Your First Trip to Gangneung — A Day by the Sea with Coffee

Enjoy coffee with a sea view in Anmok, then take a walk on the beach. With a full day in Gangneung, add the sea and pine groves of Gyeongpo Beach or the shores of Gyeongpo Lake.

Your First Trip to Gangneung — A Day by the Sea with Coffee

The sandy shore and sea at Anmok Beach, photographed in April 2022.

For coffee with a sea view in Gangneung, spend some time in Anmok. You can take a break in a café, then head out for a walk on the beach. If you arrive in the afternoon, settle into Anmok for an unhurried visit. With a full day available, you could also add the sea and pine groves of Gyeongpo Beach or the shores of Gyeongpo Lake.

Coffee with a sea view in Anmok

Gangneung Coffee Street is in the area around Anmok Beach. Gangneung City's visitor guide also suggests buying a coffee and walking along the shore. Whether you prefer to sit in a café looking out to sea or take your drink down to the beach, you can do both in the same area. Gangneung City's guide to Anmok Beach

If you would like to sit overlooking the sea, look for a spot that appeals to you. If it is the coffee that interests you, try a café whose menu explains its beans or brewing methods. Choosing a familiar drink and taking your time with the view is just as good a way to spend your visit.

An aerial view of Anmok Coffee Street and the coast, photographed in January 2022.

Opening hours vary from café to café. If you have a particular place in mind for an early morning or late evening visit, check its hours before setting out. The Korea Tourism Organization's guide to Gangneung Coffee Street

After coffee, head to Anmok Beach

Take some time at Anmok Beach to look out over the sand towards the sea. After leaving a café, you might stop briefly to enjoy the view and take a few photos, or spend longer on the beach if you feel like walking.

Waves and a white lookout tower at Anmok Beach, photographed in April 2022.

In strong winds or rain, shorten your time on the beach and take a break indoors instead. Stay away from the water's edge where waves reach the shore and from areas closed off on site. Plan a visit to see the sea separately from a swim. Gangneung City's 2026 notice set the operating season for Gyeongpo Beach at July 4–August 23, and for the other designated beaches at July 10–August 23. An October visit falls after the summer beach season, so plan around enjoying the sea views and walking. Gangneung City's 2026 beach operating-season notice

Gyeongpo: more sea views or a lakeside walk?

Gyeongpo Beach combines sea and sand with pine groves. Gangneung City's guide also describes walks around the beach and the pine woods. It is a good choice if you would like to spend time both by the sea and among the trees. Gangneung City's guide to Gyeongpo Beach

For a different kind of waterside scenery, consider Gyeongpo Lake. A stretch of sandy land separates this lake from the East Sea. The Korea Tourism Organization also suggests walking around the lake. After Anmok, you could simply visit the section of the lakeshore where you would most like to spend time. Gangneung City's guide to Gyeongpodae and the Gyeongpo Lake area The Korea Tourism Organization's introduction to walking at Gyeongpo Lake

The waters of Gyeongpo Lake and its lakeside path, photographed in May 2022.

Look up “경포해변” (Gyeongpo Beach) and “경포호” (Gyeongpo Lake) separately on your map. “경포대” (Gyeongpodae) is also the name of a pavilion, so use the specific name of the beach or lake you want to visit.

Treat Gyeongpo as a separate destination with its own transport arrangements rather than a continuation of a walk from Anmok. Adding whichever appeals to you more, Gyeongpo Beach or Gyeongpo Lake, makes a day that pairs coffee in Anmok with a different waterside setting.

If you enjoy stories of historic houses

If you would like to follow your time by the sea with a historic house and the stories of the people connected to it, consider a separate visit to Ojukheon. For a guide to its buildings and exhibitions, read Ojukheon in Gangneung: Meeting Shin Saimdang and Yulgok in a Historic House.

Names to save and transport back

Use the following names when saving places on your map. The listed addresses help you find the area; choose the bus stop, car park or café entrance that suits your actual destination.

• Gangneung Coffee Street (강릉커피거리): the Korea Tourism Organization lists the address as 20-1, Changhae-ro 14beon-gil, Gangneung-si.

• Anmok Beach (안목해변): Gangneung City lists the address as 3, Changhae-ro 14beon-gil, Gangneung-si.

• Gyeongpo Beach (경포해변): choose this destination for sea views in Gyeongpo.

• Gyeongpo Lake (경포호): save this separately if you would like a lakeside walk.

For the journey to Anmok from Gangneung Station or a bus terminal, look up transport from your actual starting point. If you plan to add Gyeongpo, allow for the journey from Anmok to Gyeongpo too. When travelling by bus, use the Gangneung Bus Information System to check stops and service times for both the outward and return journeys. If you intend to return by taxi, check availability before setting out. On a day when you have a train or intercity bus to catch, leave enough time to reach the station or terminal.

If you are visiting in October 2026, pay particular attention to the bus diversion around the coffee festival. Gangneung City's tourism announcement says the 18th Gangneung Coffee Festival is scheduled for October 21–25 at Gangneung Coffee Street and other locations around the city. The bus diversion is planned to last longer than the festival itself. According to the Bus Information System notice, City 1 is scheduled to follow a temporary diversion from October 19–26 and will not serve the Anmok Beach stop during that period. If you plan to use City 1 then, find an alternative boarding stop and a return service before you leave. The coffee festival announcement and City 1 temporary diversion notice give the two date ranges separately.

If you use a wheelchair or pushchair, check the approach and any steps between your drop-off point and the café or walking area you want to visit. Ask your chosen café about access to its seating.

Photo credits

• File:Anmok Beach 20220430 003.jpg · Mobius6 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized, re-encoded as JPEG, metadata removed and some areas showing people blurred · The adapted photograph is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

• Gangneung Coffee Street — 2712007202201001k · ⓒ Korea Tourism Organization-DNA Studio · 2022 · Korea Open Government License Type 1 · Re-encoded as JPEG, metadata removed and original watermark preserved · Korea Tourism Organization copyright policy

• File:Anmok Beach 20220430 010.jpg · Mobius6 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized, re-encoded as JPEG, metadata removed and some areas showing people blurred · The adapted photograph is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

• File:Gyeongpo Lake 20220502 008.jpg · Mobius6 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped, resized, re-encoded as JPEG and metadata removed · The adapted photograph is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.