Everland

Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is South Korea's largest theme park. It is much more than rides: a zoo with pandas and big cats, gardens with seasonal flower festivals and the Caribbean Bay water park all belong to the same resort. In 2018 it drew about 5.85 million visitors, 19th in the world theme-park rankings.

History: from Natural Farmland to Everland

The park opened in April 1976 as Yongin Farmland (Yongin Jayeon Nongwon, literally "natural farm"); sources give the opening day as 17 or 18 April. It covered about 1,500 hectares and started as a nature-themed park with an orchard and about 200 animal species, even exporting farm produce, and its lion safari, with free-roaming lions, was the first in East Asia. Tiger (1980), bear (1990) and herbivore (2010) safaris followed. Adult admission on opening day was 600 won.

Rides multiplied in the 1980s, and rose and tulip festivals followed. For its 20th anniversary in 1996 the park took the name Everland and opened Caribbean Bay. South Korea's first wooden roller coaster, T Express, arrived in 2008, and Panda World opened in 2016. The park celebrated its 50th anniversary on 17 April 2026.

What to see

• Panda World: the giant pandas Ai Bao and Le Bao and their cubs born at Everland made it famous; check the official website for which pandas are currently on show. Expect one of the longest queues in the park.
• Safari Wild Tram: introduced in 2021 to replace the safari bus, taking you through the safari area.
• T Express: Korea's first wooden coaster and a crowd favourite since 2008.
• Amazon Express: a raft ride where most people get splashed.
• Gardens and festivals: gardens that host the tulip and rose festivals. The Four Seasons Garden and rose garden are worth a stroll even if you skip the rides.

Good to know

• Until the 1990s, a show starring acrobatic boars was one of the park's big draws.
• The first year brought 880,000 visitors; total attendance passed 100 million in 2001.
• For the 45th anniversary in 2021 the park opened a garden paying homage to its Natural Farmland days.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: take the Suin–Bundang Line to Giheung, change to the EverLine light rail, get off at Jeondae·Everland and catch the free Everland shuttle bus. Direct buses and shuttles also run from several points in Seoul.
• Time needed: a full day if you want both the zoo and the rides.
• Queues: Panda World and T Express draw long lines, so go early in the morning.
• Tickets and hours: prices and opening times vary by season and date, so check the official website before you go.
• Seasons: festival periods and weekends are the busiest. In summer you can combine the park with the Caribbean Bay water park (separate ticket).