Must-see attractions in Gangwon-do

  • Ojukheon

    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…

  • Haesindang Park

    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…

  • Sangwon-sa

    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…

  • Naksan-sa

    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,…

  • Seoraksan National Park

    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…

  • Chiaksan National Park

    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…

  • Taebaeksan Provincial Park

    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…

  • Guryong-sa

    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…

  • Namiseom Island

    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…

  • DMZ Museum

    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 Seongyojang

    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…

  • Hwanseongul

    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…

  • Haslla Art World

    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,…

  • Woljeong-sa

    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…

  • Maengbang Beach

    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…

  • Cheorwon Peace Observatory

    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’…

  • Samak-san

    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…

  • Korean War Memorial

    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…

  • Samcheok Beach

    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…

  • Gyeongpo Beach

    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…

  • Insect Ecology Museum

    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…

  • Gongjicheon Sculpture Park

    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…

  • Geumganggul

    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…

  • Sinheung-sa

    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 …

  • 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…

  • Second Tunnel

    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…

  • Taebaek Coal Museum

    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…

  • Anmok Beach

    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…

  • Naksan Beach

    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…

  • Mystery of Caves Exhibition

    Gangwon-do

    In a building that resembles a wedding cake dripping with various colours of icing on the south side of the river, exhibits here (some in English) contain…

  • Jangsu-dae

    Seoraksan National Park

    This elegant, traditional Korean house was originally built in the pine forest for people to pray for fallen soldiers in the Korean War. Nowadays people…

  • Heundeul Bawi

    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…

  • Sangwon-sa

    Gangwon-do

    This temple was built by the Buddhist monk Ja Jang (590–658) in 643, rebuilt in 705, burnt down in 1946 and restored again in 1947. The oldest remains is…

  • Gwongeum-seong

    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.

  • Ulsan Bawi

    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…

  • Baekdam-sa

    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…

  • Gyejo-am

    Seoraksan National Park

    A hermitage en route to Ulsan Bawi, Gyejo-am is a human-made cave where you can sometimes hear Buddhist monks chanting just before reaching the boulder of…