Gangneung 강릉

Is Gangneung worth it?

Gangneung is the main city on Gangwon’s east coast and the easiest place to see the East Sea from Seoul, on the KTX line built for the 2018 Winter Olympics. It combines a long sandy beach, Joseon-era houses, a seafront coffee street and a busy fish market, so it suits a first trip that wants one night outside the big cities.

Facts checked 24 October 2026. If your choice is between Gangneung and Sokcho, Gangneung has the train and more to do in town; Sokcho, which has no railway, is the base for Seoraksan National Park. Both are covered in the Gangwon region guide.

What to see in Gyeongpo and Ojukheon

Start at Ojukheon, the birthplace of Yulgok Yi I, one of Joseon’s great Confucian scholars, born there in 1536 to the painter and poet Shin Saimdang. The house, a Treasure since 1963, stands among black bamboo, and the ticket includes the city museum next to it. Seongyojang, a few minutes away by taxi, is a large noble estate that has been in the same family for more than 300 years.

From there, go east to Gyeongpo Lake, a lagoon with a path around it, and climb to Gyeongpodae, a pavilion first built in 1326 and a national Treasure since 2019. Gyeongpo Beach lies just beyond the lake. Between the lake and the Chodang tofu restaurants are the Heo memorial park and the Chamsori gramophone museum.

From Gangneung City, Seongyojang and ARTE MUSEUM sites, checked 24 October 2026. At Ojukheon, youths pay ₩2,000 and children ₩1,000, and everyone pays half price on the last Wednesday of the month. On New Year’s Day, Seollal and Chuseok only the house is open, not the museum halls.

The coast: Anmok, Jumunjin and Jeongdongjin

The Anmok coffee street is a strip of cafés and roasters facing Anmok Beach, east of the centre; coffee has been sold on this beachfront since the early 1980s. Ferries to Ulleungdo also leave from the port here; see ferries in Korea.

North of the city, Jumunjin is a working fishing port with a large fish market. On the way, the short seawall at Yeongjin Beach is the spot where the 2016 drama Goblin filmed its umbrella scene. Further north at Hyangho Beach, the city has rebuilt the bus shelter from a 2017 BTS album shoot. The City 1 bus links Anmok and Jumunjin along the coast.

South of the city, Jeongdongjin is known for sunrise and for its station right on the beach. The Badabuchae-gil walk runs about 3 km along a raised coastal terrace, a natural monument, between Jeongdong and Simgok; it reopened in full in February 2026. Allow time to walk it one way and return by taxi or bus.

From the operators’ and Gangneung City sites, checked 24 October 2026. The Badabuchae-gil closes in strong wind and high seas, has no toilets on the way, and is partly steel grating, so wear flat shoes. The east-coast Sea Train, which used to run south from Jeongdongjin, stopped in December 2023 and has not restarted.

Eating and drinking in Gangneung

Eat soft tofu in Chodang at least once. The tofu is set with seawater, and the village is a short walk or ride from the Gyeongpo hotels. In the centre, Jungang Market has seafood and fried snacks a few minutes from the station. On Friday and Saturday evenings from May to October, the Wolhwa Street night market runs next to it from 18:00 to 23:00; the 2026 season ends on 31 October.

At Jumunjin, buy crab or fish in the market and have it prepared at a restaurant nearby. For dishes across the country, see the Korean food guide.

When to go

Summer is beach season. Gangneung’s beaches have lifeguards and open facilities from early July to late August, and accommodation is busiest then. The Gangneung Danoje Festival, on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list since 2008, follows the lunar calendar and fills the Namdaecheon riverside for about a week in June; in 2026 it ran from 15 to 22 June. Dates for 2027 have not been announced.

In early April the cherry trees around Gyeongpo Lake bloom, forecast in 2026 for a couple of days before Seoul; see cherry blossoms. The Gangneung Coffee Festival takes over the coffee street in autumn; the 2026 festival runs from 21 to 25 October. Autumn is also when the mountains inland turn colour; see autumn leaves. Winter is cold on the coast, and the beaches are quiet.

Getting there and around

The KTX-Eum is the fastest way from Seoul, at about two hours from Seoul Station or about 1 h 30 min – 1 h 50 min from Cheongnyangni. Since 30 December 2025, three KTX-Eum trains a day each way also link Gangneung with Busan’s Bujeon Station along the coast, a ride of about four hours. Express and intercity buses from Seoul take under three hours.

Once in town, the station is central, but most sights are a bus or taxi ride away: Gyeongpo is on the 202 routes and Anmok on the 212 routes, and for Jeongdongjin the train is quickest. Tourist information centres at Gangneung Station, the bus terminal, Gyeongpo and Jumunjin are open 09:00–18:00, with staff who speak English, Japanese and Chinese. For more of the east coast, see the Gangwon region guide; for the classic heritage city on the other side of the country, compare Gyeongju.