Alpaca World — Attraction in Hwachon-myeon

The place opens at 10am. So arriving very early is not necessary. We left Seoul around 8am and arrived at 9:30am. We have 1 kid and a baby so the early arrival was ok as we had to use the bathroom and arrange our strollers etc. The traffic/parking guy there should be fired. Our driver tried to drop us off in the parking lot near the entrance due to stroller and baby and instead of letting us do it because no one was there and we were super early, he slammed our door shut and had a shouting match with the driver, all in front of the kids. He made us go to the lower parking which required us to walk very far. Later on we saw other cars park in the upper parking and he allowed them, not sure if they paid or something. Gates open at 10am. Better to buy your food coins at the entrance if you want to get the souvenier container, but maybe just buy 1 (with 5 coins). The birds dont eat the same thing and you can only buy their food near their enclosure. Also, bring a paper cup or plastic as they give you free alpaca food before the start of the alpaca run, they are pretty generous here, and all the machines only give you so little. Only reason we travelled so far was for the kids to see the animals, we also stayed around 2.5 hours so we could explore, but... i think the only exciting part about this place is the alpaca run at 1010am and then being able to interact and feed them. Other than that, all the ither animals were pretty boring like bunnies you can't touch, some birds, a single capybara in a glass enclosure, etc. not worth the uphill walk that was so tiring and time consuming. The walk with alpaca is probably something you can do but it is located so high up, you'll have to quickly go up the hills to the very top and do it immediately if pressed for time. Theres 1 restaurant at the top and one fast food place in the middle if you need to eat but have to go up to get there too. The gift shop items are also overpriced with a very small alpaca plush keychain costing 7500won (this was really small and did not look like an alpaca). Overall, it may be a nice experience for kids and adults who love alpacas or would love to see them and interact with them, but if thats not a priority, no need to travel very far to see this place. If going there as part of a packge trip, around 1 - 1.5 hour here should be enough for the alpaca interaction. I should also note we had to put baby in a carrier and leave stroller at the bottom area as it was hard to go up the steep roads with a stroller, some areas are also like steep stairs so can't bring a stroller there either. There is a baby center outside the entrance but no baby facility inside the park. Also, better to come here spring or autumn when its neither too...

We booked a day tour departing from Seoul and Alpaca World was the first of four stops. The farm is on very hilly terrain. So expect twist and turns on the road and also plenty of walking up and down at the farm.

Upon entering the farm, we were led into an enclosure and given a handful of dried feed for the Alpacas. Meanwhile the furry stars got ready on a nearby hill. Once the gate opened, they sprinted down the hill, past our enclosure fence within touching distance, then into our enclosure where they made a beeline for any outstretched hands.

It's perfectly safe to feed Alpacas from the palm as they pick up food with their lips. You might get saliva and dirt left behind as a thank you :). If you do mind, prepare gloves in advance. In the frenzy for food they wouldn't stay still so don't expect them to pose patiently. I'm also not sure if this experience is a special arrangement for large tour groups or not. But if you miss this segment, there's still a chance to get close after they've returned to their pen.

As excitement over the Alpacas subside, and you still have the time and energy, there are other animals and birds to see. A few were quite exotic; I saw a Fennec fox for the first time.

In hindsight the weather was perfect when we visited in end Feb 2024. The sun was shining brightly but the air was crisp and quite cold. In summer it would be a hot and sticky experience which I doubt I'd enjoy.

Side note: If you buy hot beverage to go from the cafe, it comes with a cute pink alpaca world cup sleeve (see my photo). We kept ours...

You can visit to feed the alpaca and they do get aggressive some time

But here’s the catch, AVOID THE GIFT SHOP. Read the sign and you’re MOT ALLOWED to touch the toy! DON’T BE FOOLED by all the flags out there. We tourists are not welcomed by them.

After the visit, We were there shopping for gifts and my father walked past a toy that was dropped on the floor earlier on. A lady staff with long hair and pony tail saw the toy on floor and came questioned my father right away saying it was dirty already and hinting it’s our responsibility.

Luckily the lady cashier in short hair pointed out immediately that it wasn’t my dad who dropped it. That staff just walked away without single apology! HELLO KOREAN, WHY BE SO RUDE?!

We were speaking in mandarin perhaps she thought we are from mainland China. I guess she doesn’t travel hence she doesn’t know many countries speak mandarin too! Poor chap.

She went behind the cashier counter and I confronted her immediately in English telling her“you should check cctv first next time! Don’t be so aggressive, just like you alpaca!”

She quietly looked at me and gave no response. NO SINGLE APOLOGY.

I still bought some toys my son wanted and she had a thick face to smile and greeted me have a good...