Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokcho Eottae). At 4 p.m. on Friday, September 25, Chuseok Day, Sokcho (속초) is 21°C and cloudy, with a 100% chance of rain. Today's daytime high is 22°C and tonight's low is 19°C. The temperature gap is small, so the weather feels damp rather than chilly. Families who held their ancestral rites and had lunch headed out in the afternoon, and crowd levels at tourist spots rose all at once.
On the 속초어때 crowd index, six places currently show as 'Very Crowded': 테디베어팜 (Teddy Bear Farm), 테라크랩팜 (Terra Crab Farm), 학사평 콩꽃마을 순두부촌 (Haksapyeong Kongkkot Village Sundubu Village), Dongmyeong Port (동명항), 발해역사관 (Balhae History Museum) and Sokcho Seorak Haemaji Park (설악해맞이공원). If you check the addresses one by one, the first four are all in Nohak-dong (노학동). On a rainy holiday afternoon people crowd indoors, so the crowds have gathered in one neighborhood on the west side of Sokcho. Here is a guide to where to go this evening, and in what order.
Why the four busy spots are all in Nohak-dong
Nohak-dong sits between downtown Sokcho and Seoraksan (설악산), along the road that climbs toward Misiryeong (미시령). 테라크랩팜 is on Haksapyeong 2-gil (학사평2길), 테디베어팜 is on Ulsanbawi-gil (울산바위길), and the Haksapyeong sundubu village is inside the same Kongkkot Village. 발해역사관 is right next to 속초시립박물관 (Sokcho City Museum). They are only a few minutes apart by car, so people's routes naturally overlap as they leave one place and move on to the next.
On top of that, it is raining. Families who dropped their seaside plans look for indoor exhibitions they can visit with their children, and they end up with the same list. 테라크랩팜 (a crab and reptile hands-on center), the teddy bear exhibition, the history museum, and the sundubu village for a meal: the places often recommended as a rainy-day course are all in this neighborhood.
- 테라크랩팜: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Thursdays, so it is open today (Friday). Admission is 7,000 KRW for adults, 6,000 KRW for teens and 5,000 KRW for children. Inquiries: 033-636-6363.
- 테디베어팜: The listed hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, and it is closed Monday through Thursday. Admission is 7,000 KRW for adults, 6,000 KRW for teens and 5,000 KRW for children. However, the Korea Tourism Organization's '대한민국 구석구석 (Daehanminguk Gusokgusok)' page still says 'operations suspended due to fire damage', so we strongly recommend calling 033-636-3680 before you set out to confirm it is open.
- 발해역사관: In the summer season (March to October) it is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Mondays. Adult admission is 2,000 KRW. You can see props from the drama 'Dae Jo-yeong' and exhibits related to the tomb of Princess Jeonghyo.
- 학사평 순두부촌: Opening hours and holiday closures differ from restaurant to restaurant, so it is safer to call the one you plan to visit in advance.
If you leave now, you have a little over an hour
The clock changes things. As of 4 p.m., 테라크랩팜 and 테디베어팜 close at 5 p.m. By the time you drive from downtown, park, buy tickets and go in, you only have about 30 to 40 minutes to look around. On top of that, the last hour before closing tends to be the busiest time of the day, because early visitors haven't left yet and late arrivals are rushing in.
So if you are heading to Nohak-dong this afternoon, we suggest the following.
- Skip the places that close at 5 today: If you enter 테라크랩팜 or 테디베어팜 after 4 p.m. today, it will be hard to get your admission's worth. The holiday lasts until the 27th, so it is much more relaxed to go on Saturday or Sunday right after they open at 10 a.m.
- 발해역사관 is open until 6: If you pick just one indoor visit in Nohak-dong today, 발해역사관, which stays open an hour longer, is the better choice. At 2,000 KRW for adults, a short visit isn't a big cost.
- Avoid sundubu around 5 p.m.: When the exhibitions close, those crowds move straight to the restaurants. If you have an early dinner in the 4 o'clock hour, or push it back to after 6:30, your wait is likely to be shorter.
Slow traffic on Misiryeong-ro, smooth on Seoraksan-ro
According to estimated inbound traffic, Misiryeong-ro (미시령로, toward Seoul) and Donghae-daero (동해대로, coast and downtown) are slow, and only Seoraksan-ro (설악산로, toward Seorak) is moving smoothly. Nohak-dong is wedged between Misiryeong-ro and Seoraksan-ro, so the travel time you experience varies quite a bit depending on which road you take.
When going from downtown to Nohak-dong this afternoon, looping around via Seoraksan-ro may be less congested than the intersections on the Misiryeong-ro side. On the other hand, if you plan to eat dinner in Nohak-dong and head straight back to Seoul (서울), Misiryeong-ro is already slow, so it is better to delay your meal a little and leave after the traffic clears. Roads are wet and braking distances are longer, so keep more distance from the car in front than usual.
Two seaside spots, Dongmyeong Port and Haemaji Park: watch out for swells
The other two places on the crowded list, Dongmyeong Port and Seorak Haemaji Park, are both on the coast. The wave height is currently 1.1 m, which is not high, but the Korea Meteorological Administration is advising caution about incoming swells, mainly along the East Sea (동해) coast, on Chuseok Day. Swells are long waves that form far out at sea and roll in, so even when the numbers look low they can suddenly surge over breakwaters and rocky shores.
- When taking photos at the end of the Dongmyeong Port breakwater or on the rocks around Yeonggeumjeong (영금정), don't go down to where the water splashes.
- Tetrapods wet with rain are especially slippery. Always hold your children's hands.
- The water is still warm at 23.4°C, but the beaches have already closed for the season and there are no lifeguards. We don't recommend dipping your feet in on a rainy day.
Haemaji Park is famous for its morning views, but today the clouds are thick and the evening sea is close to gray. Sunset today is at 18:18, but it will be hard to see, so a short walk before dark and then heading back is about right.
Don't count on seeing the full moon tonight
As the Korea Meteorological Administration forecast, rain continues across the Yeongdong (영동) region today and the clouds are thick, so it will be hard to see the Hangawi full moon. The rain band is forecast to move south on the 26th, so skies over Gangwon (강원) may gradually improve from tomorrow. We recommend visiting the indoor attractions you missed today at a relaxed pace tomorrow morning, and resting near your accommodation this evening.
Tomorrow, Saturday the 26th, a Hangawi folk experience event will be held at 속초시립박물관 and 실향민문화촌 (Silhyangmin Culture Village) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is right next to 발해역사관, so if you postponed your Nohak-dong visit today, you can plan tomorrow's route around this event and cover everything in one trip.
For grocery shopping, the market may be less crowded today
Sokcho City has designated September 14 to 27 as a traditional market promotion period, and during the holiday (24th to 27th) it has placed on-site staff at the market for crowd management and patrols. 속초관광수산시장 (Sokcho Tourist and Fishery Market) is not on today's crowded list. This may be because people have spread out to Nohak-dong and the harbor area.
- Some shops in the market may be closed for the holiday, so if there is a shop you really need to visit, check in advance.
- According to merchants, free parking at the market is 20 minutes, so for a quick shopping trip it is good to plan your route ahead of time.
- Many shops accept 온누리상품권 (Onnuri gift certificates) and 속초사랑상품권 (Sokcho Sarang gift certificates). Ask the shop before you pay.
This afternoon's route at a glance
- 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: If you are in Nohak-dong, visit 발해역사관 (closes at 18:00) and put off the two exhibitions that close at 5 until tomorrow morning.
- Around 5 p.m.: Waits at the sundubu village tend to be longest at this time. Eat a little earlier or later.
- Before sunset at 18:18: Keep your seaside walk short and stay off the breakwaters and rocky shores.
- Heading home in the evening: Wait until the slow traffic on Misiryeong-ro clears before leaving, and slow down on the wet roads.
Today we looked at why Sokcho's crowds gathered in one neighborhood, Nohak-dong, on a rainy Chuseok afternoon, along with closing times and the swell warning for the coast. Did you find it helpful? The holiday continues until the 27th, so don't rush the places you couldn't see today; take your time looking around tomorrow morning. 속초어때 will keep bringing you updates on what's happening in Sokcho throughout the holiday. We'll be back next time with even more useful information.
