4 Day Pohang Family Itinerary

ContentsView article sections

Your family will love this 4-day Pohang family itinerary. We had a great time enjoying this scenic and replacing area of South Korea.

About Pohang

It’s always nice to begin by orienting to where Pohang is in Korea. If you already know where the city sits in relation to Busan you can skip straight to the start of our itinerary. If not, let’s take a quick look at where Pohang sits in Korea.

Pohang is a city and administrative district in North Gyeongsang, on the South East coast of Korea. Pohang is divided into two smaller districts, or -gu, Bak-gu and Nam-gu. The two districts are important to know when planning your trip since locations between the two districts can be separated by an hour’s worth of driving time.

Pohang might be known for being a key player in the South Korean steel trade but it’s far from just a city of industry. The city has beautiful beaches, great restaurants, lovely tourist attractions, and much more.

FYI Some Locations are Located Outside of Pohang

I wanted to make sure that you know this trip requires a car since things aren’t all next to each other. In fact, some of the locations in this blog are located in Gyeongju, a worthwhile drive from Pohang OR a rest stop on the way to or away from Pohang.

If you have a kite, then bring it along! You may also purchase one in the souvenir shop at Homigot Village.

It’s important to add that while we visited these locations, we did so over a 4-day weekend. If you’re staying for a shorter period, then consider selecting a hotel or pension that is more centrally located, such as Lahan Hotel Pohang or something along Yeongildae Beach. Of course, you could always break up this itinerary into more than one trip or prioritize locations that you’d prefer.

Day 1: The Drive to Pohang

We start our trips from Pyeongtaek, South Korea which sits about 40 minutes South of Seoul. This means we have the opportunity to stop and visit cool places on the way to Pohang. Since we also drive our own vehicle, we decided to stop in Gyeongju on the way South.

Gyeongju, also in North Gyeongsang Province, was the capital of the Silla Kingdom. You’ll find many national treasures here. A worthwhile weekend trip, especially for history buffs and lovers of traditional architecture.

Gyeongju Palace Garden & Bird Park – Includes a reconstructed Palace, zoo, and arboretum. W16,000 entrance fee and an additional W1,000 to feed birds or fish. Fun for plant and animal lovers. The gardens are especially beautiful during the mid-Spring and Summer. You’ll find small cafes and snacks but nothing really substantial to eat.

Dinner & Dessert

Just a 12-minute drive from Gyeongju Palace Garden is a perfect evening spot for date nights or hanging with friends and family If you started your trip late, we’d recommend going straight to this Gyeongju Historic Area. You’ll find lots of street parking around the park and pond. Highly recommended for walks, especially in the evening. While many areas are still being excavated, you’ll find an observatory, a large park with many photo zones and kites, flowers, muhly grass, a fortress, ancient burial mounds, a breathtaking pond, and lots of hanok architecture. Don’t get too distracted, by the hanok Starbucks and 7-11, we found an impressive hanok cafe that you don’t want to miss.  The locations in this area are easily walkable so just find parking. Parking attendants patrol this area and may request payment for parking.

The Klamp Cafe – Is on a street with beautiful hanok Italian and Korean BBQ restaurants and we would recommend having dinner at one of these locations tonight. The Klamp Cafe opens at 0900 and serves breakfast. Save this location because you may want to return for breakfast on your way home from Pohang.

Cup Nut cafe is a popular donut cafe chain in this area. We highly recommend visiting before you leave.

Beautiful After-dinner Walk

Wolji Pond & Cheomseongdae Observatory – Especially gorgeous at night but remains lovely at any time of day and throughout the year. Both are next to Gyeongju National Museum. All 3 locations are free. The Gyeongju Historic Area is the first of two kite flying locations.

Day 2: Pohang Seaside and Temple Visit

After a big first day and a long night’s sleep, our family was ready to explore Pohang. Of course, we started with coffee.

Photopia, opens at 10AM and if you’re going to visit any cafes in this area, then you absolutely must visit this one. One of the most gorgeous Italian-style cafes you’ll ever find in Korea. Go for the coffee and freshly baked bread, stay for the photo studio and magnificent view. Visit the roof of the photo studio, you won’t regret it.

Daewonsa Temple – 5-minutes from Cafe Photopia, a unique temple, known for its dragon architecture. Park on the gravel area before you reach the temple. There’s a brief but steep climb.

Lunch at Love Blanc cafe is 20-minutes North with an extensive bakery, rooftop coastal views, and photo zones along the rocky coastline.

Hwanho Lake Park – 20-minutes from the temple (40-minutes from Love Blanc Cafe) a beautiful park with the Space Walk, which looks like a roller coaster, is a 333-meter curved steel track. A magnificent display of POSCO steel which you can learn more about while visiting the park. If you’re hungry you can sit down for Korean soups, pork belly, and panchan at Yongildae Hantijae or Italian dinner at Gravy, both located around the park. Of course, feel free to peruse the area as there are quite a few cafes and restaurants to choose from.

After dinner, take a walk along Yeongildae Beach Theme Street (about 1.2 km). You may begin your walk from the lake park and head south. If you’d rather park next to the beach, there are many access points. Parking attendants patrol the beach walk and may request payment for parking. We parked at the location listed and did not have to pay. You’ll also find many cafes and restaurants along the beach.

Day 3

We still had plenty on our list for day 3 of our trip.

Hidden Sea Resort Cafe & Bakery, which opens at 10 AM every day, is technically in Gyeongju but it’s just a couple of minutes South of the seaside Pohang boundary. Gorgeous view, swimming pool and water activities, lovely photo zone. They also have beer and snacks. The signature Hidden Sea Creme Latte has a dark, nutty flavor.

Jangi-eup Fortress on the Eastern ridge of Dongaksan or Mt. Dongak, near Janggicheon Stream. About 15 minutes from Hidden Sea cafe. Just follow the fortress-inspired murals and artwork until you reach a small parking lot. The walk along the fortress wall is around 1k. Some parts have collapsed and other areas include steep inclines. Not stroller friendly. If you want to visit another temple, Go Seoksa Temple is 11-minutes west of the fortress.

Feeling up to a boat ride on Pohang Canal? This next location is about 40 minutes North of the fortress.

Homigot Village & National Lighthouse Museum. Great at any time of day but best at sunrise, if you’re up for that. Like many popular spots, this area is surrounded by food options, mostly seafood, but if you’d like to try the local cuisine, try Nojeokseonghae or Bubu Pocha. We walked along the pier and picked up grilled chicken and squid! Another popular location for kite flying. You may also purchase one in the souvenir shop. 35-minutes from the fortress.

Day 4: Free Day and Getting Back Home

Since we live on the other side of the country, day 4 was all about driving home. I recommend taking your time on Day 4 and leaving plenty of time for traveling home. Enjoy a morning cafe, maybe take one last walk on the beach, and then make your way back.

Remember, if it’s Sunday or a holiday the traffic back toward Seoul can be hectic. Leaving either very early in the morning or late at night may be your best bet for not spending all day in traffic on the freeway. Not planning too much will allow you to check traffic and comfortably adjust your travel plans for the current traffic situation.

Bonus Pohang Cafe Options

If you have time you can also try to fit some of these great cafes into your itinerary.

1925 Gampo Cafe, a vintage cafe remodeled from an old bathhouse.

Cafe Heyan is the fanciest epic cafe along Yeongildae Beach. Large bakery selection with sweet and savory treats.

The tetrapods, lighthouses, and POSCO steel are ever present along the Pohang coast. You’ll even find a tetrapod inspired Cafe.

Bonus Pohang Food Options

As stated earlier, the popular spots listed are surrounded by cafes and restaurants, such as Homigot Village, Hwanho Lake Park, and the Japanese Village walk. There are many regional restaurants to discover in these areas. If you are looking for alternatives, consider these eateries.

Gonggam, a cafe with tonkatsu or pork cutlet! You can also get it stuffed with cheese. For W11,000 you get tonkatsu, rice, soup, kimchi, cole slaw, and mixed vegetables. Also lots of sushi restaurants nearby. We couldn’t find convenient parking outside so we parked at Gampohang Port, behind the cafe. Limited indoor seating.

Don Chicken – For those chicken cravings, here’s a familiar family-owned restaurant with limited seating and parking.

Yeonhwa Baru Bibimbap – Vegetarians should always sample the various Temple foods in Korea. You’ll enjoy the spread here for only W9,000.

Asap Tacos – They deliver and may be found on Facebook and Instagram as @asaptacospohang

Places to Stay in Pohang

Need a place to stay on your Pohang trip? Try one of these 6 spots I recommend!

Join the Pyeongtaek Travelers Group

You are also welcome to join our Pyeongtaek Travelers. The South of Seoul moderated community of active and friendly travelers (most of who live in Pyeongtaek, South Korea) sharing their adventures across the country.

Volunteer with South of Seoul

Interested in working with a fun team of talented volunteers? The South of Seoul volunteer team is always looking for other like-minded folks to research information, compile blogs, and edit content.

SOUTH OF SEOUL EDITORIAL INFORMATION

Article Information & History

Historical Record

Originally written by LeaDan Yee, M.Ed

Originally published May 4, 2022

Article History

May 4, 2022 Originally published Written by LeaDan Yee, M.Ed

No formal audit has been recorded for this article under the current South of Seoul editorial process.

Historical article: This article has not yet been formally audited under South of Seoul's current editorial process. It remains available as part of our publishing history and may contain information that has changed since publication.

Before You Act

South of Seoul articles document information available at a particular point in time. Prices, hours, services, policies, procedures, laws, eligibility requirements, transportation, contact details, and local conditions can change.

Use this article as a research starting point and confirm important details using current official resources, direct contact, Naver Maps, Kakao Map, and other reliable sources when appropriate.

For consequential immigration, legal, medical, or financial decisions, confirm current requirements with the relevant official authority or an appropriately qualified professional.

See something that needs updating?

Help us keep practical information useful. Reader reports are reviewed by our editorial team and do not automatically change this article.

Website

What needs attention? Select a reason Outdated information Business closed or moved Hours changed Price changed Broken link Location or access changed Policy or rule changed Contact information changed Translation issue Other What did you notice? Send to Editorial Team No name or email is required. Please don't include private or sensitive personal information.