Yangyang café with parking and restroom tips for a 4-person family

Coffee and a boat ride around the river — a page we won't forget

Visit date: Friday, August 28, 2026 / Party: 4

A café on the river? Cafe Dunchi in Yangyang

Our whole family headed to Yangyang for summer vacation. The East Sea is always great, but this time we wanted to make a slightly different kind of memory. That's how we came across this café floating on the river.

And you can even ride an electric boat while drinking your coffee? "There's a café on the river?" — the kids' eyes lit up before mine did. It's called Cafe Dunchi. After visiting, I understood exactly why everyone recommends it haha. Let me introduce it to you all with confidence.

Location, hours, and boat operating hours

Address: 295 Ilchul-ro, Yangyang-eup, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon, South Korea Hours: 10:00–21:00 ** Boat hours: 10:00–18:00 **

It's located on the lower reaches of the Namdaecheon river in Yangyang. The sign says "Namdaecheon Water Sports Center & Café," which confused me a little at first.

A view where the river, sea, and mountains meet

The moment we got out of the car and walked toward the café, the whole family gasped at once. The café floats right on the surface of the Namdaecheon — turn your head one way and you see the sea horizon in the distance, turn the other way and mountains surround you like a folding screen. A place where the river, the sea, and the mountains are all visible at once — I'd never seen a view like this. Who knew Namdaecheon could be this beautiful.

Where to park?

Parking is in the open lot before you cross the bridge, and there's plenty of space, so we had zero parking stress.

Second-floor café seats and the rippling water outside

Heading up to the second-floor café, the view up there was just as good.

Since the café floats right on the river, no matter where you sit you can see the Namdaecheon rippling right outside the window.

It was, quite literally, pure healing.

One drawback: no restroom inside the café

There was one small drawback: no restroom inside the café. But you know how in-café restrooms sometimes smell unpleasant? At least you won't have that issue here. If you can, I'd recommend using the shared restroom at the café entrance before you go up.

The menu: Gangneung beans and handmade desserts

Looking at the menu, the beans are sourced from carefully selected roasteries in Gangneung, the city of coffee. They order small batches frequently for a fresh, clean taste, and even the syrups that go into the drinks and teas are made in-house from good ingredients. Add in handmade desserts like yanggaeng (sweet red bean jelly) and cookies, and the whole lineup felt like it was made with real care.

How we enjoyed it: two drinks + a 30-minute electric boat ride

We got two cold drinks to go, planning to drink them out in the middle of the river on the boat. There were plenty of options for the kids too, so it was fun picking. One sip in, the clean, smooth taste felt like it washed the summer heat right away.

The ₩35,000 electric boat: a family of four self-driving

Finally, the electric boat we'd been waiting for. ₩35,000 gets you a boat for 1–6 people for 30 minutes. It's a low-speed motorboat, so it was a self-drive experience.

We all put on life jackets and climbed aboard. The moment my husband took the wheel and slowly steered us out onto the river, the kids shouted "Whoaaa!" It wasn't fast or thrilling — more like gliding leisurely over calm ripples — which made it perfect for riding with the kids. We stopped the boat in the middle of the river and sat there with the music playing and drinks in hand, completely surrounded by open water. That moment was truly the highlight of our summer vacation.

The kids took turns driving too, saying they felt like they were flying over the water, and stayed excited the whole time. My husband kept saying, "I can't believe a place like this existed."

A gentle breeze, sparkling ripples, the kids' laughter drifting over the river — I wanted to remember this scene forever. As a bonus, we even spotted salmon and dace fish leaping out of the water haha.

Why this tourist-spot café didn't disappoint

Honestly, after all that searching, I've been let down by tourist-area cafés before — crowded, mediocre coffee, you know the type. I've been through that countless times.

But this place —

• A water café on the Namdaecheon with river, sea, and mountain views all at once
• Clean coffee brewed from Gangneung beans
• Handmade desserts made with real care
• An electric boat gliding over calm river water
• And even a walking trail through the salmon ecology park nearby

It was a unique space where café, activity, and healing all come together in one place. If you're looking for things to do in Yangyang, want to make special memories with your kids, or want a different kind of summer vacation, I really recommend giving it a try.

That's Cafe Dunchi in Yangyang — what did you all think? If you're heading to Yangyang, don't miss this unique experience.