Mokpo is one of the best places to visit in Jeollanamdo. You’ll probably need more than two days to explore all the city’s charms, but if you only have a weekend to spare you can still see some awesome things. Read on!
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How to get to Mokpo
Mokpo has both a bus terminal and a train station you can travel to. It’s best to catch the train to Mokpo from Seoul as the bus takes almost four hours to get there. Be warned that KTX trains from Seoul to Mokpo cost over 50,000 won. You can catch slower trains for half the price but the journey is over 5 hours long.
For train times and prices check here. And for bus times and prices check here and here.
Day 1 – Gohado (고하도) and Yudalsan (유달산)
It’s best to get to Mokpo early to make the most of your first day. Visiting Gohado and Yudalsan requires quite a bit of walking so wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
You can visit each of these locations on separate days. However, Gohado and Yudalsan are close to each other and you can reach them via a trip on Mokpo Marine Cable Car 목포 해상케이블카) – the longest and highest cable car in Korea as well as Mokpo’s main attraction. So, it’s worth exploring both of them at a leisurely pace on the same day.
Mokpo Marine Cable Car address
240, Haeyangdaehak-ro, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do
전라남도 목포시 해양대학로 240
Gohado
Gohado is an island in Mokpo, which you can reach by getting off at the final station of Mokpo Cable Car, Gohado Station.
Tip: it’s best to sit on the left side of the cable when you go up as this offers the best views. It’s worth sitting on the left side again when you go down if you’re leaving near sunset, as the sun will be on this side.
Things to do on Gohado
There are quite a few things to do on the island. The Gohado Yongoreum Dulle-gil Trail is popular amongst locals, but it takes almost 3 hours to complete. With limited time, I think it’s best to visit the tourist attractions nearest to the Cable Car station unless you want to catch a taxi (or walk) to other locations on the island.
Gohado Observatory (고하도 전망대)
The first place you should head to is the observatory. You have to walk quite a bit to get there. When you leave the Cable Car station, walk up some steps and then turn left (you can take the first or second left – they’ll both take you to the right place) to follow the path that leads you to the observatory.
There are some nice views of the city on the way there – you can even view passing cable cars on your walk to the Observatory.
Once there, you can view some on your way to the top, but they’re all in Korean so this won’t be interesting unless you speak the language.
Note: Before you enter, you must get your temperature taken as part of COVID 19 measures.
Gohado Yongmeori (고하도용머리)
Once you’ve finished taking in the breathtaking views the Observatory has to offer, head down to Gohado Yongmeori, which gets you closer to the harbour. I’d suggest using the steps near the observatory to get here. There’s another way to arrive but the steps are easier.
This is a nice walk to do as you’re close to the ocean. There are also several photo zones along the way. My favourite was the dragon as I think it captured the essence of the location well (Yongmeori means dragon head)
The dragon is also near Mokpo Bridge and it’s cool seeing it so close, without driving on it.
Yudalsan (Mt. Yudal)
You can see the wonderful landscape of Mokpo at the summit of Yudalsan, despite the mountain’s low height. It’s an easy hike if you don’t want to take the cable car up to the summit.
You can visit several temples, an Arboretum and Yudalsan Sculpture Park throughout your journey to the top (note – you can visit most of these places separately from your hike, given that they’re not near the peak I think it’s especially worth visiting the Sculpture Park in the spring and autumn because it looks gorgeous during these seasons.
Different sightseeing options
Since Gohado and Yudalsan are close and offer lots to see, there are a variety of ways you can organise your first day in Mokpo.
A ticket lady at Mokpo Marine Cable car explained to me that you can buy a return ticket at Bukhang Station (the first and lowest station for the cable cars) get off at Yudalsan Station to explore the mountain, then hop on again to go from Yudalsan to Gohado, but I’m finding conflicting information about this online, so it’d be best to ask the ticket person. Have Papago ready to translate!
Here are a few ways you can organise your day:
Option 1 – Visit the attractions at the bottom of the Yudalsan, walk to Bukhang Cable Car Station, get off at Yudalsan Station and visit the peak, go to Gohado and explore the island, return to Bukhang Cable Car Station
Option 2 – Go to Bukhang Cable Car Station, take the cable car to Yudalsan Station and hike to the peak, return to Yudalsan Station to catch the cable car to Gohado and explore the island, come back and get off at Yudalsan and hike down the mountain to view the nearby attractions.
Option 3 – Go to Bukhang Cable Car Station, take the cable car to Yudalsan Station and hike to the peak, go back to Yudalsan Station to go to Gohado and explore the island, return to Bukhang Cable Car Station, walk to the bottom of Yudalsan hiking route to explore attractions near the mountain.
Option 4 – Hike up to Yudalsan and explore the surrounding places of interest such as temples and Yudalsan Sculpture park, take the cablecar from yudalsan to Gohado, explore the island, return to Bukhang Cable Car Station.
Option 5 – Bukhang Cable Car Station, catch the cable car to Gohado Station, explore the island, catch the cable Car to Yudalsan Station and hike then peak, return to Bukhang Cable Car Station.
Option 6 – Bukhang Cable Car Station, catch the cable car to Gohado Station, explore the island, catch cable Car to Yudalsan Station and hike then peak, hike down to the tourist attractions near Yudalsan.
Food
All stations have places to eat:
Bukhang Station
CLB Bakery, K Snack, Mom’s Touch, Angelinus, GS25 and more
Yudalsan Station
Dunkin Donuts
Gohado Station
Bulk Coffee, Nakijon Restaurant, CLB Bakery, Dunkin Donuts
Day 2 – Gatbawi , National Maritime Museum, Mokpo Natural History Museum
These three locations are all located near to each other, so it won’t be difficult travelling from one place to the other.
Gatbawi
Erosion over time made the rocks here look like they’re wearing a ‘gat’, a typical Korean hat. It doesn’t take much time to see this unusual rock formation, but you can spend more time in the area by walking up the hill above the rocks, where you’ll see more beautiful views of the city.
Gatbawi is also located in a park, so it’s also nice to walk around that.
Address
149, Namnong-ro, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do
전라남도 목포시 남농로 149 (Check)
National Maritime Museum
This free museum, also known as the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage, is a goldmine for those interested in maritime history. If that doesn’t sound like you, then the museum may not be to your liking, but it’s still worth visiting even if for a brief time. You’ve got nothing to lose!
Address
136, Namnong-ro, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do
전라남도 목포시 남농로 136
Mokpo Natural History Museum
If you like dinosaurs, then Mokpo Natural History Museum is the place for you. Non-dinosaur fans will still be impressed by the large dinosaur exhibitions here, too. Besides dinosaur replicas, the museum also exhibits fossils, and plant, insect, bird, and fish specimens – in fact, no other museum in Korea houses so many of these things.
Address
135, Namnong-ro, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do
전라남도 목포시 남농로 135
Bonus! Dancing Sea Fountain
If you visit Mokpo at the end of April and October then you can also go to the Dancing Sea Fountain performance, which combines light, music and water to create the perfect end to your trip in Mokpo. It’s close to the other locations mentioned on day 2 of your trip, so it won’t be hard to get there.
Address
115 Mihang-ro, Mokpo-si
목포시 미항로115
Conclusion
There’s lots to do in Mokpo but you can see the main sites in just two days and one night. Have fun in this charming seaside city!
