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Voykit pocket guide · South Korea
Yangyang
양양
Go for 2 nights if you surf or want a quiet beach base; skip if you have no car and only 5 days in Korea.
Yangyang is a small coastal county in Gangwon, about 28,000 people, on the east coast between Sokcho and Gangneung. It is known for surfing, Naksan Beach and Naksansa Temple. Most travellers come for 1–2 nights, usually with a car or a taxi, because buses between the beaches are infrequent.
- Country
- South Korea
- Local name
- 양양
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded, wet), Jan–Feb (cold, many places closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
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 ₩60,000–90,000 excl. bed · Mid ₩90,000–150,000 excl. bed · High ₩150,000+ 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 | ₩4,000–7,000 |
| Noodle or rice bowl | ₩8,000–13,000 |
| Raw-fish rice bowl (hoe-deop-bap) | ₩12,000–18,000 |
| Beer: draught / convenience store can | ₩5,000–8,000 / ₩2,500–4,000 |
| Taxi, 5 kmTaxi, 3.1 mi | ₩8,000–12,000 |
| Naksansa entry | ₩4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YNY · Yangyang International Airport
- Almost no scheduled flights; check before planning around it.
- ICN · Incheon International Airport
- Main international gateway; bus or train to Seoul first, then a bus to Yangyang.
Typical fares
- Yangyang terminal → Naksan Beach, taxi
- about ₩8,000, 5 min
- Seoul → Yangyang, express bus
- about ₩20,000, 3–4 h
- Gangneung Station → Yangyang, taxi
- about 30 min
Get around
Local buses are infrequent and mostly link the town to Naksan. A taxi from Yangyang bus terminal to Naksan Beach takes about 5 minutes and costs around ₩8,000. The county runs a foreign tourist taxi: ₩20,000 for 3 hours, ₩15,000 per extra hour, booked online or at the terminal information centre.
See and do
Known for
- Surfing at Surfyy Beach and Hajodae
- Naksan Beach and Naksansa Temple
- Pine mushrooms and dried fish
- Seoraksan's eastern slopes
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sokcho and Seoraksan | Bus or taxi north, about 30–40 min to Sokcho | About 1 h |
| Gangneung | Bus or taxi south, about 1 h | About 1 h |
| Pyeongchang | Car or bus via the mountains, about 1 h 30 min | 1.5–2 h |
| Chuncheon | Expressway bus, about 2 h | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Naksan Beach
- Walk to the beach and Naksansa; guesthouses and motels, busiest in summer.
- Yangyang-eup
- Town centre with the bus terminal and market; cheapest beds, no beach.
- Hyeonnam-myeon (Ingu and Hajodae)
- Surf hostels and cafés along Yangridan-gil; needs a car or taxi.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo |
| Thank you | 감사합니다gamsahamnida |
| How much is it? | 얼마예요?eolmayeyo |
| Can I pay by card? | 카드로 돼요?kadeuro dwaeyo |
| Where is the beach? | 해수욕장이 어디예요?haesuyokjangi eodiyeyo |
| Please take me to this address | 이 주소로 가주세요i jusoro gajuseyo |
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 between beaches are rare; without a car, budget for taxis.
- Many beach businesses close outside summer.
- Surf lessons and rentals need booking ahead in peak weeks.
- Check the airport: scheduled flights are limited.
Very safe for tourists. The real risks are rip currents at unguarded beaches, mountain weather on Seoraksan, and taxis after the last bus.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yangyang yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Surfing at Surfyy Beach and Hajodae
- Naksan Beach and Naksansa Temple
- Pine mushrooms and dried fish
- Seoraksan's eastern slopes
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Yangyang County official tourism site: tour.yangyang.go.kr/
- Wikivoyage: Yangyang, revision 5304369 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5304369
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Yangyang양양
이 주소로 가주세요
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Yangyang; most are in Seoul. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all have embassies in Seoul (check addresses).
Tourist information centre at Yangyang General Passenger Terminal: +82 33-670-2397.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/yangyang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.