# Gangneung alley café with parking and corn-kernel sand: Gangneung Sand - By Mina K. (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-cup-sill/) - Written Sep 20, 2026 - Local places › Cafés › Gangneung, Gangwon - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-cup-sill/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-cup-sill/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/index.md) ## In short Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a three-floor souvenir dessert café tucked inside an alley off Seonggokgoyang-gil in Gangneung. Taking the coffee and Chodang corn sand cookies to go, the coffee sand tasted deep and nutty, while the Chodang corn sand had real kernels you can chew, making it easy to eat several. Parking beside the building is roomy for anyone arriving by car, and the gift packaging at Gangneung Sand is neat enough to hand straight to someone. ## Good to know - **Location**: 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beon-angil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, 1st–3rd floor - **Hours**: Daily 09:30–19:00 (last order 18:30) - **Parking**: Available (space next to the building, fairly roomy) - **Flavors**: Coffee, dried persimmon, Chodang corn, black sesame, sweet potato, strawberry - **Drinks**: Canned Americano, dried persimmon latte and more - **3rd floor**: Paid sand play zone (excavator and bulldozer controls, 30 minutes each), observation deck *as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026* Whenever I travel I feel like I can't come home empty-handed, so I always pick up a souvenir. 🎁 On this trip to Gangneung I went looking for something to bring back, and since Gangneung Sand kept coming up as famous, I stopped by Gangneung Sand Main Branch. > Gangneung Sand Main Branch > 📍 Location 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beon-angil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea, 1st–3rd floor > ⏰ Hours Daily 09:30–19:00 (last order 18:30) > 🚗 Parking available ## Where is Gangneung Sand Main Branch, and is there parking? ![Gangneung Sand Main Branch building exterior down the alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-01-1pb2k-900.webp) Walking deeper into the alley, a big building with 'Gangneung Sand' written on it comes into view. Given the location, it didn't seem easy to get here on foot, so I think it's better to visit by car. There's a parking space set up next to the building, and it's fairly roomy. ![Parking space next to Gangneung Sand Main Branch building](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-02-dcpho-900.webp) ![Sign and stairs leading up to the store entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-03-14orz-900.webp) Follow the sign up the stairs and you'll find a white building with blue accents — clean and kind of exotic-looking. It honestly reminded me of Santorini, Greece!! haha It photographs really well too 😆 ![Exotic-looking white building with blue accents](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-04-16x9e-900.webp) You can take the stairs, but there's also an elevator, just so you know! ## Inside the 2nd floor shop and photo zone at Gangneung Sand ![Overview of the 2nd floor Gangneung Sand store interior](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-05-nm2se-900.webp) ![Store seating with plants and generously spaced tables](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-06-vt0ep-900.webp) The actual Gangneung Sand store starts on the 2nd floor. The interior stood out with blue used as an accent color, giving an overall cool, clean feel. There were plants placed all around, and the tables were spaced generously, so it looked like a comfortable place to stay a while. 💙🪴 What caught my eye most was that there's actually a Santorini-style photo zone on the wall! haha Sitting there for a photo made it look like I was really abroad, which was funny lol ![Santorini-style photo zone on the wall](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-07-17x9q-900.webp) Next to the ordering counter there's a lineup that won awards at the Gangneung tourism souvenir competition, and you could really feel the effort put into researching new, delicious Gangneung desserts. ![Display of the award-winning Gangneung tourism souvenir lineup](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-08-1uj3u-900.webp) ![Product display shelf next to the ordering counter](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-09-1q1l3-900.webp) For reference, the original Gangneung Sand has 'Gangneung Sand' clearly stamped on the cookie surface, so watch out for imitations! ![Store display explaining the Gangneung Sand cookie stamp](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-10-16uvy-900.webp) ![Interior display area of the store](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-11-1s4lc-900.webp) ![A corner of the store with blue accent interior](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-12-5zh1x-900.webp) ![Interior view of Gangneung Sand Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-13-c9jsx-900.webp) ![Seating area with plants arranged around](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-14-7nblb-900.webp) ![Space leading up to the 3rd floor](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-15-18ang-900.webp) ### 3rd floor sand play zone and observation deck for kids On the 3rd floor there's a play zone for kids, where they can directly operate excavators and bulldozers on a bed of sand. It's a paid experience with a 30-minute limit each. 30 minutes seemed like a reasonable amount of time, so it could be a nice thing to add to the itinerary for kids. haha I didn't get a photo, but there's also an observation deck, so check it out! haha ## Gangneung Sand flavors and drink menu ![Menu board listing Gangneung Sand flavors](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-16-18qvj-900.webp) ![Display of coffee, persimmon, Chodang corn and other sand flavors](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-17-6x5az-900.webp) ![Sign for canned Americano and other drink menu items](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-18-kulsd-900.webp) Starting with the best-selling coffee flavor, there's also dried persimmon, Chodang corn, black sesame, sweet potato, and strawberry — plenty of options to pick from depending on taste. In particular, the coffee flavor, which captures Gangneung's coffee image, and the Chodang corn flavor, which lets you taste the region's local flavor, seemed like good picks for gifting. Besides the sand cookies, there are drink options like canned Americano and persimmon latte, so you can enjoy them with dessert in the café too. There's also info on how to store Gangneung Sand, worth checking! I picked coffee and Chodang corn flavors to take out ☺️ ## Tasting the coffee and Chodang corn sand cookies ![Boxed Gangneung Sand cookies taken to go](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-19-1ur6c-711.webp) ![Cross-section of Gangneung Sand showing cream between butter cookies](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-20-7w79y-1200.webp) The cookie has a rich butter flavor, and the cream inside is super soft. ![Close-up of the coffee-flavor Gangneung Sand](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-21-100ez-900.webp) ![Cross-section of the Chodang corn-flavor sand cream](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-22-143mw-900.webp) ![Coffee flavor and Chodang corn flavor sand side by side](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-23-1hfw7-900.webp) The coffee flavor was delicious, with a rich coffee taste balanced by sweetness and nuttiness. It's easy to eat and pretty safe, so I get why it's the best-seller. ☕️ The corn flavor tastes like Chodang corn's sweet, nutty flavor, and it's not too sweet, so it's tasty. There are actual corn kernels mixed in too, so it has a nice bite to it. haha The corn one is good for eating several at once! 🌽 ![Neatly gift-wrapped Gangneung Sand packaging](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack-24-79foo-900.webp) You can pick based on your taste, it's great to snack on as dessert, and the packaging is clean, making it good for gifting too — I recommend Gangneung Sand! If you're looking for a special dessert you can only find in Gangneung, it's worth a visit at least once :) ## Where it is - Gangneung Sand Main Branch (강릉샌드 본점) - 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beon-angil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea, 1st–3rd floor - 강원특별자치도 강릉시 성곡고양길5번안길 31 1층~3층 - 37.7775285, 128.8901364 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EA%B0%95%EB%A6%89%EC%83%8C%EB%93%9C%20%EB%B3%B8%EC%A0%90/@37.7775285,128.8901364,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-cup-sill/gangneung-sand-main-store-souvenir-snack/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt