Off to Sokcho in the Summer — Favorite 5 Things to Do
As part of my first solo trip abroad to South Korea over the summer, I decided to venture outside of my comfort zone of Seoul and head somewhere new. Some of my close friends had highly recommended going to Sokcho (속초) after their recent visit, so I added it to my list! After some research and a filled list of things to see and do in the area, I quickly booked my ticket to Sokcho. Little did I know that it would instantly become my favorite stop of my entire Korea summer trip!
Sokcho is a coastal city in the far northeast of South Korea’s Gangwon Province. It’s a well-known tourist hub for its beaches, fresh seafood, and close proximity to popular national parks. It’s great for a weekend getaway from Seoul, especially if you’re tired of the fast-paced hustle and bustle of the big capital. I’ll be taking you through my most recommended things to do in Sokcho and some (hopefully) helpful details in the sections below! Alternatively, you can check out my travel vlog about my stay in Sokcho :-)
How to Get There & Where to Stay
Sokcho Beach
From Seoul, you can take an Express Bus to Sokcho that will take around 3 to 3.5 hours. There are several buses that run this route everyday in 30min intervals. You can book Express Bus tickets online via the Korean Integrated Express Bus Website. The Express Buses have different classes you can choose from; with the cheapest (Economy) going for KRW 17,200 (PHP ~730 / USD ~13). I booked an Excellent class bus which was a lot more comfy and spacious (and had useful charging ports!) for KRW 22,300 (PHP ~947 / USD ~17).
Also, note that the bus that I booked departed from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal (Gyeongbu Line) which is the main Express Bus terminal in Seoul. (Not to be confused with the other Express Bus stop in Seoul called Dongseoul.) You will then arrive at the Sokcho Express Bus Terminal, which is very conveniently situated 5-mins away (by foot) from Sokcho Beach, Sokcho Eye, and several other major establishments.
Sokcho Beach area
I stayed for two nights in the Good Morning Hotel & Resort which was just along the same road as the Express Bus Terminal towards the direction of Sokcho Beach. Though its rooms were not the newest, it was fairly clean and its advantageous location really made up for everything else. There were also other hotels around the Sokcho Beach area that seemed promising as well. I would highly recommend to stay within this area since there’s already lot to see and do that’s just within walking distance.
Note that there are some Sokcho attractions and cafés away from this main tourist beach area but can only be accessed via local bus, taxi, or private car. Given my limited time to explore Sokcho city (local bus intervals can be unpredictable) and expensive taxi fares (sad realities of solo travelling), I decided against going too far away from this main Sokcho tourist area. So now that small disclaimer is out of the way, let’s get to my favorite Sokcho highlights!
Favorite 5 Things to Do in Sokcho
Relax and unwind at Sokcho Beach
As you can tell from my recommendations above, I absolutely fell in love with Sokcho Beach right away. It definitely had something to do with the fact that I was there on a busy Saturday in the peak of summer. That may seem strange but the ambiance of this beach was so calm and relaxed despite the amount of people around. I really enjoyed watching local tourists and families having such a lovely time by the water.
Sokcho Beach is pretty huge for a public beach as well, so there were several areas where you could find a spot for yourself and just relax. This was the first place I went to after I arrived in Sokcho and since I had just come from a very hectic two days in Seoul, it felt like my mind was told to calm down and just enjoy the East Sea breeze. All a very welcome change of pace :-)
One of the first things you’ll see when you get to Sokcho Beach is the Sokcho Eye ferris wheel, which is right by the beach entrance. I wasn’t able to ride it myself but I’m sure the views from the top are amazing since you’ll be able to look out both towards the sea and towards the mountain ranges from the nearby national park.
There is also a boardwalk or breakwater path on the left side of the beach where you can not only see a cute statue of a red snow crab, but also enjoy panoramic views of the Sokcho Beach and the rest of the Sokcho coastline. stands There are a lot of water and beach sports that you can do here, too. Many stalls lined up at the entrance of the beach can offer all types of gear you need.
Additionally, if you take a walk along the coastline away from Sokcho Beach, you’ll find a number of pretty cafés with great views of the sea. I imagine that spending a slow morning or breezy afternoon there would be lovely as well.
See the sundown at Yeonggeumjeong Pavilion
After seeing photos of the Yeonggeumjeong Pavilion (영금정) online, I had tagged it as a “must-visit” spot in my Sokcho itinerary. So despite my raised expectations, I can confirm that it really did not disappoint. It wasn’t within walking distance from my hotel, so I spontaneously decided to take a quick 10-min taxi ride so that I could catch the sunset there. Joke’s on me though because I was on the east coast of Korea, so the sunset wasn’t visible! Haha! Regardless of that though, the colors of the sundown in the sky was such a beautiful backdrop to this gorgeous ornate pavilion.
Make sure to climb up the stairs to the second, smaller pavilion above where you’ll see the even more beautiful view of the main pavilion below and the Dongmyeonghang Port beside it. Both pavilions offer breathtaking views of the rocky coastline, which (again) are so so gorgeous during sundown. I literally stayed there for a long while just watching the waves crash on the rocks! :’)
Get stuffed with All-You-Can-Eat Red Snow Crab
As a seaside city, Sokcho is popular for its fresh seafood—red snow crabs especially! Because of this, I actually took a 25-min walk from the beach to a restaurant called Seungjinho Unlimited Red Snow Crab (승진호홍게 무한리필) near the Seorakdaegyo Bridge just for their all-you-can-eat red snow crabs! It was simply steamed with some seasoning, which brought out the sweet flavor and freshness of the crabs. The size of these crabs did prove to be a challenge but once you learn how to cut and crack them open, it turned into such a fun and unique experience! (Don’t worry, the server will happily teach you how to eat it!) I included a whole mukbang segment in my Sokcho vlog about this, so go ahead and check that out for some more visuals!
I spent KRW 35,000 (PHP ~1496 / USD ~27) for the unlimited red snow crab, which I believe is the fee per person. I actually only had two whole crabs by myself, which was more than enough! Also, if you accumulate all of the crab fat from the crabs you’ve consumed, you get the option to have that fat turned into a delicious bowl of crab fat fried rice afterwards for an additional KRW 1,000 (PHP ~43 / USD ~0.77). Even if I was so stuffed already, I still decided to get it just to try. And it was definitely worth that extra fee!
Meet locals at the Dongmyeonghang Port Harbor
This next one may be a bit too coincidental, but I still would highly recommend coming to the Dongmyeonghang Port Harbor (동명항), which is just beside the Yeonggeumjeong Pavilion, to either just enjoy the gorgeous coastal views or indulge in a huge variety of fresh seafood!
My experience at this port bookended my day in Sokcho in the most heartwarming way, that I couldn’t leave this part out. After coming from the Yeonggeumjeong Pavilion, I wandered around the port area and found a large group of elder local folks who were singing, dancing, and just fully enjoying themselves. They seemed so carefree and happy, it was so beautiful to watch! Then, one of the ahjussis (older man) asked me to join them (and to go up and sing as well, to which I had to decline). I sat with them for a while, also fully enjoying myself and their company and it was all just a very lovely moment. It turned out that they were celebrating someone’s birthday; and they even gave me a piece of mujigae-tteok (rainbow rice cake) to take home which was just the sweetest thing!
Now, I know meeting locals may not be the easiest thing to do, especially with a language barrier (my Korean is at a toddler’s level or lower haha) ; but maybe what I want to recommend here is to be open to different possibilities especially when you’re travelling. Though being cautious and vigilant should always come first, don’t let this shy you away from going outside of your comfort zone. I can definitely say that the most memorable moments of my trip came from doing exactly that.
Go on a Hike in Seoraksan National Park
This last one is probably one of my most favorite things I did during my entire South Korea summer trip. Seoraksan National Park (서락산) will forever be memorialized in my heart as the location of a couple of big firsts: the first time I went on a full-on hike in different country and the first time I went on a hike by myself! Honestly, all my stories and feelings about my Seoraksan experience deserves its own blog post in the future, so I’ll spare the emotions for now. Haha! Let’s just say that I highly suggest you spare a day (or even a half-day) in your Sokcho itinerary to visit this beautiful park.
Seoraksan National Park spans across four cities and counties in Gangwon Province, with the city of Sokcho being one of the more popular jump-off points as it is close to the entrance of the Oeseorak (east outer section). This side of the park is where the more beginner-friendly hiking trails begin, as well as where you’ll be able to ride the Seorak Cable Car to get panoramic views without having to hike at all! I’ll make sure to include all the logistical details and guides in my next post about Seoraksan, too! Please watch out for it :-)
Watch the Travel Vlog
I visited the city of Sokcho in Gangwon Province in South Korea in July 2023.
Note that all the location links in this post are using Naver Maps which is one of the main navigation apps used in South Korea.
(Google Maps may not always be accurate and has limited navigation.)
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