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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanYeouido Park to the Han River: Easy Autumn Walk (2026)
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Checked Oct 22, 2026
Yeouido Park to the Han River is an easy morning walk in Seoul. On Oct 19, 2026 I walked about 1.4 km inside the park, whose circular path is 2.5 km, then 1.3 km along the river from the Seoul Cruise terminal, about an hour in all. The sky was clear, the maples were red and orange and the ginkgos were only partly yellow. Check the forecast and the air quality before you go, and wear layers: Seoul's average low drops from 10.6°C in October to 3.5°C in November.
I started at the park's information board at 9:54 am and did not walk the whole loop, so this is a walk report, not a full park guide. The part I want you to see is the second half: Yeouinaru Station, the river boats, the bike rental and the path under Mapo Bridge.
Jump to: The walk · Weather · The river path · Which boat is which · Seoul Cruise · E-Land Cruise · Bikes · FAQ
How far is the walk from Yeouido Park to the Han River?
My GPS recorded two pieces. The first ran from 9:56 to 10:16 am inside Yeouido Park, 1.4 km that went west to the far end of the park and back east. The second ran from 10:36 to 10:54 am along the river, 1.3 km from the Seoul Cruise terminal toward the west. Between them I walked from the east end of the park to Yeouinaru Station and down to the water, and my phone did not record those 20 minutes. That is why the dashed line on the map is a straight guess, not my path.
The park's own information board shows a 2.5 km circular promenade, so I covered roughly half of the loop. It has a pond, a traditional pavilion, a plaza at the west end and a lot of trees between office towers. The signs are in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese.
Watch the full walk (10 min, no narration), with a map that follows my GPS track. More videos are on the Before You Go Korea YouTube channel.
Watch the video
The colour was early autumn, not peak. The maples and some cherry trees had turned red and orange, and most of the park was still green. The ginkgos I walked under were yellow only in patches.
Is it good walking weather in Seoul right now?
It was on Oct 19: clear, with a few scattered altocumulus clouds, the kind people call sheep clouds. But autumn weather in Seoul changes fast, so check three things before you walk by the water.
- The forecast. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has an English site with current weather, short-range forecasts and warnings: KMA English forecasts.
- Air quality. AirKorea, run by the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environment Corporation, has an English page with real-time air quality: AirKorea (English). Look at it before you decide on a long walk outdoors.
- Wind. The river path is open ground with nothing to block the air, so look at the wind in the forecast too.
It also gets colder fast. KMA's 1991 to 2020 averages for Seoul put October at a daily high of 20.2°C and a low of 10.6°C. November drops to a high of 11.9°C and a low of 3.5°C. In October the gap between the day's high and low is already about 10°C, so a morning that feels fine at noon can feel cold at 8 am or after sunset.
My advice for a river walk from now on: wear layers, a T-shirt or light top, a sweater or fleece, and a windproof jacket you can take off and carry. Add a hat and gloves for November mornings and evenings.
What is the Han River path at Yeouinaru like?
Yeouinaru Station is on Line 5 (여의나루역). Seoul Cruise's own directions give Exit 2 and about 3 minutes on foot toward Hangang Park. The plaza by the water has two big buildings side by side, and they belong to different services. The white curved building on the left in my photo is the Seoul Cruise terminal: its guide board shows the same wave-shaped roofline. The darker building on the right, with the roof screen, a Starbucks and a bbq sign, matches the city's description of the Han River Bus pier at Yeouido: a three-storey pier with a CU store on the ground floor, a bbq on the second and a Starbucks on the third.
From the plaza I walked west along the river. The path goes under Mapo Bridge (마포대교), a large road bridge, and past it the river opens out with willows on the bank. The arched bridge in the distance is Seogang Bridge (서강대교), the next one west. The walk is flat and wide, and bikes share the area, so keep an ear out.
Seoul Cruise's directions use the same two bridges as landmarks: its nearest car park is the "Mapo Bridge south-end public car park" (여의도 마포대교 남단 공영주차장) and its overflow car park is the "Seogang Bridge south-end public car park" (여의도 서강대교 남단 공영주차장), further west. My GPS track runs under the Yeouido end of Mapo Bridge at about 10:41 and ends at 10:54 right at the Yeouido landing of Seogang Bridge.
Many hotels in Yeouido run guided cycling programs along the river. I saw groups setting off from hotel entrances on my walk.
Which boat is which at Yeouido?
Three separate boat services sit within a short walk of each other at Yeouido. Each has its own ticket counter and its own dock, so check the company name on your ticket before you pick a terminal. My Klook ticket link below is for E-Land Cruise, not for Seoul Cruise.
| Company | What it is | Where (Korean address) | From Line 5 Yeouinaru | Price | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul Cruise 서울크루즈 | Sightseeing cruises, four types | Yeouido Cruise Terminal (여의도 유람선터미널), 영등포구 여의도한강공원길 231 | Exit 2, about 3 min | 23,700 to 135,000 won online | seoulcruise.co.kr (Korean only) and the terminal ticket office |
| E-Land Cruise 이랜드크루즈 | Sightseeing cruises, own ticket box and two terminals | Yeouido dock (여의도 선착장), 영등포구 여의도동 86-1 | Exit 3, about 10 min | Tour cruise 18,900 won on its booking page | elandcruise.com (Korean and English), its ticket box, or Klook |
| Han River Bus 한강버스 | Public water transport between piers, not a sightseeing cruise | Yeouido pier (여의도 선착장), 영등포구 여의도동 85-1 area | Exit 2, about 5 min | 3,000 won adult, card only | hgbus.co.kr and the ticket machine on the pier |
How not to go to the wrong terminal
- Read the company name on your ticket or voucher. A Klook ticket called "Eland Han River Cruise" is an E-Land Cruise ticket. A booking from seoulcruise.co.kr is a Seoul Cruise ticket.
- The white curved terminal in my photos is Seoul Cruise's. E-Land's own directions describe a separate ticket box and two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, at its Yeouido dock.
- For E-Land, go to its ticket box first: you fill in a boarding form with your ID there and swap it for a boarding ticket, then walk to Terminal 1 or 2. It asks you to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure. Seoul Cruise asks for 30 minutes and has its own ticket office and form.
- Bring your passport for both cruises. Seoul Cruise asks foreigners for a passport or a copy. E-Land says boarding is not possible without an ID check.
- The Han River Bus is a ride to another pier, so you pay with a transit card at the gate and need no boarding ticket from either cruise company. If you want a round trip on the water that returns to Yeouido, pick one of the two cruises.
- Show a taxi driver or type into a map app the exact name: 서울크루즈 여의도 유람선터미널 (Seoul Cruise), 이랜드크루즈 여의도선착장 (E-Land) or 한강버스 여의도선착장 (Han River Bus).
What does the Seoul Cruise at Yeouido cost?
I did not sail, so these are the numbers from the terminal's ticket-office board on Oct 19 and from the operator's official site on Oct 22. The site is in Korean only and shows online prices about 5% lower than the board. Seoul Cruise is the operator on the terminal board, and the terminal address is 서울 영등포구 여의도한강공원길 231.
| Cruise | Departs (site, Oct 22) | Length | Board, Oct 19 (adult / child) | Online, Oct 22 (adult / child) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi! Seoul, daytime, Yeouido to Seongsan Bridge and back | Daily 14:00, 16:00, 17:30 | About 50 min | 25,000 / 17,000 won | 23,700 / 16,200 won |
| Starlight Aurora, Banpo Bridge rainbow fountain | Daily 19:30, listed to Oct 31 | About 70 min | 39,000 / 29,000 won | 37,000 / 27,500 won |
| Sunset Fireworks, World Cup Bridge | Saturday 18:30 | About 2 hours | 69,000 / 49,000 won | 65,500 / 46,500 won |
| Dinner Fireworks, buffet, World Cup Bridge | Saturday 18:30 | About 2 hours | 135,000 / 99,000 won | 135,000 / 99,000 won |
Times change by season. The board showed Hi! Seoul at 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00 and Sunset Fireworks at 19:00 on Saturdays and holidays, so check the day you go. On the Hi! Seoul page the child fare covers ages 3 up to elementary school. After Oct 31 the site lists Starlight Aurora as not running and points to other night cruises.
Boarding needs ID. Everyone fills in a boarding form at the ticket office, children and foreigners included, with one form per group, and then shows the form with ID. No ID, no boarding. The operator asks you to arrive 30 minutes before departure. For foreigners it asks for a passport or a copy of the passport, and a mobile image of your ID is accepted. An expired passport is not accepted on the terminal board. For refunds, the official site gives 100% three days before, 70% two days before and 50% one day before, and no refund on the day, for tickets bought on its own site.
What does the E-Land Cruise at Yeouido cost?
E-Land Cruise (이랜드크루즈) is the other sightseeing company at Yeouido, and the one Klook sells. Its directions page gives the dock address 영등포구 여의도동 86-1 and Line 5 Yeouinaru Exit 3 with about 10 minutes on foot, and says its ticket box handles all on-site tickets. Its tour, sunset and starlight cruises sail from Yeouido to Seogang Bridge and back, and the Moonlight music cruise goes to Banpo Bridge. I did not sail with E-Land either. These are the figures on its own site and booking page, read Oct 22.
| Cruise | Departs (Oct 22 schedule) | Booking page price (list price) |
|---|---|---|
| Hangang tour cruise (한강투어 크루즈), daytime, to Seogang Bridge | 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 | 18,900 won (19,900) |
| Sunset cruise (선셋 크루즈) | 18:00 | 23,900 won (25,900) |
| Moonlight music cruise (달빛뮤직 크루즈), Banpo Bridge | 19:00, 20:30 | 30,900 won (32,900) |
| Starlight cruise (별빛 크루즈) | 22:00 | 23,900 won (25,900) |
| Fireworks music cruise (불꽃뮤직 크루즈) | Fridays in October, Saturdays in Nov and Dec, 20:30 | 45,900 won (47,900) |
E-Land's ticket box is open 10:00 to 22:00. If you would rather book in English ahead of time, Klook sells the tour cruise. On Oct 22 the autumn-campaign adult ticket was US$8.25, against US$16.50 for the regular option. Klook lists it at 40 minutes, Yeouido to Seogang Bridge and back, with free cancellation up to 48 hours before, a 4.4 rating from 3.9K reviews, and no mobile ticket: you collect a paper ticket at E-Land's ticket box with ID. It is an E-Land Cruise ticket, so collect it at E-Land's box, not at the Seoul Cruise terminal (E-Land Han River cruise on Klook).
How much does it cost to rent a bike at Yeouinaru?
The rental booth at the river has a price board, shown in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese. These are the board's prices on Oct 19.
| Bike | 1 hour | 1.5 hours | 2 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 3,300 won | 4,950 won | 6,600 won |
| 2 people | 6,600 won | 9,900 won | 13,200 won |
| With an infant (up to 18 kg) | 6,000 won | 9,000 won | 12,000 won |
| Advanced mountain bike | 8,000 won | 12,000 won | 16,000 won |
| Child bike (no adult riders) | 5,000 won | 7,500 won | 10,000 won |
The family bike has its own row with different time blocks: 10,000 won for 30 minutes, 20,000 won for 1 hour and 30,000 won for 1.5 hours. A sticker on the board says elementary, middle and high school students cannot rent the family bike, with a handwritten note that reads "from those born in 2006". The booth showed an OPEN 09:00 sign, and signs for both card and cash payment and for lockers.
Ttareungyi, Seoul's public bikes, are the other way to ride here, and our Han River Bus and Ttareungyi guide covers paying with a foreign card. If you would rather sit than ride, see our Han River tent rental guide for the rules on shade tents in the parks.
Can you ride the Seoul Dal balloon in Yeouido Park right now?
Yes. On Oct 22, 2026 the official Seoul Dal (서울달) page showed flights open from 12 pm to 9 pm that day and for Oct 23 to 26 and Oct 28 to 29. Oct 27 was marked closed for strong wind. Seoul Dal is a tethered gas balloon that rises about 130 m over the lawn in Yeouido Park, and the park's information board I photographed on Oct 19 marks it on the map.
| Seoul Dal balloon in Yeouido Park · checked Oct 22, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Open now? | Yes, open every day of the year. Check the official page on the day: flights are listed as available or unavailable by hour and update with the weather. |
| Hours (Aug to Oct) | Sun to Thu 12:00 to 22:00, Fri and Sat 12:00 to 23:00. Last take-off is 30 minutes before closing. |
| The ride | About 15 minutes in the air, about 30 minutes with the safety briefing. Up to 20 people per flight. |
| Price | Adults 19 to 64: 25,000 won. Ages 13 to 18 and 65+: 20,000 won, bring a passport or ID. Ages 3 to 12: 15,000 won. Under 3: free. Groups of 20+: 20% off. Discover Seoul Pass: 10% off, once a day, shown in the app. Discounts do not stack. |
| Booking | On site, register for the standby list as soon as you arrive, before you buy a ticket. On weekends and holidays the list can close early. Online, the official page links KKday, Klook, Trip.com, Creatrip, Konest, VELTRA and SeoulPass, up to 10 tickets per booking. Show the voucher from your email at the site. |
| Weather and refunds | Severe weather or air-defense flight restrictions can cancel a flight on the same day, with no notice. A booking cancelled for those reasons is refunded in full. Other cancellations are free until 1 hour before your time; after that and for no-shows there is no refund. |
| Rules | Children under 13 need an adult 19 or older. Bags, drinks, food and strollers stay on the ground, and nobody who has been drinking alcohol can board. |
| Where | The lawn in Yeouido Park, 68-1 Yeouigongwon-ro (여의공원로 68-1), next to the park management office. Klook's listing gives about 13 minutes on foot from Yeouido Station Exit 3 (Lines 5 and 9) and 7 minutes from National Assembly Station Exit 3 (Line 9). |
Seoul Dal is a separate ticket from the cruises above, and it is inside the park, so it fits the first half of this walk. Open the official page the morning you go. A strong-wind day can close it for the whole day, and a weekend afternoon can fill the standby list early.
If you would rather book Seoul Dal in English before you go, Klook sells it at US$20.75 on Oct 22, 15 minutes in the air, rated 4.8 from 325 reviews, and its page says you get a full refund if the flight stops while you are waiting to board after the ticket is issued. Arrive 10 minutes before your slot, because a no-show gets no refund (Seoul Dal balloon on Klook).
What to watch as the season turns
The ginkgos were only partly yellow on Oct 19, so the park's colour was still changing, and the average low falls to 3.5°C in November. Starlight Aurora is listed on the official site only to Oct 31. Check the forecast and the cruise schedule before you pick a day.
FAQ
How long is the walking loop in Yeouido Park?
The park's information board shows a 2.5 km circular promenade and a 2.9 km bicycle path. I walked about 1.4 km of it in 20 minutes.
How do I get from the subway to the right boat at Yeouido?
Take Line 5 to Yeouinaru Station. Exit 2 is about 3 minutes from the Seoul Cruise terminal and about 5 minutes from the Han River Bus pier. E-Land Cruise lists Exit 3 and about 10 minutes. For a taxi, show the driver 여의도 유람선터미널, 서울 영등포구 여의도한강공원길 231 for Seoul Cruise.
Is the Klook Han River cruise the same as Seoul Cruise?
No. Klook's Yeouido ticket is for E-Land Cruise, which has its own dock, ticket box and two terminals. Seoul Cruise is the white curved terminal about 3 minutes from Exit 2.
Do foreigners need a passport to board a Han River cruise?
Yes, bring it. Seoul Cruise asks foreigners for a passport or a copy of the passport. E-Land checks ID at its ticket box before boarding, and Klook's E-Land page says a valid ID or passport.
How much does it cost to rent a bike at the Yeouinaru booth?
A one-person bike is 3,300 won for 1 hour, and the family bike is 20,000 won for 1 hour. The booth opens at 9:00.
More Seoul guides
Sources
- Seoul Cruise, official site (Korean): cruise list and prices · Hi! Seoul Cruise, boarding and refund notes · directions, all read Oct 22, 2026
- E-Land Cruise, official (Korean, partly English): directions · dock and ticket box · schedule · booking page with prices and boarding steps, all read Oct 22, 2026
- Klook: Seoul Yeouido Eland Hangang River Cruise, read Oct 22, 2026
- Han River Bus: hgbus.co.kr · Seoul Metropolitan Government: Han River Bus piers (Korean) · a ride on the Han River Bus (Korean) · Hangang Park notice on full-route service from March 1, 2026
- Bridges: Mapo Bridge on OpenStreetMap · Seogang Bridge on OpenStreetMap · Seoul Cruise directions and car parks
- Korea Meteorological Administration: 1991 to 2020 climate normals by city (Korean press release) · KMA English site
- AirKorea: English page, Ministry of Environment and Korea Environment Corporation
- Seoul Dal, official information page by the Seoul Tourism Organization: hours, flight schedule and notice · how to use and prices · reservation and refunds, all read Oct 22, 2026 · Seoul Metropolitan Government: 2025 prices and booking channels (Korean) · Friday and Saturday late hours, Aug to Oct 2026 (Herald Business) · Klook: Seoul Dal listing with address and exits, read Oct 22, 2026
- Boards photographed by me on Oct 19, 2026: Yeouido Park information board, Seoul Cruise ticket-office board and boarding notice, Yeouinaru rental price board
— SeoulAslan
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