Day 19
- Arrive from Andong (3 hour drive) by car in the morning.
Seoraksan National Park
This national park is the biggest and most popular park in South Korea. The third highest mountain in South Korea, Seoraksan, is located within the park, 1708 meters high. It is a very popular hiking destination with many differen trails. Those hiking trails go to many different hills and falls.
Seoraksan National Park
Cable car
If you are not really a hiker, you can also take the cable car up to Gwongeumseong Fortress. From there, you can also hike a bit further up to the peak of the mountain. This already provides a breath-taking view of the surrounding area. Gwongeumseong Fortress is a stone castle from the Goryeo dynasty.
Seoraksan Cable Car
Sinheungsa Temple
Sinheungsa Temple is a temple located in Seoraksan Mountain near Sokcho. It belongs to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It was originally founded as Hyangseongsa Temple by the monk Jajang in the Shilla dynasty (A.D. 652). Within the temple grounds, cultural heritage sites such as Geungnakbojeon Hall, a wooden structure from the mid-Joseon period, and the Three-story Stone Pagoda at Hyangseongsa Temple Site. The temple is also famous for its large bronze statue of Buddha, known as the Great Unification Buddha, which stands at 14.6 meters tall.
Sinheungsa Temple
Secret Blue Bakery: Ayajin Beach
A little bit north of Sokcho is Ayajin Beach, a beautiful beach with clear blue water and white sand. On the beach, the Secret Blue Bakery is located. This bakery was used as a filming location for the Korean drama “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay”. There it functioned as a psychriatric hospital.
Ayajin Beach
Lakes
Sokcho is home to two beautiful lakes: Yeongnangho Lake and Cheongchoho Lake. We will probably stumble upon one or both of them while exploring Sokcho.
Yeongnangho Lake
Yeongnangho Lake is a deep and large lake with a circumference of 7.8 km, an area of about 1.2 km2, and a depth of over 8 m, formed by the development of coastal dunes. The source water originates from the Jangcheoncheon Stream, passing through the lake, and goes to the East Sea via the waterway under the Yeongnanggyo Bridge. The lake is adjacent to the areas of Jangsa-dong, Yeongnang-dong, Dongmyeong-dong, and Geumho-dong. The pleasant trail is also established around the lakeside, surrounded by the beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms, azaleas, and reeds.
Yeongnangho Lake
Cheongchoho Lake
Cheongchoho Lake, located in the center of Sokcho city, is a large natural lake with a circumference of 5 m and an area of 1.3 km2. The source water originates from the Misiryeong Valley of Taebaek Mountain Range and flows to the Cheongchocheon Stream and to this beautiful lake, and then continues to the adjacent sea. So, the lake is an intermediate stop between the river and the sea. Cheongchojeong Pavilion is located above the lake, offering an open view of Seoraksan Mountain and the East Sea. As it is situated at the end of the 75 m-long ocean bridge, you will feel standing in the middle of the lake and enjoy a panoramic view of the lake. Shining more at night, this pavilion is regarded as the best attraction for the beautiful night view in Sokcho.
Cheongchoho Lake
Jungang Market
Jungang market is now actually called Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market. The market includes a large building with a basement and two floors above ground and specialized alley stores. The building consists of shops for clothes, daily necessities, and other general products; the Nonghyup Hanaro Mart; and the Raw Fish Center, which sells fresh live fish and seafood at a reasonable price. The alley market is divided into several alleyways specialized in each product such as a vegetable & fruit alley, a chili pepper alley, a blood sausage alley, a salted seafood market alley, a chicken alley, and so on. Especially, fresh agricultural and fish products, and dried seafood products will draw visitors’ attention. The chicken alley is popular among tourists with various crunchy and spicy dak gangjeong (glazed fried chicken bites) stores, which offer their own taste. The alley market has a rain protection facility and a clean and pleasant environment, and a wide parking lot for visitors’ convenience.
Jungang Market
Abai Village
Abai Village bears a history of displaced people’s distress. The village was formed by refugees of the Korean War from North Korea, mainly from Hamgyeong-do Province. The word “abai” is a dialect of Hamgyeong-do that means a friendly old man like a grandfather. Visitors to Abai Village can get a sense of displaced people’s life and story, which fade away into a chapter of history. Although it has lost its original appearance now, old shacks without a gate still remain here and there. Mural paintings on the wall show the sentiment of nostalgia about their hometown and express sorrow and hard life of displaced people, who lived from hand to mouth by fishing and doing physical labor. The original houses built by refugees in the village were restored into the Refugee Village at the Sokcho Museum. Abai Village is also known as a filming location for the Korean TV drama Autumn in My Heart, attracting a lot of visitors and becoming a major attraction in Sokcho. The restaurant alley is packed with cafes and North Korean food restaurants serving local dishes such as Hamheung-style cold buckwheat noodles, stuffed squid, and North Korean-style sausage soup. So this is the place where we will try some North Korean food.
Abai Village
Yeonggeumjeong Sunrise Pavilion
Yeonggeumjeong refers to the area covering the shore by the Sokcho Lighthouse in Sokcho-si City. The name Yeonggeumjeong comes from a notion that the sound of waves hitting the rocks is comparable to the melody of geomungo (traditional stringed instrument with 6 strings). At the end of the 50m-long bridge built over a rocky peninsula is a pavilion offering a view of the East Sea.
Yeonggeumjeong Sunrise Pavilion
Day 20
- Leave Sokcho to drive to Seoul (2.5 hour drive).
Accommodation
Sea Cruise Hotel
- Check-in from 15.00, check-out before 11.00
- Address: 273, Cheongchohoban-ro, 24837 Sokcho, Zuid-Korea