Sokcho Guide: Everything To Do

Starting our first morning in Sokcho, we arrived to Yeonggeumjeong Sunrise Pavilion. The pavilion stretches over the sea, making it the perfect spot to watch the sun rise out of the water. There is a lower bridge section, and a higher pagoda where we chose to sit and wait. Watching the sunrise is common in Korea so we were among the locals, up in the early hours waiting for the sun to appear.

Sokcho Lighthouse is near the pavilion and has a 360 view of the city. Sadly, as of 2026, the lighthouse is under construction, so it won’t be open until the end of the year. I’ve heard it is a really great place to check out the view, but luckily there are more places to get a higher vantage point of Sokcho. Still, it is a pretty building which can be seen from the Sunrise Pavilion.

COEO is a small coffee shop and roastery ran by a husband and a wife. They only offer coffee, and have a variety of delicious beans to choose from. Michael found his perfect S tier hand drip there, as the tasting notes were exactly his style. We also got a shot of espresso which was slightly bitter, but not bad at all. The owners were very friendly and curious, as not a lot of foreigners visit their shop.

Yeongrangho Lake is a beautiful lake near the center of Sokcho. This is the perfect place to see the mountains, and specifically to see Ulsanbawi at Seoraksan National Park. This photospot is like a hidden gem according to the barista at COEO. The lake is large with a bridge to cross to the other side. It was a clear day so we could see everything easily. On the bridge there is a map showing the names of all the different mountains.

Korea has very few large lakes, so I was excited to take a walk here. Because of its large size, Yeongnangho Lake is a great place to spend a few hours roaming and exploring nature. There were still some cherry blossoms remaining from the trees, looking magical as the petals filled the air. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to love it here so much, but Yeongnangho Lake is what sold me on Sokcho. The amazing view of Ulsanbawi, and the calm waters made me feel healing.

Retaw is a specialty coffee shop near Seokcho Beach. This shop has a very modern beachy vibe with open windows letting in lots of natural light. The interior is rather simple with light wood and metal features. They mainly focus on coffee, but they offer some non-coffee beverages as well. Michael got a pour over and I got a fresh orange juice.

I really liked the orange juice because it wasn’t very sugary. The coffee was well brewed, but he preferred hand drip from COEO. Retaw also offers baked goods and we got their banana bread with espresso butter, which perfectly complimented the coffee. The warm air coming through the window, and cold juice really channeled the summer energy. Feeling refreshed, we headed back down to the beach to soak up some sun.

Sokcho Eye is a Ferris wheel on Sokcho Beach. This is one of the icons of the Sokcho skyline. The line was really short that day, so we bought our tickets and immediately hopped on. The interior of Sokcho Eye felt surprisingly nice as we got a whole car to ourselves, and we could even control the color of the lights. You only go around the loop once, making for a short ride. However, it has an amazing 360 view making it worth it. You can see everything, from the beach, port, downtown, and the mountains.

On one side is a food street with many Abai sundae gukbap restaurants, and seafood restaurants as well. From here, you can take Gaetbae Ferry under the bridge. To ride the boat one way is 500 won per person. This boat is special as it is pulled by a rope and has no engine. You can sometimes help by grabbing the rope with a metal hook and walking to the end of the boat. Under the bridge there are beautiful murals all around. The neighborhood itself has several old style houses from the 70s. Even though it’s a small village, it’s a nice quick stop to get a meal and see a unique part of Korean culture.

Located in the Abai village is, Sinda Sin is a gukbap (rice soup) restaurant that has been open since 1964. They have appeared on many Korean TV programs and received blue ribbons. Blue ribbons are like the Michelin Star of Korea so you know this place is good. They sell a few dishes there but they are famous for their Abai sundae gukbap. Abai sundae is a North Korean sundae made by packing pork large intestines with sweet rice and seonji (blood) in a sausage, then steaming it.

Naksansa Temple is a Buddhist temple near the sea 20 minutes outside of Sokcho. The premise is rather large but with the layout it is easy to make a big loop to see everything. Even though it’s a religious site, there were plenty of people with their selfie sticks and taking pictures with their phones. Korean’s aren’t very religious, so temples are often more like tourist sites.

We started by heading to the temple near the sea. The water was so blue reminding me of Jeju Island. On the walk there are many large buildings, koi ponds, and shrines. Later, we went up to see the Buddhist statue goddess Gwanseum Bosal. Near the statue there is a seating area where many people were gathered looking at the sea. Even if you’re not religious it’s a great open space to enjoy nature and to observe or try some Buddhist practices.

Croft Coffee Roasters is another specialty coffee shop that primarily focuses on espresso based drinks. They clearly state at their shop that they have no non-coffee items or decaffeinated coffee. The building was originally a rice storage facility, giving it a vintage Korean vibe. The interior feels like a workshop as there are school chairs and tool boxes as tables. The shop is narrow and small making it a cozy and chill spot.

Croft Coffee Roasters also roasts their own beans in house, we were lucky to watch them roasting while we were there. Michael and I ordered a latte and an iced cream latte. Michael said they must be high quality milk, as it had an unusually luxurious taste and texture. I had a the cream latte where you drink the cream first then finish with the coffee at the bottom. That was a perfect choice for me as I love the rich cream and Michael could finish the coffee as I’m not really a coffee drinker. As I sipped my drink, I noticed the neighborhood dog Garu stopped by to say hello, what a cutie!

This restaurant has appeared on tv and had very long line. We couldn’t really research what specific stalls we wanted to go to, so we trusted the Korean tourists and followed them. 서민갑부 똑이네 튀김 offers a variety of fried foods, chicken, and more. We ordered potato pancake since most potatoes in Korea are grown in this region, making potatoes very popular.

Another popular dish is makgeolli bread. This shop had the longest line for makgeolli bread and it’s really fresh here. The bread is very soft and spongy and is fermented with makgeolli. It is very yeasty and is topped with beans or fruits. I was surprised by the taste, which was very similar to beer bread, with a spongy texture. The bread is ordered by the slice and the slices are huge. One slice can easily fill 3-4 people.

One thing that we saw all around the market was honey comb ice cream. It is a sweet vanilla soft serve topped with honey and a side of honeycomb. I’ve never ate honeycomb before and it was very sweet and sticky. I can see why this is a popular dessert. But be on the lookout, some Korean honey is sugar fed, and lacks the color and taste of real honey.

Manseok DakGangjeong is a chicken brand mainly based in Sokcho. It is super popular with only 4 menu items that can sell out quickly. When we arrived there was only one item left on the menu, the boneless sweet and sour fried chicken. They serve the chicken cold as this is the best way to enjoy the sauce. I was really surprised as I haven’t had cold fried chicken and I was skeptical. After we took a bite, we were proven wrong. It was very sweet with a slight tang and the chicken was still crispy. It’s literally the perfect chicken for a hot summer day.

LP cafe Soseol is a bar and coffee shop ran by an elderly man. I was skeptical at first that they could offer both alcohol and specialty coffee, but we wanted to see for ourselves. Visiting the bar felt like walking through the 90s as there are VCR tapes, older electronics, and vintage images everywhere. The owner plays music from his collection of hundreds of vinyl. It’s really a great place to wind down with the ambient lightning, old records, and a calm atmosphere.