Nonsan City Tour Bus 2026: Sunshine Land & History

Did you know?

2025-2026 is the 'Visit Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do' year!

You might be thinking, "Isn't Nonsan just home to the Nonsan Army Training Center?"

But when you think of Nonsan, there are strawberries...

Sunshine Land, the filming location for 'Mr. Sunshine,' is also here...

It's a Nonsan trip where you can find romance.

The Nonsan City Tour Bus program

is operated by Nonsan City for just ~$4.

It's incredibly affordable, so

I spontaneously (?) went on it!

From costs and booking links to the full course,

I'll share my vivid review with you.

A Journey by Bus to Find Romance

Nonsan City Tour

From late August until November 28th,

Every Saturday‼️

You now have a reason to visit Nonsan!

For just ~$4

(+ Sunshine Land admission fee ~$4)

A Nonsan City Tour is possible for just ~$7!

(And it even includes a Cultural Tourism Guide!)

The Ganggyeong Night Tour special course has ended its operations,

but you can still enjoy the Nonsan Bus City Tour with the Sunshine Land course.

Nonsan City Tour Reservation Link

After a long time, a clear sky!

This is my first time in Nonsan since Samdori's military enlistment/completion.

Nonsan City, with a population of 105,700...

In rural areas, excluding some cities,

the population is steadily decreasing,

leading to worries about eventual population decline in the world.

ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Our country has so many charming places,

we simply must protect them through tourism...

The day before, a confirmation text message arrived from the travel agency.

Based on Nonsan Station,

Gather in front of the Tourism Information Center, right in front of Nonsan Station‼️

The bus's license plate number is also provided,

making it super convenient.

They handed out Nonsan City Tour lanyards and

souvenirs prepared by Nonsan City.

...aren't they losing money on this?

They gave us Nonsan's specialty, a strawberry scrubber,

wet wipes, and even a reusable cup!

I had booked the Ganggyeong Night Tour special course,

and I was worried it wouldn't run due to low enrollment.

Thankfully, just before the tour, the minimum number of participants was met,

so the tour proceeded, much to the delight of both the organizer and the Cultural Tourism Guide.

Nonsan City Tour Course

Ganggyeong - Sunshine Land - Tapjeongho Lake Suspension Bridge

The bus tour runs from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Ganggyeong is an area primarily known for rice cultivation.

During the Japanese colonial period in 1919, it is said to have suffered significant rice exploitation by Japan.

Its old name was Gaenggaeng.

When Night Falls, Ganggyeong Flows Again

Ganggyeong Modern Street

As the hometown of famous actress Kang Boo-ja is Ganggyeong,

there's even a 'Kang Boo-ja Road,' which is quite fascinating!

Haha.

At the entrance of Modern Street,

we even met a National Assembly member who had previously served as Nonsan Mayor!

He was an old student of our Cultural Tourism Guide,

so we unexpectedly exchanged greetings with the tour group.

Since I went for the National Heritage Night Tour,

I visited in the evening,

but the daytime seems quite charming as well.

The Ganggyeong Modern Street map is well-designed,

and people are now exploring the current Ganggyeong Modern Street,

which connects the old appearance of Ganggyeong, including its upper and lower markets.

When I visited, the course was so well-organized

there were busking performances

and so many fun things to do and see, which I loved!

They create and display merchandise from Ganggyeong/Nonsan at

Ganggyeong Modern Sanghwa.

If you visit wearing the bus tour necklace,

you can get a free souvenir! 🤩

I got a cute key ring!

What a score!

You'll find restaurants serving Milmyeon, Donkatsu, Vietnamese pho, cafes,

and even fermented seafood set meals, among many others.

The place I went to was Taepyeong Sikdang.

I had the clear pufferfish soup (bokjiri),

which had an entire pufferfish in it.

The fermented pollack intestines (changnanjeot) served as a side dish were so delicious

that I thought to myself, "I should have tried the fermented seafood set meal too!"

It truly felt like the street of romance.

After dinner, I grabbed a coffee at a cafe,

did some people-watching,

and even enjoyed a cocktail for just ~$1,

wrapping up my exploration of Ganggyeong Modern Street.

Sunshine Land (including the Military Experience Center)

While perhaps not every guy dreams of a military experience,

the Military Experience Center was quite popular

with kids and students.

You can try out shooting simulations

and there's also a 1950s Studio,

which made for a really fun time exploring.

After registering at the information desk,

you can try basic training, VR experiences, and even live-fire training.

As for outdoor survival games,

let's save those for when the weather cools down a bit!

I was surprised by the variety of productions filmed at the 1950s Studio

— more than I expected!

Even 'The King,' 'Pachinko,' and 'Tale of the Nine-Tailed' were filmed here?!

I've seen those!

It truly felt like I had stepped back in time!

There were quite a few couples

who rented retro outfits and

were busy taking photos.

Amor Fati〰️

And then, the Sunshine Studio –

the place I was MOST excited for!

The usual admission fee is ~`$7`, but with the city tour,

it's treated as if you're a Nonsan citizen, so a half-price discount is possible!!😇

Oh, wow.

I really loved Mr. Sunshine and watched it multiple times,

but to think that drama came out in 2018...

It's already been 8 years!

I'm still a huge fan, even getting excited when

Kim Min-jung uploads Kudo Hina Instagram stories every Liberation Day...

From the moment I stepped into Sunshine Studio,

all the backgrounds from the drama came flooding back, which was so much fun!

But then, seeing the bridge where the final deaths occurred

and the Glory Hotel, it made my heart ache a little bit.

They even did fencing here, you know...

Inside the Glory Hotel,

the drama's OST was playing, and Mr. Sunshine videos were on display.

I felt like I transformed into Eugene Choi,

then Go Ae-shin,

then Kudo Hina,

and even Kim Eui-sung (but definitely not Lee Wan-ik!)

Next to the hotel reception,

actual costumes are on display,

and the second floor operates as a café.

This is the spot where Kim Eui-sung (played by Byun Yo-han) sat!

The café was absolutely bustling!

Can you believe how cleverly they integrated PPL?

You'll even find Boulangerie Française, a bakery that made me think exactly that!

At each spot,

you can find traces of the drama,

and that's definitely one of the best ways to enjoy Sunshine Studio!

Step into this tavern, the very place where the gentlemen

connected to Kim Tae-ri's character would raise a glass!

You'll also find the market street

where Goo Dong-mae was known to cause a bit of a ruckus!

The heartbreaking bridge

ㅠㅠㅠ

At the Sunshine Salon,

a charming clothing boutique, you can even rent costumes,

so you can transform into Eugene Choi yourself!

This is the very tram where the stunning Kudo Hina shone so brightly,

and it instantly brings back vivid memories of Na Ae-sin and Eugene Choi's poignant tram scene!

You can also spot Daeanmun Gate!

This powerful setting evokes the tragic ending of the drama,

amidst the intense shootout where a train car was brutally severed.

The tragic ending of the drama.

See you again,,

This incredible place is Korea's first drama theme park created through a public-private partnership,

with Nonsan City providing the land and infrastructure,

and the production company of the drama Mr. Sunshine

along with a broadcast content production company co-investing

to bring this spectacular filming set to life.

It's amazing that Kim Eun-hee's masterpiece,

Mr. Sunshine, was born here!

T_T

You can also explore the historical exhibition,

so don't miss it!

Topjeongho Lake Suspension Bridge

Topjeongho Lake, the second-largest lake in Chungnam Province

You can stroll along the deck path built by the waterside,

and cross the 600m suspension bridge, the longest in Asia!

At night, you can also admire the media facade and

beautiful landscape lighting.

On the way to the bridge,

cooling fog is sprayed,

making it feel cool and refreshing, just like a mist!

The wobbling, swaying suspension bridge...

I usually can't cross these,

but I focused on stepping firmly on the wooden planks

and just kept walking forward!

The wind can be super strong,

so make sure your hat doesn't fly off!

Finally, at the end of the bridge, I took in

Topjeongho Lake

(the water isn't very clean, though)

Me, who crossed that bridge without fear!

What is this?!

Why is 'Dynamite' playing?!

Is it a BTS Heart Amy destiny theory...?

And so, my Nonsan one-day city tour itinerary

came to an end.

They say it's also offered as a strawberry festival course in the summer,

so I really hope the Nonsan City Tour becomes widely known

and flourishes!

Nonsan's 11 Must-See Sights

Eunjin Mireuk Buddha at Gwanchoksa Temple

Topjeongho Lake and Suspension Bridge

Surak Valley in Daedunsan Mountain

General Gyebaek Historic Site

Ssanggyesa Temple

Gaetaesa Temple

Ganggyeong Port and Modern History Street

Noseongsanseong Fortress and Myeongjae Historic House

Donam Seowon (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Sunshine Land

Jonghakdang and Korea Confucian Cultural Center

Although it was planned as a day trip,

this Nonsan journey offers more sights than I expected!

Now that the weather has gotten much cooler,

I'd say it would make a fantastic overnight trip too.

*From October 15th to October 19th,

there's also the Ganggyeong Jeotgal Festival!〰️🦐

If you need accommodation reservations in Nonsan/Ganggyeong

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