DCT Family Guide

While searching for a winter trip destination with my 30-month-old, I discovered Sokcho Seorak Waterpia. Initially, I thought, “Is a water park okay for such a young child?” But when I learned they had a separate kids zone with shallow water and hot springs, I decided to give it a try.

We visited for 2 days and 1 night during the third week of April 2024 on a weekday. Bottom line: my child didn’t want to leave the water, and I found total relaxation in the hot springs. (My husband was off riding the slides.)

In this post, I’ll honestly cover everything you need to know when visiting Waterpia with a child around 30 months old, the actual Kids Zone experience, what to pack, and dining tips.

What is Sokcho Seorak Waterpia?

Seorak Waterpia is a hot spring + water park complex located inside Hanwha Resort Seorak Sonobell in Sokcho. It’s indoors, so it’s available year-round.

What’s unique is that it’s more of a “hot spring-focused spa” rather than a “play-focused water park.” Adults can relax in outdoor baths, saunas, and jjimjilbang (Korean spa), while kids can play in the Kids Zone.

We drove from Seoul and it took 2 hours. Take the Yeongdong Expressway, exit at Sokcho, and drive about 10 more minutes. There’s no direct KTX to Sokcho from Cheongnyangni Station—you’d need to get off at Gangneung Station and transfer to a bus, so driving was more convenient.

Kids Zone Experience — How Did My 30-Month-Old React?

The Kids Zone is located in the indoor area on the first floor. It’s immediately visible on the right as you enter. The water depth is about 12-20 inches, perfect for a 30-month-old to stand and play.

The facilities include:

• 3 slides — 2 small slides + 1 medium-sized. About 3 feet high, so not scary.
• Water gun play zone — Target pictures on the wall, devices that spray water when hit with water guns
• Bucket (water dump) — A large bucket dumps water from above every 5 minutes. Kids loved this most.
• Fountain floor — Water shoots up from the floor. Kids find it ticklish and fun.

My 30-month-old was scared of the water for the first 10 minutes. But after watching other kids play, he slowly ventured in. After seeing the bucket dump once, he was totally excited.

We arrived at 10am on a weekday and there were only about 5 kids. He rode the slides as much as he wanted with no wait. (I heard weekends are crowded.)

Hot Spring Spa — Parent Relaxation Time

After playing with our child, my husband and I took turns visiting the hot springs. There are 3 outdoor baths, and soaking in warm water while viewing the outside scenery was truly healing.

Water temperature is around 100-108°F. Not too hot, which was nice. There are also indoor baths, saunas, and a jjimjilbang.

This is difficult with children. The hot spring area allows entry from age 3 and up, and even then, guardian supervision is required. For 30-month-olds, it’s safer to stick to the Kids Zone only.

What to Pack — Just Bring These

Towels are available for rent on-site. Free for resort guests, rental fee for day visitors.

There are also locker rooms, so no worries about storing belongings. You need 10-cent coins, which can be exchanged at the front desk.

Where to Eat? — Kid-Friendly Restaurant Recommendations

Inside Waterpia there’s only a simple snack bar. Hot dogs, french fries, ramen, etc. Fine for a 30-month-old to eat.

For a proper meal, you need to leave the resort. There’s Sokcho Tourist Seafood Market 5 minutes away by car, with lots of seafood like sashimi, seafood, and squid sundae. A bit awkward with kids though.

A good place with kids was the cafe street near Yeongrang Lake. About 10 minutes by car.

We grabbed lunch at the Waterpia snack bar on the first day, then had dinner at the resort buffet. The next morning we had the buffet again before checkout.