Beyond Seoul
Gangneung–Sokcho trip guide
Two cities on Korea’s east coast — beaches, historic houses and mountains, linked by bus.
A good second stop after Seoul for travelers who want sea air and mountains in one trip: a train to Gangneung, then a bus on to Sokcho and Seoraksan.
Getting there from Seoul
About 1 hr 55 minto 2 hr
Seoul Station to Gangneung Station by KTX-Eum high-speed train, depending on the train.
Train times and fares change by day and by train — check them on KORAIL’s official booking page. You book with KORAIL directly; millio doesn’t sell tickets.
A 3-day plan
Stops are grouped by area. Travel times between stops aren’t included — check a map app for each hop.
Day 1
Downtown Gangneung, historic houses and Gyeongpo’s lake
Day 2
Anmok’s coffee street, then north to Sokcho by bus
Day 3
Seoraksan and Cheongchoho Lake
- Afternoon
- Cheongchoho LakeOutdoors
Places· 15
Each place links to the official page it was checked against.
Downtown Gangneung
Wolhwa Street
A 2.6-kilometer linear park built along a former railway line, running through downtown Gangneung from Gangneung Station.
Sight · Source: visitgangneung.net(opens in a new tab)
Gangneung Jungang Market
A traditional market in the middle of Gangneung that has long traded fish and farm produce for the Yeongdong region.
Market · Source: visitgangneung.net(opens in a new tab)
Gyeongpo & Ojukheon
Ojukheon House
An early Joseon house designated a Treasure, where the scholar Yulgok Yi I was born, with a municipal museum beside it.
Culture · Source: english.visitkorea.or.kr(opens in a new tab)
Seongyojang House
A noble family’s Joseon-period residence, kept for about 300 years and designated a national folklore heritage site, with a main building, detached halls and a pavilion.
Culture · Source: visitgangneung.net(opens in a new tab)
Gyeongpo Lake
A lagoon about 6 kilometers north of the city center, separated from the sea by a sandbar, with Gyeongpodae Pavilion on a hill at its western shore.
Outdoors · Source: visitgangneung.net(opens in a new tab)
Gyeongpo Beach
A wide sandy beach beside Gyeongpo Lake, north of downtown Gangneung, where rows of parasols cover the sand in summer.
Beach · Source: visitgangneung.net(opens in a new tab)
Anmok
Anmok Beach & Coffee Street
A white-sand beach at the southern end of Gangneung’s coast, with a coffee street of cafes that grew out of the vending-machine coffee people once sipped on the beach.
Beach · Source: visitgangneung.net(opens in a new tab)
Central Sokcho & Abai Village
Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market
A market in central Sokcho made up of a main building and alleys that each specialize in one product, such as fresh seafood, salted seafood and glazed fried chicken.
Market · Source: english.visitkorea.or.kr(opens in a new tab)
Abai Village Gaetbae Ferry
A small barge with no engine that passengers pull across a 50-meter waterway by hand on a steel wire, linking downtown Sokcho with Abai Village.
Experience · Source: english.visitkorea.or.kr(opens in a new tab)
Abai Village
A village founded by Korean War refugees from Hamgyeong Province, with murals and old houses that recall their story and an alley of restaurants serving North Korean-style dishes.
Culture · Source: english.visitkorea.or.kr(opens in a new tab)
Cheongchoho Lake
A lagoon about 5 kilometers around in the heart of Sokcho, with a pavilion reached by a 75-meter bridge that looks out to Seoraksan, and lakeside trails lit at night.
Outdoors · Source: english.visitkorea.or.kr(opens in a new tab)
Sokcho’s coast
Sokcho Beach
A beach of clear, shallow water close to downtown Sokcho, with sculptures along the sand, a pine forest behind it and the express bus terminal within walking distance.
Beach · Source: english.visitkorea.or.kr(opens in a new tab)
Yeonggeumjeong Pavilion
A pavilion at the end of a 50-meter bridge over a rocky point beside Sokcho Lighthouse, named for the sound of waves on the rocks that is likened to a geomungo zither.
Sight · Source: english.visitkorea.or.kr(opens in a new tab)
Seoraksan
Seoraksan National Park
A mountain national park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, divided into Inner, South and Outer Seorak, with hiking trails and Daecheongbong peak at 1,708 meters; Outer Seorak lies on the Sokcho side.
Outdoors · Source: english.visitkorea.or.kr(opens in a new tab)
Gwongeumseong Fortress
A Goryeo-period stone fortress about 800 meters above sea level in Seoraksan National Park, reached by hiking trail or cable car, with views of the mountains and the sea.
Culture · Source: english.visitkorea.or.kr(opens in a new tab)
Where to stay
Pick an area first, then search it on a booking site.
Gangneung Station area
Right by the train station, with Wolhwa Street and Jungang Market close by — handy for arriving by train and for the Day 1 morning stops.
Search on
Gyeongpo & the coast
Next to Gyeongpo Beach and the lake, for beach-focused days on Gangneung’s coast — close to the Day 1 evening stops.
Search on
Sokcho Beach
A beachside base close to downtown Sokcho, with the express bus terminal within walking distance — handy for the bus back to Seoul.
Search on
Prices and availability are on each site. These are plain search pages with no affiliate codes — millio earns nothing from them.
Good to know
Trains to Gangneung also leave from Cheongnyangni Station in Seoul, for a shorter ride of about 1 hr 30 min.
Trains from Seoul end in Gangneung, so continue to Sokcho by bus. Sokcho’s intercity buses to Daegu and Busan stop in Gangneung.
Source: sokcho.go.kr(opens in a new tab)
From Sokcho, express buses run to Seoul’s Gangnam and Dong Seoul terminals in about two hours.
Source: sokcho.go.kr(opens in a new tab)
Gangneung City offers a cultural guide service in English, Japanese and Chinese at sites including Ojukheon, Seongyojang and Gyeongpodae Pavilion.
Source: gn.go.kr(opens in a new tab)
A tour taxi service for foreign visitors can be booked in advance through a tourist information center, such as the one at Gangneung Station.
Source: gn.go.kr(opens in a new tab)