Table of Contents

A memorable road trip to Sokcho and Seoraksan National Park, filled with stunning mountain scenery, fresh seafood, coastal temples, and local craft beer. Unexpected snowfall brought a magical touch to the adventure, while icy hiking trails made exploring Seoraksan both challenging and unforgettable.

Links to the other parts

• Seoul
• Gyeongju
• Jeonju
• Gongju
• Incheon

Sokcho

It was a reasonably short drive, about 2–3 hours, but we decided to stop after an hour to refuel ourselves and see if there was a way to top up our highway card. And I have to say, I was impressed by Korean highway rest stops!

It was nothing like what I was used to: a small petrol station with a coffee counter and a 7-Eleven for snacks. Instead, it was practically a shopping mall! The place had a food court, several small snack shops, a bookstore, and even a dog park!

After a good break, we continued our journey to Sokcho.

Most of the time, the landscape was quite boring, but things changed dramatically as we approached the mountains. Mountain ridges, ravines, and rivers all gave us a hint of Seoraksan’s beauty, which we expected to experience the following day.

Interestingly, Korea has very well developed public safety alert system, we received similar notifications on our mobline a few times a week:

The most fascinating thing for me was seeing traces of snow, something I hadn’t experienced for quite a while. I knew Korea could get cold, but I hadn’t expected to see snow, so I was really excited!

Sokcho is a beautiful, small town that’s incredibly easy to fall in love with. It has a lovely, windy coastline that supplies fresh seafood to countless small, family-run restaurants. If you’re a seafood lover, this place is made for you!

The town also offers fantastic views of the Seoraksan mountain range, which is about an hour’s drive away.

We booked a Wyndham hotel, which was completely ordinary but very well located. After checking in, we headed straight for a seafood lunch, obviously, and finally managed to buy and top up our highway card.

Exploring Sokcho and the Naksansa Temple

It was already about 3 PM, so we didn’t have much time left before sunset. We decided to visit a nearby temple called Naksansa Temple around Jeonjin-ri, about a 30-minute drive from our hotel.

The climb to the temple starts from a lovely sandy beach, which wasn’t particularly appealing in the cold weather.

After a short hike, we reached the top of the hill, where a large gazebo offered outstanding views of the surrounding area.

As an added bonus, the temple was home to plenty of cheeky, playful, furry guests!

Interestingly, local bus stops desinged to protect you from natural forces:

After visiting the temple, we decided to check out a local craft brewery called CraftRoot. Not only did it offer a great variety of beers, but it also served excellent fish snacks.

After a beer tasting, we headed back to the hotel to recharge before our hike in Seoraksan the following day.

Seoraksan

This day was particularly special because it was one of the highlights of the entire trip for me.

A long time ago, my friends and I had planned to organize a bro trip, which unfortunately got cancelled due to COVID. One of the destinations we had considered was the beautiful Seoraksan National Park. So finally getting the chance to visit felt pretty special.

After waking up, we headed straight towards the park. It was cold, and a mixture of rain and snow had started falling. Can you imagine that at just 5 degrees Celsius? But we were mentally prepared and decided to continue anyway!

Before reaching the park, we decided to make a quick stop for a snack, brunch, or whatever you want to call a meal at that time of day.

We picked a random street on Google Maps along the way to Seoraksan, but when we arrived, none of the restaurants or cafés were open.

We had a chance to get a coffee at extremeley nice local coffee shop called On Fine Day, but at that time they didn’t have food:

However, there was something even better: an extended 7-Eleven!

While we were having breakfast, it started snowing!

And for me, it was an absolutely fantastic, mind-blowing experience.

There’s something very special about the moment when the first snow starts falling in Russia. It’s something you anticipate for a long time, something you’ve been waiting for, something you’ve been preparing for. And then, finally, it happens.

Now imagine this: I’m a simple Russian guy who lives practically on the equator, experiencing something deeply personal and fascinating in the middle of nowhere, thousands of kilometres away from home, in Korea.

I was completely stunned and fascinated.

Just you, your loved one, a coffee, a snack, and pure, white snow.

What else could you possibly need?

Hiking in Seoraksan National Park

After that mind-blowing experience, we continued driving towards Seoraksan National Park, where, luckily for us, there was a dedicated car park.

Btw, I extremely enjoyed our rental car - Toyota Aventis! Great driving experience!

The entire place was extremely well organized right from the entrance. You could grab a coffee, get something to eat, take a toilet break, buy any necessary hiking gear (which we didn’t!), and even pick up a heat pack!

This was something I had never experienced before in the Western world: a specially designed chemical pack that keeps you warm for an hour or so. Such a simple but incredibly convenient invention, and apparently very popular in Korea!

Finally, after another coffee and a snack, we started hiking!

And I have to say, the park was absolutely amazing!

The mountain views were breathtaking, but we quickly realized that we wouldn’t be able to complete even the easiest hike because we lacked proper winter gear.

Many people around us were wearing appropriate winter clothing and hiking boots, carrying walking sticks, and even using special traction chains attached to the soles of their shoes.

We hadn’t brought, bought, or rented anything like that. All we had were our usual outdoor clothes and sneakers.

As a result, the hike turned out to be extremely challenging. The trails were simply too slippery, and walking downhill was particularly difficult.

Eventually, I had to find a couple of branches that we could use as makeshift walking sticks to help us get back down safely.

Despite all these challenges, we absolutely loved Seoraksan National Park. The dramatic mountain scenery, the unexpected snowfall, and the whole experience made it one of the most memorable days of our trip.

We enjoyed it so much that we decided we would definitely return during our next visit to Korea.

And guess what? We actually did, in 2026!

The day ended with a great Korean BBQ dinner:

And visit of another iconic local brewery - MontBeer:

If you are in the town, don’t miss the opportunity to check out this place!