# Kiosk ordering and a 5F observatory at Gangneung Sand Main Branch - By Jiwon Kal (https://superchart.com/en/@sokcho-harbor-plate/) - Written Sep 18, 2026 - Local places › Cafés › Gangneung, Gangwon - Sponsored: This post was written as part of a paid visit sponsorship with Gangneung Sand Main Branch. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@sokcho-harbor-plate/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@sokcho-harbor-plate/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/index.md) ## In short Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a cookie-sand souvenir shop and café in Seongnam-dong, Gangneung. The building runs floor by floor, from the 1st-floor experience room up to the 5th-floor observatory entrance, and two Gangneung Sand cookies, strawberry and Chodang corn, were ordered at the 2nd-floor counter kiosk and came out crisp with no sogginess. With cherry blossom packaging and the engraving that marks the original, Gangneung Sand Main Branch is an easy pick for a Gangneung travel gift. ## Good to know - **Location**: 17 Geumseong-ro 23beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon State (Seongnam-dong) - **Hours**: Daily 10:00–20:00, open year-round - **Parking**: Available below the shop - **Floor layout**: 5F observatory entrance / 4F office / 3F lounge / 2F counter / 1F experience room - **Gangneung Sand flavors**: Coffee, dried persimmon, Chodang corn, black sesame, strawberry, sweet potato (6 in total) - **Gangneung breakwater bread (7 pieces)**: 10,000 won - **Dried persimmon jam (150g)**: 10,000 won - **Drinks**: Dried persimmon latte, strawberry latte, Daegwallyeong samgye latte, peach iced tea, canned Americano (hot/iced) - **Event**: Free Americano when you leave a receipt review *as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026* I visited Gangneung Sand Main Branch, the famous cookie-sand souvenir spot everyone talks about for Gangneung travel gifts! ![Main image of Gangneung Sand Main Branch cookie-sand souvenirs](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-01-m84mu-1200.webp) > Gangneung's cookie-sand souvenir, "Gangneung Sand" ## Where is Gangneung Sand Main Branch, and is there parking? Gangneung Sand Main Branch is at 17 Geumseong-ro 23beon-gil, Gangneung-si (Seongnam-dong), open daily 10:00–20:00 year-round. Parking is available too. ![Exterior of the Gangneung Sand Main Branch building](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-02-1h12h-966.webp) The building itself was so big and sleek that I first thought, "is this really it??" haha — but there was a "Gangneung Sand" sign right at the entrance, so I went in with confidence. ![Gangneung Sand sign at the building entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-03-x0eat-966.webp) There's plenty of roomy parking right below the shop 🚗🚗 ![Parking space beneath Gangneung Sand Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-04-drm3a-966.webp) ![Parking lot and entrance direction at Gangneung Sand Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-05-g5x3c-966.webp) Off I went to the entrance! ![Walking into the entrance of Gangneung Sand Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-06-106bl-966.webp) ## Floor by floor: 1st-floor experience room to 5th-floor observatory The actual Gangneung Sand shop (counter) is on the 2nd floor, but there was a floor guide inside the elevator! It was fun seeing how each floor had a different purpose. - 5F Observatory entrance - 4F Office - 3F Lounge - 2F Counter - 1F Experience room Such a varied layout floor to floor — pretty surprising. ![Floor guide sign inside the elevator](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-07-2n7ya-966.webp) ![Guide to Gangneung Sand Main Branch's floor layout](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-08-74cly-966.webp) ## Inside the Santorini-style Gangneung Sand shop The moment the door opened on the 2nd floor, the vibe completely flipped 😍 Blue-and-white tones like Santorini in Greece, plus lemon and olive trees placed around — it genuinely felt like being on vacation 🍋🌿 ![Santorini-style blue and white interior of the shop](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-09-1pl56-966.webp) There's plenty of seating too, so it's not just a souvenir stop — you can actually settle in and enjoy your coffee! ![Seating area at Gangneung Sand Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-10-1rxc1-966.webp) ![Interior with lemon and olive trees](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-11-uoyc7-966.webp) ![Interior decor of Gangneung Sand Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-12-41zpw-966.webp) Inside, there was a whole wall displaying Gangneung Sand's award history — bronze in 2021, gold in 2022, silver in 2025 — they basically swept the Gangneung tourism souvenir competition 🏆✨✨ ![Award history display inside the shop](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-13-blbvc-966.webp) ![Display of Gangneung tourism souvenir competition awards](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-14-kur45-966.webp) ## Gangneung Sand menu and the six flavors Here's the Gangneung Sand Main Branch menu! There are beverages and special items separately, and you can pick and choose your Gangneung Sand flavors. - BEVERAGE: Persimmon latte / Strawberry latte / Daegwallyeong chicken latte / Peach iced tea / Canned Americano HOT / Canned Americano ICE - SPECIAL: Gangneung breakwater bread (7 pieces) ₩10,000 / Dried persimmon jam (150g) ₩10,000 ![Gangneung Sand menu board showing the 6 flavors](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-15-soh8l-m-966.webp) Six flavors to pick to your taste! Coffee / dried persimmon / Chodang corn / black sesame / strawberry / sweet potato For a Gangneung dessert snack, the flavor variety is genuinely huge — I agonized over the choice for a while. ![Order kiosk at Gangneung Sand Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-16-16bhu-966.webp) You order through the kiosk! I picked strawberry and Chodang corn Gangneung Sand, two total. ## Experience and event zones, courier shipping, and the review event Gangneung Sand Main Branch also has an experience zone and an event zone, so there's a space where little kids can play! You can even ship gifts by courier, which is amazing! ![Experience zone and event zone for kids](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-17-1dzzl-966.webp) ![Courier shipping and event information for Gangneung Sand](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-18-p5i4k-966.webp) Gangneung Sand is also running a review event! Leave a receipt review and they'll give you an Americano! Everyone should definitely take part. ![Receipt review event signage](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-19-17cwf-966.webp) ![Cherry blossom concept Gangneung Sand packaging box](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-20-u390n-966.webp) ## Cherry blossom packaging: strawberry vs Chodang corn Gangneung Sand Gangneung Sand's packaging box has a cherry blossom concept and it's just gorgeous — perfect for a Gangneung travel gift 🌸 ![Gangneung Sand neatly arranged inside the box](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-21-i5haj-966.webp) Everything was arranged so neatly and prettily, I thought it'd make the best gift! I'd tried cookie-sand elsewhere before and the bread was a bit soggy, which I didn't love — but Gangneung Sand's was really crisp! And still not hard at all. The strawberry flavor was tangy-sweet, the Chodang corn was more savory, so eating both together gave two totally different charms! ![Cross-section of strawberry and Chodang corn Gangneung Sand](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-22-14wt1-966.webp) ## How to tell the original Gangneung Sand by the cookie engraving And here's a tip a staff member shared! Because there are so many copycat versions of this Gangneung souvenir snack, the original Gangneung Sand has "강릉샌드" engraved right into the cookie surface! I almost ate it without noticing, but when I took a photo, the lettering showed up clearly 👀 ![Gangneung Sand engraving on the cookie surface](https://img.superchart.com/images/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk-23-1ou4x-966.webp) ## Is Gangneung Sand Main Branch worth it for a Gangneung travel gift? Gangneung Sand, the go-to for Gangneung souvenir snacks! Pretty interior, tasty cookies, and a great pick for a Gangneung travel gift. Above all, knowing they've swept the Gangneung tourism souvenir competition made me trust the purchase, and checking the cookie engraving carefully meant I could bring home the real Gangneung Sand without worrying about copycats! Plus six flavors to choose from to your taste! It was fun exploring the Greek-style interior, and with experience zones and an observatory floor by floor, it felt less like a café and more like an actual tourist attraction. If you're deciding on a Gangneung dessert snack or travel gift, I highly recommend Gangneung Sand Main Branch! 🤫💗 ## Where it is - Gangneung Sand Main Branch (강릉샌드 본점) - 31, Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beon-angil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea, 1st–3rd floors - 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/@sokcho-harbor-plate/gangneung-sand-main-store-floors-kiosk/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt