What to Expect on a Han River Cruise

One of the cool ways to enjoy Seoul’s main river is cruising right on it. Here’s what to expect with a Han River ferry cruise!

One of the last days I had during my trips to Korea was spent on a short little cruise along the Han through Trazy. I went with my friend, Marie, and we were hoping to see some pretty night views of the city.

The Han is the main river the runs through Seoul, and I actually haven’t spent nearly as much time near it as you’d think! I remember one specific time as a student ordering chicken with friends watching the Banpo light show, but that was quite a while ago now. So I was pretty excited to do a little cruise thanks to Trazy and spend some more time on the river!

Trazy is an English-friendly booking service that I’ve mentioned on here quite a few times. They often have discount tickets for many attractions around Korea as well as full on tours.

Our Cruise

Our cruise was split into two parts. The light show, which starts around 8:00 pm and then the music performance, which starts at 8:10 pm. I think it all lasts until about 9:00 pm before bringing you back to where you started.

I’m going to be honest — the day I went on this cruise, I was dealing with the worst of my fever. I literally felt like I was in a medicated daze the whole day. On top of that, I mistakenly thought we were on the buffet cruise, so I came starving. Don’t do this. There are some food options on board, but it’s mostly snacks and drinks at their mini cafe.

I should also add, Seoul was going through another big cold front, so it was actually quite freezing at night, despite it being mid-April. I’m guessing because of how cold it was, they also didn’t do the normal Banpo Bridge light show, which is usually the highlight of the night cruises. We only went on deck for about 10 minutes and instead stayed inside where it was much cozier and we could see the views from the window.

I will say I really liked the music performance, and I don’t really enjoy live music unless I’m at a festival or concert. It wasn’t overwhelmingly loud, and the music was nice. They even played “Cherry Blossom Ending” and finished with “Arirang.”

All in all, it was a bit of a trifecta for me in terms of being sick, being cold, and being hungry, which are all three things you’ll hopefully avoid. I’d say check the weather when booking because spring in Seoul is so touchy! It was warm enough that I was in a T-shirt in Lotte World and then shivering on this night cruise only three days later!

How to Book

You can get your tickets at the terminal, but it’s much easier to book ahead. I’d get the Han River E-land Ferry Cruise tickets here as it’s also a slight discount.

How to Get There

The terminal is near Yeouinaru Station, Exit 3. You’ll see signs for it and, of course, cruise ships are kind of hard to miss! When you get your tickets, don’t forget to fill out an “Embarkation” card beforehand in the area right before the booth.

Also, because the terminal is in Yeouido, we got to see some of the cherry blossoms there at night! Little bonus if you go in mid-April.

And there you have it! All you need to know about cruising the Han River at night. Have you been? What did you think? I’d like to do it again, maybe in warmer weather, so I can see the light show!

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I was given tickets courtesy of Trazy. However all opinions are my own.

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