Gangneung
Revered as the birthplace of the paragon of Korean womanhood, Sin Saimdang (1504–51), and her son, the philosopher and government official Yi Yulgok (1536…
Must-see attractions in Gangwon-do
Gangwon-do
Of all the things you’d expect to find in a fishing village like Sinnam (신남), a ‘penis park’ is probably not one of them. There are more than 50 phallic…
Gangwon-do
Sangwon-sa's intricately decorated bronze bell was cast in AD 725 and is the oldest bell in Korea (and one of the largest as well). Another prized object…
Gangwon-do
One of South Korea's most beloved and beautiful national parks, and a Unesco Biosphere Protection site, Seoraksan is most celebrated for its oddly shaped…
Gangwon-do
Scenic and mountainous Chiaksan (the name means 'Pheasant Peak Mountain') National Park is home to the lovely Guryong-sa and a host of other temples, and…
Gangwon-do
This temple was originally established in AD 671 and enjoys a glorious perspective overlooking the sea. Also facing the sea is a majestic (but modern,…
Gangwon-do
Taebaek-san (Big White Mountain) is, for shamanists, one of the most sacred mountains in Korea. Five year-round hiking trails snake up through the park to…
Gyeongpo-ho & Gyeongpodae Pavilion
Gangneung
Immediately behind Gyeongpo Beach is Gyeongpo-ho, which attracts local residents looking for a little peace and quiet. There’s a 4km bicycle path along…
Gangwon-do
Set among the verdant hills of Chiaksan National Park, this colourful and vibrant temple is a beauty, its main courtyard festooned with vibrantly coloured…
Sokcho
This large museum has a surprising amount of English in its narration of the history of the DMZ, as well as exhibits such as US POW letters and extensive…
Gangneung
Dating to the late Joseon dynasty, this national cultural property was for 300 years the home of a yangban (aristocratic) family. It was built for a…
Chamsori Gramophone & Edison Museum
Gangneung
This whimsical museum is a sheer delight. It combines the two loves of private collector Son Sung-Mok: gramophones and Thomas Edison. There are hundreds…
Gangwon-do
This Silla-era temple was founded in AD 645 by the Zen Master Jajang to enshrine relics of the historical Buddha. Although it fell victim to fires and was…
Gangwon-do
Maengbang Beach is about 12km south of town. It’s less frantic than Samcheok Beach and has no buildings, although tented stalls spring up during beach…
Chuncheon
The highest mountain near Chuncheon, Samak-san offers incredible views of the town and surrounding lakes. The hike up to the peak (645m) can be strenuous…
Gangneung
The largest beach on the east coast, and the third-busiest in South Korea, has 1.8km of flat, white sand bordered by pine trees and pleasant waters. It’s…
Seoraksan National Park
This temple complex that has stood on this site since AD 652 but has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. At the entrance are the Four Heavenly Kings …
Gangneung
This fine beach strewn with golden sand and shells is framed between the blue, blue sea and a long line of cafes; it's a lovely place for a stroll, to…
Gangwon-do
Below Naksan-sa is this beach, one of the best on the east coast and of course, busy in summer, when accommodation prices can triple. At other times it’s…
Seoraksan National Park
This massive 16-tonne boulder is balanced on the edge of a rocky ledge and can be rocked to and fro by a small group of people. It’s a lookout on the way…
Seoraksan National Park
These remains of a fortress are thought to date to the 13th century. The easiest and quickest way to get here is to take the cable car.
Seoraksan National Park
This spectacular granite cliff stands at 873m and is a popular destination for hikers making the strenuous, two-hour, 4.3km hike from the Seoraksan…
Seoraksan National Park
A Buddhist temple built in 1957, though originally constructed in the 7th century in the Silla Kingdom. It's worth walking over its wooden bridge, which…
Seoraksan National Park
On the approach to Sinheung-sa you will pass this huge 10m-tall bronze seated Buddha statue.
Chuncheon
Part of popular TV drama Winter Sonata was set on this island in an artificial lake southwest of Chuncheon. It’s home to rows of majestic redwoods,…
Goseong Unification Observatory Building
Sokcho
While this area was part of North Korea from 1945–53, today this building is the closest most South Koreans can get to glimpsing that world. There are…
Gangwon-do
One of the largest caves in Asia, with almost 2km of steel stairways that take visitors through cathedral-sized caverns, up, down and around its varied…
Gangwon-do
Sitting atop a hill, this park has contemporary Korean sculptures set amid a pleasant 11-hectare garden with winding paths and boardwalks. On a clear day,…
Gangwon-do
Located just one kilometre from the DMZ, this viewing platform has coin-operated binoculars for gazing at North Korea and its ‘propaganda village’…
Chuncheon
The evocative statues at this memorial to the Battle of Chuncheon are shown midaction, holding North Koreans at bay at the opening of the Korean War on 25…
Gangwon-do
Samcheok Beach is found immediately to the north of town. The beach has shallow waters, making it popular with families, and there's the usual assortment…
Gangwon-do
This interesting museum is dedicated to an intriguing range of beetles, butterflies and other insects from around the world. Captions are in Korean and…
Chuncheon
Families and teens picnic and sit in the shade of trees in this park dotted with sculptures, some of them hard to fathom. It's a very pleasant diversion…
Seoraksan National Park
This cave hollowed into the rock of Seorak-san offers worthwhile views of the valley. The 23 sq m cave was once used as a place to worship the stone…
Former Labor Party Headquarters
Gangwon-do
After passing a few battle-scarred buildings, most tours of Cheorwon end here, at the former Labor Party (that is, Communist Party) HQ. The surviving…
Gangwon-do
Dug by North Korea in 1975, about 1km of this tunnel lies in South Korea and it’s large enough for purportedly 16,000 soldiers to stream through per hour…
Gangwon-do
This small but well-formed museum inside Taebaeksan Provincial Park documents the history of coal mining in Korea and the Taebaek region, which used to be…
