Seoul to Gangneung by KTX: Times, Fares and the Last Train

Gangneung sits on the east coast, on the far side of the Taebaek mountains from Seoul. The high-speed line opened at the end of 2017, ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Since then the trip has taken about two hours, which turns the sea into a day trip.

Two Seoul stations. Gangneung trains start at Seoul Station, and most of them also stop at Cheongnyangni in the city's northeast. From Seoul Station the ride takes about 1 hour 55 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes, and a standard adult seat costs 27,600 won. From Cheongnyangni it takes about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 minutes, and the fare is 26,000 won. Some extra trains start at Cheongnyangni, so if you're staying in the east of Seoul, or near a Line 1 or Gyeongui-Jungang Line stop, start there.

The morning trains. On a weekday at the end of October, the first train left Seoul Station at 5:06 a.m. and reached Gangneung at 7:03. The next left at 5:40 and arrived at 7:44. From Cheongnyangni, trains left at 5:27, 6:00 and 6:27. Any of these gives you a full day. A train around 8 a.m. still works, but you'll arrive close to 10.

The trains home. On the same weekday, the last four trains from Gangneung to Seoul Station left at 6:48, 8:30, 9:33 and 10:27 p.m. The last one reaches Seoul Station at about 12:25 a.m., when the subway is down to its final trains, so plan on a taxi from there. If you want to ride the subway back to your hotel, take the 8:30 or the 9:33. Weekend timetables have more trains, but they also sell out first.

Book both directions together, a week or more ahead for a Saturday. Our guide to booking a KTX ticket as a foreign visitor walks through the website, the app and when seats open. Unreserved standing tickets exist, but a two-hour ride standing in the vestibule is a poor start to a beach day.

Gyeongpo Beach and Gyeongpo Lake, With a Short Stop at Ojukheon

Go to the sea first, while the light is clean and the boardwalk is empty. Gyeongpo is about 15 minutes from the station by taxi.

Gyeongpo Beach is Gangneung's biggest beach: nearly two kilometers of pale sand with a belt of pine trees behind it. In November the swimmers are gone, and the beach belongs to walkers, couples and people taking photos. Along the boardwalk you'll find sculptures and big empty frames set up for photos, with the sea behind. The water is a deep, clear blue on a sunny day, and the surf is livelier than at the beaches near Seoul.

Gyeongpo Lake lies just behind the beach, a quiet lagoon with a flat path of about four kilometers around it. You can walk part of it or rent a bike near the shore. On the northwest shore, on a low hill, stands Gyeongpodae, a pavilion first built in the 14th century. An old local saying holds that on a clear night you can see five moons from here: in the sky, on the sea, on the lake, in your glass and in the eyes of the person beside you. In daytime you get a wide view over the water toward the mountains.

A little south of the lake is Chodang, a village of soft-tofu restaurants. The tofu there has long been set with seawater, and the soft tofu stew makes an easy early lunch if you'd rather eat here than at the market. Look for the soft-tofu gelato shops nearby, too. The gelato tastes mild and nutty, and the lines on weekends show how popular it has become.

Ojukheon, briefly. Ten minutes inland by taxi, Ojukheon is the house where the Joseon scholar Yi I, known as Yulgok, was born in 1536. His mother, the painter and poet Shin Saimdang, grew up here. Mother and son appear on Korea's 50,000-won and 5,000-won notes. The name comes from the black bamboo that still grows around the house. Give it 40 minutes: the old house itself, the bamboo and a small museum. Entry has been 3,000 won for adults, and it's open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the last tickets at 5.

Lunch at Jungang Market: Jang Kalguksu, Dakgangjeong and Hotteok

Gangneung Jungang Market is in the old center of town, about 20 minutes on foot from the station and 15 minutes by taxi from Gyeongpo. Its main alleys are covered, which helps on a windy November day. It runs together with the Seongnam market next door, so expect one long maze of food stalls, fish counters and small restaurants.

Jang kalguksu. This is the dish to sit down for. It's Gangwon's version of knife-cut noodle soup, with a red, savory broth seasoned with gochujang and doenjang. The noodles are thick and chewy, usually topped with zucchini, seaweed flakes and sesame. Expect roughly 8,000 to 10,000 won a bowl. It's spicy enough to warm you after a morning on the beach, but most people can handle it.

Dakgangjeong. These are crispy fried chicken pieces tossed in a sticky sweet-and-spicy glaze, sold by the box. The market's best-known dakgangjeong shops draw some of its longest lines on weekends. Dakgangjeong tastes good cold, which is why so many people on the evening train are carrying a box. Boxes come in several sizes, so ask for a small one if you only want a taste.

Snacks to eat as you walk. Hotteok, a pan-fried pancake filled with brown sugar syrup and often seeds and nuts, costs a couple of thousand won. Fish-cake croquettes are a Gangneung market favorite: crisp, deep-fried shells with a filling of fish cake and vegetables. If you'd like to try something from the east coast, look for ojingeo sundae, squid stuffed with rice and vegetables, then sliced and pan-fried in egg.

Most stalls take cards, but carry some cash for the smallest counters. Many stalls start closing in the early evening, so if you want dakgangjeong for the train, buy it at lunch.

Anmok Coffee Street: An Afternoon in Cafes Facing the Sea

Anmok Beach is on the coast south of Gyeongpo, next to Gangneung Port. The road behind the sand is lined with cafes, one after another, and this is why Gangneung is known in Korea as a coffee city. The story locals tell starts small: decades ago, there was a row of coffee vending machines along the seawall here, where people stopped for a paper cup and a view. Today the vending machines have been replaced by cafes several stories tall. Many have rooftop terraces and walls of glass facing the water.

How to pick a cafe. You don't need a famous name. Walk the strip once and choose a cafe with an upper floor and a free window seat. The view is the same blue on every floor, and the higher you go, the more sea you see. A sea-view cafe drink usually costs about 5,000 to 8,000 won, and many also sell cakes and pastries.

When to go. Early afternoon on weekdays is quiet. On weekends the best window seats fill by mid-afternoon, and the beach road gets busy with cars. Between cafes, walk down to the sand: there's a big "ANMOK" sign on a set of steps facing the sea, and a giant coffee-cup frame on the boardwalk that everyone uses for photos.

Staying for the sunset. The east coast faces east, so the sun sets behind the cafes, over the mountains. That doesn't mean you'll miss it. In the last half hour before sunset, the sky over the sea turns pink and lavender, and the water goes silver. Sunset in Gangneung is about 5:25 p.m. at the start of November and close to 5:05 p.m. by the end of the month. If you'd rather watch the sun itself go down, take a taxi back to Gyeongpo Lake, about 15 minutes away, where it drops behind the ridge and reflects in the water.

The Day Hour by Hour: Buses, Taxis and November Layers

Here's a plan that works on a weekday in November. Adjust it to the trains you book.

• 5:40 a.m. Leave Seoul Station. The same train stops at Cheongnyangni at 6:00 and reaches Gangneung at about 7:45.
• 8:00 to 10:00. Taxi to Gyeongpo Beach. Walk the beach, then part of the lake path up to Gyeongpodae.
• 10:15 to 11:00. Ojukheon, if you want it. Or go straight to Chodang for an early tofu lunch.
• 11:30 to 1:00. Jungang Market: jang kalguksu, a hotteok and your box of dakgangjeong for later.
• 1:30 to 5:30. Anmok Coffee Street. Two cafes, a walk on the sand, then the sky going pink before sunset.
• 6:00 to 8:00. Dinner near the station, or back in the center of town around the market.
• 8:30 p.m. Train to Seoul Station, or the last one at 10:27 if you're happy to take a taxi from the station.

Getting around without a car. Taxis are the easy option. Every hop on this route is roughly 10 to 20 minutes, and most cost about 8,000 to 15,000 won. Splitting the fare between two or three people keeps it cheap. Kakao T works in Gangneung, and it's worth using at Anmok and Gyeongpo, where empty cabs pass less often on weekend evenings. City buses connect the station with Gyeongpo, Ojukheon, the market and Anmok for well under 2,000 won. On the beach routes they can come only every 20 to 40 minutes, so check the next bus in Naver Map or KakaoMap before you walk to the stop. T-money and most other Korean transit cards work on Gangneung buses. If you're still deciding on a card, see our transit card guide. Gangneung City also sells an all-in-one tour pass called Gangneung Gallae as part of its 2026–2027 Visit Gangneung Years. Check the official site for what it currently covers before you buy one.

November by the sea. Gangneung is milder than Seoul in late autumn. The Korea Meteorological Administration's long-term averages put November highs at about 14°C and lows at about 6°C. The number doesn't tell the whole story, though: the wind off the sea makes the beach feel several degrees colder, especially in the morning and after sunset. Wear a warm knit or fleece under a windproof jacket, and bring a scarf you can take off in the cafes. Flat shoes are best on the sand. For the rest of the country this month, read our guide to Korea in November.

What the day costs. Rough numbers per person: about 52,000 to 55,000 won for the KTX round trip, 20,000 to 40,000 won for taxis, depending on how many people share them, and 3,000 won for Ojukheon. Add about 15,000 to 25,000 won for food, and the same again for two cafe stops. In total, plan on roughly 105,000 to 150,000 won. Fares and prices change, so check the current numbers in the Korail app.