Nami Island is one of the easiest day trips from Seoul — but the transport confuses a lot of first-time visitors, because there’s no single subway line straight there. In practice there are four good ways to do it, and the right one depends on your budget and how much you value a reserved seat. Here’s how to get to Nami Island from Seoul, compared clearly.
(For what to actually do once you arrive — the tree-lined lanes, the ferry, the foliage — see my guide to Nami Island in autumn.)
The short version
Every route ends the same way: get to Gapyeong, then cover the last 1.5km to the ferry wharf. Total time from Seoul is around 1.5–2 hours.
| Option | Time from Seoul | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITX-Cheongchun (train) | ~40–60 min + transfer | 5,700–6,900 KRW | Comfort, a reserved seat |
| Gyeongchun Line (subway) | ~50–60 min + transfer | T-money fare | Budget, flexibility |
| Direct shuttle bus | ~1.5–2 hr, no transfers | 31,300 KRW round trip | Convenience, zero planning |
| Gapyeong City Tour Bus | (local loop) | 8,000 KRW | Pairing Nami with other Gapyeong sights |
Option 1: ITX-Cheongchun train (most comfortable)
The ITX-Cheongchun is a fast, reserved-seat train toward Chuncheon that stops at Gapyeong.
- From Yongsan → Gapyeong: about 60 min (6,900 KRW)
- From Cheongnyangni → Gapyeong: about 42 min (5,700 KRW)
- Runs roughly every 30–40 minutes
Because seats are reserved, it’s the most comfortable option — but it can sell out on weekends and holidays, so book ahead. You reserve through the Korail app or Korail’s foreigner booking site; if you’d like a walkthrough of buying Korean train tickets (and using the multilingual machines), see my Cheongnyangni Station guide, since the ITX-Cheongchun departs from there too.
Option 2: Gyeongchun Line (cheapest)
The Gyeongchun Line is a regular metro-style line to Gapyeong — no reservation, and you just tap in with a T-money card like any subway ride.
- From Sangbong → Gapyeong: about 50 min
- From Chuncheon direction / Cheongnyangni / Hoegi, the line connects through as well
It’s the budget pick and runs frequently, but at busy times you may have to stand. Note: the Climate Card (기후동행카드) does not cover this route — it’s outside the zone — so use a regular T-money card.
Option 3: Direct shuttle bus (no transfers)
If you’d rather not change trains and buses, a direct shuttle runs from central Seoul straight to the Nami Island wharf, daily and round-trip.
Pickup points and times (Seoul → Nami):
- Hongik Univ. Station (Exit 4) — 9:00
- Namsan / Myeongdong (bus transfer car park) — 9:40
- Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (Exit 9) — 9:50
- Arrives Nami Island — 11:30
Return (Nami → Seoul) departs Nami at 16:30, back to Hongik Univ. by 18:50.
Round-trip is about 31,300 KRW, booked in advance through platforms like Klook or Kkday. It’s the most expensive option but the least hassle — no planning, no transfers.
Getting from Gapyeong Station to the wharf (the last 1.5km)
However you reach Gapyeong Station, you still need to cover ~1.5km to the ferry wharf. Options:
- Taxi — about 5 minutes, 5,500–6,500 KRW. There’s a taxi stand right at the station. My pick: it’s cheap split between two people and there’s no waiting.
- Local bus (10-4) — 1,650 KRW, but you’ll wait for it.
- Walk — about 20 minutes if the weather’s nice.
Option 4: Gapyeong City Tour Bus (if you’re seeing more than Nami)
If you want to pair Nami Island with other Gapyeong sights — the rail bike, Jaraseom, Petite France, the Garden of Morning Calm — the Gapyeong City Tour Bus loops between them all on one day ticket.
- Fare: 8,000 KRW (adult) for a full day; a discount coupon brings it to 6,000 KRW (download from Gapyeong’s tourism site, or pick up at Gapyeong/Cheongpyeong Station tourist info)
- Route (A course): Gapyeong Terminal → Rail Bike → Jaraseom → Gapyeong Station → Nami Island → Petite France → Gapyeong Cruise, and on toward the Cheongpyeong/Morning Calm area (B course), with transfers between the two courses at Petite France
- Frequency: roughly every 1–1.5 hours, year-round
It’s not the fastest way to Nami specifically, but for a car-free day hitting several spots, one ticket does it all.
Getting onto the island
From the wharf, a ferry crosses to Nami every 10–20 minutes (the round-trip boat is included in the 19,000 KRW island admission). There’s also a zip-wire (55,000 KRW) that glides you across the river straight onto the island. I’ve covered the ferry times, admission tiers and zip-wire in the Nami Island in autumn guide.
So which should you take?
- Want comfort and a seat? ITX-Cheongchun.
- On a budget? Gyeongchun Line with a T-money card.
- Don’t want to think about it? The direct shuttle.
- Seeing more of Gapyeong? The City Tour Bus.
My honest pick: the direct shuttle bus. Yes, it’s the priciest option — but at around 31,300 KRW round trip, the actual difference is small, and what you get for it is real: you’re picked up in central Seoul (Hongdae, Myeongdong or Dongdaemun) and dropped right at the wharf with zero transfers. No working out train reservations, no switching to a taxi at Gapyeong, no watching the clock for connections. On a day trip, that simplicity is worth far more than the few thousand won you’d save. If you’d rather have a reserved train seat, the ITX-Cheongchun is the next best — but the shuttle is what I’d actually book.
Verdict
How to get to Nami Island looks fiddly on paper, but it comes down to one thing: reach Gapyeong, then take the ferry across. If you want the simplest possible day, I’d book the direct shuttle from central Seoul — it costs a little more, but it carries you door-to-wharf with no transfers to worry about. Prefer a train? Take the ITX-Cheongchun and a quick taxi from Gapyeong Station. Either way, sort the transport in advance and the day itself is easy.
