A Weekend in Pohang, Korea | Homigot sunrise, fresh fish, and ocean views

Winter comes without much warning here in Korea, so when I saw that the weather in Pohang would be in the double digits for the last time until March, I jumped at the chance to explore without my thick padding coat one last time.

I got on the 6:45 train to Pohang out of Seoul Station and arrived just after 9am. I immediately hopped into a taxi and 17,000won and 20 minutes later, I was at Igari Observatory (이가리 닻 전망대) (map). It is possible to take a bus there from the train station but it was over an hour, so taxi it was!

The Igari Observatory is a charming little pier with lots of little cut outs so you can look down into the crystal clear water. Depending on what time you arrive, you can even walk beneath it on the rocks. I was there at relatively low tide so I was able to marvel at the sea glass and large, uncrushed shells that peppered the beach.

After that, I took another taxi (4,000won) down the road to Arrangement Cafe (어레인지먼트) (map) for breakfast, coffee, and an ocean view. My croissant was lovely, but the giant balconies and windows with unobstructed views out to the east sea stole the show.

I stayed at the cafe for a few hours just reading and looking at the sea and then called my last taxi of the day. This was my most expensive trip at 20,300won but again, it was an hour on the bus (which had no schedule listed so it was unclear how long I would wait) or 20 minutes in a cab. Depending on the traffic, this could be a lot cheaper - I just got stuck in the Saturday morning rush. My destination was the Hwanho Park Space Walk (환호공원 스페이스워크) (map).

This rollercoaster-esque structure was built in 2021 by German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth. It’s meant to look like a walkable rollercoaster but the upside down bit is blocked off ;)

The line to walk on this was immense and I didnt even think about getting in it. If you go on a weekday or earlier in the day perhaps its better, but for me I was fine taking photos from the ground. I’ve heard from friends that it sways a bit in the wind so be careful up there!

I made my way down from the Space Walk to grab lunch at Hwanyeo Fish House (환여횟집) (map) which is a famous restaurant that my friend, who was born and raised in Pohang, recommended. Their main dish is something called mul-hwae which literally translated is “water raw fish.” And that’s exactly what it is! The dish is raw fish with a cold broth that is a little sour (more like vinegar-y) and some cucumber. It’s extremely refreshing but be warned - you will leave the table ready to enter a food coma.

After you’re full, roll yourself across the street towards the beach and visit Yeongildae Observatory (영일대 전망대) (map) to look out over the water and take a break.

I then took a long bus ride over to the Homigot area of Pohang. This was easy to get to by bus and is very much a quiet fishing town compared to the main center of the city. I stayed in a house that was owned by the absolute sweetest couple and I can’t recommend it enough. Here’s the link on Airbnb. I took a power nap at home and then headed across the little bay to a cafe called Offing (map) where I was able to drink tea and watch the sunset. Offing is also a B&B so if you’re looking for other accommodations, the hosts seemed nice - didn’t see the rooms tho!

Then at 7am my alarm went off. The sky was already lightening so I new I had to hurry. I gave myself about 20 minutes before sunrise (I checked using my weather app) to walk over to Homigot Village and the Homigot Hand (상생의손) (map).

This little bit of Pohang is actually the eastern-most point in all of Korea so it is the first place in the country that sees the sun come up over the horizon. It’s a huge deal to visit here the morning of January 1st as well as the first morning of the lunar new year.

I arrived pretty much exactly when the sun was about to rise but luckily there was a little cluster of clouds on the horizon that delayed its arrival. I was able to take in the crowd and hear everyone start screaming when the very first speck of sunlight was visible. It was a really moving experience and I highly recommend it to anyone - even those who aren’t morning people. There is a cafe right on the water where you can get a coffee and then you can go home and climb back into bed. But trust me, its worth it to see it at least once!

I did, in fact, go back home and go to bed and as I did, a storm rolled in. Of course it was right when I checked out of my Airbnb and started walking to my next destination that is started to rain. Luckily, Cafe Lounge (케이프라운지) (map) wasn’t too far and the wind only knocked me off course once or twice. It was stunning to watch the wind whip up white caps and crash waves into the light house while I was cozy and warm with my coffee and pesto croffle.

It did end up pouring as I ran to my bus to get back into Pohang city center, but the gorgeous bus ride along the coast was long enough for my rain coat to dry out :)

Bus Schedule

The chart you need is at the bottom and is for the Donghae (동해) buses. You can take any 동해 bus number - its usually 동해3.

The route starts at the first column and turns around at Homigot which I circled in yellow. The columns after that are for after the bus has turned and is heading back to the start. So if you’re at the Homigot stop, the yellow circled ones are your times (give or take 5 minutes) but if you’re at my stop (here) you know the bus will come between the Homigot time and the time in the column to the right. So between 6:40 and 6:55 or between 7:45 and 8:00. Does that make sense? It’s not a perfect science but its better than waiting at the bus stop for 40 minutes :’)

If the bus doesnt take you where you need to go and drops you off at the end of the route - you can take the 9000, 900, and 209 to get to the express bus terminal, the market, etc.

My last stop before taking my bus home was Jukdo Market (죽도시장) (map) which I inexplicably have no photos of. The market was busy on a Sunday afternoon despite the rain and I feel like I only saw half of it. Every time I turned down a row of stalls, I’d see an entirely new section with endless rows of its own. There is also a 24 hour crab and seafood market at the back which was even more crowded!

I ended up getting some spicy fish cake at a relatively famous kimbap stall called Yugang’ Mom Hand Kimbap (유강엄마손김밥) (map). I got a kimbap to go and it actually made it all the way back to Seoul. My husband is a big fan of this smaller type of kimbap and he loved it! You definitely need cash though so come prepared.

After that I headed down to the Pohang Express Bus Terminal (walkable distance from the market) and took my bus home. It was a lovely weekend and highly recommend it even for solo travelers. I’ll definitely be back!