The Songdo Marine Cable Car, run under the name Busan Air Cruise, carries you 1.62 km over the sea from Songnim Park at the east end of Songdo Beach to Amnam Park and Songdo Sky Park on the west side. A round trip in a standard Air Cruise cabin costs 19,000 won for adults and 14,000 won for children, while the glass-floored Crystal Cruise costs 24,000 won and 18,000 won. Children under 36 months ride free.
Opening hours change with the season: 09:00–21:00 from March to June and September to November, 09:00–22:00 in July and August, and 09:00–20:00 from December to February. Ticket sales stop 30 minutes before closing, and the operator may close early because of weather, so check the official Busan Air Cruise hours page on the day you go.
What is the Songdo Marine Cable Car, and where do you board?
It is a sea-crossing cable car on Busan’s southwest coast, and the main boarding point is Songdo Base Station at 171 Songdohaebyeon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan. The line is 1.62 km long and reaches a maximum height of 86 m above the water. The main phone number is +82-51-247-9900 (051-247-9900 inside Korea), and groups can call +82-51-220-7911.
According to Visit Busan, the current line reopened in 2017. From the cabin you look down on the curve of Songdo Beach and across to Yeongdo and the long span of Namhang Bridge. VisitKorea counts 39 cabins on the line in total, including the glass-floor Crystal cabins. When you land at the Amnam Park end, you step out into Songdo Sky Park, which has viewing decks and connects to the coastal walking paths.
If you are taking a taxi, show the driver the Korean address, 부산 서구 송도해변로 171, or simply say “Songdo Haesang Cable Car.” Korean map apps also find it quickly under 송도해상케이블카. Saving a screenshot of the address before you leave your hotel is the easiest way to avoid confusion, especially if your phone data is limited.
Open all year, but it stops in bad weather
The cable car operates year-round, but it pauses when strong wind or bad weather makes riding unsafe. Any stoppage is announced live on the official website, and if operations stop, unused tickets can be refunded. On a gusty day, look at the site before you travel across the city, and keep a backup plan such as a walk along Songdo Beach.
How much do Air Cruise and Crystal Cruise tickets cost?
Most visitors buy a round trip. The Crystal Cruise round trip is 24,000 won for adults and 18,000 won for children, and the Air Cruise round trip is 19,000 won and 14,000 won, so the adult difference is 5,000 won. Children are aged 36 months to 12 (elementary school age), adults are 13 and older, and children under 36 months ride free.
| Ticket | Adult | Child (36 months–12) |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal round trip / one way | KRW 24,000 / 19,000 | KRW 18,000 / 15,000 |
| Air round trip / one way | KRW 19,000 / 15,000 | KRW 14,000 / 12,000 |
| Unlimited day pass (weekdays only) | KRW 35,000 | KRW 30,000 |
| Speedy (no queue, per person, shared cabin) | Crystal 55,000 / Air 45,000 | |
| Premium (no queue, private cabin up to 8) | Crystal 340,000 / Air 270,000 | |
Prices in Korean won, per the official Busan Air Cruise fares page. Children under 36 months ride free.
Air or Crystal: which cabin suits you?
The Air Cruise cabin has a solid floor, while the Crystal Cruise cabin has a transparent tempered-glass floor, so you can see the sea directly below your feet. If you want the thrill and the floor-view photos, Crystal is the one to choose. If anyone in your group feels uneasy with heights, or you are travelling with small children who might be frightened, the Air cabin is the calmer option. Both run on the same line at the same height, so the coastline view through the windows is essentially the same.
One-way versus round-trip tickets
A one-way ticket can only be used from the station where it was issued. That works well if you plan to ride across to Amnam Park and then walk back along the Songdo Cloud Walk or over the Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge area. With a round-trip ticket, staff check your ticket again before you reboard at the far end, so keep it with you until you are back at the base station.
Who can get discounts?
Discounted fares exist for seniors, people with disabilities, families with three or more children, certain welfare card holders and residents of Busan and some districts. These discounts require Korean proof such as an ID or certificate shown at the counter, so in practice they are mainly for Korean residents. They apply only to standard Air and Crystal tickets and cannot be combined with Speedy, Premium or other promotions. Most overseas visitors should simply plan on the full fares in the table.
What are the opening hours, and when do ticket sales end?
There are three seasonal schedules: 09:00–20:00 in January, February and December; 09:00–21:00 from March to June and from September to November; and 09:00–22:00 in July and August. Ticket sales always end 30 minutes before closing. In October, for example, the last tickets are sold at 20:30.
The official site also warns that it may close ticket sales early depending on the weather or how busy the counters are. On weekend evenings that matters, because the line can be long. If you want a sunset or night ride, aim to arrive at least an hour or two before the official last-ticket time rather than right on it. On October 16 the banner on the official site showed sunset at 17:48, which means a mid-October visit can include a ride in the evening light and another after dark. Sunset moves through the year, so check the time shown on the site for your own date.
Skipping the queue: Speedy and Premium
If waiting in line would ruin your schedule, the Speedy ticket lets you board without queuing for 55,000 won per person in a Crystal cabin or 45,000 won in an Air cabin. With Speedy you still share the cabin with other passengers. For a private ride, the Premium ticket gives your group a whole cabin for up to eight people, at 340,000 won for Crystal or 270,000 won for Air. If you are in Busan on a weekday and would like to ride several times, the unlimited day pass costs 35,000 won for adults and 30,000 won for children and lets you pick whichever cabin you like all day.
How do you get there by public transport, and where can you park?
From Busan Station, take bus 17 or 61 to the “Songdo Entrance” (송도입구) stop and walk about 15 minutes, or take bus 26 to “Amnam-dong Community Center” (암남동주민센터) and walk about 10 minutes. From Gimhae International Airport, take the light rail from Airport Station to Sasang Station, then bus 161 to Songdo Entrance, followed by a 15-minute walk.
From the Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal, bus 161 also goes to Songdo Entrance. If you are using Busan Metro Line 1, get off at Nampo Station (exit 1 or 8) and take bus 6, 26, 30 or 71, or get off at Jagalchi Station (exit 1) and take bus 6, 26, 30, 71, 96 or 96-1 toward Songdo. Travellers arriving at Nopo Bus Terminal in the north of the city can ride Line 1 all the way down and make the same transfer.
A practical tip for foreign visitors: keep the Korean stop name on your screen and follow your position on a map app so you know when to press the bell.
Parking: Namhang lot is the best value
If you drive, the official recommendation, especially on weekends and holidays, is Namhang Parking Lot (40 Chungmudae-ro 94beon-gil, Seo-gu). It charges 300 won per 10 minutes on weekdays and 500 won on weekends, and cable car riders get one hour free on weekdays and two hours free on weekends and holidays. Day pass holders get two hours on weekdays and four hours on weekends, and group buses park free.
Songnim Parking Lot, at the base station address, charges 500 won per 10 minutes. The Amnam Park public lot charges 300 won per 10 minutes but offers no cable car rider benefit, so the free time you earn by riding will not help you there.
What can you do after you get off at Amnam Park?
The Amnam end lands at Songdo Sky Park. On the first floor, Park Square has the wish dragon and love-lock wall, and on the third floor the Sky Harbor observation deck offers the Moment Capsule, the Message Bottle and a Slow Mailbox that sends your postcard a year later. Souvenirs and attraction tickets for these are sold at the Sky Park ticket office.
VR Sky Swing and a cable car museum
The VR Sky Swing, billed as Asia’s first midair swing, launches from an 11 m deck. It runs only on weekends and public holidays from 10:00 to 17:30 and costs 5,000 won. Children 130 cm or shorter, pregnant women and anyone who has been drinking cannot ride. Nearby you will also find Songdo Doppelmayr World, described by VisitKorea as Korea’s first cable car museum, which is a good stop for anyone curious about how these lines work.
Building a half-day around Songdo
Songdo Beach is known as Korea’s first public beach, and the area packs several free walks into a small space: Amnam Park, the Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge and the Songdo Cloud Walk over the water. A relaxed half-day is to ride across, walk the coast at the Amnam end, ride or walk back, and finish on the sand at Songdo Beach. If you want more of Busan’s dramatic coastline, pair it with our Taejongdae guide on nearby Yeongdo.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a round trip on the Songdo Marine Cable Car?
A Crystal round trip is 24,000 won for adults and 18,000 won for children; an Air round trip is 19,000 won and 14,000 won. Children under 36 months ride free.
Until what time can I ride in October?
In October the cable car runs 09:00–21:00 and ticket sales end at 20:30. It may close early in bad weather.
Can I use a one-way ticket from either station?
No. A one-way ticket works only from the station where it was issued. One-way adult fares are 19,000 won for Crystal and 15,000 won for Air.
Where is the best place to park?
Namhang Parking Lot: 300 won per 10 minutes on weekdays and 500 won on weekends, with one hour (weekdays) or two hours (weekends) free for cable car riders.
Sources
- Busan Air Cruise — fares and discounts
- Busan Air Cruise — opening hours
- Busan Air Cruise — directions and parking
- VisitKorea — Songdo Marine Cable Car
- Featured photo: WANGYIFAN2024, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
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