A Trip to Busan: Songdo Marine Cable Car

During my trip to Busan, I didn’t feel like visiting museums or exhibition spaces — the city lies by the sea, and its most interesting attractions are connected with nature and waterfront entertainment. On the first day of my journey, I managed to take a ride on the Sky Capsule and visit Haeundae Beach. The morning of the second day began with a trip on the Songdo Marine Cable Car — its special feature is the cabins with transparent floors.

Cable car station
Cable car station

Ticket terminal
Ticket terminal

Boarding platform
Boarding platform

Songdo Marine Cable Car

The cable car route runs directly above the waters of the Korea Strait. The track rises to a height of 86 meters and stretches for 1.62 kilometers. Travel guides say that in 2017 the attraction underwent major restoration work aimed at reviving its popularity. Before that, the cable car had already existed for almost 30 years.

Visitors can choose between two cabin types — a regular one or one with a glass floor. The second option is more expensive, but I decided to go for it. After visiting a 150-meter-high observation deck with glass floors in Dubai, I realized that such seemingly extreme attractions aren’t really that scary. The cabin of this cable car was no exception: through the transparent panel you could only see the water, so it was hard to judge the distance to the surface — and that made it feel less intimidating. Two local girls shared the cabin with me, and they didn’t seem scared either.

Cable car cabin
Cable car cabin

View toward the bay
View toward the bay

Visitors can choose between two types of cabins — regular or glass-bottomed
Visitors can choose between two types of cabins — regular or glass-bottomed

Although my ticket was valid for a round trip, I decided to slightly change my plan: instead of riding back, I stayed near the upper station to explore the area and then return to the city center. The cable car is part of the Songdo Beach entertainment complex, which also includes a park, a suspension walkway, and a sky bridge. I limited myself to visiting the observation deck at the station and walking down to the shore. Along the coastline, right over the cliffs, there’s a scenic trail — I wanted to walk there, but it was closed.

The route is 86 meters high and 1.62 kilometers long
The route is 86 meters high and 1.62 kilometers long

The ride cost 22,000 won
The ride cost 22,000 won

Travel guides say that the attraction was restored in 2017
Travel guides say that the attraction was restored in 2017

How to Get There

I got to the lower station of the cable car by bus No. 26 from the city’s main railway station (Busan Station). You can plan your route using Google Maps. The bus ride took about 20 minutes, and then it was another seven-minute walk to the station. I paid the fare using a T-money transportation card that I had purchased earlier in Seoul.

Tickets for the cable car can be purchased at a terminal using an international bank card. A round trip in a glass-bottom cabin cost 22,000 won per person. You can also buy tickets in advance on Klook. On the day of my visit, there were far fewer people here than at the Sky Capsule, and I spent about ten minutes in the queue.

On the upper observation deck
On the upper observation deck

Although my ticket was for a round trip, I decided not to ride back
Although my ticket was for a round trip, I decided not to ride back

For an additional fee, you can visit an island with lush vegetation
For an additional fee, you can visit an island with lush vegetation

The last place I visited in Busan on my second day was BIFF Square (Busan International Film Festival Square) — I’ll tell you about it in my next article.

Happy travels!

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