Gangneung café for Santorini-style views and corn sand: Gangneung Sand

Gangneung Sand Main Branch (강릉샌드 본점) was great for choosing from six different flavors according to your own tastes, and it also made a nice Gangneung souvenir snack to give after a trip. The crisp sand cookies were delicious, packed generously with cream, and went so well with coffee; since they are individually wrapped, they were easy to share one at a time, too.

Daily 09:30–19:00 · Last order 18:30 · Takeout, group visits, and parking available

How do you get to Gangneung Sand Main Branch?

On a trip with Duyu after quite a while, I was wondering what to buy and ended up visiting Gangneung Sand Main Branch, which I had not managed to visit two years ago. The huge, gorgeous building immediately caught my eye with its white-and-blue combination. It had a Santorini-like feel, and the parking lot was spacious, so it was easy to visit comfortably.

Go around to the left of the building above and you will find an elevator; you need to go up to the second floor for Gangneung Sand Main Branch, a great Gangneung dessert snack spot. Duyu had gone on an enthusiastic walk nearby and waited for her big sister. Hehe.

The colors really did feel like Santorini, and I loved how spacious the shop was. It has also won so many awards in the Gangneung City tourism-souvenir contest—gold in 2022 and silver in 2025, among others. The plaques were lined up, and everything I looked at was decorated so cutely and brightly that I quickly took photos of the shop while there was a gap with no people around.

What flavors does Gangneung Sand have, and how can you buy them?

This spot, which is great for Gangneung souvenir snacks, had six flavors in total: coffee, Chodang corn, dried persimmon, strawberry, black sesame, and the newly released sweet potato. They also sold Americano, latte, and more. You cannot buy single pieces or make mixed purchases, and they keep for 14 days at room temperature or 30 days refrigerated. They say you can even receive a canned Americano for writing a Naver review, so keep that in mind.

I had reserved in advance that day and chosen sweet potato, but it was completely sold out! So I asked about other popular options. I took away Chodang corn, which they said everyone likes with no divided opinions, and coffee.

Opening the Gangneung Sand package at home

The Gangneung souvenir snacks I diligently brought home had such pretty-colored packaging, too. Once I finish them, I want to use the boxes to store little things that are easy to lose, or Duyu's toys.

How was the coffee sand?

First, I opened the coffee flavor, the biggest steady seller among these Gangneung souvenir snacks. It was neatly individually wrapped and looked so, so good for handing out as office gifts. As soon as I opened it, a lovely coffee aroma wafted up~~ and it was filled generously with buttercream. The cookie was crisp yet soft, and personally, I absolutely loved the subtle coffee flavor. This one is my favorite! Hahahahahaha.

For reference, Gangneung Sand is so famous that there are reportedly many similar products. The original has a clear engraving on the surface of the cookie, so please make sure to check that.

What does the Chodang corn sand taste like?

They said lots of people look for Chodang corn as a Gangneung dessert snack, so I chose it. It was generously filled with Chodang corn buttercream, and the little kernels gave it such a great bite. Its distinctive nutty, soft flavor really seemed like something anyone could enjoy.

And these days, Duyu's big sister is living for the pleasure of Gangneung dessert snacks and coffee every day. Oh dear, on weekdays I say, “I’m dieting, so I’ll only eat one,” then I gobble down three or four right there in one sitting. They were so tasty that I keep thinking I should have bought more flavors. Next time, I absolutely need to go early and buy sweet potato and black sesame, too.

This was a great-looking place for Gangneung souvenir gifts: with six flavors, everyone can choose to suit their own tastes, and the individual wrapping especially made it seem ideal for handing out at the office. The crisp cookies were generously filled with buttercream, so anyone could enjoy them.