When international travelers think about cycling in Korea, the Seoul-to-Busan cross-country route usually gets most of the attention.
But there is another route that deserves to be much better known.
It follows Korea’s eastern coastline through Gangwon, with the sea on one side and mountains frequently appearing on the other.
The official East Coast Bicycle Path (Gangwon) runs for 242 km, from the Goseong area in the north toward Samcheok in the south. The Korean government’s bicycle-route portal estimates around 16 hours of riding time in total, although in practice this is much more enjoyable as a multi-day trip with stops along the coast.
For international cyclists who want to experience Korea beyond Seoul, this is exactly the kind of route worth knowing.
Why the East Coast route is different
Many of Korea’s famous long-distance bicycle paths follow rivers.
The East Coast route gives you a completely different landscape.
The official course connects places including Goseong, Bongpo Beach, Yeonggeumjeong, Dongho Beach, Gyeongpo Beach, Jeongdongjin, Mangsang Beach and the coastal areas around Samcheok. Along the way are fishing ports, pine forests, beaches and small coastal communities.
That combination is what makes the route interesting.
You are not simply trying to complete kilometers.
You can ride for a while, stop at a beach, have lunch in a fishing town and continue south.
For travelers who enjoy slow, independent travel, cycling becomes part of the way you experience the region rather than simply transportation between attractions.
Don't try to ride all 242 km in one day
The official riding-time estimate is useful for understanding the scale of the route, but it should not be treated as an itinerary.
For most travelers, I would think about the East Coast path as a two- to four-day journey, depending on fitness, sightseeing time and where you want to finish.
Strong cyclists could obviously cover much more distance.
But speed is not really the point here.
One of the advantages of riding the coast is being able to stop.
A café overlooking the sea, a small fishing harbor or a beach you had never heard of before arriving in Korea can easily become the most memorable part of the day.
That flexibility is one of the reasons I personally enjoy traveling by bicycle.
You notice places that disappear when you move between major cities by train or express bus.
Goseong is a particularly interesting place to start
Goseong sits at the far northeastern edge of South Korea.
For many international visitors, it is already well outside the usual Korea itinerary.
That is part of its appeal.
The broader Gangwon cycling network also includes the Peace Nuri Bicycle Trail, which runs through Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Yanggu, Inje and Goseong. The Gangwon section totals about 361.2 km across 20 courses, showing just how extensive the cycling possibilities in this part of Korea already are.
Around Goseong itself, the network passes landscapes such as Ulsanbawi viewpoints, forests, fields, small harbors and Songjiho Lake.
This is a useful reminder that Korea's cycling infrastructure is not limited to the famous Four Rivers route.
There are many places to ride.
The harder question for an international cyclist is often how to reach them with a bicycle.
The difficult part may happen before the ride starts
This is something we keep encountering while working on outdoor travel at YSA.
A cycling route can be excellent once you are on it.
But getting yourself and your bicycle to the starting point is a different problem.
A traveler without a bicycle can sometimes solve this by renting locally. Korea Tourism Organization increasingly promotes cycling experiences where rentals are available, particularly around more accessible destinations near Seoul.
Long-distance cyclists have different needs.
You may already have your own road, gravel or touring bike.
You may be carrying panniers or other luggage.
And you may want to start riding somewhere that is not directly connected to Seoul by a train that conveniently accepts your setup.
That creates a strange situation.
The cycling itself can be easier than getting the bicycle to the cycling route.
This is one of the transportation gaps that became increasingly obvious to us while planning cycling trips in Korea.
Plan the start and finish before planning the middle
When planning a multi-day ride, it is tempting to spend most of your time looking at the route.
Where should I stop?
How many kilometers should I ride?
Which beach looks best?
Those questions matter.
But for an international cyclist, I would start with two different questions:
How will I get myself and my bicycle to the starting point?
And:
How will I get both of us home from the finish?
Only then would I divide the route into daily sections.
This becomes especially important on point-to-point trips.
A beautiful route is much easier to enjoy when you are not spending the final 30 km worrying about whether your bicycle will fit on the transportation you planned to use afterward.
What kind of bike do you need?
You do not need an extreme touring setup for every section of Korea’s coastal cycling network.
A road bike, gravel bike or fitness-oriented hybrid can all make sense depending on the section and your riding style.
More important than the category of bicycle is reliability.
For a multi-day ride, make sure your tires and brakes are in good condition, carry basic repair equipment, and have a plan for a puncture.
Bring a power bank as well.
Navigation, photography and translation apps can drain a phone much faster than expected during a full day outside.
And even when following a designated bicycle route, I prefer having the route available offline rather than relying completely on mobile reception.
Korea is particularly good for this kind of travel
One thing I like about cycling here is how quickly the environment changes.
A ride can pass a beach, mountains, rice fields, a fishing harbor and a small town within the same day.
Food and convenience stores are also relatively easy to find compared with many remote touring destinations.
That makes Korea interesting even for someone who has never considered the country a cycling destination.
The national bicycle portal currently lists not only the East Coast route but also the Hangang, Namhangang, Bukhangang, Nakdonggang, Geumgang, Yeongsangang, Seomjingang, Jeju and several other long-distance cycling networks.
There is already a huge amount to ride.
The route exists. The connection is the opportunity.
This is something we have been learning repeatedly while developing YSA.
Korea does not necessarily need more beautiful outdoor destinations.
Many of them already exist.
The bicycle paths exist.
The mountains exist.
The coastal roads exist.
What can still be difficult — especially for international travelers carrying outdoor equipment — is connecting those places into a trip that feels simple enough to actually attempt.
That is why we are interested not only in showing travelers where to ride, but also in the transportation surrounding the ride.
Because sometimes the most important part of an outdoor trip happens before the first pedal stroke.
And Korea’s East Coast is exactly the kind of place that becomes much more accessible once that first connection is solved.
YSA — Your Story Abroad
Outdoor Travel in Korea. Go beyond the city and experience Korea at your own pace.
