Gangneung Café Street Day Trip: How Car-Free Travelers Can Do It by KTX

If you want to get away for the weekend but don’t have a car or much time to spare, a day trip to Gangneung’s café street is just the thing. It’s under 2 hours from Seoul Station by KTX, and once you switch to a local bus at Gangneung Station, even car-free travelers can fully enjoy the Anmok Beach café street. EasyTicket put together a one-day itinerary that leaves in the morning and returns on the last train at night, complete with fares and travel times.

Gangneung’s Café Street: Reachable Without a Car

Gangneung’s café street usually refers to Anmok Beach (the Anmok Coffee Street). It started out with vending-machine coffee on the beach in the 1990s and has since grown into Gangwon Province’s signature café strip, with cafés lined up along the shore. The point isn’t really the “taste” — it’s having a cup with the sea as your backdrop. The whole appeal of this route is sitting with the East Sea straight ahead, watching the waves through a floor-to-ceiling window.
For car-free travelers, accessibility is the biggest question — and the short answer is that it works out just fine. Take the KTX from Seoul to Gangneung Station, then one local bus gets you to Anmok Beach. If anything, this route suits office workers who’d rather spend the day without the stress of driving and parking.

Anmok Beach’s café street is about a 10-minute drive or a 20-minute bus ride from Gangneung Station. You can easily make a day trip work without renting a car.

Check KTX Fares and Travel Time First (Key for Car-Free Travelers)

The success of a day trip comes down to the train schedule. From Seoul Station to Gangneung Station, the KTX takes about 1 hour 54 minutes, and a standard-class adult ticket costs 27,600 won. The first trains run from early in the morning, so if you leave in the morning, you can reach Gangneung before lunch.

If you’re doing a day trip, book your return train first. On weekends and during peak season, evening trains back to Seoul sell out early. It’s safer to lock in your return ticket before your outbound one.

Getting from Gangneung Station to Anmok Beach

Once you get off at Gangneung Station, just catch a local bus from the stop right outside. Take bus 225-1 or 314-1 and get off at the Anmok Coffee Street stop — you’ll be right in the middle of the café strip. It takes about 20 minutes by bus.

• Bus: Gangneung Station stop → Bus 225-1 or 314-1 → get off at Anmok Coffee Street (about 20 min)
• Taxi: About 10 minutes from Gangneung Station to Anmok Beach — decent value if you have a lot of luggage or are traveling with others
• From the intercity bus terminal: Buses 202, 302, 308-1, 225-1, and others also stop at Anmok

Bus intervals aren’t especially frequent, so it’s worth checking real-time arrivals on the Gangneung Bus Information System (BIS) before you head out. You can look up stop names and arrival times directly.

The KTX line also continues from Gangneung Station to Jeongdongjin, so if you arrive early, you could try a variation: watch the sunrise and sea at Jeongdongjin in the morning, then head to the café street in the afternoon.

Hour-by-Hour Itinerary (Morning Departure)

Here’s a day plan built for car-free travelers, paced so you’re not rushing. The key is padding your travel times so you have more room to relax at the cafés.

• 09:00 Board the KTX at Seoul Station → arrive at Gangneung Station around 10:55
• 11:10 Catch bus 225-1 or 314-1 in front of Gangneung Station
• 11:30 Arrive at Anmok Beach, stroll along the café street by the sea
• 12:00 Lunch (a restaurant near the beach, or brunch at a café)
• 13:00 Coffee at an ocean-view café, relax by a floor-to-ceiling window
• 15:00 Bus to Gangneung Jungang Market for a food tour
• 17:30 Wrap up at Jungang Market, head to Gangneung Station
• After 18:30 Board the KTX back to Seoul

Leave a solid 1.5 hours free at the cafés. The real appeal of the Anmok Beach route isn’t rushing to check off spots — it’s the time spent doing nothing but watching the sea.

What Cafés Are on Anmok Beach’s Café Street?

Anmok Beach has a long row of cafés facing the water. The vibe varies a lot from one to the next, so if you plan to settle in at one spot for a while, it’s worth picking your café ahead of time.

• Bohemian: Widely considered the café that started the Anmok coffee street. A good pick if you want an old-school roastery experience focused on the coffee itself.
• Mirmar: A large three-story café known for its panoramic ocean view — a good choice if you want to take in the sea through a wide floor-to-ceiling window.
• L.Bean: Popular for its photogenic ocean views, and a great fit if you’re after a nice photo spot.

With so many cafés along the street, weekday mornings are quiet, but competition for window and terrace seats gets fierce on weekend afternoons. If you want to settle into a good seat for a while, the trick is to grab one sometime between right after lunch and the early afternoon.

Add Jungang Market’s Food Scene to Your Itinerary

If it feels like a waste to visit just for the cafés, work Jungang Market, close to Gangneung Station, into your route. It flows naturally: bus over from Anmok Beach, enjoy the market food, then head to Gangneung Station.

• Handmade fish-cake croquettes: A popular item that’s even been featured on TV. Expect to line up for this street snack.
• Squid sundae: Crispy outside, tender inside — a stuffed-squid take on Korea’s classic sundae. Waits get long on weekends.
• Seongnam Kalguksu: Market-style knife-cut noodle soup for around 3,000 won a bowl. Generous portions that really fill you up.

Popular stalls routinely see waits of 30 minutes or more on weekend lunches and afternoons. If your day trip is on a fixed schedule for the last train, stick to shorter lines at the market to stay on track.

Pre-Trip Checklist

Here’s what to prepare for a smooth car-free day trip.

• Book your return (upbound) KTX first — weekend evening trains sell out early
• Bookmark the Gangneung Bus Information System (BIS) — for real-time arrivals on buses 225-1 and 314-1
• Charge your transit card — for city buses and transfers
• Plan for competition over café seats — arrive on a weekday morning or right after lunch
• Bring a jacket for the sea breeze — floor-to-ceiling windows at beachfront cafés make it feel cooler than expected

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long does the bus take from Gangneung Station to the Anmok Beach café street?

About 20 minutes. Catch bus 225-1 or 314-1 from the stop in front of Gangneung Station and get off at the Anmok Coffee Street stop. By taxi, it’s about a 10-minute ride.

Can I fit in both the café street and Jungang Market on a day trip?

Yes, easily, if you leave in the morning. A solid route is: spend from lunch through early afternoon around Anmok Beach and its cafés, take the bus over to Jungang Market for some food, then catch an evening KTX back from Gangneung Station. Just build in extra time for the market, since popular stalls can mean long waits.

Is it hard to get a seat at the cafés on weekends?

Yes — window and terrace seats get competitive on weekend afternoons. If you want to settle into a good ocean-view spot for a while, arrive right after lunch or in the early afternoon to grab a seat first. Weekday mornings are comparatively quiet.

Can I do Gangneung entirely by KTX, without a car?

Absolutely. It’s about 1 hour 54 minutes by KTX from Seoul Station to Gangneung Station, and city buses connect Gangneung Station to both Anmok Beach and Jungang Market. In fact, skipping the parking and driving stress can make a day trip even easier.

The one variable that makes or breaks a day trip is your return KTX time. Book your return ticket before your outbound one, and leave yourself plenty of time to relax at a café — do that, and you’ll get to enjoy Gangneung’s coast properly. It makes for a plenty romantic day even without a car, so start by booking your tickets.

Sources

• Gangneung Anmok Beach Coffee Street – Open Tourism, Korea Tourism Organization
• Gangneung Day Trip Course – Korea Tourism Organization