Taebaek Travel Guide: A Perfect 2-Day Itinerary (Spots, Hotel, & Food)
Taebaek, Gangwon-do, is a highland city located at an altitude of over 700 meters. It is a famous travel destination known for being cool in summer and covered with beautiful snowflakes in winter. This time, I explored every corner of Taebaek on a 2-day, 1-night schedule by car. By efficiently organizing the route around major tourist attractions, accommodations, and restaurants, I was able to have a fulfilling trip even on a short schedule. In this post, I will summarize the Taebaek 2-day travel course, places to visit, accommodation reviews, and local food recommendations based on my actual itinerary.
Travel Course
Major tourist attractions in Taebaek are not far from each other, making it easy to move around. I organized a course centering on natural attractions, experience facilities, and famous restaurants for 2 days and 1 night.
Day 1 Course
Manhangjae Pass → Taebaek Coal Museum → Taebaek Water Chicken Galbi (Lunch) → Yongyeon Cave → Ramada by Wyndham Taebaek (Accommodation)
Day 2 Course
Ramada Taebaek Hotel → Hwangji Pond → Nearby Restaurant (Breakfast) → Maebongsan Wind of Hill → Taebaek Makguksu (Lunch) → Taebaek Paleozoic Museum
Places to Visit in Taebaek
Manhangjae Pass
This is Taebaek's representative mountain pass located at an altitude of about 1,330m. Wildflowers bloom in summer, and the snowy scenery is magnificent in winter. It takes only 5 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the observatory, where you can see the ridge of the Taebaek Mountain Range. When visiting in winter, it is recommended to prepare winter equipment for your vehicle, such as snow chains.
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| Manhangjae Pass |
Taebaek Coal Museum
It is a symbolic place showing the industrial history of Taebaek, which was once the center of Korea's coal industry. It consists of the coal mining process, miners' lives, and a model tunnel experience. The exhibition is substantial, and you can see actual mining tools, making it easy to understand. It is connected to a nearby walking trail, so it is good to stop by and look around.
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| Taebaek Coal Museum |
365 Safe Town
It is the only theme park in Korea with the theme of disaster and safety experience. Programs based on real situations such as earthquakes, fires, and rescue drills are operated here. Although it is an experience-oriented space, the exhibition hall is large, and you can often see children participating with interest.
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| 365 Safe Town |
Yongyeon Cave
It is a large limestone cave designated as Natural Monument No. 178. The internal temperature is maintained at around 12 degrees Celsius throughout the year, making it pleasant even in summer. The lighting facilities are well-equipped, and the structure of the cave formed with stalactites and stalagmites is clearly visible. You can feel the humid air of the cave from the entrance.
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| Yongyeon Cave |
Hwangji Pond
It is a natural pond in the city center known as the source of the Nakdong River. In the early morning, the water fog rises, creating a serene landscape. There are walking trails along the pond, and there are many cafes and resting spaces nearby. It is a good place to stay for a while and take a walk.
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| Hwangji Pond |
Maebongsan Wind of Hill
It is a representative landmark of Taebaek where wind turbines are lined up on the meadow. Vehicles can access the top, and after parking, a 10-minute walk opens up a panoramic view. On clear days, you can see the mountain ranges toward Samcheok in the distance. The wind is strong, but the scenery is refreshing. It is also a famous spot for taking photos of the Milky Way at night.
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| Maebongsan Wind of Hill |
Taebaek Paleozoic Museum
It is a learning-oriented museum focusing on geology, fossils, and dinosaur-related exhibitions. Trilobites, ammonite fossils, and models of Paleozoic strata are on display. The scale is not huge, but the composition is dense, so the viewing is not boring. If you travel with children, it is also good to move to Gumunso or Cheoram Coal Mine History Town after viewing.
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| Taebaek Paleozoic Museum |
Accommodation Review - Ramada by Wyndham Taebaek
Ramada by Wyndham Taebaek is about a 5-minute drive from Taebaek Station. Located in the city center, it is convenient to move to major tourist attractions. The rooms are generally clean and quiet, and basic amenities are well-equipped.
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| Ramada by Wyndham Taebaek |
Breakfast is not provided, but there are many restaurants and cafes nearby where you can have breakfast. There are no separate convenience facilities in the accommodation, but since I visited knowing this in advance, there was no inconvenience. The staff were friendly, and there were not many guests, so I was able to rest fully in a quiet atmosphere.
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| Guest Room |
Taebaek Local Food Recommendations
Taebaeksan Mul-dakgalbi (Spicy Water Chicken Galbi)
It is a restaurant specializing in Water Chicken Galbi (Mul-dakgalbi), a representative food of Taebaek. Unlike the stir-fried style common elsewhere, it features plenty of broth and clear soup. It has a unique history; coal miners used to eat this broth-based spicy chicken to wash down the coal dust from their throats after work. The chicken, cabbage, and potatoes blend together to create a light and savory taste. You can choose the level of spiciness, so you can adjust it to your taste. It is recommended to visit early as there are many local customers during lunchtime. When you actually eat it, you will quickly empty a bowl thanks to the clean soup.
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| Taebaeksan Mul-dakgalbi |
Wonjo Taeseong Silbi Restaurant
"Silbi" restaurants in Korea refer to places that sell high-quality food at cost-effective prices. This place is famous for Hanu (Korean Beef) ribs and seasoned beef (Jumulleok) grilled on briquette fire. The scent of meat is strong, and the smoky flavor remains vivid. There are beef ribs, seasoned beef, and chuck flap tail, and the price is around 30,000 KRW (approx. $22 USD) for 1 serving (180g). Nowadays, meat grilled on briquettes is rare, but the scent is especially good because the outside is slightly seared and the inside is moist. It is somewhat crowded when there are many customers, but the sound and smell of meat ripening on the briquette fire were particularly memorable during the trip.
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| Wonjo Taeseong Silbi Restaurant |
Taebaek Makguksu
It is a specialty restaurant for Makguksu (Buckwheat Noodles) with high buckwheat content. Both water-based and spicy mixed noodles are popular, and the nutty scent of buckwheat is strong. The portion is appropriate, and the broth seasoning is not strong, so there is no burden as a finish to a meal. It is a place where customers continue to come even after lunch time, and it is good to enjoy a neat meal.
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| Taebaek Makguksu |
Travel Tips
Taebaek has a high altitude, so the weather difference is large depending on the season. It is cool in the morning and evening in summer, and it snows frequently in winter, so it is recommended to prepare winter clothes. When traveling by car, the distance between major tourist attractions is about 10 to 25 minutes, and driving is not difficult as the roads are quiet. However, there are icy sections in winter, so it is safe to bring snow chains or use winter tires if you are renting a car.
Maebongsan Mountain and Manhangjae Pass offer the clearest views when visited at sunrise time. Around Hwangji Pond or the Coal Museum is quieter in the afternoon than in the morning. Most tourist attractions have well-equipped parking lots and are relatively relaxed on weekdays. Although it was a short schedule, the entire trip flowed calmly because the route was simple.
Taebaek is a travel destination where nature, industrial heritage, and food coexist. You can explore enough even with a 2-day itinerary. It was a trip that calmed my mind with the highland air and quiet atmosphere.
If you are planning a slightly longer trip, it is also good to move to nearby Uljin, Samcheok, or Donghae to enjoy the wonderful East Sea.
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