If you’re looking for a new city to check out in South Korea this Summer, I highly recommend spending a long weekend in Sokcho. Located on the Northeast coast of Korea, this beautiful city has tons of things to do such as turquoise water beaches, National Parks, nearby lavender fields, and more. My husband and I visited in mid-June to ensure the lavender fields were in bloom, and it has been one of my favorite trips we’ve taken in South Korea.

Below is our 4-day weekend itinerary:

Day 1

Sokcho is about a 4 hour drive from Pyeongtaek, and 4.5 hours from Seoul, so you’ll want to leave early to make the most of the day.

Stop at a Ski Resort to Ride a Mountain Toboggan. Winter sports are huge here in Korea, but to maintain tourism during the warmer months you can find many of the big resorts offering these mountain roller coasters. We visited the Alpensia Ski Resort for lunch and a few toboggan rides and it was such a fun addition to the trip.

Naver pin here.

Head to Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm. This is such a beautiful farm that is famous in Korea for it’s rolling hills. During the warmer months, it’s a great spot to enjoy the lush greenery and visit with some animals, and it’s also a very famous spot to visit during the winter months in the snow.

Naver pin here.

Grab Burgers at Sunny Place Burger House. We stopped here for dinner the first night since it was near our hotel, and it ended up being the best burgers we’ve had in Korea. Highly Recommend!

Naver pin here.

Day 2

Spend the Day at a Beach Resort. We drove down to Yangyang and spent the day at the famous Surfyy Beach. This was such a cool resort that made me feel like we were down in Bali for the day. There are plenty of food and drink options at the resort and you can rent different styled cabanas as well. It’s worth noting that the ocean area right in front of the resort is only for surfing (mostly surf lessons it seemed). However, there are swimming areas marked off to the sides where you can cool off and relax in the water.

Naver pin here.

Grab Afternoon Coffees at Nomad Coffee. This is the cutest boho cafe right on the waterfront with amazing coffee. There are also quite a few other cafes in the area if you want to do some cafe hopping.

Naver pin here.

Ride the Giant Ferris Wheel and Grab Dinner in Sokcho. The ferris wheel sits right on the beach front and offers a stunning view of the ocean, mountains, and the entire Sokcho area.

Naver pin here.

Day 3

Grab Coffee at Abbey Road Cafe. This rooftop cafe is located at the British-themed Kensington hotel and sits literally right outside the gates of the National Park, offering a stunning view of the mountains.

Naver pin here.

Head to Soraksan National Park. This is definitely one of the most beautiful areas in South Korea with such a unique look. There are several different trails you can take, with the more popular ones being the Towangseong waterfall hike and the Shinseondae summit from Hwaamsa hike. If you take this trip in June though, it might be too hot to do a full hike, however the cable car is still a great option that takes you straight up to a beautiful view point. There are unfortunately no trails off of the cable car mountain top though.

Naver pin here. (For cable car)

Day 4

Grab Souffle Pancakes for Brunch at Rachels Kitchen Cafe. This was another cute spot right by our hotel. The cafe sits right on the waterfront with the cutest pink decor and has super decadent souffle pancakes and coffee.

Naver pin here.

Head to Hani Lavender Farm. Truly one of the most beautiful places in South Korea, this farm instantly transports you to the South of France. I’d recommend checking their Instagram or website to see updates on the lavender blooms; for 2022 and 2023 it was around mid-June (we visited the 19th). The entire farm is extremely beautiful with European architecture and fields of lavender, hydrangeas, roses & other flowers. There is also a gift shop filled with lavender products and lavender ice cream.

Naver pin here.

*This area is also very close to a DMZ Tour area with an observation tower of North Korea. We personally did not have time to visit, but if this interests you and your timeline allows it make sure to check it out on the way to the lavender farm.

Where to Stay

There are plenty of hotels and airbnbs in the area for every budget. We used booking.com to rent an Urbanstay airbnb right on Deungdae Beach in Sokcho (linked here). We were really impressed with our room and view, and enjoyed the area we stayed in as there were plenty of restaurants and cafes right downstairs along the beach.

*as a note, the hotel links above are affiliate links, meaning I will receive a small commission when you book at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my business.

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xoxo