The most common mistake on a first one-night trip to Sokcho is doing all the market shopping in one go. Buy salted seafood and raw fish at lunch on day one and you spend the whole afternoon at the beach and the port worrying about keeping it cold, and then you still forget something when it is time to leave. Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, Sokcho Beach and Daepo Port all sit inside the city, so the order market → beach → Daepo Port → sunrise → market → Daepo Port lets you visit each twice without long drives.
Why the market comes first on day one
Eating and shopping are under one roof, so you can have your first meal and scout what to buy on day two at the same time. The official name is Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market (formerly Jungang Market), at 12 Jungang-ro 147beon-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon State.
- Hours: 08:00 to 00:00 (individual stalls may differ)
- Layout: a building from basement level 1 to the 2nd floor plus alley-style market lanes, with a raw fish centre in the basement
- What to eat on day one: dakgangjeong (sweet fried chicken) from the dedicated chicken alley, squid sundae and Abai sundae
- Parking: enter the address of the market's large car park directly into your navigation app, which keeps you out of the downtown one-way streets
For directions, search "속초관광수산시장" and "대포항" in Korean on Naver Map or KakaoMap; English searches are far less reliable.
The beach at sunset, Daepo Port for dinner
Sokcho Beach (190 Haeoreum-ro) is about 5 to 10 minutes from the market by car. Allow roughly an hour for a walk, and if you want more, continue along the Badahyanggi-ro coastal path to Oeongchi Port, about 1.74 km. Buses listed for the beach include routes 1, 1-1, 7, 7-1, 9, 9-1 and 93. On days with strong wind or high waves, stay off the breakwaters.
For dinner, move to Daepo Port (64 Daepohang-gil, open every day of the year). The usual way to eat raw fish there is to have it sliced at the fish centre, then take it upstairs to a chojang restaurant on the 2nd floor, where you pay a table fee to sit and eat. The Daepo district public car park is free for the first 20 minutes, then charged in steps up to a daily maximum of 10,000 won.
What to do on the morning of day two and before you leave
- Sunrise: Sokcho Beach faces the East Sea directly. Arrive 30 to 40 minutes before sunrise and look east from the end of the sand
- Back to the market: this is when you buy anything that needs refrigeration, such as jeotgal (salted seafood), dried fish and side dishes. Some stalls only take cash
- Daepo Port for the road: have a last meal or take food away, but if you cannot keep it properly chilled on a long drive home, eat the raw fish there rather than packing it
Pack an insulated cooler bag with ice packs, zip bags so market side dishes do not leak, and a windproof jacket for the wind on the beach and at the harbour.
An hour-by-hour itinerary table, example bus fares, the current status of the Sokcho Eye Ferris wheel and rainy-day alternatives are in the Sokcho one-night course on the WeBring blog, which is currently available in Korean only.