Gangneung

#1 PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Centre

Also known as 2018 Pyeongchang House, it’s located at the Green-city Convention Center in Gangneung and serves as an educational spot for the public leading up to the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, showing the progress of preparations, providing information about the sporting events, as well as interactive activities for visitors to participate.

Address: 2018 PyeongChang House, 131 Chodang-dong, Nanseolheon-ro, Gangneung

Contact: 033-6517122

More info: PyeongChang2018.com  

#2 Jumunjin Beach [Goblin Shooting Location]

Jumunjin Beach is a beautiful shallow beach with clear water and gorgeous blue sky. It’s located at the northern-most part of Gangneung, Gangwon Province. It’s also one of the shooting location for the popular K-Drama Goblin, where the main actress Eun Tak (played by Kim Go Eun) met Goblin (played by Gong Yoo) for the first time in the series.

Address: 81-32 Gyohang-ri, Jumunjin-eup, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, South Korea

More info: 4 Things To Know Before Visiting Jumunjin Beach To Re-create Goblin’s Iconic Scene

#3 Jumunjin Fish Market

Also known as Jumunjin Seafood Market, it’s founded in 1936 and situated next to Jumunjin Port. This market is one of the largest seafood market on the East Coast featuring a variety of “catch of the day” fresh seafood along the wet section and dried items such as seaweed and dried seafood at the dry section.

Address: 38, Sijang-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do

More info: VisitKorea.or.kr (Jumunjin Fish Market)

#4 Bohemian Roasters Café

Bohemian Roasters may not be known by non-locals but it’s actually pretty well-known by Koreans as Mr. Park Yi Choo, Coffee Master, is a first-generation barista in Korea, and the store in Sacheong-myeon, Gangneung, is Bohemian Roasters’ flagship café built with a coffee factory beside it where they roast their own beans. We suggest trying their most popular flavour, the Bohemian Mix as it’s their very own recipe that consist of coffee from Kenya, Columbia, Brazil, and Guatemala.

Address: 107 Haean-ro, Sacheon-myeon, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, South Korea.

More info: 12FLY Visit Bohemian Roasters Café and Factory 

#5 Ojukheon [Saimdang Shooting Location]

Ojukheon is an important destination to visit as it shows the lifestyle of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and it’s one of the oldest preserved Korean houses. It’s also the house of Shin Saimdang, an artist and heroin in Korean history (the woman on the 50,000won bill), where he gave birth to one of Korea’s great men (the man on the 5000won bill), Yulgok-Yi-I (1536-1584). Ojukheon gets its name from the many black bamboo trees that surrounds it and this place is registered as National Treasure No.165. It’s also a shooting location for the currently on-going K-Drama Saimdang, Light’s Diary.

Address: 24, Yulgok-ro 3139beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do

Admission: Adults 3,000 won / Teenagers 2,000 won / Children 1,000 won

More info: English.VisitKorea.or.kr (Ojukheon)

#6 Seongyojang [Saimdang Shooting Location]

Seongyojang house is the residence of the former upper class, Lee Naebeon (1703-1781), known as a noble family of Gangneung in the Gangwon Province. He is also a descendent of the prince. This is built in 1700’s and currently still inhabited by the Lee’s descendants. It’s a beautiful and cultural place to visit especially during the spring/summer season when the pond is filled with large lotus leaves and flowers. We were only there during winter, thus look a little dull in pictures but gorgeous in person. If you are interested, you could also spend the night with the Seongyojang House’s Hanok Stay Programme. It’s also a shooting location for the currently on-going K-Drama Saimdang, Light’s Diary.

Address: 63, Unjeong-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do 

More info: English.VisitKorea.or.kr (Seongyojang)

PyeongChang

#7 Alpensia Ski Jump Tower Lounge

Located in Alpensia Resort, the Alpensia Ski Jump Centre/Stadium/Tower is known as the symbol of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic. It is originally meant to be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2018 Winter Olympics but later decided to built a new PyeongChang Olympic Stadium with the capacity to hold up to 35,000 people. This stadium now scheduled to host a few 2018 Winter Olympics sporting events. You can go up the Alpensia Ski Jump Tower with a monorail at a minimal fee and visit the Alpensia Ski Jump Tower Lounge area as they have spectacular view there! A great place to bring your girlfriend/boyfriend/partner for the outdoor viewing area and have a cup of coffee while you are up there.

Address: 325, Daegwallyeong-myeon Pyeongchang, South Korea

More info: 12FLY Visitation to Alpensia Ski Jump Tower

#8 Yongpyong Resort’s Dragon Peak [Goblin Shooting Location]

Built in 1975, Yongpyong Resort is the very first ski resort in Korea. It’s also a host to some of the sporting events and an active contributor to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. This resort is also very popular thanks to Korean hit drama Winter Sonata and the recent Goblin. Yongpyong Resort was specifically featured in Goblin’s episode 9, where Eun Tak took a part time job to hide from Goblin. They also featured the Gondola that Eun Tak took up to the Dragon’s Peak as well as a magnificent aerial view of the place.

Address: 715 Olympic-ro, Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea

More info: 12FLY Yongpyong Resort’s Dragon Peak

#9 Daegwallyeong Sky Ranch

Also known as the Great Mountains Sky Ranch, it’s is established in 1974 and it’s one huge ranch with many activities to do such as feeding farm animals, horseback riding, and going up to the Observatory Station with a tractor wagon, whilst enjoying the magnificent view. Best to visit during summer as it can get extremely cold during the winter due to the strong wind.

Address: 458-23, Kkotbadyangji-gil, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

More info: English.VisitKorea.or.kr (Daegwallyeong Skyranch)

#10 Uiyaji Wind Village

Uiyaji Wind Village (Uiyaji Baram Maeul) is a mountain village located on top of Daewallyeong, the highlands of PyeongChang County where the 2018 Winter Olympics will be held. This place allows you to enjoy activities such as sheep feeding, ice cream and chocolate making, candle and soap crafting, riding ATV, etc. The programmes vary according to seasons, thus, it’s best you check with your tour agent. It’s also a place you can try Korean food such as memil-mandi (buckwheat dumpling), ongsimi-kalguksu (handmade noodles with sweet rice dough soup), gamja-jeon (potato pancakes), sanchae-bibimbap (seasoned wild vegetables bibimbap), etc.

Address: 137, Kkotbadyangji-gil, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

More info: 12FLY Try Cheese Making at Uiyaji Wind Village

#11 Jeonggangwon

Jeonggangwon is the Traditional Korean Food Culture Experience Center where it was established to preserve, research, distribute and promote the values of traditional Korean food culture to the world. There are various activities you can do here such as traditional food making experience (such as kimchi, red pepper paste, mackeral ssamjang, etc), traditional hanok experience where you get to stay in comfortable traditional rooms and eat healthy Korean food. Museums, etc.

Address: 21 Baekokpo-ri, Yongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

More info: 12FLY Try Bibimbap Making at Jeonggangwon