If you're a BTS fan and you're planning a trip to South Korea, one of the places you'd definitely want to visit is the iconic bus stop featured on the "You Never Walk Alone" album cover. It's located in Gangneung in Gangwon-do. It's not an actual bus stop and it was only built for the photoshoot but it has become a permanent structure because of its popularity among ARMY who visit South Korea to go to these BTS-related places.
Here's a quick guide on how to go to the bus stop and what to expect if you're planning to include it in your South Korea itinerary.
What to Expect at the BTS Bus Stop
The BTS Bus Stop is located along Jumunjin Beach in Gangneung. Since this is a popular spot, you can expect that it'll be crowded so go as early as you can.
In my case, I joined a group tour which included this in the itinerary. Our tour bus left Seoul around 7am so when we got to the bus stop, it was just us. Our tour guide instructed us to form a line and just take a couple of minutes each to take photos so that everyone in our group could have their turn at the bus stop. When I was done having my photos taken, I saw that other groups had also formed a line behind our group so we were quite lucky to get there early.
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| the bus stop featured on the cover of the "You Never Walk Alone" album |
After taking our photos, my friends and I walked along the beach to check out the other fixtures. Apart from the bus stop, you can also take photos on some of the benches there and there's a swing.
Jumunjin Beach is just a public beach so there's nothing else to do there - not even a café or restaurant. However, there's a convenience store where you can buy snacks and drinks. There's also a public toilet if you need it.
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| one of the few other photo spots on the beach |
How to Get to the BTS Bus Stop
There are several ways to get to the BTS bus stop. The most convenient one is by car but you can also reach it by public transportation. The easiest way through public transportation is by taking the Gyeongbu Line bus from the Express Bus Terminal in Seoul. The ride takes almost 3 hours depending on the traffic, including a stop along the way where you can buy snacks or use the toilet.
Get off at Gangneung Bus Terminal and from there, you need to take another bus that'll take you directly to the BTS Bus Stop. You can either take Green Lines bus 314 or 302. It's advisable that you check Naver Map to see which one will get you there the fastest.
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| Jumunjin Beach |
Another option to go to the bus stop is by joining a group tour, which I did. I booked the In The Soop BTS Tour which included the BTS Bus Stop in the itinerary, where we spent about an hour.
The main attraction of the tour is, of course, visiting the In The Soop house in Pyeongchang. This tour was a bit pricey but overall, it was super worth it and as an ARMY, it was probably one of the best days of my life. I had to stop myself from crying when I got to the bus stop and again upon arriving at the house.
This was at the top of my list of places to visit in South Korea and I'm glad that I got to go there. Visiting these places was such a surreal experience and I admittedly got teary-eyed as I was approaching the bus stop. If you're a BTS fan, I'd highly recommend visiting the BTS Bus Stop either by booking a tour or by public transportation - either way, it'll be worth it.
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