Gangneung and Sokcho with Kids: Two Easy Trips from Seoul

Family TripGangneungSokcho2.5h from Seoul

If you’ve read our Gangneung overnight guide and our Sokcho half-day guide separately, here’s both trips in one place — real photos, a route map, and the hotel picks we’d actually book again. We did both. Both were worth it.

In This Post

📍 Gangneung · 1 Night / 2 Days

Two tofu breakfasts, coffee, Gyeongpo Beach, and skate ray stew for dinner. We stayed at Skybay Hotel Gyeongpo, right on the beach.

📍 Sokcho · Half a Day

Brunch, three small shops on foot, and Sokcho Beach. Staying over? We’d pick Hanwha Resort Sorano or I Park Suite.

↓ Start with Gangneung ↓ Start with Sokcho

📍 Gangneung

Gangneung — One Night Built Around Tofu and Coffee

Gangneung centers on Chodang, the tofu village, where the meals are the trip. Five stops on day one, three on day two — an easy two days even without rushing.

Day 1 — Tofu Breakfast, Coffee, Beach, Skate Ray Stew

Donghwa Garden — in the Chodang tofu village

We started the day with sundubu for breakfast.

Clean, mild sundubu set

The side dishes were mild too, nothing spicy — easy for a toddler to eat.

Chodang Coffee Jeongmiso — a converted rice mill

Two minutes on foot. The corn latte is the signature order here.

Corn latte · corn bingsu in summer

From the cafe it’s a short walk to Gyeongpo Beach.

Gyeongpo Beach — Gangneung’s best-known beach

The sand is fine and the slope is gentle, easy for a toddler. Grabbing cup noodles from the convenience store right on the beach is half the fun.

Wave-chasing — you’ll stay longer than planned

If you’re still there by evening, staying right on the beach makes the rest of the day easy.

Skybay Hotel Gyeongpo — one minute from the sand

Check in, and the sunset is right there from the room.

Sunset from the room

Ending the day here keeps tomorrow morning simple. Dinner was gaorijjim (braised skate ray) nearby at Jjimdaegam.

Jjimdaegam — gaorijjim

Good if your family handles spice well. Kids can order sundubu or bulgogi rice bowls instead.

Gaorijjim size	Price
Small	₩50,000
Medium	₩60,000
Large	₩70,000

More on Skybay Hotel Gyeongpo 🛏️ Check Rates on Agoda

Day 2 — Tofu Breakfast, Market Hotteok, Souvenir Shopping

Chahyeonhui Sundubu Cheongkukjang — the banchan spread

From the original review“Other tofu restaurants give you a few small plates — this one covers the entire table.”

Tofu again for breakfast on day two. We finished up with moja hotteok and ice cream at Gangneung Jungang Market, then picked up makgeolli and tofu at Hanaro Mart for the road.

📍 Sokcho

Sokcho — Brunch and Beach in Half a Day

This one was supposed to be a quick half-day. The beach had other plans.

From the original review“No swimming was the plan — brunch and a quick look around the shops. But the weather turned out perfectly sunny, she spotted kids splashing near the shore, and we ended up staying at the beach for over three hours.”

Bicky Bakeshop — a “care kids zone” brunch cafe

There’s a self-serve bar with a microwave, handy for warming up baby food.

Apple brie baguette sandwich

After brunch, a walking loop covers three small shops.

Three Shops, All on Foot

The full table spread

Hodu Japwhajeom — part of the walking loop

The tableware here is colorful and fun to browse, but keep a hand on your toddler — plenty of breakables.

Colorful tableware

Look at Me Time — a quieter, scent-focused shop

Mostly fragrance goods, a calm way to close out the loop. From here it’s a short walk to Sokcho Beach.

Sokcho Beach

Sokcho Beach entrance

You can tell how fine the sand is from the entrance already.

Sokcho Beach on a clear day

Sandcastles — the unplanned part of the day

This is where the half-day plan stopped going to plan. She saw the water and just went in.

Over three hours of water play

The sand here is noticeably finer than other Sokcho beaches. Nearby: Lighthouse Beach (fewer crowds), Seoraksan (30 minutes by car), the little ferry at Abai Village, and Jungang Market — plenty to fill more than half a day.

If You’re Staying the Night in Sokcho

Hanwha Resort Seorak Sorano — renovated European wing

✔ Separate living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom — real space for families

✔ Beautifully renovated room — genuinely feels premium

✘ Only the European rooms are renovated — confirm room type when booking

✘ A car is essential; not walkable to Sokcho center or the beach

Full Hanwha Sorano Review 🛏️ Check Rates on Agoda

I Park Suite — lighthouse beach view from the room

✔ ₩146,000 in peak July — a price that made us look twice

✔ Better-than-expected room view, and lobby microwaves for families

✘ Elevator waits are long during peak season

✘ No toothbrushes provided

Full I Park Suite Review 🛏️ Check Rates on Agoda

✈️ Good to Know for Visiting Families

Maps	Google Maps has spotty Korean coverage — use Naver Map or KakaoMap instead (both have English mode).
Driving	An International Driving Permit plus your home license. Car seats are legally required for children under 6.
Emergency	112 for crime, 119 for fire/medical, 1330 for multilingual tourist help.

Either Way, You’re Fine — Go With What Your Family Wants

Gangneung and Sokcho are both 2.5 hours from Seoul, and both work well with kids. There’s no wrong pick — just whichever fits what your family wants that weekend.

🍚 Here for the foodSundubu, coffee, gaorijjim — Gangneung

⏱️ Short on timeDone in half a day — Sokcho

🏖️ Just want the beachBoth deliver

🗻 Want mountains tooSeoraksan is 30 min away — Sokcho

Gangneung then Sokcho, or the other way around — if you have a car and a few extra days, you can easily do both.