Your full travel guide to Gangneung

By Rebecca Hallett

Only a couple of hours east of the capital, Gangneung makes for an alluring escape from bustling Seoul. The fresh sea air lends even its big-city attractions, like contemporary art museums and chic cafés, an added coastal charm, and the region’s picturesque beaches have made it a popular filming location for K-pop music videos and K-dramas. You can take a mesmerising step back into Gangneung’s past at preserved hanok complexes, or explore its more recent history at Winter Olympics sites. Or to really get away from it all, you can't escape the bucolic romance of Gangneung’s cloud-covered hills and lush valleys, where you’ll find some great hiking routes and serene stargazing spots.

Getting there and around

There are regular flights from the UK to South Korea; most land at Incheon Airport, just outside Seoul. You can take an airport bus directly to Gangneung, or if going via Seoul, either the high-speed KTX train or Express Bus (all take 2–3 hours). There’s also the option of a much slower overnight train.

Within Gangneung, there are plenty of places to explore on foot, by bike or by bus – the 300 is best for the region’s northern section, 112 for the south, and 200 and 202 closer to the city. The excellent local tourist taxis are the most convenient way to get around, and surprisingly affordable. Most bookings start at 3 hours and cover either a pre-set or bespoke itinerary agreed in advance.

If you only do three things...

Pay a visit to Ojukheon House

Top of your list on a visit to Gangneung should be a trip to Ojukheon. This elegant complex was the childhood home of Yulgok, one of Korea’s most highly regarded Confucian scholars. You can see his face and Ojukheon on the 5,000-won note, while on the 50,000-won note you’ll see his mother, Shin Saimdang. The main house is among Korea’s oldest wooden buildings, and elsewhere in the complex you can rest at the colourful Munseongsa Shrine and admire lotus-filled pools and groves of rare black bamboo.

Shin Saimdang was an accomplished poet and calligrapher, as well as a talented artist. She pioneered a genre of painting humbly known as chochungdo, or ‘paintings of grass and insects’, which focused on small details in nature. You can see examples in the on-site Municipal Museum.

Time your trip with the Danoje Festival

Gangneung’s charms change with the seasons. Summer’s perfect beach weather gives way to crisp air and fiery foliage in autumn, then the pines hang heavy with snow in winter before blossoms bring springtime colour. In the fifth lunar month, as summer returns, Gangneung holds Korea’s largest Danoje Festival. Listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, Danoje has been celebrated here for at least 420 years.

During the festival you can see traditional performing arts, rituals and crafts you might not experience elsewhere – everything from ssireum wrestling to a tree-swinging competition, Odokddegi folk songs to washing your hair in iris-infused water. The festivities include elements from Buddhism and Confucianism, but at their heart is a shamanistic ritual dedicated to a mountain spirit. Stroll through the huge nanjang market, stop to watch or try your hand at anything which looks interesting, and be sure to try plenty of the amazing street food.

Admire the creativity at Haslla Art World

Located in a scenic spot with panoramic views of the ocean, Haslla Art World combines art and nature to create an immersive experience. As you wander through the gardens you’ll see dozens of curious sculptures, from sparse metal structures to seemingly traditional statues of Yulgok and Shin Saimdang, half-buried in a field.

Inside the colourful geometric building you’ll find more contemporary artworks, and whole spaces designed for taking photos. The exhibits range from paintings and sculptures to installations which fill entire rooms, often inviting you to walk into them or interact with them. You can stop for a drink at the chic, concrete-walled café or lunch in the glass-sided Restaurant Jang. After refuelling, there’s even more to explore in the Pinocchio and Marionette Museum, which sometimes holds family art sessions.

How to spend two days in Gangneung

Day One

Morning

If you’re keen to see the iconic BTS bus stop – which graces the cover of You Never Walk Alone – make a beeline for this popular photo stop by Jumunjin Beach first thing. Fans of the k-drama Goblin will want to visit Jumunjin Breakwater, where Kim Shin inadvertently summoned Ji Eun-tak.

Photos taken, stop for breakfast at one of the many local seafood places – most of the spots around Jumunjin Fish Market are a good bet – before paddling in the clear, shallow waters of Sodol Adeulbawi Park.

Afternoon

If you’re keen to go hiking, pack some snacks for the trail and head inland to explore scenic Sogeumgang Valley. Alternatively, continue south to Gyeongpo, where you can marvel at the plants and wildlife in the wetlands, and walk or cycle around the shores of the lake.

After a restorative tofu lunch in Chodang, immerse yourself in nature-inspire digital installations at the ARTE Museum Valley Gangneung, or step back to the Joseon era in the contemplative Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Park, serene Seongyojang House or elegant Ojukheon.

Evening

Check in at Ojuk Hanok Village for the night, where you can experience a stay in a traditional hanok house. Or if you’re a fan of K-drama A Business Proposal, book a luxurious suite at the Skybay Hotel just like Ha-ri and Tae-mu. You can get dinner with a view at the hotel, or stroll along the beachfront at sunset and see which restaurants catch your eye. For a romantic end to the evening, stop at Gyeongpodae Pavilion and admire the moon if the sky is clear.

Day Two

Morning

If you opted for hiking in Odaesan yesterday, start your second day with Gyeongpo’s main sights. If not, you could head into the countryside this morning, walking the ancient trail in Daegwallyeong Forest, admiring ancient crafts at Daegwallyeong Museum, and breathing in the clear air of Anbandegi Village. Get up early enough and you’ll be greeted with stunning views of the morning mists clearing, opening up views of the sea.

Afternoon

Start the afternoon by diving into Gangneung’s famous coffee culture, either in the artsy alleys of Myeongju-dong or along Anmok Beach’s Coffee Street. Then catch the Sea Train down to Jeongdongjin, where fans of classic K-drama Sandglass snap photos of filming locations. You could also stop off at Haslla Art World to spend an hour or two playfully exploring its sculptures and installations.

Evening

For a relaxing but creative evening, you could check into the hotel at Haslla and enjoy dinner and a glass of wine at Restaurant Jang. Just as unusual would be a stay at Jeongdongjin’s Sun Cruise Resort, a hotel in a repurposed cruise ship overlooking the water. Either spot puts you in an ideal position to enjoy the sunrise, and perhaps follow it up with a scenic stroll along the coast-hugging Jeongdong-simgok Badabuchae-gil walkway.

Escape the city for...

Hiking in Odaesan National Park

Stretching across the boundaries into Pyeongchang and Hongcheon districts, Odaesan National Park covers over 300 square kilometres and contains Korea’s largest natural forest. The Gangneung section is home to one of the park’s most picturesque areas, Sogeumgang Valley, which in 1970 was named the country’s first Scenic Point.

Sprawling over a quarter of the park’s area, Sogeumgang is bursting with beauty spots: Guryong Falls, where nine legendary dragons dwell; Manmulsang Rocks, worn into a dizzying range of evocative shapes; and Seonnyeotang, a clear pool where fairies are said to bathe. Odaesan’s mountains are considered more accessible than those in some other parts of the country, and there are several easy- to moderate-difficulty trails winding their way along Sogeumgang Valley, taking in beautiful natural landscapes and secluded shrines and temples along the way.

Seeing the first sunrise on the Eurasian continent

Jeongdongjin is famous both for being the first place in the country to see the sunrise, and having the world’s closest station to the sea. So it’s no surprise that you can have two railway-and-sunrise experiences here.

The first is the overnight train from Seoul’s Cheongnyangni station to Jeongdongjin, which arrives an hour or two before sunrise. Take shelter in the aptly named Coffee Sun – which opens very early and has a sea view – until the sky begins to lighten. Watching the sunrise here is a popular activity, especially on New Year’s Day, or among groups of friends coming to mark a ‘new dawn’ in their lives when they start university.

You can also take the Sea Train (Bada Yeolcha) along the coast, starting at Gangneung then stopping at Jeongdongjin, Mugho, Donghae, Chuam and Samcheok Beach. The route hugs the coast between Gangneung and Jeongdongjin, then again around Mugho and Donghae, and watching the sky brighten over the sea is a beautiful sight. Most of the seats on the train face east so as to make the most of the views from the large windows.

Exploring the Gyeongpo wetlands

Though surprisingly close to the city centre, the area around Gyeongpo Lake feels like it belongs in another world. The reclaimed wetland at the lake’s western edge is a haven for aquatic and amphibious life, its pools shaded by pine trees and filled with wide lotus leaves and eye-catching prickly water lilies.

Following the northern shore, you come to the sumptuously decorated Gyeongpodae Pavilion, with calming views over the water. It’s a famous moon-viewing destination, where you can see the moon reflected both in the lake’s still waters and the sea.

Head east instead and you’ll come to the Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Park, which preserves the legacy of Gangneung’s great literary siblings. You can see several beautiful historic buildings here, including a Joseon-era hanok house with a sweeping tiled roof and dark wood pillars – Heo Nanseolheon’s birthplace.

Gastronomic experiences in Gangneung

Try the city’s famous coffee

Coffee has been an obsession in Gangneung as far back as the 1980s, when coffee vending machines began popping up along Anmok Beach. After 2000 they began to be replaced by coffee shops, and today only a couple of vending machines are left to remember the origins of Gangneung Coffee Street. Take your pick from the 40-odd cafés – most of which roast their own beans, and whose staff may have trained at the nearby barista academy – and if you’re visiting in October, don’t miss the Gangneung Coffee Festival.

To immerse yourself even more in the City of Coffee, head to the Coffee Cupper Museum. Displays include espresso machines, grinders and more unusual coffee tools, and of course you can enjoy a fresh cup in the café or pick up a bag of the house blend. At the Wangsan branch you can see coffee berries being grown on site, while the Gyeongpodae museum is near the charming and café-filled Myeongju-dong district.

Sample seafood in Jumunjin Haemul Village

Stretching along the coast as it does, Gangneung has long been known for its ultra-fresh seafood dishes. One of the best places to try it is Jumunjin, towards the northern tip of the Gangneung coast. Between Juminjin and Yeongjin ports, the Haemul (Seafood) Village is an ideal place to sample a few local specialities.

Both here and at the fish market, you can try fresh raw fish served as is or over rice – look for any dishes ending in -hoe, such as saengseonhoe, if you’d like to try this. But for a real local flavour, try a spicy haemul-tang (seafood stew) or warming gomchi-guk (eel stew), or a braised dish like haemul-jjim (spiced mixed seafood) or janchi-jjim (spiced jangchi fish).

Try tofu in Chodang Village

Legend has it that Chodang’s famous soft tofu (sundubu) was invented by Hoe Yeop, father of the literary luminaries Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon. He suggested combining the ground local soybeans with seawater rather than salt, which resulted in this soft, smooth tofu with a light and delicate flavour.

Order a dish of Chodang sundubu to try it in its purest form: a bowl of the famous tofu (you can season it with soy sauce) with a few side dishes. It’s also ideal for use in sundubu jjigae, a bright red gochugaru-spiced stew topped with the silky tofu. Chodang tofu’s subtle flavour means it works well in desserts, too. Ice cream and tiramisu show up on plenty of café menus, and there are even a couple of specialised tofu gelaterias…