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Gangneung
South Korea / Gangwon: East Coast & Mountains / Gangneung

Gangneung

East Sea Beaches, Coffee Street and Sunrise

Plan this trip
2 daysIdeal stay₹5,040From / night₹1,940Food / day₹220Entry

The main town of Korea's east coast, under two hours from Seoul by KTX since the 2018 Winter Olympics line. Gyeongpo and Anmok beaches (Anmok is Gangneung's "coffee street"), the sunrise at Jeongdongjin, Ojukheon (birthplace of the Joseon scholar Yulgok) and Seongyojang manor fill two days, and the Pyeongchang ski resorts are 30 minutes inland. Famous for chodang sundubu, soft tofu made with seawater.

Highlights

  • Sunrise at Jeongdongjin
  • Anmok Coffee Street by the sea
  • Gyeongpo Beach and lake
  • Chodang soft-tofu village
  • Ojukheon and Seongyojang hanok
  • Jumunjin fish market
  • Haslla Art World
  • Sea train along the coast

Things to do

  • Sunrise at Jeongdongjin beachMorning · 2h
  • Anmok Coffee Street cafesAfternoon · 2h
  • Ojukheon & Seongyojang hanok housesMorning · 2h
  • Chodang sundubu (sea-water tofu) lunchAfternoon · 1h
  • Gyeongpo Beach and lake cycleAfternoon · 2h
  • Jumunjin fish marketMorning · 1h 30m

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Gangneungvia GetYourGuideTours & tickets in Gangneungvia Klook

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When to go

Best time: May – June, September – October

Worth knowing

Jangma: the Summer Monsoon

The monsoon (jangma) brings days of heavy rain from late June to late July, hot and humid in between. Flash floods can close riverside parks, mountain trails and some roads. Plan museums, markets and indoor days, carry an umbrella, and keep hiking days flexible.

Worth knowing

Seollal (Lunar New Year) Travel Rush

Seollal falls on 6 February 2027 (holidays 5-7 February). Trains, express buses and Jeju flights sell out weeks ahead, expressways jam, and many small restaurants and shops close for the three days. Book every train and flight that week early, or stay in one city over the holiday.

Worth knowing

Chuseok Holiday Rush

Chuseok, the harvest holiday, falls on 15 September 2027 (holidays 14-16 September; in 2026 it was 24-26 September). KTX and bus seats for the holiday sell out within hours of opening, roads are gridlocked, and many shops and family restaurants close. Stay put over the three days and book any train before or after them.

Heads up

Hard Winter Cold

December to February is dry and bitterly cold: Seoul averages around -2 °C in January with cold snaps to -15 °C and below, colder in Gangwon with the wind. Bring a down jacket, gloves, a hat and thermals; heated floors and hot soups make up for it. Sunny days are good for palaces and ski slopes.

  • Seollal (Lunar New Year) — Three days of family holiday when much of Korea travels home: KTX, SRT and express-bus seats sell out weeks ahead, Gimpo–Jeju flights are full, and many small restaurants, markets and shops close. Palaces and the big sights stay open, often with folk games and free entry days. Avoid moving between cities on the first and last day.
  • Chuseok (harvest festival) — Korea's biggest holiday: tens of millions travel to their home towns, trains and buses sell out the day bookings open, expressways jam, and many family restaurants, markets and shops shut for the three days. Seoul's palaces and folk villages hold events. Plan to stay put in one city over the holiday, and book any train before it.
  • Gangneung Danoje Festival — A week-long shamanic and folk festival by the Namdaecheon river around the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, on UNESCO's intangible heritage list: masked dramas, ssireum wrestling, swings and a big market. Gangneung's rooms fill up.