Located in the North-East of South Korea, Sokcho is one of the coastal cities that a past dating back more than 1000 years. It all started from 57 BC, when the Kingdom of Silla reigned until 935 AD, where Sokcho was a small village with a mainly fishing population in order to catch seafood and sell it to the inhabitants of the region.
Then, during the Joseon dynasty (1392 to 1910), the city became a strategic point during naval wars. Primarily used as a surveillance post to counter possible maritime attacks by its enemies, its ideal location made it possible to protect the Korean peninsula from invasions from the East.
The Korean War in 1950 was an important turning point for the Korean population. Indeed, Sokcho had become a place of refuge for those fleeing violence. Today, some remains have gone up in smoke, but there is still one place preserved after the war: the Abai village, which was a place of refuge for North Koreans and located on a small island connected by a modern bridge.
Although the traces left by this war were painful for the inhabitants, Sokcho quickly recovered from the post-war period in order to become a tourist place. Between the beaches, the mountains and the seafood market, the atmosphere that reigns there is now much quieter and more friendly.
It is important for me to tell you about Sokcho, because it is for me one of the cities where I had the most pleasure to visit in South Korea.
How do I get to the city of Sokcho?
From Seoul : The only way to get to Sokcho is by national bus. This one is located at Seoul Express Bus Terminal and is served by 3 metro lines if you are not staying next door: line 3, 7 and 9.
Where to buy the bus ticket : You can either buy it on site, or you can consult the website https://www.kobus.co.kr for more information on departure times, the number of seats available, and ticket prices. (site in Korean but possibility to translate the pages)
Price of a one-way ticket to Sokcho : 19,900 won (~14 €)
First bus schedule : 7:00 in the morning
Last bus schedule : 19:00 in the evening
Departure frequency : approximately every hour
Travel time : 2:30
Bus arrival point : Sokcho Express Bus Terminal
What to do in Sokcho
Although Sokcho is a small town compared to Seoul, it is still very interesting to visit due to its local side. Indeed, it is not the first city that comes to mind when visiting South Korea. Very often, the typical tour for ordinary tourists would be to do Seoul - Jeonju - Busan - Jeju Island. But they often overlook the eastern part of the country, which in my opinion is far too underrated.
Sokcho is therefore one of the slightly forgotten cities because it is often associated with its famous Seoraksan National Park. I find it rather very simplistic, because in reality there are a lot of things to do on the side. And that's what we're going to see now!
Seoraksan National Park
As the name suggests, Seoraksan National Park is a nature reserve where you will be surrounded by nature and discover breathtaking landscapes.
Park entrance fees : 3500 won (~2.50€)
How to get there : Take bus No. 7 or No. 7-1 to go to Seoraksan National Park
Travel time : ~40 min
What to bring back on site : Water, food, snacks and a good pair of shoes (trail or hiking)
When you arrive at Seoraksan National Park after taking the bus, you will land on a plateau corresponding to a rest area before embarking on a hiking trail. This is where you can take a lunch break in the many surrounding restaurants or buy small souvenirs from the park. For information, Seoraksan's mascot is a brown bear!
I advise you to buy everything you need in Sokcho before taking the bus to the park because the prices are relatively expensive if you stock up on water and food.
You have the choice to wander around the park once you have paid for admission. By looking at the map of Seoraksan below, you have access to several hiking trails.
For my part, I did 3 hikes in the following order: Ulsanbawi Rock, Biseondae Rock then Towangseong Falls. It is a long hike to discover both landscapes, waterfalls and turquoise rivers. A real paradise for hikers and nature lovers.
Ulsanbawi Rock
The best known hiking trail corresponds to Ulsanbawi Rock, because it allows you to have a view of both the sea, the city of Sokcho and the national park.
So it's a perfect combo to really enjoy the ascent and get a memorable view along the way. However, I want to point out that the climb is steep because you will have a lot of stairs to climb. Prepare yourself physically to avoid the next day's soreness (especially the legs!).
Moreover, it is not uncommon to see people around 70 years old (more commonly called “ajuma” for women and “ajoshi” for men) hiking to the summit of Ulsanbawi as you pass. Some seniors even come from another region just to visit Seoraksan National Park. That shows how physically fit and courageous they are! You should also know that most of the time I had the opportunity to talk to them a little bit in Korean, they were very kind and generous to me, even offering me snacks!
Duration of the hike : ~1h30 to 2h
Biseondae Rock
If you enjoyed climbing Ulsanbawi and still have some energy left to continue exploring the national park, then I invite you to take the road to Biseondae Rock. This time, the path is much less steep and is even much more pleasant because you will have the opportunity to walk along a turquoise river, a real pleasure to dip your feet there!
When you reach the end of Biseondae Peak, you have the choice between continuing the hike to reach other peaks or turning back. Knowing that if you continue on your way, you will surely have to add an additional 1 hour to get to the top. For my part, I decided to retrace my steps in order to do another hiking trail.
Duration of the hike : ~1h + an additional 30 min if you decide to go dip your feet in the river!
Towangseong Falls
If you have some time left before returning to the city of Sokcho, then maybe you could end up on a high note by doing the Towangseong Falls. And for once, the view is really worth it because you will have a breathtaking view of a waterfall as well as a beautiful horizon on the ocean.
It should be noted that the start of the hike is simple until you come across Biryong Waterfall. Once you get to this stage, you will have to climb a long, really steep flight of stairs. Hang on because you're going to drool cardio-wise!
Duration of the hike : ~1h30
Sokcho fish market
Located in the heart of Sokcho, The fish market is a must if you decide to visit the city. This is a covered market with mostly fish shops; you have the choice between buying the fish to take home, or you can sit at a table behind the fish store display to enjoy freshly caught fish in the morning.
The advantage of such a trade is to allow traders, mainly made up of fishermen, to diversify their source of income. Many of them go fishing, then sell their loot directly on the markets until they act as restaurateurs.
For the most part, you will meet the elderly people who run these restaurants and fish shops. The reason is that South Korea has experienced a very strong economic acceleration since the war to the point where we notice a real social divide between the old generation and the present generation.
The oldest people now live only from street businesses, and fight to live their lives properly. So in reality, there is no creation of wealth when working in this environment. Some are even fighting to survive because the situation is so difficult. It is not uncommon to come face to face with ajuma or ajoshi who have to work after retirement. A sad reality unfortunately.
Abai village
Abai village is located right in the heart of the port of Sokcho. Located not far from the Sokcho fish market, you can easily reach the village on foot in 5 min.
To get there, you will have to take a small local ferry run by local residents. Count 500 won (€0.5) one way.
Indeed, Abai is located on a small artificial island where North Korean refugees lived during the war. There are mainly old buildings, including traditional North Korean restaurants. You can try some period dishes such as the North Korean version of Sundae.
The village is interesting to visit, although it is relatively small. But it will allow you to feel the atmosphere at the time when the refugees lived there. A good twenty minutes will be enough to see the entirety of Abai.
The northern part of Sokcho
Looking at other blogs, I noticed that almost no one has talked about North Sokcho yet. Although it is true that there is only a lake and a few small discoveries here and there, I had the opportunity to go there for a morning to see what could be interesting and to form my own opinion.
There is a place that is worth visiting, it is the Younggeumjeong Pavilion located at the end of the port of Sokcho. Indeed, you will have a beautiful view of the port as well as the city, then the mountains in the background. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to see Dongmyeong fish market really traditional as if you were going back several years!
Then you have the Lac Yeonglangho, a place that is hardly visited by tourists. However, you have a very beautiful view of Seoraksan National Park if you leave from the east of the lake. In the meantime, you can sit in the café.”Show me the island of Mauritius” (literally means Bothnia Roastery Coffee House) very cozy where the owners are very friendly and make very good coffee.
The southern part of Sokcho
Almost little is said about the southern part of Sokcho except for its beach. Because it is true that the vast majority of tourist places are located around the fish market.
Know that the host of the inn where I stayed recommended this area for several reasons: it's a nice place to stroll at night and you'll find one of the best Korean barbecue restaurants in town. After a good evening stroll, there is nothing better than a good meal!
If you leave from the fish market, you will have about 25 minutes of walking to reach the central square where you will find an athletics track and a sports field in the middle of the city!
From there, you will see the Korean barbecue restaurant”갈풍집 속초점” (kalpungjib sokchojeom). The price varies depending on what you choose, but generally speaking, a quality meat dish with the sides costs you 17,000 won (~12 €). If you are very greedy like me, two meat dishes will do just fine!
NB: Following the return of a traveller, you will have to put yourself on the waiting list given the world waiting to eat there. In addition, the restaurant will require you to order a minimum of two meat dishes. So if you are traveling alone, take this into account before you go there!
If you have to visit South Sokcho, I recommend that you go there Take a tour in the early evening to enjoy the local ambiance on the beach and the restaurants that are only open in the evening.
Where to stay in Sokcho?
There are several youth hostels around downtown Sokcho at a very reasonable price. As far as I am concerned, I chose the James Blue Hostel located 5 minutes from the fish market. Why this one and not another? Because it was the one where there were still free rooms, there was no real choice!
Despite everything, the comfort is there because for one night (~25€ on weekdays, ~30€ on weekends), you will have a bedroom with a double bed, two bunk beds and a private shower ! In addition, there is a simplistic breakfast consisting of coffee, cornflakes and sandwich bread with jam. In addition, you are also very close to a mini supermarket that is open 24 hours a day if you ever want to bring food to your room. At this price, we couldn't ask for better!
The staff is also very welcoming, although some of them don't know how to speak English very well. On the other hand, the owner of the inn himself is bilingual and very friendly. As soon as you arrive, he will be very careful to help you and play on his contact network to make you benefit from good deals in the city!
Of course, if you are traveling alone, there are even cheaper youth hostels in the area. Some offer a dorm room for less than €20. It's up to you to see what works best for you.
Do not hesitate to consult the Booking.com site to choose your accommodation in Sokcho!
How do I get around Sokcho?
Since the city is relatively small, you can easily do all your trips on foot except for Seoraksan National Park where you will have to take the local bus.
How long should I stay in Sokcho?
If you plan to visit the city of Sokcho, set aside 1 full day for Seoraksan National Park already. Then a day and a half will be enough to visit the main places that I mentioned in this article. That makes a total ofat least 2 days to allow you to fully discover Sokcho.
If you are in a hurry because you do not have time to do everything, then you can skip the visit to the northern part of the city because it is not the most interesting to do compared to the other places. In this case, Exactly 2 days will be more than enough to do the tour.
What to do after Sokcho?
You have the choice between going back to seoul or continue your trip to the East Coast in the city of Gangneung which I really recommend visiting at least once.
Departure to Gangneung :
- Transport : Bus
- Where to take it : Sokcho Bus Terminal
- prix : 7,600 won (~5€)
- Travel time : ~1h
- Arrival station : Gangneung Bus Terminal
Also discover my complete article on Seoul for a 3 to 4 day itinerary
To access these cities, you will have to take regional buses this time. Indeed, the Express bus does not serve regional cities, especially since it will only allow you to return to Seoul from Sokcho.
You will therefore have to take the regional bus at another bus station located in the north of the city. Head over to the Sokcho Bus Terminal in order to buy your ticket on site.
The reason why you need to buy your ticket there is becauseThere is no application that allows you to buy it directly online. Also, who says no app says no information about bus departure times.
One piece of advice I can give you is to go to the bus station the day before to check the departure times of the buses. In this case, if you choose to stay at James Blue Hostel, know that the bus station is only a 5-minute walk away. This will allow you to optimize your time, but you will also not be taken lessons if you miss the bus within a few minutes!
Conclusion
Here it is The official map that I built concerning the city of Sokcho. You have a list of all the things to do accompanied by a description so that you can form an opinion on some places that you might be interested in visiting!
You can directly integrate the map into Google Maps in order to have a real-time vision of what to do once you are there. Unbelievable, isn't it?
Feel free to leave me a short comment in the section below if you liked the article or if you have any questions! 🙂
