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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanNamsan Cable Car (2026): Fares, Hours, How to Get There
Checked Oct 12, 2026
The Namsan Cable Car (남산케이블카) costs 15,000 won round trip for an adult (12,000 won one way) and runs every day from 10:00 to 23:00. Tickets are sold at the station only, so there is nothing to reserve. The ride takes about 3 minutes, but Korean press reports waits of one to two hours at weekends and in peak season. The station is at 83 Sopa-ro, a steep walk uphill from Myeongdong Station Exit 3, and a free incline elevator (Namsan Oreumi) shortens the climb. Fares, hours and directions below come from the cable car's own pages, checked on Oct 12, 2026.
I'm from Korea. Years ago, before it was called N Seoul Tower and long before there was a wall of padlocks in front of it, I went up Namsan in winter with my uncle. We went for exercise, and we hurried up the stairs, panting the whole way. This guide answers the question that trip leaves you with: stairs, bus or cable car, and what each one costs.
Jump to: Fares · Hours · Getting there · Cable car, bus or stairs · Waiting time · Booking and payment · Wheelchair and stroller · New gondola · FAQ
How much does the Namsan Cable Car cost?
An adult pays 15,000 won round trip or 12,000 won one way. The fare table on the cable car's own English page, the table on the N Seoul Tower's cable car page and Visit Seoul's Korean listing (updated Sept 27, 2026) show the same adult and child prices.
| Ticket | Round trip | One way |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (13+) | 15,000 won | 12,000 won |
| Child (36 months to 12 years) | 11,500 won | 9,000 won |
| Priority: seniors 65+ (show ID), disabled, veterans | 11,500 won | 9,000 won |
| Adult group (30+ people) | 13,500 won | 11,000 won |
| Child group (30+ people) | 10,500 won | 8,500 won |
| Residents of Jung-gu and Yongsan-gu (show ID; listed on the cable car's English fare table only) | 7,500 won | 6,000 won |
For one adult, the cable car round trip plus the N Seoul Tower observatory (29,000 won) is 44,000 won (15,000 + 29,000, my sum). Going up by cable car and coming down on bus 01A or 01B is 13,500 won (12,000 + 1,500, my sum).
Paying. The cable car's pages say tickets are sold on site only. The station's ground floor has the ticket office, a café and shop, lockers and an ATM. For questions about payment, the station phone is 02-753-2403.
What time does it run, and what is the last ticket?
It runs every day of the year from 10:00 to 23:00. The cable car's FAQ says tickets are sold until 22:30 for a round trip and until 22:45 for one way, and that it may close early depending on conditions. The Korea Tourism Organization's place listing (modified Aug 24, 2026) shows the same 10:00–23:00 hours and no closing day.
Strong wind can pause service. The cable car's home page shows a live status line, and its notice page lists service suspensions in 2026 dated Jan 10, Feb 22 and Feb 23 to Mar 20. Look at both before you travel.
How do you get to the boarding station?
The station is partway up the hill, so every route involves a climb. You can't drive up: general vehicle access to Namsan has been restricted since May 1, 2005, according to the N Seoul Tower's transport page.
On foot from Myeongdong Station Exit 3. The cable car's directions: take Exit 3, enter the alley next to the 7-Eleven, walk to the right between the Pacific Hotel and the GS25, and you will find the station building. The estimates for this walk differ: the cable car's Korean page says about 7 to 8 minutes, the tower's page says about 10 to 15 minutes, and a Korean news series from Sept 2026 says about 20 minutes uphill. Allow 15 minutes, and more with a stroller or small children (my rounding).
Free incline elevator: Namsan Oreumi (남산 오르미). This is a free elevator on a slope that takes about 2 minutes to reach the cable car station. The cable car's directions start at Myeongdong Station Exit 4: walk straight, turn left at the Hoehyeon intersection, and board the Oreumi near the monument by the entrance of Namsan Tunnel No. 3. The tower's page lists it as 09:00 to 23:00, paused on Mondays from 09:00 to 14:00 for maintenance, and also paused in strong wind or heavy rain.
Free shuttle from Myeongdong Station Exit 1. The cable car runs a free shuttle between Myeongdong Station Exit 1 and the station, about 10 minutes by bus. On its Korean page the first bus is 12:00 and the last is 20:30, counted from departures at the cable car's parking lot. The page skips some departures: 14:30 and 17:30 on weekdays and Sundays, and 14:30, 17:00 and 17:30 on Saturdays. The same page says both "every 10 minutes" and "every 30 minutes", so don't build a plan around this bus. The notice page also lists a shuttle suspension on Jan 14, 2026.
Bus 01A or 01B. The Namsan shuttle buses 01A and 01B run a loop that takes you to N Seoul Tower. Both start at the Namsan Yejang bus transfer parking lot and pick up at Chungmuro Station (Lines 3 and 4) and Dongguk Univ. Station (Line 3). 01B also has a stop named Namsan Cable Car.
| Bus | Every | Hours | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01A | 9 minutes | 06:30–23:00 | 1,500 won (transportation card only) |
| 01B | 14 minutes | 06:30–23:00 | 1,500 won (transportation card only) |
The tower's English page says the bus fare is by transportation card only. If you don't have a card yet, read T-money vs Climate Card vs WOWPASS first.
Cable car, bus or stairs: which one should you pick?
| Way up | Cost | Time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cable car | 15,000 won round trip · 12,000 won one way | About 3 minutes, plus the line | Tickets on site. The operator's own tips: mornings are quieter than afternoons, weekends and holidays are slower, and the night view is worth the ride. |
| Bus 01A / 01B | 1,500 won | A bus every 9 or 14 minutes | Takes you to the tower itself. Transportation card only. |
| Oreumi + cable car | Oreumi is free | About 2 minutes on the elevator | Only the first stretch. You still need a cable car ticket. |
| North Forest Trail (stairs) | Free | Seoul city says about 20 minutes from the Myeongdong side to the summit | A 0.5 km wooden stair path that starts on the North Ringway path just past the cable car station. Stairs only, no step-free option. |
On the stairs, the numbers come from Seoul city. Its July 2025 announcement of the North Forest Trail (북측숲길) gives the length as 0.5 km and the time to the summit as about 20 minutes, down from about 1 hour on the older ring trail. A later Seoul media hub article (Nov 2025) gives about 15 minutes on the trail itself and about 25 minutes from Myeongdong Station on foot. There is also a gentler, step-free option, the Sky Forest Trail, covered in the Namsan fall foliage and walking trail guide.
How long is the wait, and when should you go?
The cable car's own advice is short: mornings are typically less crowded than afternoons, expect longer waits on weekends and holidays, and ride at night for the skyline. Two 48-person cabins run on one track, and the ride is about 3 minutes one way over about 600 m.
Korean press puts numbers on the line. MoneyToday (Aug 17 and 18, 2026) and a Sidae editorial (Sept 7, 2026) both report waits of one to two hours at weekends and in peak season for a ride of about 3 minutes, and TF News (Sept 18, 2026) says weekend and peak waits run over an hour. These are press reports, not operator figures. They also say Namsan is busy with foreign visitors: Seoul AI Foundation data cited by MoneyToday and Sidae put the daily average at N Seoul Tower and Namsan at about 57,370 foreign visitors last year.
If the line looks long, bus 01A or 01B at 1,500 won is the fallback.
Can you book online or pay as a foreigner?
The cable car's FAQ says you buy the ticket directly on site without a reservation, and its pages say tickets are available for on-site purchase only.
The N Seoul Tower observatory is a different ticket, and the tower's FAQ says no reservation is needed for it either. Buy the cable car ticket at the station.
Is the Namsan Cable Car wheelchair and stroller friendly?
At the station. Visit Seoul's Korean listing (updated Sept 27, 2026) shows accessible parking, an accessible restroom, an elevator and wheelchair rental. A Seoul Tourism Organization accessibility page for the station (modified Dec 2021, so older) adds that wheelchairs and strollers can be borrowed at the information desk, the elevator has an assistance bell, and there is a nursing room and diaper-changing station. The cable car's own page lists the nursing room on 2F and a restroom and rest area on B1. Neither it nor the Seoul Tourism Organization page describes how a wheelchair boards the cabin, so call 02-753-2403 before you go.
Getting to the station. MoneyToday reports that wheelchair and stroller users face 846 m from Myeongdong Station with seven intersections to cross. Seoul city built the Oreumi incline elevator in 2009 to reach the station without the steepest climb, and it is free, but a Korean news series (Sept 2026) says disability advocates find it inconvenient. For the summit, there is a free loan of strollers and wheelchairs at the Namsan Park information center near the 01 bus stop. Seoul city articles from early 2023 describe it as open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 and asking for ID, so call the Namsan Park office (02-3783-5900) first.
Step-free to the tower. The Sky Forest Trail (하늘숲길), opened on Oct 25, 2025, is a 1.45 km wooden deck path that Seoul city describes as barrier-free for wheelchairs and strollers, and which lets them reach N Seoul Tower. Details are in the trail guide.
Is a new Namsan gondola coming?
Not soon. Seoul is building a public gondola from Yejang Park, near Myeongdong Station, to the summit: 832 m, 25 cabins of 10 people, more than 2,000 passengers an hour, with step-free access (Herald Business, Aug 25, 2026; MoneyToday, Aug 17, 2026). Construction began in 2024 and has been stopped by a lawsuit from the operator of the existing cable car. On Sept 17, 2026 the Seoul High Court rejected the city's appeal, and Seoul says it is weighing a Supreme Court appeal and a change to the park law (MoneyToday, Sept 17, 2026; TF News, Sept 18, 2026). The spring 2026 opening has not happened. Plan around the cable car, bus or stairs.
Naver Map pins
| # | Place | Naver Map |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namsan Cable Car (남산케이블카) · boarding station | Open |
| 2 | Namsan Oreumi (남산오르미) · free incline elevator | Open |
| 3 | Myeongdong Station, Exit 3 (명동역 3번 출구) · walk to the station | Open |
| 4 | Myeongdong Station, Exit 4 (명동역 4번 출구) · route to the Oreumi | Open |
| 5 | Myeongdong Station, Exit 1 (명동역 1번 출구) · free shuttle stop | Open |
| 6 | Chungmuro Station (충무로역) · bus 01A / 01B | Open |
| 7 | N Seoul Tower (N서울타워) | Open |
| 8 | Namsan Park Information Center (남산공원안내센터) · stroller and wheelchair loan | Open |
New to Naver Map? Naver Map vs Kakao Map vs Google Maps in Korea explains how to use it.
FAQ
How much is the Namsan Cable Car?
Adult 15,000 won round trip and 12,000 won one way. Child (36 months to 12) 11,500 won round trip and 9,000 won one way, on the cable car's page on Oct 12, 2026.
Can I buy Namsan Cable Car tickets online?
The cable car's pages say tickets are sold on site only, and its FAQ says no reservation is needed. The N Seoul Tower observatory ticket is separate, and the tower's FAQ says it needs no reservation either.
What time does the Namsan Cable Car close?
It runs until 23:00 every day. Last tickets are sold at 22:30 for a round trip and 22:45 for one way, and it can stop early in strong wind.
Is there a free way to reach the cable car station?
Yes, two. The Namsan Oreumi incline elevator is free (09:00–23:00, paused Monday 09:00–14:00), and the cable car runs a free shuttle from Myeongdong Station Exit 1 on the hours shown on its Korean page.
Is the Namsan Cable Car wheelchair accessible?
The station has an elevator, an accessible restroom and wheelchair rental, according to Visit Seoul. The cable car's pages don't describe boarding the cabin in a wheelchair, so call 02-753-2403 first.
What is the cheapest way up Namsan?
The stairs are free, bus 01A or 01B costs 1,500 won, and the cable car costs 12,000 to 15,000 won.
Online tickets and the gondola ruling
I'll watch whether the cable car adds an online ticket, whether the free shuttle's timetable becomes consistent on its pages, and what Seoul decides after the court ruling on the gondola. If any of this changes, I'll fix this page and update the date at the top.
More Namsan & nearby
- N Seoul Tower: History, Hours, Tickets, How to Get There (2026)
- Namsan Night Festival 2026: Dates, Booking for Foreigners
- N Seoul Tower at night: last entry, cable car, locks
- Namsan fall foliage and walking trail (2026)
- Namsan, Myeongdong and Namdaemun in one day
- Namdaemun Market Guide: Eat, Buy, Closed Days (2026)
Sources
- Namsan Cable Car, official site, English and Korean versions, checked Oct 12, 2026: fares, hours, directions, shuttle · FAQ and notices · home page (facilities, live status)
- N Seoul Tower, official site, English: by bus · by cable car and Namsan Oreumi · admission · FAQ
- Visit Seoul, Namsan Cable Car listing (Korean, updated Sept 27, 2026)
- Seoul Tourism Organization, Seoul Danurim accessible tourism page for the cable car station (modified Dec 28, 2021)
- Korea Tourism Organization place data for the Namsan Cable Car (modified Aug 24, 2026)
- MoneyToday, article on the cable car monopoly and gondola, Aug 17, 2026, and follow-up, Aug 18, 2026 (Korean)
- Sidae, editorial on the Namsan cable car, Sept 7, 2026, and series report on the cable car monopoly, Sept 2026 (Korean)
- MoneyToday, report on the gondola appeal ruling, Sept 17, 2026, and TF News, report on the same ruling, Sept 18, 2026 (Korean)
- Herald Business, report on the planned gondola, Aug 25, 2026 (Korean)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government media hub (Korean): North Forest Trail announcement, Jul 28, 2025 · route comparison, Nov 14, 2025 · Namsan information center, Feb 1, 2023 · Oreumi incline elevator, Jun 5, 2009
- Photos: Korea Tourism Organization photo gallery, Korea Open Government License Type 1 (credited; cropped to size)
— SeoulAslan
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