Canonical page: /p/south-korea/sokcho/ Collected: 2026-10-18 JSON: /p/south-korea/sokcho/index.json [Ports](/ports/) South Korea # Sokcho [About the port](/p/south-korea/sokcho/)[Timetable](/p/south-korea/sokcho/timetable/2026-10/) Getting ashore Ship's arrangements Into town City bus or taxi Best starting point Daepo Harbour Currency [South Korean won - KRW](https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/?Amount=1&From=KRW) ## Getting ashore Sokcho is a city of about 90,000 people on the Sea of Japan, in the north-east corner of Gangwon-do Province. The cruise terminal is at Port Daepo Harbor, which was upgraded in 2017 to take larger ships. The record call was the Costa Serena, 289 m (948 ft) long, which made its maiden call on 11 May 2018 carrying up to 3,600 passengers and 1,100 crew. Cruise calls paused from February 2020 until 2022 during COVID. The national count is one terminal each at Sokcho, Incheon and Busan, and two at Jeju. Ask the ship for the transfer arrangements in its daily notice, and confirm the berth with the ship, since the distance from the quay to the centre is not known. ## For beach lovers Sokcho Beach has a listed season of roughly 10 July to 20 August, but the beach can be visited outside those dates. Beach camping costs 6,000 won per night. ## For walkers and architecture fans Most visitors come to Sokcho for the Korean Demilitarized Zone, a no-man's-land created in 1953 that stretches about 250 km (160 mi) across the peninsula. In town, the Sokcho Expo Tower is open 09:00 to 22:00 daily, with adult tickets at 2,500 won, teen tickets at 2,000 won and child tickets at 1,500 won. Prices come from listings with mixed update dates, so check at the tower. The Seorak Cultural Festival, held in October, includes street parades, stage shows and contests. ## For nature and outdoor fans Seoraksan National Park is the main draw, with its highest point at 1,708 m (5,604 ft). Koreans know Sokcho as the gateway to it, and regular city buses make it a practical day trip. Abai Village is reached by a hand-pulled ferry costing 200 won, and the Sokcho Sea Boat costs 500 won. The ferry is a short trip, though its journey time is not known. ## For eaters and drinkers Foodtown is a two-block downtown restaurant area aimed at tourists, with karaoke bars and restaurants that have singing rooms. Around Daepo Harbour, more than 100 small restaurants serve seafood based on the day's catch. Red crab costs about 100,000 won in restaurants, while takeaway steamed crab is 15,000 won at the fish market. Sundubu, a soft tofu stew, is usually about 5,000 won, and beer or soju is usually about 5,000 won in restaurants. These prices come from mixed-date listings, so confirm them at the counter. ## Getting around and money Buses from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal leave about every 30 minutes and take 2.5 to 3 hours, at about 15,000 won. Chuncheon has 17 buses a day from 06:15 to 20:00, taking about 2 hours and costing 13,400 won, and the fare to Gangneung is 6,300 won. There are two bus terminals, the Express and the Intercity, about 3 km apart, so check which one your bus uses. Buses to Osaek leave irregularly from the Intercity terminal. Bus information for Seoraksan services dates from August 2009, so check timetables at the terminal kiosk. T-money and Cashbee cards work on city buses, though some postpaid cards are not accepted. There are no trains as of 2023, so the route is the KTX to Gangneung and then a bus. Write the ship's return time in Korean on paper to show at the bus terminal. The won is the currency, and card acceptance and ATMs are not confirmed, so carry some cash. Tourist information kiosks stand beside both bus terminals, and the xe.com link gives the current rate. ## Accessibility & mobility The sources read do not describe step-free routes at the berth, in town or at the bus terminals. Ask the ship about the gangway and the transfer, and check the walk to the terminal before you plan the trip. Plan your call ## Who's in port? 3 calls in the collected schedule. [View timetable](/p/south-korea/sokcho/timetable/2026-10/) ## Maps & transport - [Cruise port on Google MapsDaepo Harbor cruise terminal ↗](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Sokcho+Cruise+Port+Daepo+Harbor+South+Korea) - [Sokcho town on WikivoyageTown guide ↗](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sokcho) ## Useful links - [CruiseMapper port wikiPort overview and terminal history ↗](https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/sokcho-port-12225?tab=wiki) - [Sokcho on WikivoyageBus fares and sights (mixed dates) ↗](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sokcho) - [Convert won to your currencyDaily reference rates ↗](https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/?Amount=1&From=KRW)