Hansando Day Trip: Jeseungdang, Ferry and Cable Car

A day on Hansando, focused on Jeseungdang

Hansando is the island where Admiral Yi Sun-sin commanded the navy for much of the Imjin War, and the site of the Battle of Hansan. Ferries run from Tongyeong Port to Jeseungdang, and entry to Jeseungdang is free.

We have a separate 2-day route covering the town, the cable car and Hansando. This post doesn't repeat that route; it looks closely at the one day you spend going to Hansando: what to check about the ferry, what to see on the island, how to add the Mireuksan cable car the same day, the weather, and a checklist.

Day 2 of the Tongyeong guide is a ferry from Tongyeong Port to Jeseungdang on Hansando, then back in town, bus No. 141 to the cable car. You can lift that day out and use it as a day trip.

• The island: where Admiral Yi Sun-sin commanded the navy and the Battle of Hansan was fought
• What to see: Jeseungdang (free entry)
• Getting there: ferry from Tongyeong Port (check times and fares with the operator)
• Same day: Mireuksan cable car (closed on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month)

• Tongyeong travel guide →
• Tongyeong in 2 days: cable car and islands →

The ferry: Tongyeong Port to Jeseungdang, times and fares from the operator

Tongyeong City's sea transport guide lists ferries from Tongyeong Port to Hansando (Jeseungdang). Check departure times, fares, journey time and return sailings from Hansando with the ferry company or terminal before you go.

Island ferry sailings change with the weather. Check again the day before and on the morning, including your return boat. Ferry timetables can change at any time, and the advice is to check the Korea Shipping Association site (island.theksa.co.kr).

If you arrive at Tongyeong Bus Terminal, city buses heading into town (Nos. 100, 200, 300, 401, 500, 600) take about 15 minutes to the Buksin Market stop. City buses cost KRW 1,650 by transit card or KRW 1,700 cash. For the bus number from the terminal or town to the ferry terminal, ask tourist information (055-650-0580).

• From: Tongyeong Port
• To: Jeseungdang on Hansando
• Departure times, fares, return boats: check with the ferry company or terminal
• Timetables: island.theksa.co.kr
• Sailings: change with the weather

What to see: Jeseungdang and the Battle of Hansan

Jeseungdang stands on the site of Unjudang. Admiral Yi built Unjudang after becoming naval commander of the three provinces in 1593, and in 1740 the 107th commander Jo Gyeong rebuilt the hall on that site and named it Jeseungdang. Entry is free; check opening hours with official info before you go.

Hansando lies in the Tongyeong district of Hallyeohaesang National Park, designated Korea's first marine national park in 1968. The park stretches from Jisimdo in Geoje to Odongdo in Yeosu, and 76% of its area is sea.

In town, Samdo Sugun Tongjeyeong was the headquarters commanding the navies of Gyeongsang, Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces from 1604 to 1895. Seeing Admiral Yi's story on Hansando and then Tongjeyeong in town helps it all fit together. The Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival is held every summer, around the 7th day of the 7th lunar month (the anniversary of the victory). Dates change each year, so check the city tourism site (utour.go.kr).

• Jeseungdang: rebuilt in 1740 on the site of Unjudang, free entry
• Hansando: the site of the Battle of Hansan
• National park: Tongyeong district of Hallyeohaesang National Park
• Festival: Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival, every summer around the 7th day of the 7th lunar month (check dates at utour.go.kr)

Adding the Mireuksan cable car: let the ferry times set the order

The Tongyeong guide recommends Hansando in the morning, then bus No. 141 to the cable car. No. 141 runs between Tongyeong Intercity Bus Terminal and the cable car stop, and the operator also lists Nos. 101, 104 and 105 from the terminal. A taxi from the terminal takes about 20 minutes and costs around KRW 10,000 when traffic is light. For the bus from Tongyeong Port to the cable car, ask tourist information.

Cable car ticket sales may close 2–3 hours before the end of operation, so going in the morning is a good idea. If your return boat from Hansando is late, consider doing the cable car first and Hansando after. Either way, check the ferry times and the cable car hours together before you decide.

The cable car closes on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month (the next day if that is a public holiday) and can stop in bad weather. Hours vary by season and weather, and it may open early or run late in May, August and October. It is 1,975 m long and takes about 9 minutes to the upper station, and from the top of Mireuksan (461 m) you look out over the islands of the Hallyeosu waterway. Round trip: adults KRW 17,000, children KRW 13,000, seniors KRW 14,000; one way adults KRW 13,500. On foot, it is about 1 hr 30 min from the Gwaneumsa parking lot to the summit.

• Standard order: Hansando in the morning, cable car in the afternoon
• Swapped order: cable car in the morning, then Hansando (check the return boat first)
• Closed: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month (the next day if that is a public holiday)
• Fares: adults KRW 17,000 round trip, KRW 13,500 one way
• Getting there: bus No. 141, or a taxi (about 20 min, around KRW 10,000)

Weather: Tongyeong station normals, and the island can differ

The figures below are Korea Meteorological Administration normals for 1991–2020 at Tongyeong station. They come from the city station, so the weather on Hansando can be different.

Average highs are about 18–27°C in April to June and September to October. August is the hottest month of the year, with highs of about 30°C, and July gets the most rain (about 289 mm). October and November get about 76 mm and about 49 mm, below the yearly monthly average of about 128 mm.

Both the ferries and the cable car can stop or change with the weather. Normals are not this year's weather, so check the forecast, sailings and cable car operation the day before and on the day.

• April: high about 18°C / low about 9°C / about 139 mm
• May: high about 22°C / low about 14°C / about 160 mm
• August: high about 30°C / low about 23°C / about 244 mm
• October: high about 22°C / low about 14°C / about 76 mm
• November: high about 16°C / low about 7°C / about 49 mm

Checklist before you go

The set costs are free entry to Jeseungdang, KRW 1,650 per city bus ride by transit card (KRW 1,700 cash) and KRW 17,000 for an adult cable car round trip. Check ferry fares with the operator. Free city bus transfers only work with a transit card, so tap your card when you get off.

Tongyeong tourist information: 055-650-0580; the national tourist helpline is 1330. Fees and opening hours can change, so check official information before you go. For month-by-month normals and another island day trip, see our separate posts.

• The day before: Hansando ferry times, fares and return boat (ferry company or terminal, island.theksa.co.kr)
• On the morning: check sailings again for the weather
• On a Wednesday: check whether it is a 2nd or 4th Wednesday cable car closure
• Transit card: one free transfer to a different route number within 30 minutes of getting off
• Chungmu gimbap: a Tongyeong dish that keeps fresh for a long time; restaurants cluster around the Seoho-dong ferry terminal
• Phone numbers: tourist information 055-650-0580, tourist helpline 1330

• Which month is best for Tongyeong? →
• Somaemuldo Lighthouse Islet Day Trip: Ferries & Tides →
• Full Tongyeong travel guide →

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