement) |
| Free entry | Free | Hwasun residents, preschool children, registered disabled people, and national, independence, 5·18 democracy and war-veteran merit holders, with proof |
| Parking | — | More than 2,000 spaces; parking was free in 2025, 2026 charges not stated |
- Booking
- No advance booking; pay at the gate and collect the gift voucher with the ticket. Guided tours of the dolmen site by heritage interpreters, including in foreign languages, are booked in advance through the Hwasun County Culture and Tourism Division (061-379-3501).
- English on site
- No English-language festival programme was found. KTO lists heritage-interpreter tours of the dolmen site in Korean and foreign languages on advance request.
- Crowds
- No visitor totals were published. Expect the most people on the concert days (Saturday 17, Sunday 18 and Sunday 25 October 2026), when the 2,000-plus parking spaces matter most.
- Best time to go
- A weekday morning for quiet photos among the flowers and dolmens; a concert afternoon on 17, 18 or 25 October for the DM Concerts.
- What to bring
- Comfortable shoes for walking along the valley road, a hat and water for open fields, and a plan for spending the ₩5,000 voucher in Hwasun.
- Toilets
- Restrooms are available at the dolmen site (KTO).
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Mid to late October 2027. Since 2023 the festival has opened on the third Friday of October (20 Oct 2023, 18 Oct 2024, 17 Oct 2025, 16 Oct 2026) and run 10 days in three of those four years, which would point to about 15–24 October 2027; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. | expected | In 2024 the dates were public by 11 September; expect the 2027 dates in late summer or early autumn 2027. |
| 2026 | 16–25 Oct 2026 | ended | The festival stretches along the dolmen valley from Hyosan-ri, Dogok-myeon (main address Goindol 1-ro 180) to Daesin-ri, Chunyang-myeon, with side events in Hwasun-eup town. Shuttle buses run, but routes and times were not published on the pages opened. |
| 2025 | 17–26 Oct 2025 | ended | The gardens stayed open for viewing for seven more days after the festival, 27 October–2 November 2025. |
| 2024 | 18 Oct – 3 Nov 2024 | ended | About 10 ha planted with sunflowers, cosmos, cockscomb and buckwheat, in seven zones from Dogok to Chunyang. Tourist shuttles ran from Hwasun town (23, 26 and 27 Oct) and a free loop bus every 10 minutes, 10:00–18:30, on 26–27 Oct. |
| 2023 | 20–29 Oct 2023 | ended | About 15 ha with 400,000 chrysanthemums and 103,000 sunflowers. Free shuttles ran from Sotae Station in Gwangju via Hanium to the Dogok information centre; seven car parks held about 1,700 cars. |
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.
The Chunyang end of the UNESCO-listed dolmen valley, with an excavation site and Korea's largest dolmen capstone, about 280 tons (7.3 × 5.0 × 4.0 m). It is free and open 09:00–17:00 on weekdays and 10:00–17:00 at weekends, an hour less than the festival (09:00–18:00), so go early or around midday; the festival's Chunyang zone (Hwasun Farm animal garden, rock garden) is at this end too. Tip: the youth heritage guides' tours cover the main dolmens, including Pingmae Rock.
Getting there: Along the valley road from the Dogok side (closed to general traffic); the county's 2026 loop bus links the zones (route and times not published); free
- Getting awayAfter
The festival closes at 18:00 and the valley has no station. Bus 218 back to Gwangju calls at Dogok (a visitor in 2025 walked about 15 minutes to the stop for the return bus), and a taxi to Sotae Station on Gwangju Metro Line 1 is the simplest way out. If you are taking the KTX home from Gwangju Songjeong, leave the grounds well before closing and check the last train in the Korail+ app (코레일+).
Questions travelers ask
When is the Hwasun Dolmen Autumn Flower Festival 2026?
16–25 October 2026 (Friday to Sunday, ten days), 09:00–18:00 daily, at the Hwasun Dolmen Site in Dogok-myeon and Chunyang-myeon, Hwasun.
How much is entry?
₩5,000, and the full amount comes back as a ₩5,000 Hwasun Sarang gift voucher for festival booths and shops in Hwasun. Opening day, 16 October 2026, is free for everyone, and Hwasun residents, preschool children, disabled visitors and merit holders always enter free with proof.
When are the DM Concerts?
In 2026: DM Trot on 17 October, DM Retro on 18 October and DM Ballad on 25 October, on the lawn special stage. Start times were not published on the pages opened; in 2025 the concerts began between 14:30 and 16:00.
How do I get there from Seoul?
KTX from Yongsan or Suseo to Gwangju Songjeong (about 2 hours, ₩42,000 from Yongsan), then Gwangju Metro Line 1 to Sotae Station or a ride to U-Square terminal, and Hwasun county bus 218 or a taxi to the dolmen site. A travel guide puts the bus at 1.5–2 hours from U-Square.
Can I drive through the dolmen site?
Normally no: the road between the Dogok and Chunyang information centres is closed to general traffic. During the festival there are more than 2,000 parking spaces, and in 2025 parking was free.
When is the 2027 festival?
Not announced as of 18 October 2026. It opened on the third Friday of October in 2023–2026 and usually runs ten days, so mid to late October 2027 (around 15–24 October) is likely.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
18 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 TourAPI listing 세계문화유산 화순 고인돌 가을꽃 축제 (contentId 3380662)kto — 2026 dates 16–25 Oct, hours 09:00~18:00, fee ₩5,000 refunded as ₩5,000 화순사랑상품권, free categories, address 고인돌1로 180, coordinates 34.9866/126.9169, organizer 화순군, phone 061-379-3575~8, homepage; began 2013 as 도심 속 국화향연 at Namsan Park; DM Concert
- KTO tourist data — 화순 고인돌 가을꽃 축제 (ktriptips mirror, updated 14 Oct 2026)kto — 2026 programme list (theme gardens, bonsai, Chunsik and Jjangdol villages, workshops, Chunyang stage, 3rd Dogok products festival, Gwangdeok Culture Square), 8 local restaurants, 8 single-dish stalls, 6 food trucks; nearby distances: Prehistoric Experience Centre 71 m, World Megalith Theme Park 157 m
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — festival listing: 세계문화유산 화순 고인돌 가을꽃 축제ministry — 2026 dates 16–25 Oct, 09:00–18:00, ₩5,000 refunded as ₩5,000 voucher, free categories, organizer, phone 061-379-3575~8, began in 2013
- MTN News, 7 Oct 2026 — 화순군, 고인돌 세계유산서 '가을꽃 축제' 열흘간 대장정news — 2026 theme, 16–25 Oct, 09:00–18:00, free on 16 Oct and ₩5,000 from 17 Oct refunded as vouchers, zones, DM Trot 17 Oct, DM Retro 18 Oct, DM Ballad 25 Oct and performers, stamp tour with market and Unjusa, youth heritage guides, more than 2,000 parking spaces, shuttle buses, reusable containers; 2,000+ parking spaces and a loop bus (순환버스)
- Wikitree, 12 Oct 2026 — 화순 고인돌 유적지, 27만송이 가을꽃으로 물든다news — 270,000 plants (gaura, 버들마편초, cosmos) over about 4 ha; Dogok and Chunyang zones; rock garden made the previous year on the route to Bogeomjae; gardens at Namsan Park and Gwangdeok Culture Square
- Reportera, 2 Oct 2026 — 화순 고인돌 가을꽃 축제news — 2026 dates, theme, Hyosan-ri and Daesin-ri venues, ₩5,000 voucher usable at the festival and local shops, signature desserts (coal-briquette ice cream, chrysanthemum bread), began 2013
- Wikitree, 8 Aug 2026 — 가을꽃 보러 화순 왔다면, 읍내까지 즐긴다news — Stamp tour linking the festival, Goindol Traditional Market and park golf course; trot singer fan signing in Hwasun-eup
- The Asia Business Daily (English), 7 Aug 2026 — Hwasun County to Launch Stay-Type Tourism Linked to Dolmen Festivalnews — English name "Hwasun Dolmen Autumn Flower Festival"; free park golf admission and market souvenirs and discounts for completed stamp-tour missions
- Herald K, 15 Jan 2026 — 화순 고인돌 가을꽃 축제, 연이은 쾌거news — Korea Content Award for the third consecutive year; selected as a 2026 Jeollanam-do representative festival
- haps Magazine via Stars and Stripes Korea, 16 Oct 2025 — Hwasun Dolmen Autumn Flower Festivalnews — 2025 dates 17–26 Oct; viewing extended 27 Oct–2 Nov; DM concert dates and times (18 Oct 15:30–17:00, 19 Oct 14:30–17:30, 25 Oct 15:00–16:30, 26 Oct 16:00–17:30); 45 main-stage and 19 Chunyang performances; 30+ food booths; ₩5,000 refundable; began 2013 as a downtown chrysanthemum festival, at Namsan Park from 2017
- Telltrip, 19 Oct 2025 — 전남 화순 고인돌 가을꽃 축제, 10월 17일 개막other — 2025 dates 17–26 Oct; ₩5,000 refunded as vouchers usable at booths and shops across Hwasun; free temporary parking with more than 2,000 spaces; 7 kinds of autumn flowers
- Wikitree, 21 Oct 2024 — 2024 화순 고인돌 가을꽃 축제 라인업 (+셔틀버스, 입장료)news — 2024 dates 18 Oct–3 Nov (17 days), theme, ₩5,000 and free categories, DM Concert 26 Oct 18:30 (about 2.5 h) line-up, magic show 27 Oct 15:00, shuttles A (26–27 Oct) and B (23 Oct), loop bus every 10 minutes 10:00–18:30, 8 types of reusable containers
- Ajunews, 11 Sep 2024 — 화순군 추석 연휴 3일 동안 고인돌유적지 차량통행 허용news — General traffic restricted between the Dogok and Chunyang dolmen information centres; 2024 festival 18 Oct–3 Nov on about 10 ha of sunflowers, cosmos, cockscomb and buckwheat
- NS News (뉴스서울), 4 Oct 2023 — D-16 『2023 화순 고인돌 가을꽃 축제』news — 2023 dates 20–29 Oct, theme, 15 ha, 400,000 chrysanthemums, 103,000 sunflowers, opening show 21 Oct 14:00–17:00 (about 4,000 seats), first DM concert 22 Oct 14:00–17:00, song festival final 25 Oct 17:00–20:00, 2 km barefoot course, 18 booths, free shuttles from Sotae Station, 7 car parks with about 1,700 spaces
- KTO tourist data (Japanese) — 和順 支石墓群遺跡 (ktriptips mirror)kto — Prehistoric Experience Centre 10:00–17:00; Daesin-ri excavation site weekdays 09:00–17:00, weekends 10:00–17:00; free; parking; heritage-interpreter tours in Korean and foreign languages on advance request (061-379-3501); Japanese forms 和順, 道谷面, 春陽面
- KTO tourist data (Traditional Chinese) — 和順支石墓群 (ktriptips mirror)kto — 596 dolmens; 2,051,951 m²; Daesin-ri capstone about 7.3 × 5.0 × 4.0 m, over 280 tons; UNESCO listing 2000; experience area closed Mondays; restrooms; free entry
- yeogiyou — 화순 고인돌군 유적 (KTO data)other — Site between Hyosan-ri (Dogok) and Daesin-ri (Chunyang); 135 and 124 dolmens; nearby distances: Yangdong-ho house 1 km, Naju Lake 7 km, Unjusa Temple 8 km
- Bus 화순218 route (variant B909) — koreacharts mirror of the MOLIT TAGO bus data, updated 18 Oct 2026other — 78 stops from 화순교통 via 광주종합버스터미널, 남광주역, 소태역, Hwasun town and Neungju to 도곡 and 효산삼거리; no timetable given
- Bus 화순218 route (variant B917) — koreacharts mirror of the MOLIT TAGO bus data, updated 18 Oct 2026other — 84 stops via 광주종합버스터미널, 소태역, Hwasun and Neungju to 춘양합동정류소 (Chunyang); no timetable given
- busannavi (EN) — Hwasun Dolmen Siteblog — About 1 h 30 m to 2 h (1.5–2 h) by bus from Gwangju Bus Terminal (U-Square)
- worldheritagesite.org — visitor review of the Hwasun Dolmen Site (visit of 24 Oct 2025)blog — Buses 218 and 318 stop in front of the dolmen complex; return from the Dogok stop about a 15-minute walk away
- 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
- Busan Seobu (Sasang) → Gwangju U-Square intercity bus timetable (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — 23 buses a day, 06:00 to 22:00; 2 h 57 m on every run; weekday adult fares ₩28,300 deluxe (우등) and ₩36,800 premium, ₩33,900 for the 22:00 regular (일반) bus
- Busan Central (Nopo) → Gwangju U-Square intercity bus timetable (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-17)other — 16 buses a day, 06:20 to 21:00; 3 h 03 m; weekday adult fares ₩31,200 deluxe (우등), ₩40,500 premium
- Busan Seobu (Sasang) terminal departures (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — To Jindo Public Terminal 2 a day: 08:10 deluxe ₩51,400 and 14:00 premium ₩60,400, 5 h 13 m. To Suncheon Bus Terminal 14 a day, 07:05–19:10, 2 h 38 m on most runs (14:25 run 2 h 09 m, 17:00 run 2 h 36 m), ₩17,000 regular, ₩22,000 deluxe, ₩28,600 premium. To Mokpo 6 a day (most 4 h 13 m). No Damyang, Hwasun or Nagan departures listed
- Hwasun intercity bus stop departures (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-18)other — 5 destinations (Gwangju U-Square, Goheung, Nokdong, Beolgyo, Seoul Central City); no Busan terminal; to U-Square 18 a day, 31 minutes
- Gwangju U-Square → Busan Seobu (Sasang) intercity bus timetable (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-17)other — 23 buses a day, 04:30 to 21:00; 3 h 02 m; last departure 21:00 arriving 24:02; ₩28,300 deluxe, ₩36,800 premium, ₩21,700 regular (11:40)
What we could not confirm
- The official festival page (hwasun.go.kr/festival) could not be opened, so the 2026 shuttle routes and times, concert start times, car-park locations and the full daily schedule were not read from the organizer.
- Which performer appears on which DM Concert day in 2026, and the start times, were not published on the pages opened.
- Bus 218 and 318 timetables, which runs reach the dolmen site, the stop nearest the festival entrance and the journey time from Gwangju were not verified (route data has no times; the 1.5–2 h figure is from a travel site).
- Whether the gardens stay open for viewing after 25 October 2026, as they did 27 Oct–2 Nov 2025.
- The year the festival moved from Namsan Park to the dolmen site (sources say Namsan Park from 2017; it was at the dolmen site by 2023), and the edition number, were not found.
- No visitor totals were found for any year; 2023 general admission and 2024 refund terms were not stated.
- Sources describe the 2026 planting differently: 270,000 plants (Wikitree, 12 Oct) versus "ten million blooms" (Wikitree, 10 Oct).
- Direct buses from Seoul to Hwasun and taxi fares from Gwangju were not checked.
- No KTO or official Japanese or Chinese name for the festival was found; KTO writes the site as 和順支石墓群 (ja/zh-Hant). The names were left null.
- KTO pages now label the province 전남광주통합특별시 (Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special city); the record keeps Jeollanam-do pending confirmation of the administrative change.
- Last train back from Gwangju Songjeong to Yongsan and Suseo, the last express bus from U-Square to Seoul, and the last bus 218 from the dolmen site on the festival dates (to 25 October 2026) under the timetable in force that day; the earlier times came from a third-party mirror of the national feed and were removed.
- Route, stops and times of the 2026 festival loop bus, and the walking time between the Dogok and Chunyang (Daesin-ri) ends of the valley.
Changes: 2026-10-18 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-18 — Added a photograph from the Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Tourism Content Lab), KOGL Type 1. · 2026-10-18 — Added a route from Busan (Getting there), with times and fares from the national bus and rail timetables. · 2026-10-21 — Tense: the FAQ on 2027 no longer describes the running 2026 edition as over. · 2026-10-22 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: removed KTX last-train and bus times taken from a third-party timetable mirror and the 2024 shuttle times; 2026 loop bus noted; 'Getting away' line added; prices: none changed.
