How to Get from Seoul to Nami Island for Tourists [2024]

Visiting Nami Island is one of the most popular day trips from Seoul and rightfully so.  Nami Island is a unique experience, with both thrilling and relaxing experience options available both on and nearby Nami Island. Nami Island is located in the middle of the Han River which is a distance of 80km / 50 mi north east from Seoul Station. 

This article will help you plan how to go to Nami Island and make the most of your Nami Island day or overnight trip.

Overview of Nami Island and Surrounds Transportation Options

To summarise, below are the best options for tourists to get from Seoul to Nami Island:

  • Catch the ITX train or Intercity bus from Seoul to Gapyeong Station, then either use the local tourist loop bus or taxis to get around to each attraction.
  • Book a Nami Island shuttle bus through Klook to travel direct from Seoul to Nami Island and return. Click here to book your Nami Island Round Trip Transfer from Seoul through Klook.
  • Book a Nami Island day coach tour, and choose which attractions you would like to visit. Check out the day tour booking options through Klook, Get Your Guide, Viator and Trazy.
  • Book a private Nami Island day tour and choose which attractions you would like to visit. Check out the private day tour booking options through Klook, Get Your Guide and Viator

About Nami Island

Nami Island (otherwise known as Naminara or Namiseom) is quite a large island which is covered with beautiful chestnut and poplar trees and has many art and recreation activities.  There are also many famous K-drama TV shows which have been filmed on the island.  Ensure you check out our detailed guide below on what to do on Nami Island for more details on how to make the most of your visit.

Pleasant Autumn Colours starting to emerge on Nami Island
Pleasant Autumn Colours starting to emerge on Nami Island

You can visit Nami Island all year round, with amazing cherry blossoms in Spring, lush greenery in Summer, fall foliage in Autumn and snow in Winter.

Walking along pleasant forested pathways on Nami Island
Walking along pleasant forested pathways on Nami Island

Other Attractions Near Nami Island

Near Nami Island there are some great additional attractions and activities to visit, so ensure you check them out before planning your visit and decide which ones you are interested in.  The most popular attractions near Nami Island include the following, with more details one each provided further down in this article as well as details on how to get around the area.

  • The Gapyeong Rail Bike is a fun experience to pedal on a two or 4 seater kart along a disused rail track – a very fun activity!  A similar activity is also available at the nearby Gangchon Rail Bike.
  • Petite France is a French themed village where you can explore the culture of France and learn more about puppets, as well as seeing a live puppet show.
  • The Garden of Morning Calm is an amazing garden to visit in all four seasons.  From seeing cherry blossoms in spring, summer greenery, amazing autumn foliage colours and the evening light illuminations in winter it is a worthwhile addition to your Nami Island itinerary.
More having fun on the Gapyeong Rail Cars!
More having fun on the Gapyeong Rail Cars!

See the below Gapyeong map to get a better idea of where each place mentioned is located relative to each other. Click on each location to see what is there without leaving this page.

How to Go to Nami Island from Seoul

There are multiple options to get to Nami Island from Seoul as detailed below.

ITX to Nami Island

A popular option is to get from Seoul Station to Nami Island by train.  You first catch a KTX train from Seoul Station to Cheongnyangni Station, a journey of 19 minutes non stop, then change to an ITX train to Gapyeong Station, a journey of 38 minutes.

Alternatively you can first use Subway Line 7 to get to Sangbong Station, then transfer to an Intercity Bus from Sangbong Station to Gapyeong Station.  The train trip is 32 minutes and the bus trip is a journey of 53 minutes.

You can then get from Gapyeong Station to Nami Island by either catching the Gapyeong City Tour Bus (further details below) or catch a taxi from Gapyeong to Nami Island Wharf, where you can purchase your ticket to enter Nami Island.  If you are also interested in visiting other attractions in the Gapyeong area then check out further details further down in this article.

Nami Island Tour

There are many different Nami Island day tour options from Seoul as detailed below.

Nami Island Round Trip Transfer from Seoul

The simplest tour package you can purchase is a round trip shuttle bus from Namdaemun, Myeongdong or Insadong in Seoul to Nami Island.  This option enables you to spend the whole day relaxing on Nami Island and to also explore the Nami Island Wharf area without having to work out train and bus schedules. You will need to separately purchase your entry ticket to Nami Island.

Click here to book your Nami Island Round Trip Transfer from Seoul through Klook

The Impressive Coach Parking Lot outside Nami Island
The Impressive Coach Parking Lot outside Nami Island

Popular Nami Island Day Tours

There are many other Nami Island tour options as detailed below – they all provide a much more convenient way to get around the Gapyeong area and make the most of your day out. 

Click here to check out our detailed article on the best Nami Island tours.

Many of the tour options also include attractions which would be impossible to visit using public transport on a day trip to Nami Island and surrounds.  Below is a quick overview of the most popular Nami Island day tour options, which include all of your entry fees and transport, however there may be exclusions such as lunch etc. We have worked with our recommended tour providers for several years and all are reputable and reliable options to book your tour.

After checking out the Nami Island public transport options most of our readers then choose to book a day tour as the tour options are cost effective, keeps the transportation options easy and enable visitors to make the most of their day out to Nami Island and surrounds. 

Welcome to Nami Island Map
Welcome to Nami Island Map

Gapyeong City Tour Bus

If you plan to use the Gapyeong City Tour Bus to get around the area, ensure you check the timetable first to plan out your visit as it is a circular bus route.  To see the current Gapyeong Tour Bus schedule check out this link. 

Note that you can only see the Gapyeong Tour Bus schedule if you look at the Korean language version of the site, and then use Google Translate to read the timetable.  Do not select to read the English language version of the site as this information is not available in that version…

There is an A and a B route with details below.  The Gapyeong City Tour Bus ticket costs 8,000 Won per day for an adult ticket, which includes unlimited travel on the route.  Ensure you take sufficient cash to buy your tickets, as there can be issues with making card payments.  Also note that if the bus is full that you will need to wait for the next bus.

The A Route travels the following route from Gapyeong Terminal to The Garden of Morning Calm and in reverse, which takes approximately 1:35 hours to complete the full route each way without stopping.  Buses depart hourly from 9am to 6pm daily, with additional shorter services in the morning and evening

  • Gapyeong Terminal
  • Gapyeong Rail Bike
  • Jarasum
  • Gapyeong Station
  • Nami Island (Gapyeong Wharf)
  • Interactive Art Museum
  • Petite France
  • Cheongpyeong Terminal
  • Cheongpyeong Station
  • The Garden of Morning Calm

The B Route travels from Mok-Dong Terminal in Chuncheon to the Garden of Morning Calm and in reverse which takes approximately 1:10 hours each way to complete the full route without stopping.  Buses depart between 1-3 hours apart from 8.35am to 5.40pm daily

  • Mok-Dong Terminal
  • Hyeonam Agricultural Museum
  • Gapyeong Rail Bike
  • Jarasum
  • Gapyeong Station
  • Cheongpyeong Station
  • Nut Pine-scented Greenwood
  • Chi-Ong Arts Centre
  • The Garden of Morning Calm

You can also easily use the ITX Train to travel in each direction between Gapyeong Station and Cheongpyeong Station.  The journey takes 15 minutes one way and departs every 30 minutes.

Gapyeong Itinerary Options

I recommend that you plan your trip to travel one way, using Gapyeong Station and Cheongpyeong Station as your start and end points from and to Seoul where you travel in a one way direction on the tourist bus.

  • Start by arriving at Cheongpyeong Station, travel to The Garden of Morning Calm, then travel to Petite France, Nami Island, the Gapyeong Rail Bike and then finish at Gapyeong Station
  • Start by arriving at Gapyeong Station, then travel to the Gapyeong Rail Bike, Nami Island, Petite France, The Garden of Morning Calm and then finish at Cheongpyeong Station.  This is a great option in winter so that you can see the illuminations at the Garden of Morning Calm.

Using public transport you are unlikely to be able to visit every attraction in a single day due to delays due to infrequent bus timings, so ensure you check out Nami Island tour bus options if you want to try to do most or all activities in a single day.

There are also taxis available in the area which are a good alternative option if the bus schedule does not line up with your timings, however these are a more expensive option. Taxis are typically readily available at the train stations, however there may be less taxi availability at each attraction.

The beautiful entrance to the Garden of Morning Calm
The beautiful entrance to the Garden of Morning Calm

Nami Island Entrance Fee

The standard Nami Island ticket includes your round trip on the Nami Island Ferry as well as admission to the island and use if the free facilities.  All other paid activities on Nami Island will incur additional fees.  Nami Island is open 365 days of the year.

Alternatively if you choose to travel on the Nami Island Zipline your fee includes your Nami Island ticket and return Nami Island Ferry ticket.

If you purchase your entrance ticket on site, the Nami Island ticket prices are 13,000 Won for adults, 10,000 Won for students and 7,000 Won for infants.  (Prices correct as at June 2020).  Note that there is usually a queue to wait to purchase your entrance ticket.

If you select one of our recommended tour options your entry fee to Nami Island is included so you will be able to quickly enter Nami Island without waiting.

We hope that you have a great time visiting Nami Island and the surrounding area. We really enjoyed our visit and are sure you will too.

Overview of Nami Island and Surrounds Transportation Options

To summarise, below are the best options for tourists to get from Seoul to Nami Island:

  • Catch the ITX train or Intercity bus from Seoul to Gapyeong Station, then either use the local tourist loop bus or taxis to get around to each attraction.
  • Book a Nami Island shuttle bus through Klook to travel direct from Seoul to Nami Island and return. Click here to book your Nami Island Round Trip Transfer from Seoul through Klook.
  • Book a Nami Island day coach tour, and choose which attractions you would like to visit. Check out the day tour booking options through Klook, Get Your Guide, Viator and Trazy.
  • Book a private Nami Island day tour and choose which attractions you would like to visit. Check out the private day tour booking options through Klook, Get Your Guide and Viator
How to get from Seoul to Nami Island

You may also like:

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to make your trip planning easy, hassle-free and organized. Click here to download your FREE printable checklist, to help you to plan your trip step by step and tick off items as you finalise your preparations.

Join the South Korea Travel Planning Facebook Group

You are also welcome to join our South Korea Travel Planning Facebook Group – it is a great resource to enable you to ask questions about your upcoming trip to South Korea!

South Korea Travel Planning

Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.