Gangneung Coffee Festival 2026: Oct 21–25, Free Entry, and the Workshops You Must Book

Bottom line: The 18th Gangneung Coffee Festival runs for five days, 21–25 October, along Gangneung's Anmok Coffee Street. Admission is free, and from Seoul Station or Cheongnyangni it is about two hours to Gangneung by KTX-Eum, then 20–30 minutes by city bus to the site. If your plan is simply to drink coffee facing the sea, just turn up — but if you want a barista workshop or a talk, book on the official site before you travel.

If you didn't know: The festival's signature programmes — Barista's Table, Be a Barista, and Coffee and the Humanities — all require advance reservation. They are not queue-on-the-day events; you apply through the website in advance. Arrive without booking and your day ends at walking the street and tasting at the booths. That is how travellers end up spending the mid-50,000-won round trip from Seoul and missing the one thing they came for. Traffic control is in place around the coffee street during the festival, so check before planning to drive in.

The festival takes place on Anmok Beach itself. A row of cafés faces the sea, and the sand and road in front of them become the festival ground. Gangneung, which calls itself Korea's coffee city, has run this event since 2008; this is the 18th edition. The programme splits in two: things you enjoy while walking — a coffee picnic, coffee concerts, tasting booths — and things you sit down to learn — Barista's Table, Be a Barista, Coffee and the Humanities. The first group needs no booking. The second group needs it, every time.

Getting there is simple. KTX-Eum from Seoul Station or Cheongnyangni reaches Gangneung Station in about two hours, with roughly 14 services a day, the first in the 5am hour and the last in the 10pm hour. A one-way standard seat costs in the high 20,000s won, varying by date and seat, so check the official KORAIL app. From Gangneung Station to Anmok Beach is 20–30 minutes by city bus. Take a morning train and you are standing at the festival before lunch, with an evening train home. It is a festival you can do in a day, without booking a room.

One more thing. If you reach Gangneung after the festival ends on 25 October, the coffee street is still there. The cafés open year-round, and drinking coffee while watching the sea does not require a festival. For those five days, though, the whole street becomes an event ground — busier than usual and harder to park. Whether to take the atmosphere or the quiet day is the traveller's choice.

Journey stage: During the trip · Verified 2026-10-19 · Source Gangneung Coffee Festival official site (coffeefestival.net), Korea Tourism Organization, KORAIL