Gangneung is one of the lovely northeast coast cities that sets itself apart from the rest of Korea. It’s a little more laid back, a little more rustic feeling. While Gangneung is fairly popular among Koreans, I rarely see it mentioned on travel itineraries for foreigners – so let’s find out why you should visit! Even with a whole lot of things to do in Gangneung, the whole area is a ton of fun to explore. Check out my guide to Sokcho to continue your vacation!
Head Back in Time at Ojukheon House
Genuinely one of my most favorite traditional sites in Korea. Although, that is in large part due to the idyllic cafe, traditional snacks, and actually authentic gift shop. If you’re looking for good souvenirs, this is the place to go!
Ojukheon was the home of a famous artist (Shin Saimdang) and her famous Confucian scholar son (Yi I or Yulgok). They lived in the Joseon period, with the house being built in the early 1500s. It’s been beautifully restored since then. It’s so easy to step back in time here and feel what life might have been like in the scholar class of Korea.
Admission is a negligible 3,000krw, or about $2, which is kind of funny since Ojukheon is actually featured in the background of the 5,000krw note.
Chodong Tofu Village – Things to do in Gangneung
Korea loves its tourism for tourism’s sake. And I’ve fallen in love with the way Koreans like to travel, especially within their own borders. The Chodong Tofu Village is a perfect example. Come here to explore all kinds of tofu-related recipes and accompanying tofu paraphernalia. Gangneung is so in love with tofu, you may find yourself with some fresh traditional tofu (made with salt water) served with your hotel’s breakfast! It’s delicious and fun.
There are over 20 restaurants to choose from, all specializing in tofu. Soondubu-jiggae is one of my personal favorites, a spicy tofu stew. But there are also more fun ways to enjoy your tofu, such as tofu ice cream! One of those lovely touristy things about Korea is their love of novelty local ice cream flavors. Tofu ice cream is actually one of my favorite, it’s such a nice fluffy texture.
Visit the Sheep Farm for Adorable Fluffiness
It’s a little out of the city but easily accessible via taxi (about 8 minutes). Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm is nestled in the Alps of Korea (everywhere in Korea is “the Naples of Korea” or “the Santorini of Korea“). The incredible scenery makes Gangneung an equally lovely winter destination, and it’s worth the trip out to view the countryside. There’s a lovely cafe and some fun sheep-related products.
There are so many sheep and they are adorable! Daegwallyeong is actually Korea’s first sheep farm, and you can experience feeding some of their 300 sheep. There’s a lovely little walking trail that takes you through the farm and allows you to gaze on the peacefully grazing fluff balls. This was also a filming location for “A Man Who Went to Mars (2003).” While I personally haven’t seen it, the shack sitting in the middle of the pasture makes for some great photos. Admission to the farm is 9,000krw.
If you want to have a full-on farm day, there is another farm with primarily cows that is much larger and offers more services such as tractor rides and observation platforms. It’s called Daegwallyeong Sky Farm.
Relax on the Beach – Things to do in Gangneung
Despite being the colder side of Korea, facing the massive Pacific, I really enjoy the Eastern beaches of Korea. The biggest reason is that most of the beaches on the east coast are actually sand beaches. This is in great contrast to the other type of beach commonly found in Korea, rock beaches. Which I hate. Yes, supposedly good for your body and circulation blah blah – they hurt and I don’t like them. So the beaches of Sokcho and Gangneung are almost a relief to visit.
Gyeongpo Beach and Gangmun Beach sit on either side of the isthmus connection the northern and southern parts of Gangneung. Both are lovely sandy beaches providing the perfect backdrop for a sunrise. There are tons of restaurants and cafes lining the beaches, so walking along in the sand is a perfect Gangneung activity. I just love the contrast of the rough beige sand and the darker blue waters that come with the Pacific. It just looks so dramatic!
Daedohobu Government Buildings
This is primarily a photo stop. There some absolutely gorgeous hanok-style buildings in this area alongside a park. It’s a great place to stroll around close to sunset and golden hour. It is actually a historical site, and potentially always a government area. There is information here relating to the Goryeo period (around 8th century) which is interesting to learn about.
There are also often a lot of cultural events taking place here, so it’s good to stop in just to see if anything is going on. When I was there, they were handing out disposable cameras for free which was an amazing gift for our coastal train journey.
Ride the East Santa Coastal Train
The Train is actually the entire reason I was in Gangneung to begin with. Korea has been investing a lot in its rail system over the past few years. And it wouldn’t be Korea if they weren’t finding a way to simultaneously make them tourist attractions. This train runs from Gangneung to Buncheon, a Santa-themed Christmas village in the middle of the mountains. While the village and train can be kitchy, the views are stunning and it’s a lovely way to spend the day.
It takes about 3 hours each way, and it’s a relaxing day trip. And for some reason, it’s extremely cheap, running about 6,200krw each way. If you’re on a tight budget this might be the perfect way to see beautiful rural areas of Korea without spending much. Unfortunately, the train doesn’t run everyday, so you’ll need to check ahead and pre-plan. Tickets can be bought on the korail website by clicking the dropdown for Travel Type.
There is also the V-Train which has a similar route, but does not begin in Gangneung (which is the most convenient) but that train likely has more times available and could be an alternative option. There also used to be a Sea Train, which took you down the east coast. Now it’s been replaced by regular high speed lines, but the views are still incredible as you pass alongside coastal towns like Samcheok.
Explore Some Caves – Hwanseongul Caves
This is technically located in Samcheok, a small coastal city known for its sunrises just below Gangneung. However, the time to get to Hwanseongul Cave is basically the same from either city. I used to really love going into caves until I got a little too freaked out by a very watery cave in Costa Rica. But I still remember Hwanseongul fondly and I think it’s an excellent choice for the non-cavers out there. It’s huge inside, not super wet, doesn’t smell like bats, and the views outside are gorgeous. There’s also a super cool monorail that takes you to the entrance which is kindof worth it on its own.
Entry fee is 5,000krw, and the monorail is 7,000krw for a round trip ticket. You can hike it if you want, but let’s face it, you’re in Korea so you’re likely hiking every day – save your feet and enjoy the view.
Sample the Best Coffee on Anmok Coffee Street
Very conveniently located near the beaches I mentioned earlier, Anmok is the perfect area to get your daily cafe-hopping in. I have around 20 cafes marked in just this one area. It’s a great area of Gangneung to visit even if you’re not into the cafe scene. It’s on a small peninsula, affording fantastic ocean views. Bossanova was one of my favorite cafes for the view.
This area is also where you can take the ferry to other exotic Korean locations, such as my favorite, Ulleungdo and famous Dokdo.
View the Coastal Sites from a Rail Bike
If the entire coastal train journey isn’t your style, this is an extremely popular alternative. The Jeongdongjin Railbike is featured in so many Korean travel vlogs it feels like a must-do activity. The area of Jeongdongjin station is also just freaking gorgeous and worth a visit all on its own, it’s probably the prettiest train station ever.
A two-person rail bike is 25,000krw, and a four-person is 35,000krw. It only runs around 7-8 times a day so it’s best to get there early unless you can read enough Korean to book advanced tickets at this website. You can view the times by clicking on the “play” button on one of the images which will bring up a pop-up.
Honorable Mentions – Things to do in Gangneung
While it doesn’t have enough to do to warrant its own post, Samcheok is a nearby location on the coastal train. Samcheok is known for its stunning sunrises and a marine cable car that offers views of waves crashing into the coast. It’s also accessible along the Coastal Train route passing through Jeongdongjin, making it a great complement to a larger adventure.
Enjoyed reading about all the amazing things to do in Gangneung? Check out my other posts!
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