1-Day Fun Tour to Gangneung, Gangwon-do – Gyeongpo, Bike, Zip Line & Coffee
Looking to explore a different side of Korea? Then don’t miss out this 1-day hassle-free round trip to Gangneung, the largest coastal city in Gangwon-do, located at the eastern side of South Korea’s longest mountain range near DongHae (East Sea).
Where is Gangneung?
Gangneung (강릉) is the largest coastal city in Gangwon Province, the east side of South Korea’s longest mountain range, Taebaek, near the East Sea.
Gangneung is a relatively recent point of interest, made popular by the hit drama, “Goblin”. For visitors who are looking to experience a short getaway from Seoul, look no further! While Gangneung is famous for holding the largest traditional festival still performs in Korea today – the Danoje Festival in May, Gangneung is without doubt a year-round spot to visit with its cultural hotspots and unrivalled natural sceneries.
How to Get to Gangneung?
- OPTION 1: Public transport- we don’t recommend as you have either take the bus or train and exchange for bus. What we recommend:
- OPTION 2 : 1 day tour shuttle bus
This one day shuttle bus tour departs from Seoul downtown in Hongdae and Myeongdong and takes you to the 6 exciting places in Gangneung! Just sit back and relax and do not have to worry about transferring buses and finding public transportation!
TODAY’S COURSE
Gyeongpo Lake + Namhangjin Beach, Solbaram Bridge & Aranabi Zipline +
Anmok Beach & Coffee Street
LOCATION 1: GYEONGPOHO LAKE + BIKE TOUR
History of Gyeongpoho Lake
Literally means “clear as mirror”, Gyeongpoho Lake is located 6km northeast of Gangneung and is also known as the “Gunjaho Lake”. Gyeongpoho Lake is the setting of the tale of Hwarang and cultural relics from the prehistoric age, and on the Rock Island in the middle of the lake, there is a small pavilion which holds a hanging board called Joam, believed to be written by Song Si-Yeol.
A distinctively romantic spot, there is another tale that rises from this beautiful lake: “With the moon shining in the sky, it is reflected on the ocean, on the lake, in a glass of wine, and of course, two moons shining brightly in the eyes of someone falling in love.”
What’s So Special?
- Memorable bike tour: Enjoy a romantic stroll along the lake or a delightful bike ride along the tree-lined paths offering you a peaceful escape from the conventional Seoul experience. And there are unique bicycle options ranging from single, double to even a quadruple option for you to choose from too! Just check out the photos!
- Perfect for all-season: While it is especially gorgeous in Spring as cherry blossom flourishes, you’ll be able to enjoy Gyeongpo Lake’s picturesque view all year round that is sure to be unforgettable for your short trip outside of Seoul.
LOCATION 2: NAMHANGJIN BEACH, SOLBARAM BRIDGE & ARANABI ZIPLINE
Photo credit: VisitKorea
A white sandy beach covering an area of 24,000㎡ and a length of 600m, there are two popular ways to get to Namhangjin Beach from Gangneung Port: By walking across or as we would recommend, zipline across the ocean and get to the beach in under 45 seconds!
What’s So Special?
- Aranabi Zipline Experience: For thrill seekers, definitely do not miss out the Aranabi Zipline experience! “Ara” means “ocean” and “nabi” means butterfly in Korean, riding the Aranabi zipline you can be like a butterfly flying over the ocean for 600m! The Aranabi Zipline offers a zipline consisting of a pulley suspended on a cable that is 12m in height. It is the only zipline in Korea that overlooks the beautiful ocean!
- If you’re not so much a daredevil but still love to try this unique zipline experience fret not – there’s an option between single or double riders.
LOCATION 3: ANMOK BEACH & COFFEE STREET
Photo credit: VisitKorea
Officially crowned as the “City of Coffee”, to the locals, coffee is not just a beverage, but an expression of “Gangneung-style” with its abundant artisan coffee shops for you to enjoy. There are as many as 300 cafes in Gangneung city alone and if you’re a coffee fanatic, there is a special coffee road map for you to leisurely explore the city!
History of Coffee Street
Photo credit: VisitKorea
It all began with coffee experts arriving at Gangneung for its clean water and the rest is history as tourists are attracted by their high-grade beans and elaborately-made, hand drip coffee. Within little over a decade, Gangneung has become South Korea’s coffee mecca.
One of the must-see events is the Gangnenung Coffee Festival, which is typically held in October lasting 3 days. Visitors will be able to immerse in a series of coffee related events ranging from barista performance to hands-on experience of coffee roasting and making the perfect cup of hand-drip coffee!
What’s Special?
- Specialty Cafe & Snacks: While you can easily enjoy a great cup of coffee by itself at the cafe, a must-try combination includes a cup of coffee with the popular “Yeontanbbang” (연탄빵), which is variously flavoured and coloured with white beans, squid ink, cheese or coffee.
- “Hoetjip” (Raw Fish Restaurant): A visit to a beach side destination is never complete without indulging in some fresh raw fish! Right in front of the Anmok beach is Anmok Port, where around 23 fishing boats can be moored to unload their catch of seaweed in the spring; flatfish, squid, octopus in the summer; and sailfin sandfish, and pollack in the fall and winter.
LOCATION 4: 2018 PYEONGCHANG OLYMPICS HOUSE EXHIBITION
Fly under the slogan “Passion, Connected”, the 23rd Olympic Winter PyeongChang 2018 will be held from 9 – 25th February 2018 in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province in the South Korea. While Alpine speed events will take place in Jeongseon, all 5 ice sports (Short Track Speed Skating, Speed Skating, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey & Curling) will be competed in the coastal city of Gangneung.
What’s Special?
Photo credit: Pyeongchang 2018
Here’s your chance to get a taste of the games to be held at the much anticipated PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games! Besides exhibition featuring 18 main winter sports, the state-of-the-art interactive PyeongChang House also features virtual reality devices for visitors to be a part of event by trying on the Korean national team’s uniforms and hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) using augmented reality devices and you would also have a chance to experience a ski jumping with the virtual reality devices.
And that’s not all!
PyeongChang House’s outdoor stage features various performances on a daily basis, including K-pop, taekwondo, traditional Korean music, b-boying, and nonverbal performances.
Photo credit: Pyeongchang 2018
Interesting Facts
- It is Korea’s first Olympics games in 30 years after the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988.
- There are two official mascots for PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games: White Tiger ‘Soohorang’ (수호랑) representing challenging spirit and passion and Asiatic Black Bear ‘Bandabi’ (반다비), representing strong willpower and courage.
- The 12 venues — seven for sports on snow and five for events on ice — are all located within 30 minutes of each other.
TODAY’S TIP
- To avoid traffic congestion, we recommend travelling to Gangneung during weekdays instead of weekends.
- Dress comfortably for your shuttle bus transfer and wear pants for your zipline and bike adventure at Gangneung!
KoreaTravelEasy