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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
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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 (5 mi) northLocal bus or taxi 5 mi (8 km) 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 (5 mi) north; camping and summer resorts, quiet and car-dependent off-season.Beach strip 5 mi (8 km) 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.