Welcome back to our Gangwon travel guide, where the mountains meet the East Sea and the food is worth the ride. Part two strings together three of the province’s most rewarding stops — a spicy inland classic in Chuncheon, a legendary market in Sokcho, and Korea’s beloved coffee coast in Gangneung — plus one honest detour that technically slips over the provincial line. Gangwon is big and gloriously scenic, so the trick is to travel it in a sensible geographic order rather than zig-zagging. Here is how to link these stops, in the direction that actually makes sense, with the train and bus notes to match.
Start Close: Chuncheon Dakgalbi Alley
Chuncheon is the natural first stop because it is the closest to Seoul and the easiest day trip on this list. It is also the birthplace of dakgalbi — chicken and vegetables stir-fried on a giant iron plate with a sweet-spicy sauce — and Myeongdong Dakgalbi Alley is where the smell of it fills the street. Koreans have been making this exact pilgrimage for decades. The unmissable move is to finish with bokkeumbap, fried rice scraped from the crust at the bottom of the pan; skipping it is practically against the rules here. Getting there is simple: the ITX train from Yongsan reaches Chuncheon in about an hour and a quarter, then it is a short walk into the alley.
North to the Coast: Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market
Swing over to the coast and head up to Sokcho, near the northern end of Gangwon. Its Tourist & Fishery Market is a working seafood market and a snacking destination, most famous as the home of the original dakgangjeong — the sweet, crispy fried chicken that this market is credited with popularising, with the founding stall still drawing long lines. The deep-cut local order is squid sundae. A lovely tradition: buy your dakgangjeong to go and walk it over to Sokcho Beach about ten minutes away, dodging the seagulls as you eat. Sokcho is best reached by express bus from Seoul (roughly two and a half hours), and it also sits close to some of Gangwon’s greatest mountain scenery if you want to extend the trip.
Down the Coast: Gangneung Anmok Coffee Street
Follow the coast south to Gangneung, Korea’s unofficial coffee capital — and yes, the capital is a beach. Anmok Coffee Street is a strip of roasteries and cafés facing the East Sea where Korea’s early specialty baristas set up shop, and the ritual is pure: sunrise, waves, and a slow hand-drip in hand. The charming origin story is still standing too — the old coffee vending machines by the pier that started the whole scene, ocean view included. Reach Gangneung by KTX (about two hours from Seoul), then a short local bus to the waterfront. We go deeper on this stretch in our dedicated Gangneung coffee coast guide, and just up the shore is the famous BTS bus stop in Jumunjin, which pairs beautifully with a Gangneung day.
The Honest Detour: Buseoksa Temple (Yeongju)
Now for full transparency. Buseoksa Temple is not actually in Gangwon — it sits in Yeongju, just over the border in North Gyeongsang province. I am including it because it is close enough to fold into a wider mountains-and-beyond loop, and because it is one of the most beautiful temples in the country. Its 700-year-old Muryangsujeon hall, with its gently swelling wooden columns, appears to float above rank after rank of mountain ridges; it is UNESCO-listed and genuinely worth the journey. Arrive about an hour before sunset for the view over the layered peaks. Reaching it takes planning — a bus from Yeongju Terminal, roughly 40 minutes, into remote country — so treat it as a deliberate day rather than a quick add-on. Book longer train legs in advance on the official Korail site.
Good to Know
- Sensible order from Seoul: Chuncheon (closest) → Sokcho (north coast) → Gangneung (south coast), with Buseoksa as a separate detour.
- Chuncheon: ITX from Yongsan, about 1h15. Gangneung: KTX, about 2h. Sokcho: express bus, about 2.5h.
- Buseoksa is in Yeongju (North Gyeongsang), not Gangwon — plan it as its own remote day trip.
- In Chuncheon, always finish dakgalbi with bokkeumbap; in Sokcho, take dakgangjeong to the beach.
- Gangneung’s Anmok cafés mostly run daytime into evening; sunrise is the classic coffee-coast moment.
- Reserve KTX and ITX seats ahead on summer and holiday weekends, and navigate with Naver or Kakao Map.
Gangwon Travel Guide FAQ
Can I do all of these in one day?
No — Gangwon is too spread out for that. Chuncheon works as its own easy day trip, and the Sokcho–Gangneung coast is a separate one (or an overnight). Buseoksa deserves its own day entirely because of how remote it is.
Do I need a car in Gangwon?
Not for the main stops — train and bus reach Chuncheon, Sokcho and Gangneung comfortably. A rental car helps if you want to hop between beaches, mountains and villages freely, and it makes the remote Buseoksa detour much less fiddly.
When is the best season to visit?
Early autumn, right around now, is lovely — mild coast weather and the mountains just beginning to turn. October brings peak foliage (and crowds) to Gangwon’s ranges, while summer is beach season on the East Sea. Before you head east, our Seochon Village guide makes a gentle Seoul contrast for the day you arrive or leave.
Take Gangwon in the order the map suggests, eat the local specialty at each stop, and leave Buseoksa for a day of its own. That is how you see the province’s mountains and beaches without wearing yourself out.