Gangneung, Sokcho & Seoraksan: East Coast Guide

Last checked: October 2026

Gangneung has the KTX from Seoul and Sokcho doesn't, so you reach Sokcho by bus. That shapes the whole trip. The two beach towns are about an hour apart, with Seoraksan National Park, Korea's best-known mountain park, just outside Sokcho. Most people give Gangneung one day and Sokcho with Seoraksan the next.

Days needed

2–3

Seoul to Gangneung

About 2 h by KTX

Seoraksan entry

Free

Cable car

16,000 won

Getting there

There's no train to Sokcho. Take the KTX to Gangneung, or an express bus straight to Sokcho. A railway line from Gangneung up the coast to Sokcho is being built, but it isn't expected before 2029.

• KTX: Cheongnyangni has more trains to Gangneung than Seoul Station. Fares are standard class. Book in the Korail+ app; see how to book the KTX.
• Bus: Sokcho has two terminals. The Express Bus Terminal (from Dong Seoul and the Seoul Express Bus Terminal) is a 5-minute walk from Sokcho Beach; the Intercity Bus Terminal is in the north of town. Express and intercity bus fares went up on October 1, 2026, so check the current fare when you book.
• Gangneung to Sokcho: intercity buses between the two cities' intercity bus terminals, 1 h–1 h 30 min.

Gangneung

A coastal city with long sandy beaches, a lake, a street of beach cafés, and old houses from the Joseon era. The sights are spread out, so plan around the bus routes below.

City buses

• Fare: 1,530 won with a transit card such as T-money, 1,700 won in cash. Transfers within an hour are free with a card (tap when you get off).
• 202 and 202-1: a loop in both directions between Gangneung Station, Ojukheon, Seongyojang, and Gyeongpo.
• 223-1 and 212: Gangneung Station to Anmok Coffee Street. 223 comes back.
• 300, 302, 314: Gangneung Station to Jumunjin (fish market, beach, and Hyangho, the last stop).
• City 1 (시티1): along the coast from Anmok via Gyeongpo to Jumunjin Fish Market and Jumunjin Beach, 08:00 until about 19:30, same fare.

Gyeongpo Beach & Gyeongpo Lake

• Gangneung's biggest beach, with Gyeongpo Lake just behind it. A flat path circles the lake. Free.
• Chodang Sundubu Village, about 1 km south, is a cluster of restaurants serving soft tofu set with East Sea seawater.

Anmok Coffee Street

• A row of cafés facing Anmok Beach, south of Gyeongpo. Gangneung's coffee festival is held here every October.

Ojukheon

• The Joseon-era house where the scholar Yulgok (Yi I) and his mother, the artist Sin Saimdang, were born. The Gangneung Municipal Museum is on the same grounds.
• 3,000 won. Open 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:00, every day. On January 1, Seollal, and Chuseok the house is open but the indoor galleries are closed.
• Buses 202 and 202-1 from Gangneung Station.

Seongyojang

• A large aristocratic family house from the Joseon era, near Gyeongpo Lake. 5,000 won.
• Open 09:00–18:00 in summer and 09:00–17:00 in winter. It closes for private events now and then, so check the notices on its website.

Jumunjin

• A fishing port in the north of Gangneung, with a seafood market next to the harbor.
• The "BTS bus stop" photo spot is on Hyangho Beach, at the end of bus routes 300, 302, and 314. See BTS places in Korea.

Wolhwa-geori Night Market

• Food stalls downtown near Jungang Market, from May to October on Fridays and Saturdays, 18:00–23:00. Closed when it rains.

Jeongdongjin & the Badabuchae-gil coastal trail

• Jeongdongjin is a sunrise spot on the coast south of Gangneung. A few KTX trains a day from Seoul run straight to Jeongdongjin Station; bus 112 goes from Gangneung Station.
• Jeongdong-Simgok Badabuchae-gil is a 3 km boardwalk along the cliffs between Jeongdong and Simgok harbors, about 1 hour one way. There are no toilets on the trail.
• 5,000 won. April to October 09:00–17:30 (tickets until 16:30); November to March 09:00–16:30 (tickets until 15:30).
• It closes when there's a high-seas warning. Check the trail's website on the day.

Sokcho

A port town between the sea and Seoraksan. The market, Abai Village, and the beach are all near the center; buses 7 and 7-1 run to the mountain.

• City bus fare: 1,530 won with a transit card, 1,700 won in cash. One free transfer within 1 hour 30 minutes if you tap when you get off.

Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market

• Sokcho's central market, with an alley of dakgangjeong (crispy sweet-spicy fried chicken) shops, sundae, salted and dried seafood, and a raw fish hall in the basement. Open every day; the basement hall closes on the second Wednesday of the month.

Abai Village & the gaetbae ferry

• A village on the sand across a narrow channel from downtown, settled by refugees from Hamgyeong Province, now in North Korea, during the Korean War. Restaurants here serve dishes from their home region, such as Abai sundae and squid sundae.
• Cross on the gaetbae, a flat ferry that passengers pull along a cable. 500 won one way. 05:00–23:00 from May to October and 05:30–22:30 from November to April, depending on the weather.

Yeonggeumjeong & Sokcho Beach

• Yeonggeumjeong: a pavilion at the end of a footbridge over the rocks, facing the sea, popular at sunrise. Free, always open. The lighthouse viewpoint is a 10-minute walk away.
• Sokcho Beach: a 5-minute walk from the Express Bus Terminal. Free.
• Cheongchoho Lake: a 5 km path around the lake in town. The Expo Tower viewpoint is 2,500 won, 09:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30).

Seoraksan National Park

The Sogongwon entrance, at the end of buses 7 and 7-1, is where most visitors start: the cable car, Sinheungsa Temple, and the easy trails all begin here.

• Entry is free. Sinheungsa Temple stopped charging admission in May 2023. Parking is charged.
• Buses 7 and 7-1: from Sokcho's bus terminals to Seoraksan (Sogongwon), about every 20–30 minutes combined. The last bus back from Sogongwon leaves around 20:35.

Gwongeumseong cable car

• A 5-minute ride up to Gwongeumseong, a rocky peak with views over the valley. Round trip only: 16,000 won (12,000 won for children).
• Tickets are sold only on the day, at the ground-floor counter, with a set boarding time. Be at the second-floor boarding area 5 minutes before your time. There's no online booking.
• There's no trail back down, so you return by cable car. On the last car, you get only about 20 minutes at the top.
• Hours change by day and season and are posted on the cable car's website. It stops in strong wind. Weekends are busy, so expect a wait in the autumn leaf season.

Trails from Sogongwon

• Ulsanbawi: the last 1 km after Heundeulbawi is a steep climb up steel stairs. Allow about 4 hours round trip.
• Biryong Falls: the first 1.2 km is fine for strollers and wheelchairs. The Towangseong Falls viewpoint is 0.4 km (30 min) further.
• These trails are closed only from sunset until 2 hours before sunrise. Trails beyond Biseondae, toward the high peaks, have morning cut-off times. All trails close in weather warnings.

Higher trails usually close from mid-November to mid-December. In 2025, trails to the high peaks were closed November 15–December 15 for the forest fire season, while Biseondae, Ulsanbawi, and the Towangseong Falls viewpoint stayed open. The 2026 closure runs November 15–December 15 on 148 trail sections nationwide, including 11 in Seoraksan. I couldn't confirm which Seoraksan sections are fully closed, so check the Korea National Park Service notices.

What to eat

• Gangneung: sundubu (soft tofu) in Chodang Sundubu Village, and coffee at Anmok.
• Sokcho: dakgangjeong at the Tourist & Fishery Market, raw fish in the market basement, and squid sundae in Abai Village.

Where to stay

• Gangneung: near Gangneung Station if you're arriving and leaving by KTX, or by Gyeongpo Beach for the sea.
• Sokcho: near the Express Bus Terminal and Sokcho Beach. Buses 7 and 7-1 to Seoraksan stop at the terminal.

Tourist information & help

• Gangneung (09:00–18:00, English, Japanese, and Chinese): Gangneung Station (033-642-8692) and Gyeongpo (033-640-4531).
• Sokcho (09:00–18:00, closed 12:00–13:00): Express Bus Terminal (033-639-2689), Intercity Bus Terminal (033-639-2830), and the market (033-639-2568).
• Foreign tourist taxi in Sokcho: 30,000 won for 3 hours, 20,000 won for each extra hour, up to 4 people; bring your passport. Book at the tourist information centers.
• The 24-hour travel helpline is 1330 (+82-2-1330 from a foreign phone).

When to go

How locals do it

In Gangneung, Koreans have chodang sundubu (soft tofu) for breakfast and coffee looking at the sea on Anmok Coffee Street. In Sokcho, they queue at the central market for dakgangjeong to take away, and cross to Abai Village on the gaetbae ferry you pull along a cable. That's a good day plan for you too: tofu breakfast, coffee by the sea, then Sokcho with the ferry and a box of dakgangjeong for the bus home.

Honest take

Itineraries

2 days

1. Day 1 (Gangneung): KTX from Seoul, Ojukheon, lunch in Chodang Sundubu Village, Gyeongpo Beach and Lake, coffee at Anmok. Bus to Sokcho in the evening.
2. Day 2 (Seoraksan): bus 7 or 7-1 early to Sogongwon, cable car, walk to Biseondae. Sokcho market and Abai Village in the afternoon, then the bus to Seoul.

3 days

1. Add a full day at Seoraksan for Ulsanbawi, or a morning in Jeongdongjin and the Badabuchae-gil trail on the way to or from Gangneung.