Sokcho 속초

Is Sokcho worth it?

Sokcho is a fishing port on the East Sea at the foot of Seoraksan, and the place to stay if you want to see Korea’s most famous mountain park. The town itself is small and easy: a big food market, a refugee village reached by a hand-pulled ferry, sea rocks and a beach. Most first-time visitors spend one or two nights here, on a trip from Seoul or as part of an east-coast loop.

Facts checked 24 October 2026. If you are choosing between Sokcho and Gangneung, Gangneung has the KTX and more to see in town; Sokcho is closer to Seoraksan and is reached by bus. With two nights on the coast, you can see both. See the Gangwon region guide for the rest of the province.

Seoraksan from Seorak-dong

Seoraksan became Korea’s fifth national park in 1970 and a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1982. Its highest peak, Daecheongbong, is 1,708 m, but you do not need to climb it to see the granite scenery. The Sogongwon entrance at Seorak-dong, the end of city buses 7 and 7-1, is the start of the cable car and all the easy and moderate trails. Like all Korean national parks, there is no park admission fee.

Just inside the entrance is Sinheungsa, a temple on the path to Ulsanbawi and Biseondae. From there, choose by time and fitness:

From the Korea National Park Service and the cable car operator, checked 24 October 2026. The cable car costs ₩16,000 return for adults and ₩12,000 for children, with no one-way tickets. Tickets are only sold on the day at the lower station, and the operator posts each day’s hours on its website because they change with the season and the weather. It stops in strong wind.

The trails from Sogongwon close from sunset to two hours before sunrise, and the path beyond Biseondae to Geumganggul opens 03:00–14:00 from April to October and 04:00–14:00 from November to March. Daecheongbong is a long, hard day from any side; the shortest route starts at Osaek, on the Yangyang side of the park; see national parks for entry hours and hiking in Korea for gear. The Osaek cable car, under construction on that side, had not opened by October 2026.

Autumn: the Korea Meteorological Administration recorded the first autumn colour at Seoraksan on 28 September 2026, its long-term average, and the average peak is 17 October. See autumn leaves, including the booking-only Heullimgol valley trail. Korean parks close high trails for fire prevention in late autumn: in 2025 Seoraksan closed its ridge routes from 15 November to 15 December while the lowland trails from Sogongwon stayed open. The 2026 dates had not been announced on 24 October.

The town: market, Abai Village and the sea

The Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market is the heart of the centre, a covered market of alleys for seafood, sundae and fried chicken. Entry is free and it is open daily, though each stall keeps its own hours; the basement raw-fish centre closes on the second Wednesday of the month.

A few minutes’ walk away, the gaetbae is a flat ferry pulled by hand along a cable across the harbour channel to Abai Village. The village was settled by refugees from Hamgyeong Province during the Korean War; its name comes from the Hamgyeong word for an old man. It was also a filming site for the drama Autumn in My Heart.

From Sokcho City’s tourism and museum pages, checked 24 October 2026. Children pay ₩300 on the ferry. The museum is free on the last Wednesday of the month.

North of the market, Yeonggeumjeong is a pavilion on a footbridge over dark sea rocks, a popular sunrise spot, with the lighthouse observatory on the hill just above. Cheongchoho, the lagoon behind the harbour, has a 5 km path around it. Yeongnangho, further north, has a 7.8 km path; the floating bridge across it is due to be removed after a court ruling, with removal funds approved in August 2026.

To the south, Sokcho Beach has 940 m of sand and the Sokcho Eye Ferris wheel; its 2026 swimming season ran from 3 July to 23 August. Daepo Port beyond it is a small harbour of raw-fish restaurants. The Oeongchi Badahyanggi-ro coastal boardwalk between them has been closed since December 2025 for safety repairs, with no reopening date announced.

Eating in Sokcho

Start at the market: dakgangjeong, fried chicken in a sweet, sticky glaze, is sold by the box in the chicken alley and travels well on the bus home. In Abai Village, try Abai sundae, a large Hamgyeong-style stuffed sausage, in one of the restaurants by the ferry landing.

For raw fish, pick from the tanks at Daepo Port or in the market’s basement and have it sliced; a spicy stew made from what is left usually follows. For dishes across the country, see the Korean food guide.

When to go

October is the most popular month, for Seoraksan’s autumn colour, and also the most crowded: express buses fill up and weekend traffic on the roads into Seorak-dong is heavy. Spring brings fresh green to the mountains. July and August are beach season, when the town is busiest with Korean families. Winter is cold, with snow on the peaks; trail entry hours are shorter from November to March, and high routes can close for snow or fire prevention.

Getting there and around

Sokcho has no railway yet, so take an express bus: about 2 h 20 min from Seoul Express Bus Terminal or 2 h 30 min from Dong Seoul. Book the return in advance for Sundays and October weekends. Coming from the south, ride the KTX-Eum to Gangneung and take an intercity bus north along the coast.

In town, city buses 7 and 7-1 run to the Seoraksan entrance for ₩1,700. Tourist information centres at the express bus terminal, the intercity bus terminal, the fish market and the Haemaji park are open 09:00–18:00 (closed 12:00–13:00), with brochures in English. The 1330 Korea Travel Hotline also answers in English. For the wider region, see the Gangwon guide and transportation in Korea.