Photo: Bernard Gagnon / CC0 1.0The cable car is the only way most passengers will get above the trees in Seoraksan. It runs 1,128 m from the Sogongwon park gate to a station at 699 m. From there a walk of 20 to 30 minutes over bare granite reaches Gwongeumseong, a ruined fort on a rock. The outer range and the sea are in view. The park entrance is free; the car is not.
The gate also gives you Sinheungsa and its 14.6 m bronze Unification Buddha, five to ten minutes on foot and flat. Beyond it the trails start. Biryong Falls is 2.4 km, with the first 1.2 km fit for a wheelchair; Heundeulbawi is 2.8 km and an hour each way. The queue for the car is the thing to plan around, not the ride.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Buy the ticket before anything else. It carries a boarding time, and the counter sells only same-day tickets. If the posted wait passes 90 minutes, drop the ride and walk to Heundeulbawi.
- The 65+ fare of ₩14,000 is for Korean nationals with ID and is suspended in peak periods. Foreign seniors pay ₩16,000.
- Use the toilets at Sogongwon first. The top station has foam toilets and a snack bar, nothing more.
- For the return the bus is better than the outbound. Route 7-1 leaves the Seoraksan terminus about every 17–20 minutes, last at 20:35, and the fare is ₩1,700 in cash.
- Tell the driver 국제크루즈터미널 (international cruise terminal) on the way back. There is an older ferry terminal on the coast and drivers have headed for it.
The queue for the car is the thing to plan around, not the ride.
Guided ways to do Seoraksan: the cable car and Gwongeumseong
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
Questions people ask here
How do I get to the Seoraksan cable car from the cruise terminal?
A taxi from the rank at the terminal takes about 26 minutes for 13.7 km, around ₩13,500–20,900 on the city tariff by our estimate. City buses 7 and 7-1 run to the park car park every 17–20 minutes, but they start at the bus terminals, not the ship. The nearest stop is the Express Bus Terminal, 2.3 km away. The Foreign Tourist Taxi, ₩30,000 for three hours, is booked at that terminal's tourist desk.
Can I book the Seoraksan cable car in advance?
No. Tickets are sold at the first-floor counter on the day only, each with a boarding time. Cars run every 10–15 minutes, every 5 when busy. A full refund is given up to 10 minutes before boarding, and in full if weather stops the car.
Is the Seoraksan cable car wheelchair accessible?
The car is: there is a lift to the boarding deck. The walk beyond the top station to Gwongeumseong is rock and steps and is not. Strollers are not allowed on the car; free storage is provided.