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.
East Palace Garden Bird Park
054-777-7200
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Hangul Address
경북 경주시 보문로 74-14
Gyeongju East Palace Garden re-creates Koreas first zoo and botanical garden in the image of a modern Donggung Palace and Woliji Pond. The garden is comprised of botanical garden, agricultural experience facility and Bird Park. In particular, the greenhouses in the botanical garden are built with the design of traditional building from the Silla period but are made entirely of glass, providing this garden with a unique atmosphere.
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.
Gyeongju Historic Area
Hangul Address
경북 경주시 황남동
The Gyeongju Historic Area, registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage on November 2000, is an area that embodies the time-honored history and culture of Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-AD 935).
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.
Cafe The Clamp
010-3595-3138
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Cup Nut
070-7607-1541
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Hangul Address
경북 경주시 놋전1길 23 카페 Cupnut
Chewy homemade donuts made fresh every morning. No parking available.
Cup Nut cafe is a popular donut cafe chain in this area. We highly recommend visiting before you leave.
Beautiful After-dinner Walk
Donggung Gwa Wolji
054-750-8655
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Hangul Address
경북 경주시 원화로 102 안압지
Gyeongju Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond was a secondary palace used by the crown prince of the Silla Kingdom. It also served as a banquet site for important national events and important visitors. The pond was created in 674, during the reign of King Munmu. The pond features three small islands, and a landscape of 12 small hills to the northeast. After the fall of Silla, the site was abandoned and forgotten. The pond was referred to as "Anapji" from the Goryeo and Joseon periods and onwards. In the 1980s, a pottery fragment with the letters “Wolji” (a pond that reflects the moon) carved onto it was found, revealing the true name of the pond. After the discovery, the site was renamed to the current Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond.
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.
Cafe Photopia
010-3596-0806
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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
Hangul Address
경북 포항시 북구 흥해읍 해안로1545번길 24
Donna, Pyeongtaek Travelers: Very interesting temple. As you see you enter through the dragon’s mouth. The journey is through the body of the dragon. I combined the trip to Poyang with a trip to Gyeongju. It is about a 3.5 hour drive from Humphreys with stops. Please note, there are temples across Korea with this same name.
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.
LoveBlanc
0507-1476-3535
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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
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.
Yeongildae Beach Public Parking
Hangul Address
경북 포항시 북구 항구동
Public parking for Yeongildae Beach
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 Ssi
0507-1463-0145
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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.
Youngil Janggi Eupseong Fortress
054-270-2114
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Hangul Address
경북 포항시 남구 장기면 읍내리
Janggi Eupseong is located in Eupnae-ri, Janggi-myeon, Namgu, Pohang. Usually, eupseong refers to a castle surrounded by government offices and private houses. There are quite a few of these types of eupseong throughout the country. Janggi Eupseong Fortress has one characteristic that is different from other eupseong fortresses. There is a town on the top of the mountain. Usually, eupseong is on a flat surface, and some parts of the wall are surrounded by mountains, but rare cases include government and private houses on top of the mountain.
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.
Pohang Unha Hall
054-270-5177
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Hangul Address
경북 포항시 남구 희망대로 1040 물관리센터 3층
Pohang Canal, completed in January 2014, cuts between Pohangs Songdo-dong and Jungdo 1-dong, connecting the waters under Dongbindaegyo Bridge with Hyeongsangang River to the south. The canal has a total length of 1.3km, adding on to the 8~10 km long seafaring road of Pohang. The canal is a restoration of an old water path, and the citizens have welcomed the eco-friendly construction as a community park. Many people enjoy walking along the canal or the romantic experience of riding on a cruise ship through the canal.
Feeling up to a boat ride on Pohang Canal? This next location is about 40 minutes North of the fortress.
Homigot lighthouse
Hangul Address
경북 포항시 남구 호미곶면 대보리 229
Lighthouse next to the Homigot hand sculpture.
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
0507-1388-7118
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1925 Gampo Cafe, a vintage cafe remodeled from an old bathhouse.
Heyan
054-252-0200
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Cafe Heyan is the fanciest epic cafe along Yeongildae Beach. Large bakery selection with sweet and savory treats.
Tetra
0507-1478-4011
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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.
Cafe Gonggam
0507-1364-4496
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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 Gyeongju Gampo
0507-1315-9920
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Don Chicken – For those chicken cravings, here’s a familiar family-owned restaurant with limited seating and parking.
Yeonhwa Baru
054-774-5378
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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
01077255926
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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!
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LeaDan Yee holds a Master’s in Education with a focus in Secondary Education and Teaching – Language Arts and Bachelor’s in Psychology, with a minor in Speech.
As a Cultural Liaison and Content Creator at South of Seoul, Ms. Yee focuses on creating content for families interested in traveling and those with toddlers. She is especially interested in opportunities to share her Native Hawaiian background and empower others to be cultural ambassadors.
Prior to joining South of Seoul, LeaDan worked as a High School Speech Teacher and Adjunct Communications Professor. She specializes in Public Speaking, Argumentation and Debate, Team Management, and Event Planning.
