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Gangwon and the east coast in 9 days: itinerary and hotels

Nine days between lakes and mountains: the gardens of Gapyeong and Nami island, Chuncheon and its rail park, the Seoraksan massif, the beaches and cafés of the East Sea, and the Olympic peaks of Pyeongchang.

Compiled by Kylian, updated on Aug 14, 2026

Download one day as a PDF (day 3) The granite pinnacles of Ulsanbawi in Seoraksan National Park
  • 9 days
  • 21 places
  • 9 nights
  • fast pace
Start
Gapyeong (Gyeonggi)
End
Pyeongchang (Gangwon)
Main transport
Car, express buses and KTX
Recommended season
Autumn (October, foliage) or spring; snowy winter for skiing

What you get

  • The complete itinerary: 9 days sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Hotel
  • The card of every hotel, with the address and a direct booking link
  • Quota tickets, fixed-date tickets and surcharges flagged in advance
  • The country quick guide: weather, transport, formalities, budget
  • A PDF file of 16 pages

What the price does not include

  • Flights
  • Hotel nights
  • Tickets and admission fees
  • Travel insurance
  • On-the-ground assistance during your trip

The itinerary preview

The free day in full, with its hotel card. This is the sample.

Day 7

Gangneung, pavilion and coffee street

Morning

The wooden house of Ojukheon behind its stone wall, surrounded by bamboo
Ojukheon, Gangneung.

Ojukheon

One of the oldest wooden houses in Korea, surrounded by black bamboo (ojuk). It is the birthplace of the great Confucian scholar Yi I (Yulgok) and of his mother, the artist Sin Saimdang, both of whom appear on Korean banknotes. A place steeped in history and family heritage.

Afternoon

Gyeongpodae, the Gyeongpo lagoon and beach

The Gyeongpodae pavilion, a gem of Joseon architecture, overlooks the Gyeongpo lagoon, famous for its cherry blossom in spring. Below it, the long Gyeongpo beach runs along the East Sea.

Evening

Anmok coffee street

Gangneung is the coffee capital of Korea: the Anmok street lines up dozens of roasters' cafés facing the sea, ideal for a break at sunset.

The Sun Cruise hotel shaped like an ocean liner, set on top of a cliff facing the sea

Hotel · Night 7

Sun Cruise Resort & Yacht

An unusual hotel shaped like a cruise liner, perched on a cliff at Jeongdongjin south of Gangneung. A plunging view over the East Sea, a panoramic terrace and one of the finest sunrises in the country.

Address
· 17 Heonhwa-ro 950beon-gil, Gangdong-myeon, Gangneung, Gangwon
Check-in
3:00 PM · Check-out 11:00 AM
Book this hotel (new tab)

Buy this itinerary

€39 incl. tax

that is €4.33 per day of travel

Billed in euros. If your card is in another currency, your bank converts at its own rate.

  • Secure payment through Stripe, bank card, Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • Available immediately in your customer account: online reading with clickable booking links, downloadable PDF for offline use
  • Method: what is checked, and when

A hotel in the itinerary closed or impossible to find, a place to visit permanently closed?

Within 12 months of purchase, email contact@etaperia.com

Itinerary corrected within 7 days, or refunded in full. Terms in article 12 of the terms of sale, on top of the legal warranty (new tab)

€39 incl. tax · 9 days

Buy

A question before buying? Email Kylian, reply within 2 business days.

The day-by-day rundown

9 stops, 230 km as the crow flies

  1. Day 1 Gardens, Petite France and Nami island Garden of Morning Calm Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  2. Day 2 Chuncheon, rail park and lakes Jade Garden and Gangchon Rail Park Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  3. Day 3 Legoland Korea Legoland Korea Resort Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  4. Day 4 Heading for the East Sea: Sokcho Abai village and Sokcho beach Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  5. Day 5 The Seoraksan massif Seoraksan National Park Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  6. Day 6 Springs, passes and a temple by the water Osaek spring, Yongso waterfall and the Hangyeryeong pass Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  7. Day 7 Gangneung, pavilion and coffee street Ojukheon Free
  8. Day 8 Chodang tofu and art by the sea Chodang tofu village Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  9. Day 9 Odaesan and the Olympic peaks of Pyeongchang Woljeongsa, the fir avenue and Sangwonsa Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF

1 day is free to read above. The other 8 unlock when you buy. Buy the itinerary, €39

Found an error in this itinerary? Report an error

Country quick guide and logistics

The essentials of the country, scannable in ten seconds.

Weather and when to go

  • Gangwon is cooler and more mountainous than Seoul: blazing autumn, snowy winter with its ski resorts.
  • At altitude in Pyeongchang, pack a warm layer even outside winter.
  • Four distinct seasons. Hot, humid summer, with the monsoon in July.

Transport and permits

  • A car is ideal on this mountain-and-coast stage, where many sites sit away from the regular lines.
  • Express buses connect Chuncheon, Sokcho and Gangneung well. The KTX serves Gangneung and Pyeongchang from Seoul.
  • Google Maps is restricted in Korea: install Naver Map or KakaoMap, and Papago for translation.

Formalities and safety

  • Passport valid beyond the length of the stay. Short tourist stays visa-free for up to 90 days for many nationalities.
  • K-ETA electronic travel authorization: US and UK citizens, among others, are temporarily exempt until December 31, 2026. After that date, or on another passport, check your status on k-eta.go.kr before departure.
  • Two hiking days (Seoraksan, Odaesan): walking shoes, windbreaker and water. Early start, especially in autumn.
  • No compulsory vaccine; up-to-date routine vaccinations recommended (DTP, hepatitis A and B). Tap water is drinkable.
  • One of the safest countries in the world. Type C/F power sockets, 220 V.

Budget and meals

  • Currency: South Korean won (KRW). Bank cards accepted almost everywhere; a little cash remains useful at the markets.
  • Street food: €3 to €8. Simple restaurant: €8 to €15.
  • Legoland and the Seoraksan cable car are booked online, at reduced prices and in limited numbers in autumn.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I receive?

Your Étaperia itinerary, available immediately in your customer account after payment: readable online with clickable booking links, and downloadable as a PDF for the trip. Every day is sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening and says where you spend the night, with the address and booking link for each place to stay. Timed-entry tickets are flagged in advance.

How is this better than what an AI gives me?

A generative AI composes a plausible list in seconds, without saying what was checked or when. At Étaperia, every itinerary is compiled day by day, with the booking constraints spotted before it is too late to get them. The Method page says what is checked, against which source and on what date.

Can I adapt it to my dates and my pace?

Yes. The days are self-contained blocks: you can shift the departure, stretch a stage or skip a day without breaking what follows. Only timed-entry tickets require adjusting the dates accordingly, and they are all flagged.

What if a hotel or a place in the itinerary has closed?

Email contact@etaperia.com within 12 months of your purchase. If a hotel in the itinerary is closed or can no longer be found, or a place to visit has closed permanently, the itinerary is corrected in your customer account within 7 days, or you are refunded in full. A hotel fully booked on your dates, a seasonal closure or a change in opening hours or prices is not covered. This guarantee comes on top of the legal warranty of conformity; details in article 12 of the terms and conditions of sale.

Module, classic or complete itinerary: which one should I choose?

A classic is a short trip built to stand on its own, designed for a first visit to the country. A module covers one region in depth. The complete itinerary crosses the whole country, and buying it also unlocks each of its modules in your customer account.

Can I get a refund if the itinerary doesn't suit me?

No. It is digital content delivered right away, and you waive your right of withdrawal at checkout. To judge before you pay, every product page gives one full day for free and the list of every stop. After purchase, the guarantee applies: a closed hotel or a permanently closed place is corrected within 7 days, otherwise you get a refund.

Who is selling you this itinerary

  • Consumer mediator: ANM Consommation
  • Payment handled by Stripe: Étaperia never sees your card number
  • Publisher, not a travel agency: you book flights, hotels and tickets yourself

In the same country

This module is one leg of the full itinerary: Complete South Korea itinerary: 81 days, hotels and bookings

The complete itinerary

Or take it one module at a time