Gangneung travel-gift shop, no single-piece sales: Gangneung Sand
In short
Gangneung Sand Main Branch is the original Gangneung Sand store, a three-floor dessert space on Seonggokgoyang-gil in Gangneung, Gangwon. The writer bought two boxes at Gangneung Sand Main Branch, coffee flavor for 16,000 won and Chodang corn flavor for 17,000 won, and shared them with coworkers and parents; because single pieces are not sold, tasting every flavor was not possible. With a 14-day room-temperature shelf life, Gangneung Sand makes an easy Gangneung souvenir to buy early in a trip.
Good to know
- Address
- 1F–3F, 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beonan-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon (Gangneung Sand Main Branch)
- Gangneung Sand coffee flavor
- 16,000 won (box of 10)
- Gangneung Sand Chodang corn flavor
- 17,000 won (box of 10)
- Flavors
- Six: coffee, dried persimmon, Chodang corn, black sesame, strawberry, sweet potato
- Storage
- 14 days at room temperature / 30 days refrigerated / 90 days frozen
- How it's sold
- No single-piece sales; boxes of 10, each piece individually wrapped
- Event
- Free americano for a Naver receipt review
- 3rd floor
- Sand play area for children (paid experience)
- Other branches
- Branch 1 Wolhwa (6 Geumseong-ro 12beon-gil), Branch 2 Chodang (2494 Nanseolheon-ro), Branch 3 Cookie Lab (23 Namgu-gil 30beon-gil)
as written by the visitor on Sep 23, 2026
I was trying to figure out what souvenir to buy after my Gangneung trip, and Gangneung Sand kept coming up, so I bought some.
Where is Gangneung Sand Main Branch, and what other branches are there?
* 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil5beonan-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, 1F–3F, Gangneung Sand Main Branch. I visited the original Gangneung Sand Main Branch, and the building felt modern and huge — the Gangneung Sand sign was visible from far away, so it was easy to find.
Apparently there are three more branches besides the main store.
- Branch 1, Wolhwa: 6 Geumseong-ro 12beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
- Branch 2, Chodang: 2494 Nanseolheon-ro, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
- Branch 3, Cookie Lab: 23 Namgu-gil 30beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
We took the elevator up to the 2nd floor store where the counter is.
Inside the second-floor store and its photo zone
Going up to the 2nd floor where the counter is, the high ceiling with exposed beams gave a sense of openness, and the space decorated in white and blue tones with all kinds of green plants scattered around felt fresh and cool.
There's a Gangneung Sand photo zone set up in one corner, which seems great for taking a proof-of-visit shot.
They had a display of awards from the Gangneung tourism souvenir competition, and seeing that four products — Gangneung Sand, Gangneung breakwater bread, Persimmon for You, and Gangneung coffee tart — had all won, I felt like I'd made the right choice coming here to buy.
Six Gangneung Sand flavors — and why you can't buy single pieces
Gangneung Sand comes in six flavors total: coffee, dried persimmon, Chodang corn, black sesame, strawberry, and sweet potato. Apparently the real original has the Gangneung Sand engraving stamped on it, and there are knockoffs out there, so look carefully before buying!
I wanted to try each flavor, but they don't sell single pieces, which was a bit of a letdown. Also, keep in mind there's an event where you get a free Americano for leaving a Naver receipt review!
The outdoor space and the third-floor sand play area
There was a door out of the 2nd floor store, and outside there was a space like this too. On a cooler, breezier day, sitting outside to eat would probably feel even more relaxing.
Going up to the 3rd floor, there's an experience space where kids can play in a sand pit. There are excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks and the like to use, so it seems great to visit with kids. (Paid experience)
There's a small building outside on the 1st floor with a photo exhibition, so I took a quick look before heading out. Since the workshop is nearby, the smell of butter in the air was really rich and nutty.
Gangneung Sand is a cookie made in-store using top-grade gourmet butter, apparently. Knowing it's made from a signature Gangneung ingredient made it feel like an even more meaningful souvenir.
Gangneung Sand prices and how long the boxes keep
- Gangneung Sand coffee flavor ₩16,000
- Gangneung Sand Chodang corn flavor ₩17,000
Storage is 14 days at room temperature, 30 days refrigerated, or 90 days frozen, so it was convenient to buy early during the trip and carry it around at room temperature without worrying about it spoiling.
The box packaging is also pretty, so it seems good to buy as a gift too. One box holds 10 pieces of Gangneung Sand, individually wrapped, so it's easy to store and hygienic to share.
I thought the box felt pretty heavy just carrying it, and once I opened it up, I understood why.
The Gangneung Sand engraving was clearly stamped in Korean text, which made it a great memento of the Gangneung trip.
Coffee or Chodang corn: which Gangneung Sand tasted better?
The coffee flavor Gangneung Sand had a thick butter cookie packed with coffee-flavored filling. It had a subtle coffee aroma and tasted sweeter than the corn one, so personally the coffee flavor was exactly my type.
The Chodang corn flavor had a thick butter cookie packed with filling full of corn kernels. Biting into a corn kernel in the filling made the corn aroma even stronger. My boyfriend said he liked the corn flavor more because it was less sweet.
Gangneung Sand's cookies are thick and sturdy, so they didn't break easily and could be gifted in their pretty original shape, which I liked most. And with the soft, sweet filling packed inside a butter cookie full of buttery aroma, it felt like really good value for the price.
My coworkers and my parents all enjoyed them too, so it turned out to be a satisfying trip souvenir. If I visit Gangneung again, I'll have to stop by and try the other flavors. If you're looking for a souvenir in Gangneung, I recommend Gangneung Sand!
Where it is
31 Seonggokgoyang-gil5beonan-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea, 1F–3F강원특별자치도 강릉시 성곡고양길5번안길 31 1층~3층
