How to Get There
The Nakdonggang Bike Path crosses several large cities and a bushel of rural counties. Each offers intercity bus terminals, train stations, and subway stops.
These four transportation methods will get you and your bike to the Nakdonggang Bike Path:
Intercity Bus
Like every other certification bike path in Korea, intercity buses provide the simplest way to get to the Nakdonggang Bike Path with your full-size bicycle (road, MTB, hybrid).
Let’s explore the useful terminals.
The Start
The Nakdonggang Bike Path begins in Andong City, 70 kilometers east of the Saejae Bike Path’s end.
Andong Bus Terminal (안동터미널) is the city’s main terminal. It’s intercity (timetable) and express (timetable) buses drive to most metropolitan cities and surrounding provinces. Because Andong is the capital of North Gyeongsang, a good portion of buses visit the province’s settlements.
Unlike other bus terminals in similar sized cities, Andong’s sits just outside of the downtown area, on the opposite side of Andong Dam, the Nakdonggang Bike Path’s start line.
Get to the Start
Riding the Cross-Country Route? You don’t need to start in Andong to receive the Cross-Country Certification.
However, to complete the Nakdonggang, Four Rivers, and Grand Slam certifications, you’ll need to pick up the Andong Dam stamp.
You have two options to grab this stamp if you just rode the Saejae Bike Path:
- Take a bus up the Nakdong River, then cycle downriver.
- Cycle upriver, then take a bus back.
- (Or go super-cyclist. Ride up to Andong and back on grit and power bars.)
Both Sangju Bus Terminal (상주종합버스터미널) and Jeomchon Bus Terminal (점촌터미널) rest near to where the Nakdonggang and Saejae paths meet. Each sends buses to Andong.
However, Jeomchon is the better bet. It routes five buses a day to Andong (timetable). Sangju? Just one a day (timetable).
The End
The Nakdonggang Bike Path ends in Busan Metropolitan City. This sprawling city on Korea’s southwest tip boasts three useful intercity bus terminals.
The Biggest
Busan Central Bus Terminal (부산종합버스터미널; Busan Dongbu or Nopo) is Busan’s largest terminal. It lies in the northern reaches of the city, a far hop from the Nakdonggang’s finish line.
However, on weekends or holidays, you can bring your bike onto Busan Subway Line 1. Ride the train north an hour to the terminal (directions).
Want to bike to the terminal from the finish line? You’ll need to conquer two hours, two hills, and 33 kilometers (directions).
Though far, Central Terminal runs buses to every metro city and province in Korea (timetable).
The Closest
Busan West Bus Terminal (부산서부시외버스터미널; Busan Sasang) lives just east of the Nakdong River, a kilometer off the bike path (directions) and 10 kilometers from the finish line (directions).
This terminal doesn’t offer a diversity of routes, however (timetable). Most buses visit the cities and towns in South Gyeongsang Province, which surround Busan. Only two morning buses run to Seoul. None visit any other metropolitan city.
The Beach Terminal
Because Busan spreads over a vast patch of territory, it holds a handful of small intercity stops, helping locals get to and from their isolated nooks.
Haeundae Intercity Bus Terminal (해운대시외버스정류소), sitting next to the heralded mega-beach, may be small. But it packs a bunch of useful routes (timetable).
- Each day, ten buses navigate to Dong (East) Seoul Bus Terminal and three head to Nam (South) Seoul Terminal.
Buses also shoot to Daegu, Ulsan, and cities in Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, North Jeolla, and North and South Gyeongsang Provinces.
The Middle
The Nakdong River courses through several major cities during its run. In its midsection, find counties and cities with useful intercity bus terminals, including:
- Sangju City (far off path)
- Gumi City
- Daegu Metropolitan City (far off path)
- Dalseong County
- Changnyeong County
- Yangsan City (far off path)
Daegu
Like Busan, Daegu offers three intercity bus terminals. Each sits in the metro city’s downtown. However, the Nakdonggang Bike Path passes the western border of the city. Both a bike or subway ride costs about an hour.
Dongdaegu Bus Transfer Center
Dongdaegu Bus Transfer Center (동대구복합환승센터), a part of a Shinsegae Department Store, is the metropolitan city’s main bus terminal. It’s an:
This mega-transportation hub allows passengers to transfer from intercity bus to Daegu Subway Line 1, or a KTX train, or a bike-friendly ITX train.
Daegu’s buses filter out to every metropolitan city. Most of the provincial routes focus on the North Gyeongsang settlements.
Daegu’s largest terminal sits the farthest from the bike path. To reach it, you can either:
- Cycle 25.5 kilometers down a stream into Daegu (directions), or
- Take a 40-minute, weekend or holiday subway ride, transferring from Line 2 to Line 1 (directions).
The Other Two
Daegu’s other two bus terminals offer limited service to nearby provinces and select metro cities.
Daegu West Bus Terminal (대구서부정류장) sends many of its intercity buses southward to Busan, Ulsan, and Gwangju Metro cities. It also services a healthy selection of provinces, like South Gyeongsang, North and South Jeolla, and more (timetable).
From the bike path, cycle 11.1 kilometers (directions) or ride Daegu Subway Line 2 to Line 1 and arrive in 40 minutes (directions).
Daegu North Bus Terminal (대구북부시외버스터미널) doesn’t reach any metropolitan cities. Its intercity buses venture mostly North Gyeongsang and Gangwon Province (timetable).
From the bike path, it requires an hour-long, 16.5-kilometer, hour-long bike ride (directions) or subway journey of equal time (directions).
Nakdonggang Bus Terminals
Find a complete list of intercity bus terminals on the Nakdonggang Bicycle Path below.
- Andong Bus Terminal — (안동터미널) — Start
- Gyeongbuk Bus Stop — (경북도청시외버스정류장)
- Sangju Bus Terminal — (상주종합버스터미널) — Cross-Country Start
- Gumi Bus Terminal — (구미종합터미널)
- Dongdaegu Bus Transfer Center — (동대구복합환승센터)
- Daegu West Bus Terminal — (대구서부정류장)
- Daegu North Bus Terminal — (대구북부시외버스터미널)
- Hyeonpung Bus Terminal — (현풍시외버스터미널)
- Namji Bus Terminal — (남지버스터미널)
- Yangsan Intercity Bus Terminal — (양산시외버스터미널)
- Busan West Bus Terminal — (부산서부시외버스터미널) — End
- Busan Central Bus Terminal — (부산종합버스터미널) — End
- Haeundae Intercity Bus Terminal — (해운대시외버스정류소)
Daegu Subway System
The Daegu Subway System offers three lines.
Line 1 and Line 2 cross the city east and west, and offer access to the city’s intercity bus terminals and train stations. Each allows full-size bicycles on weekends and public holidays. Riders may ride weekdays if they detach their wheels and hold their bikes securely.
Line 3 is a monorail that runs north and south. It does not allow full-size bikes any time. However, operators may allow you to ride with your bike’s wheels removed.
(Collapsed folding bikes may board any train any day of the week.)
Line 2’s Gangchang Station (강창역) is nearest subway station to the Nakdonggang Bike Path, resting 2.8 kilometers away (directions).
Busan Subway System
Busan Metropolitan Subway’s system is the nation’s second largest. It holds four lines. Each allows full-size bikes on weekends and public holidays.
- Line 1 offers a direct route from the end of the Nakdonggang Bike Path to Busan Central Bus Terminal (directions) and Busan Station (directions).
- A transfer from Line 1 to Line 2 will bring you to Haeundae Beach, Korea’s most popular sandy surface and home to Haeundae Intercity Bus Terminal (directions).
- Line 2 runs alongside the Nakdonggang Bike Path between Yangsan City’s Hopo Station (호포역) and Sasang Station (사상역) in Busan. Along this stretch, nine stations lie less than a kilometer from the bike path.
Hadan Station (하단역) on Line 1 is the nearest to the end of the Nakdonggang Bike Path. It rests 1.5 kilometers from the finish line (directions).
Trains
None of the bus timetables or routes fit your schedule. Try a train.
The Gyeongbu Line (경부선) travels from Seoul to Busan. It stops at nine stations along the Nakdonggang Bike Path.
- Gumi Station (구미역) — 6.6 km from the bike path
- Waegwan Station (왜관역) — 800 m from the bike path
- Daegu Station (대구역) — 22.5 km from the bike path (subway access)
- Dong Daegu Station (동대구역) — 24.4 km from the bike path
- Miryang Station (밀양역) — 8.8 km from the bike path
- Samrangjin Station (삼랑진역) — 1.9 km from the bike path
- Mulgeum Station (물금역) — 1.0 km from the bike path
- Gupo Station (구포역) — 930 m from the bike path
- Busan Station (부산역) — 10.9 km from the bike path (subway access)
The Gyeongbu Line first intersects the bike path in Gumi City, about halfway through its run.
Like its bus terminals, the train stations in Daegu don’t land near the bike path. However, on weekends and holidays, the city’s subways can bring you closer to the cycling route.
Closer to Busan, the Gyeongbu Line mirrors the Nakdonggang Bike Path. Three train stations sit less than two kilometers away, including Samrangjin Station in Miryang City, Mulgeum Station near Yangsan City, and Gupo Station in Busan.
Train Trials
Want to ride a train with your full-size bike (MTB, road, hybrid)? You’ll need to book a ticket that includes a bike cradle.
How? Download the Korail app or search their website. Find one of the select trains with bicycle seats and purchase it in advance.
Read our guide to the app here and check bike-friendly train timetables here.
- Booking online or by using the app requires an ARC number or a kind Korean friend.
- All bicycle tickets come with a seat for the human and a cradle for the bike in an adjoining train car.
- All trains accept folding bicycles. No special ticket. Just compact and stuff it in the luggage compartment.
Airplanes
Jetting in or out of Busan with your bike? Gimhae International Airport (김해국제공항), the third largest in Korea behind Incheon and Jeju, sits close to the Nakdonggang Bike Path.
How close? Only 1.9 kilometers from the path (directions) and 11.9 kilometers from the end (directions).
That means you can hop off a plane, assemble your wheels, cycle to the Nakdonggang Estuary Bank, the end of the Cross-Country Route, and ride north to Seoul.
Or, you can grab that final stamp, ride to the airport, disassemble your bike, and fly out the same day.
Heading somewhere else? The airport hosts a couple of intercity buses that flow into Busan and a handful of surrounding cities (timetable).
(Between the airport’s two terminals perches the Gimhae International Airport Station, the end of the line for the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail. However, its trains don’t allow bikes.)
