Cheongnamdae Admission & Family Itinerary 2026: Tips & Discounts

How to Get Cheongnamdae Admission Discounts

Recommended Tour Course and Time Needed with Kids

Must-Visit Spots in Cheongju

Words/Photos ⓒ minimay

During our trip to Cheongju, we visited

Cheongnamdae with our child.

I only knew it as a place that was used

as a presidential villa,

but there's actually so much to see, from beautiful gardens and walking paths

to the Presidential Culture Center and even the

Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Memorial Hall!

With our elementary school-aged child, we followed the stamp tour checkpoints,

and even just visiting the main spots took us about 3 hours.

Today, I'll share all the details: Cheongnamdae's recommended courses and time needed,

tips for discounted admission, and everything you need to know

before hopping on the monorail.

Contents

1. Cheongnamdae Basic Information & Parking

2. Admission Discounts & Monorail

3. Cheongnamdae Tour Courses, Stamp Tour with Kids

4. Presidential Culture Center & Main Building

5. Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Memorial Hall

6. Overall Review of Cheongnamdae with Kids

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1. Cheongnamdae Basic Information & Parking

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Category	Cheongnamdae Basic Information
Address	646 Cheongnamdae-gil, Munui-myeon, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do
Operating Hours	09:00~18:00
Dec-Jan	09:00~17:00
Last Admission	16:30 / 12~1月 15:30
Closed Days	Every Monday, January 1st, Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day) & Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)
Contact	043-257-5080

When we visited on a weekend, the parking lot was quite busy,

but the parking attendants guided us well, so it was fine. Plus, parking is free!

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The road leading into Cheongnamdae is a single-lane road,

so if there's a lot of traffic or you get behind a slow car,

your travel time might be longer than expected. I recommend

allowing plenty of time for your visit.

The internal paths are well-maintained, so it's accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.

Since many of the courses involve being outdoors, it's a good idea to bring light items

like sunglasses or an umbrella, depending on the weather!

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2. Cheongnamdae Admission Discounts & Monorail

Cheongnamdae Admission and Monorail Fares
Category	Eligibility	Fare
Admission Fee	Adults 19-64 years	~\$4
Youth 13-18 years	~\$3
Children 7-12 years	~\$2
Seniors 65+ years	~\$2
Monorail	Adults 14-64 years	~\$4
Children 3-13 years	~\$2
Seniors 65+ years	~\$2

For the monorail, you need to apply for a boarding time slot.

When we arrived around 1 PM on a weekend,

we checked and found that all time slots until 2:40 PM were already sold out.

We had other plans for the day,

so we didn't apply for the monorail.

The monorail travels approximately 330m one-way, heading up towards the observatory,

offering panoramic views of Daecheongho Lake and Cheongnamdae.

Since it operates on a time-slot basis,

if you really want to ride the monorail,

it's probably best to visit early in the day!

We had lunch in Munui-myeon nearby,

and then entered Cheongnamdae around 1 PM.

If you submit a receipt from a business in Munui-myeon that you used on the same day,

you can get an admission discount of up to ~$2 per person

for every ~$7 spent!

I didn't know about this, so I didn't keep my paper receipt,

and I missed out on the discount. (Oh, the wasted money! T.T)

I showed them my payment confirmation text on my phone and my card transaction history,

Heads up: they say only paper receipts are accepted!

If you dine in Munui-myeon

or use the commercial facilities,

don't throw away your paper receipt;

make sure to keep it with you!

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3. Cheongnamdae Tour Courses: A Stamp Tour Adventure with Kids!

After you enter and walk a little,

you'll first come across the Cheongnamdae Memorial Hall.

There's an information desk here,

so be sure to grab a map of Cheongnamdae.

If you're not sure where to start your exploration,

I also recommend asking the staff about recommended courses.

We mentioned we were visiting with our elementary school-aged child,

and they kindly marked the

elementary stamp tour checkpoints and

the direction of movement directly on the map for us.

Cheongnamdae is much larger than you might expect,

so at first, we weren't sure which way to go.

But after seeing the marked course,

it became much easier to plan our route.

Recommended Elementary Stamp Tour Course

Cheongnamdae Memorial Hall → Mugunghwa Garden → Stone Pagoda →Presidential Memorial Hall → Fish Farm → Presidential Villa Main Building → Shade House → Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Memorial Hall

The locations marked in red are the

4 stamp tour checkpoints,

and except for the Shade House, they are all naturally encountered

along the walking course!

Although there was another stamp course

for adults,

it took a lot of time, and we had other plans,

so we decided to skip it.

Even by just exploring this much,

we were able to see most of the main facilities,

which was just right for our family.

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4. Review of the Presidential Memorial Hall & Main Building

Cheongnamdae Memorial Hall

Inside the Cheongnamdae Memorial Hall, you'll find gifts

received by presidents during diplomatic processes,

as well as photo zones and more.

We could also see handprints of past presidents

and photos and items from when Cheongnamdae was in use.

It's not overwhelmingly large,

so it was perfect for a quick look around

before we started our main exploration.

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Mugunghwa Garden & Metasequoia Path

Right after exiting the Memorial Hall,

we got our stamp verified at the Mugunghwa Garden,

Along the way,

there were old military guard posts

that had been preserved.

We didn't just walk past them;

we even stopped to take a photo! Haha.

Along the continuous Metasequoia Path,

even though it was a scorching hot day,

as we entered the heavily wooded areas,

it became wonderfully cool, and many families were taking a break there.

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Presidential Memorial Hall

Walking along the stamp course,

we arrived at the Presidential Memorial Hall,

which had even more spaces

for kids to get involved in.

From spaces recreating the President's office and press conference room,

to a parade car, the State Council chamber,

and photo zones, there was so much to see and do.

Instead of just observing the exhibits,

we could take photos along the way

and explore with hands-on experiences.

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Musical Fountain, Fish Farm

After leaving the Presidential Memorial Hall,

we headed down towards the fish farm,

and just then, the musical fountain

was in full swing!

After strolling along the wooden deck path,

admiring the fish and watching the fountain display,

we made our way to the Cheongnamdae Main Building.

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Cheongnamdae Main Building

The Cheongnamdae Main Building, completed in December 1983,

served as a presidential retreat for about 20 years,

until 2003.

Before stepping inside the main building,

we queued up

and received a brief introduction.

Once it was our turn to enter,

we took off our shoes at the entrance,

placed them in shoe bags, changed into slippers,

and then proceeded to explore the interior.

You carry your shoe bag with you as you explore,

and simply switch back into your own shoes when you exit.

Inside, we found a conference room, reception room,

living room, and guest rooms,

as well as the President's private barbershop, a traditional Korean room (Hanok-style room),

office, bedroom, and dining room—all preserved just as they were used

back in the day.

It was fascinating to discover that the spaces used by the President and guests

were distinctly separate from the paths staff members used to move around.

Looking at the furniture and interior design today,

you can really feel the passage of time.

It felt as if time had stood still,

perfectly showcasing the unique ambiance

of a presidential retreat.

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Swimming Pool, Shaded Rest Stop

After exploring the Main Building,

we passed by the private swimming pool

and moved on to the Shaded Rest Stop.

After walking for a while,

I really wanted to take a break.

The shade house had air conditioning, and a stunning view of Daecheongho Lake unfolded before us, making it the perfect spot to rest.

With a vending machine and water dispenser available, we quenched our thirst, enjoyed the view of Daecheongho Lake, and then moved on to our next destination after a relaxing break.

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5. Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Memorial Hall

The last place we visited was

the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Memorial Hall.

Located on what was once a golf course, a vast grassy plaza stretched out in front of the building.

Behind it, we could see a building modeled after the Shanghai Provisional Government building of the Republic of Korea.

Next to the grassy plaza,

you can also see statues of the eight heads of state of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.

This memorial hall, which was both the final stop on the elementary school stamp tour and a 'Memory Check-in' verification spot, spans from the first basement floor to the second floor above ground.

It houses records and artifacts related to the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and the independence movement.

The Provisional Government building made of Lego, tailored to children's tastes, reminded me of the Avengers Sanctum Lego, haha!

There's also a photo zone, and in the basement, interactive experiential facilities where you can directly move screens and participate.

If you're visiting with children, it's a place where you might want to allow a bit more time.

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Stamp Tour Completion Souvenir

Finally, back at Cheongnamdae Memorial Hall, my child received confirmation of completing the elementary school stamp tour.

As a souvenir, they received a pencil.

It was a small item, but with the Cheongnamdae character drawn on it, it made for a lovely souvenir.

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6. Cheongnamdae with Kids: An Overall Review

Even though we focused on the main highlights with our elementary school-aged child, the visiting time took about 3 hours, so...

...if you want to leisurely explore the monorail or walking trails, you should expect to spend at least half a day.

For families who don't mind a lot of walking, Cheongnamdae was a great place to explore with children or parents.

They say many people visit in autumn to see the fall foliage and Daecheongho Lake scenery, so next time, I'd love to visit in a different season and walk around again.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment!

✓ Main visiting time: 2-3 hours

✓ Cheongnamdae parking fee: Free

✓ Bring your ticket/receipt from Munui-myeon

✓ Check monorail times immediately upon arrival

✓ Prepare a hat/parasol and comfortable shoes

✓ Make the most of the Kids' Stamp Rally Course

✓ Highly recommend the Provisional Government Memorial Hall experience

Minimay's Cheongnamdae Visit Summary
Category	Details
Actual Visit Time	About 3 hours for main routes with kids
Recommended Time	2-3 hours for key facilities, half a day if you take your time
Parking	Free
Admission Fee	General ~$4
Monorail	General ~$4, operates by time slot
Tip for Your Visit	After admission, check the monorail schedule first!