# How do you get from Seoul to Sokcho and Seoraksan National Park, and is it doable as a day trip? > Express buses run Seoul to Sokcho in about 2.5 hours; bus 7 or 7-1 reaches Seoraksan in ~25 min. Park entry is free since May 2023; cable car ₩15,000 return. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/sokcho-seoraksan-day-trip-from-seoul-bus-guide - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from a 526-day trip across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-06-23 Take an express bus from **Dong Seoul** or **Seoul Express Bus Terminal** to Sokcho (about 2.5 hours, departures roughly every 30 minutes), then city bus **7 or 7-1** to the Seorak-dong entrance of Seoraksan National Park, about 25 minutes from Sokcho Express Bus Terminal. Entry has been free since 4 May 2023, and the Gwongeumseong cable car costs ₩15,000 return for adults. A day trip works, but Sokcho rewards an overnight. ## Express bus from Seoul to Sokcho: terminals, time and fare • **Dong Seoul Bus Terminal** (Gangbyeon station, Line 2) and **Seoul Express Bus Terminal** (Express Bus Terminal station, Lines 3, 7 and 9) both run frequent buses to Sokcho, roughly 6 am to 9 pm. • Journey time is about 2 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours, longer on weekends in October and on holiday weekends when the expressways jam. • Fares in 2025-26 listings run roughly ₩18,000 to ₩26,000 one way depending on the terminal and seat class (premium buses cost more). Check and book on Kobus or the T-money bus app; seats on autumn weekends sell out. Sokcho has two terminals about 3 km apart: the **Express Bus Terminal** in the south (closer to Seoraksan) and the **Intercity Bus Terminal** in the north (closer to the fish market). Check which one your ticket uses. For getting around Seoul before you leave, see our [3 days in Seoul itinerary](https://clevertourists.com/guides/3-days-in-seoul). ## Local bus 7 / 7-1 to Seoraksan City buses 7 and 7-1 run through Sokcho to the last stop at Seorak-dong (Seoraksan Sogongwon). The ride is about 24 minutes from the Express Bus Terminal and about 38 minutes from the Intercity Bus Terminal. A taxi takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Pay with a T-money card at the reader; it covers buses outside Seoul too. Our [T-money and subway guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/south-korea-transit-t-money-card-subway-guide) explains topping up and transfers. ## Park entrance fee and the Gwongeumseong cable car **Entry is free.** Korean national parks dropped their own entrance fees in 2007, but visitors at Seoraksan's Seorak-dong gate still paid a cultural-heritage fee for Sinheungsa Temple (reported at ₩4,500). That fee was waived from **4 May 2023** under a national scheme covering temples of the Jogye Order. Parking is still charged. • **Cable car:** ₩15,000 return for adults, ₩11,000 for children; return tickets only. The ride takes about 5 minutes, then a short, steep rocky scramble leads to the Gwongeumseong fortress ruins and views over the Seorak peaks. • **Tickets:** sold on site on the day only, with a boarding time printed on the ticket. Hours are roughly 8:30 or 9:00 to 17:30 and are posted on the operator's site a day ahead; strong wind stops service. • **Lines:** in peak foliage season, waits of 2 to 3 hours for a boarding slot are common, and slots can sell out. Buy your ticket first thing, then walk to Sinheungsa or Biseondae while you wait. ## Sokcho itself: beach, fish market and Abai Village • **Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market** (Jungang Market): fried chicken, *dakgangjeong*, squid *sundae* and seafood stalls; the Gaetbae Entrance stop on bus 7/7-1 is a minute's walk away. • **Abai Village:** a neighborhood founded by refugees from the North, known for *abai sundae* and the hand-pulled *gaetbae* ferry across the harbor channel. • **Sokcho Beach:** a long sand beach close to the Express Bus Terminal, busy in July and August. Daepo Port, at the south end of town, is the other seafood stop, with raw-fish restaurants on the waterfront. ## Autumn foliage timing and a day-trip plan Seoraksan is usually the first major Korean mountain to color. Upper slopes turn from late September; the lower valleys around Seorak-dong and the cable car peak from **mid-October to early November**. The Korea Forest Service and KNPS publish forecasts each September. A same-day plan: first bus out of Seoul around 6:30, bus 7/7-1 straight to the park, cable car ticket on arrival, Sinheungsa and the bronze Buddha while waiting, then back to Sokcho for a market dinner and a 7 or 8 pm bus home. Hiking Ulsanbawi rock (a steep stair climb) needs most of a day on its own, which is a good reason to stay overnight. More options are in our [South Korea guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/south-korea). ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is the bus from Seoul to Sokcho? About 2 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours from Dong Seoul or Seoul Express Bus Terminal, with departures roughly every 30 minutes and longer journeys on busy autumn weekends. ### Is Seoraksan National Park free? Yes. National park entrance fees ended in 2007, and the Sinheungsa Temple cultural-heritage fee charged at the Seorak-dong gate was waived from 4 May 2023. Parking and the cable car still cost money. ### How much is the Seoraksan cable car? ₩15,000 return for adults and ₩11,000 for children. Only return tickets are sold, on site and on the day, with a set boarding time. ### Which bus goes to Seoraksan from Sokcho? City bus 7 or 7-1 to the last stop, Seorak-dong. It takes about 24 minutes from Sokcho Express Bus Terminal and accepts T-money. ### When is the best time to see autumn leaves at Seoraksan? Mid-October to early November around the Seorak-dong entrance and cable car; the higher slopes turn from late September. ## Official sources - [Korea National Park Service (Seoraksan)](https://english.knps.or.kr) - [Kobus express bus booking](https://www.kobus.co.kr) - [Sorak Cable Car (official)](http://www.sorakcablecar.co.kr) - [VisitKorea (Korea Tourism Organization)](https://english.visitkorea.or.kr)