Namsan Cable Car

Climbing from the hillside behind Myeong-dong to just below the summit of Namsan in a little over three minutes, this is Korea's first passenger cable car. It opened on 12 May 1962 and has run on the same line above central Seoul for more than 60 years. Through the windows, the towers of Myeong-dong and Namdaemun drop away beneath you, and from the top station it is only a few minutes' walk to N Seoul Tower and the summit plaza.

A line running since 1962

The Namsan Cable Car is a reversible aerial tramway linking a lower station in Hoehyeon-dong with an upper station near the summit in Yejang-dong. The line is about 605 m long with a height difference of 138 m, and its two cabins travel in opposite directions, passing each other halfway. The ride is short, but rising straight from the middle of the city over the forest to the top of a mountain is more memorable than you might expect.

When the line opened, each cabin carried 20 people. The first modernisation in 1984 brought cabins for 38 passengers, and since the second replacement in 2005 each one holds up to 48. A government photograph from the opening year shows a small cabin gliding over a sea of low tiled roofs; compare it with the high-rises you see from the same stretch today and you get a sense of how fast Seoul has changed.

What to look out for on the ride

• City views: on the way up, the buildings and lanes of Myeong-dong, Hoehyeon-dong and Namdaemun slowly fall away. On clear days you can see as far north as the ridges of Bugaksan and Bukhansan.
• The passing point: the moment the descending cabin slides past yours in the middle of the line is the best photo opportunity.
• Namsan through the seasons: cherry blossom and fresh green in April and autumn colour in October–November completely change the forest below.
• Around the top station: N Seoul Tower, the viewing deck covered in padlocks and the site of the Namsan beacon tower, a reconstruction of a Joseon-era signal fire station, are all close together.

The gondola that never arrived

Seoul city began building a second ropeway, a gondola of about 832 m from the Myeong-dong Station area to the summit, in September 2024. A lawsuit filed by the cable car's operator halted the works two months later, and after a first ruling in December 2025, an appeals court in September 2026 again ordered the zoning change made for the gondola to be revoked. For now, this cable car remains the only way to reach the summit by air.

Tripto tips

• Hours: 10:00–23:00, every day of the year. Ticket sales close 30 minutes before the end of service, and strong wind or bad weather can stop the cable car or end service early.
• Tickets: there are separate return and one-way tickets. Fares change from time to time, so check the official website before you go.
• Best plan: ride up and walk down along the Namsan trails; a one-way ticket is all you need.
• Time needed: the ride itself takes about three minutes, but weekends and sunset can bring a wait. Allow 1–2 hours if you want to explore the summit and the area around the tower. For night views, go up around half an hour before sunset.
• Getting there: from Myeong-dong Station (Line 4), follow the signs up the hill to the lower station at 83 Sopa-ro. If the slope is too steep, take the Namsan Oreumi, a free inclined elevator that runs from near the entrance of Namsan Tunnel 3 up to the station. It opened in 2009 and is easy with a pushchair or for older visitors.
• Combine it with: the N Seoul Tower observatory needs a separate ticket. Namdaemun Market and Myeong-dong are close by, making an easy half-day in central Seoul.