Han River Cruise After Dark: My Review
Showing My International Friends Around South Korea
Autumn in Seoul
A Beautiful Way to See the Han River at Night
When friends from abroad came to visit Seoul, South Korea, a Han River cruise seemed like a great way to show them around.
As a travel blogger,
I felt a little pressure to pick somewhere special.
After thinking through the options, I took them
straight to a sightseeing cruise from Yeouido— and it turned out to be a great choice.
Honestly, whether you’re visiting from overseas or you live in Korea,
seeing the city from the river
gives you a whole new perspective on Seoul at night.
It’s worth experiencing at least once.
There’s a dedicated parking lot that’s free to use,
so driving is a convenient option, too.
Head toward Yeouido Hangang Park, directly across from Yeouido Middle School,then follow the path
down toward the river.
Right in front of Ashley, the restaurant on the river,
you’ll find the boarding area
and the ticket office—they’re right next to each other.
Christmas was still a little way off,
but ELAND Cruise already had its waterfront glowing with festive lights.
With the 63 Building and The Hyundai Seoul
both visible in one sweep of the skyline,
this is a nighttime view of Seoul I’d love everyone to see at least once.
Tickets & What to Do Before Boarding
The option I booked was the Moonlight Music Cruise. That was our pick for the evening.
There’s also an option that includes an evening meal: the Dinner Cruise. Or,
if you’d like fireworks with your river views, there’s the Fireworks Music Cruise to choose from, too!
I’d booked ahead, but I was still surprised
by just how many people were boarding.
There must have been around 200 passengers.
Since sailings can sell out,
I’d definitely book ahead through the official website or an online booking platform
rather than just showing up.
Advance reservations were cheaper, too!
Booking through the link below
was much cheaper than buying tickets on-site that day.
The savings looked to be at least $2 per ticket.
Check the Lowest Han River Cruise Prices
You can also book the Fireworks Cruise and Dinner Cruise
through the same link.
Make sure you bring identification.
You’ll need to fill out a boarding declaration, so stop at the ticket office even if you’ve already booked.
How to Fill Out the Boarding DeclarationHere’s what you need to do:
1. Use one form for your entire group.
2. Include every passenger’s details.
3. Submit the form along with your identification.
Accepted identification includes a Korean resident registration card, a passport, or a mobile ID.
Terminal 2was where we headed to board.
Departure times were 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.,
with two evening sailings available.
With the sun setting so much earlier in autumn,
the 7:00 p.m. departure works well.
But if you want to see Seoul fully lit up after dark,
the 8:30 p.m. sailing is a good choice, too.
Allow about 70 minutes in total.
The cruise itself seemed to take around an hour,
with roughly 10 minutes for boarding and getting off.
Aboard the Moonlight Music Cruise
Here’s what our Moonlight Music Cruise boat looked like!
Most of the seating is on decks 2 and 3.
Deck 3 is outdoors!
Deck 2 has full-height windows,
so you can enjoy the Han River’s nighttime views from inside, too.
Where to Line Up
This is the boarding line!
Follow the signs to the Han River cruise boarding queue.
We’d been sitting nearby since about 20 minutes before boarding,
but staff started lining up ticket holders about 10 minutes before boarding began.
We were the first ones on!
If you want your pick of the best seats,
I’d get there at least 15 minutes early.
It looked like nearly 200 people were boarding.
Quite a crowd, right?
All the crew members we met were friendly.
Lining up early gives you a better shot at a prime spot on deck 3.
There are long wooden benches up there,
so you can sit outside and take in the river views.
Facing the front of the boat, the right-hand sidegives you views of
the 63 Building and Banpo Hangang Park.
Again, facing the front, the left-hand sidelooks toward Nodeul Island and Namsan,
along with the nighttime skyline around Hannam-dong.
Each side has a different feel, so it’s worth switching sides to enjoy both.
There’s even a convenience store inside,
where you can pick up snacks during the ride.
Yeouido’s Skyline from the Boat
It was beautiful before we’d even left the dock.
Finally, we were off!
Seoul may be familiar to me,
but cruising along the river made it feel like I was away on a trip.
Yeouido – 63 Building – Nodeul Island – National Assembly Building – Namsan – Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain
A Round-Trip Cruise Route
Along the way, you get nighttime views of Yeouido
and some of Seoul’s most beautiful landmarks
from a completely different angle.
Everyone in our group loved it!
As we passed the landmarks,
there were brief introductions
in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese.
The colorful lighting was lovely,
and we got to see the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain, too!
The boat paused here so we could watch before heading back.
The view from the lower deck—deck 2—was beautiful as well.
Then we turned around and headed back toward the Yeouido dock.
On the return journey, a live jazz performanceadded a soundtrack to the views.
The performers sang both English-language pop songs and Korean favorites.
It really lived up to the “Music Cruise” name—the atmosphere was wonderfully romantic.
An Autumn Evening Out in Seoul
Even if the Han River is already familiar,
this is a lovely way to see Seoul with fresh eyes.
Why not try an ELAND Han River cruise on your next evening out?
Find the Best Prices for a Cruise on the Han River
Oh, and one last thing: I’m very prone to motion sickness,
but I didn’t get seasick at all.
Where to Eat Ramyeon with the Best Han River View in Seoul