Top 10 Korea #10 — Gapyeong: Garden of Morning Calm and Petite France, One Hour from Seoul

Gapyeong is the county directly east of Seoul that bundles three of Korea's most photographed compact attractions into one ITX-train ride. It pairs naturally with Nami Island (#9) but rewards a separate day if you want to slow down — a botanical garden, a French village, and a riverside jazz festival site, all within 20 minutes of each other. Three stops form the loop. Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원) is the 30,000-plant private botanical garden in the foothills, with themed gardens spread across 100,000 square meters; the 'Lighting Festival' from December through March turns it into the country's most-photographed winter light installation. Petite France (쁘띠프랑스) is the small French-village theme park built around the works of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, with Little Prince statues, an antique music-box museum, and views over Cheongpyeong Lake. And Jara Island (자라섬) — yes, the same island that hosts the Jazz Festival — is also a riverside camping and biking park with rental kayaks. Getting there: ITX-Cheongchun from Seoul Yongsan to Gapyeong Station takes 70 minutes, around ₩7,000. From Gapyeong Station, the Gapyeong City Tour Bus (₩6,000 day pass) loops the three attractions in order — best deal in the area. Practical tips: Garden of Morning Calm is most worth visiting in late autumn (chrysanthemum season) or December–March (lights). The Gapyeong shuttle from Cheongpyeong Station also reaches Nami if you want to combine. That closes Top 10. From Seoul, every one of these is a same-day or 1N2D trip — pick by season: Busan and Jeju year-round, Gangneung and Gapyeong shoulder seasons, Andong and Gyeongju autumn for color, DMZ and Suwon any clear-weather day. — Series end (1/10 to 10/10).