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Voykit pocket guide · South Korea
Donghae
동해
Give Donghae one night as a ferry or cave stop, not a beach base: the coast here is a port, and Gangneung has the sand and the trains.
Donghae is a working east-coast port in Gangwon, built from a 1980s merger of Mukho and Bukpyeong around a fishing and chemical harbour. It is the mainland gateway to Ulleungdo and has one genuinely odd sight — a cave under the city streets — plus a string of small beaches and a lighthouse headland. Most travellers pass through on the bus between Seoul and Gangneung, or sleep one night before an early ferry.
- Country
- South Korea
- Local name
- 동해
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded beaches, rain), Jan–Feb (cold, windy coast)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- KRW
- Money
- Cards work almost everywhere, including taxis, convenience stores and many market stalls; carry ₩30,000–50,000 in cash for street food, small markets and temple donations.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₩50,000–80,000 excl. bed · Mid ₩80,000–140,000 excl. bed · High ₩140,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at airport arrivals; a passport is required, and data-only plans are cheapest.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Travel helpline (24 h, English) 1330
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 60 Hz · Round two-pin European plugs fit; US and UK plugs need an adapter, and US-only appliances need a converter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and cafés: No tip; a service charge appears only in top hotels.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Hotel porter: Not expected; ₩1,000–2,000 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not expected; ₩10,000–20,000 or a meal is a thank-you.
- Water
- Officially safe from the tap; most people drink filtered water, and restaurants serve it free. Bottles cost ₩800–1,500 at convenience stores.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in every subway station; paper goes in the toilet in new buildings, in the bin where a sign asks. Bidets are common.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or bakery bread | ₩3,000–7,000 |
| Noodle or dumpling soup | ₩8,000–12,000 |
| Draught beer, 500 ml, in a hof | ₩2,500–5,000 |
| Taxi base fare | ₩3,800 |
| Cheongok Cave entry | ₩3,000 adult / ₩1,500 teen / ₩1,000 child |
| Sky Cycle ride | ₩15,000 |
| Yuchunji by Mureung entry | ₩6,000 adult Jun–Sep, ₩4,000 Oct–May |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₩20,000–40,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ICN · Incheon International
- Fastest bus link is about 4 h; the practical arrival airport for Donghae.
- YNY · Yangyang International
- Closer, but few flights and weak onward bus links; total time is often longer than via ICN.
- WJU · Wonju Airport
- Closer on the map; limited flights and connections, so check before booking.
Typical fares
- Donghae → Seoul Express Bus Terminal
- about 3 h 10 min (check)
- Donghae → Gangneung bus
- 35–40 min, every 10 min (check)
- Mukho → Ulleungdo ferry
- about ₩51,000 each way, about 3 h (check)
- Seoul → Donghae tolls by car
- ₩11,400 one way
Get around
Local buses cover the city and the coast, but service thins sharply after 18:00, so plan the last ride. Taxis are cheap and faster; the base fare is ₩3,800 with a 20% surcharge from 00:00 to 04:00. Mureung Valley is served by buses numbered 12-something (for example 12-4) for about ₩1,000. A car helps for the beaches and the valley.Local buses cover the city and the coast, but service thins sharply after 6:00 PM, so plan the last ride. Taxis are cheap and faster; the base fare is ₩3,800 with a 20% surcharge from 12:00 AM to 4:00 AM. Mureung Valley is served by buses numbered 12-something (for example 12-4) for about ₩1,000. A car helps for the beaches and the valley.
See and do
Known for
- Cheongok Natural Cave under the city
- Mukho Port and the Ulleungdo ferry
- Chuam Candle Rock
- Mangsang and Chuam beaches
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mureung Valley | City bus 12-something from downtown, about ₩1,000 | About 1 h |
| Chuam Candle Rock and Chuam Beach | Bus or taxi south along the coast | 30–45 min |
| Mangsang Beach | Local bus or taxi 8 km northLocal bus or taxi 5 mi north | 20–30 min |
| Gangneung | Bus every 10 min from Donghae bus terminal | 35–40 min |
| Ulleungdo | Ferry from Mukho Port, once or twice daily, more in summer | About 3 h crossing |
| Taebaek | Bus or the Yeongdong line | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Downtown / Cheongok-dong
- Around the cave, E-Mart and the bus terminal: cafés, bakeries, motels, easiest for one night with bags.
- Mukho
- North of downtown, 5 min by taxi to the ferry terminal; pick this if you have an early Ulleungdo sailing.
- Mangsang
- Beach strip 8 km north; camping and summer resorts, quiet and car-dependent off-season.Beach strip 5 mi north; camping and summer resorts, quiet and car-dependent off-season.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo |
| Thank you | 감사합니다gamsahamnida |
| This one, please | 이거 주세요igeo juseyo |
| How much is it? | 얼마예요?eolmayeyo |
| Can I pay by card? | 카드로 될까요?kadeuro doelkkayo |
| Where is the toilet? | 화장실이 어디예요?hwajangsiri eodiyeyo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A slight bow with a 'annyeonghaseyo'; handshake with the right hand, left hand touching the right forearm; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses with people you have just met
- Age and rank: Expect to be asked your age; it sets how people speak to you. Let the eldest sit and start first; avoid: Calling older people by their given name
- Handing things: Two hands for money, cards, gifts and drinks; avoid: Passing things with one hand to older people
- Subway: Quiet voices, bags off seats, queue at the marked lines; avoid: Priority and pink pregnancy seats, even when empty
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or a boxed gift; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Writing names in red ink — it is used for the dead
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees; bow at the main hall; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; loud talk; pointing at Buddha statues
- Numbers: Know that 4 is unlucky; buildings may show F instead of a fourth floor; avoid: Giving gifts in sets of four
- Sensitive topics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Comparing Korea with Japan or China casually; jokes about the North, the Japanese colonial era, or plastic surgery
Scams and watch-outs
- Buses after 18:00 are few: check the last departure before you go out.
- Chuam and Hansom beaches are only open in July and August.
- The Dojjavigol observatory closes in bad weather.
- The Sky Cycle is closed on Tuesdays.
- Ferries to Ulleungdo can be cancelled in rough weather: build a spare day.
Donghae is a small, safe port city; the real risks are the cold sea, thin bus service after 18:00 and ferry cancellations in rough weather.Donghae is a small, safe port city; the real risks are the cold sea, thin bus service after 6:00 PM and ferry cancellations in rough weather.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Donghae yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cheongok Natural Cave under the city
- Mukho Port and the Ulleungdo ferry
- Chuam Candle Rock
- Mangsang and Chuam beaches
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Donghae city official site (English): www.dh.go.kr/english/index.do
- Wikivoyage: Donghae, revision 5181423 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5181423
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Donghae동해
이 주소로 가 주세요
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Donghae; most are in Seoul. US: Embassy Seoul (check the address).
Tipping is not expected. Buses thin out after 18:00.Tipping is not expected. Buses thin out after 6:00 PM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/donghae). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.