One-night rural travel packages for under 100,000 won launch across 11 routes nationwide

A new one-night, two-day rural travel package priced in the low 100,000 won ($74) range is set to launch, offering travelers local food, nature retreats and stays at rural experience villages. The packages cross municipal boundaries to bundle tourism resources from neighboring areas into a single itinerary, with 11 routes available nationwide.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Thursday it will begin a pilot operation of specialized travel packages based on 11 rural tourism belt pilot models across the country.

The packages are group travel programs linking regional tourism assets — including rural experience and recreation villages, farmhouse restaurants, traditional breweries and natural recreation forests. They are designed to take travelers across multiple areas rather than confining them to a single city or county.

The 11 routes cover Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, North Chungcheong Province, South Chungcheong Province, North Jeolla Province, South Jeolla Province and Gwangju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Gyeongsang Province, Jeju, and an East-West Trail spanning South Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang provinces.

Travelers can relax at healing forests, natural recreation forests and arboretums, and visit farmhouse restaurants, designated food masters and traditional breweries. Rural experience and recreation villages offer overnight stays along with a range of hands-on activity programs.

Ten of the 11 packages — all except Jeju — depart from Seoul. The Jeju package has participants gather at Jeju Airport before setting off. Departures run every Wednesday and Saturday.

Detailed itineraries and prices for each package can be checked and booked through Naver Store, Webtour, Very Good Tour, Yellow Balloon Tour and Kyowon Tour.

The ministry developed the rural tourism belt program in response to growing demand for extended rural stays that include overnight accommodation. According to a 2024 rural tourism survey by the Rural Development Administration, the share of rural trips lasting at least one night rose from 27.5 percent in 2020 to 38.5 percent in 2022 and 40.0 percent in 2024.

The ministry developed 11 rural tourism belt pilot models nationwide in July and established guidelines for local governments. The new travel packages translate those models into actual tourism programs.

"Rural areas across the country are rich in distinctive natural scenery, local food and hands-on experiences that make them genuinely attractive destinations," said Jeon Han-young, director general of the ministry's Rural Policy Bureau. "We hope this gives people a real opportunity to stay in the countryside and fully experience what each region has to offer."