Tips · South Korea
Tongyeong Mireuksan Cable Car: Closures, Fares, Views
Tongyeong's Mireuksan cable car in depth: bus No. 141, 2nd and 4th Wednesday closures, early ticket cut-off, fares, the summit walk, views and weather.
Published
Mireuksan cable car: what to know before you ride
Mireuksan (461 m) is Tongyeong's highest peak. From the top you look out over the islands of the Hallyeosu waterway, and on clear days you can see as far as Tsushima. The Tongyeong Cable Car is 1,975 m long with 8-person gondolas and takes about 9 minutes to the upper station.
The 2-day route that pairs the cable car with Hansando, and the Hansando day trip, are covered in separate posts. This one doesn't repeat them and looks only at the cable car: getting there, closures and ticket cut-off, fares, the walk to the summit, the Hallyeosu view, and the weather.
- Regular closure: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month (the next day if that is a public holiday)
- Tickets: sales may close 2–3 hours before the end of operation, so go in the morning
- Fares: round trip adults KRW 17,000, children KRW 13,000, seniors KRW 14,000; one way adults KRW 13,500
- Bus: No. 141 (Tongyeong Intercity Bus Terminal → cable car stop)
Getting there: bus No. 141, or a taxi
Tongyeong Cable Car says bus No. 141 runs from Tongyeong Intercity Bus Terminal to the cable car stop. The operator also lists Nos. 101, 104 and 105 from the terminal. Check official info before you go for frequency and first and last buses.
The regular city bus fare is KRW 1,650 by transit card or KRW 1,700 cash (fares from 1 September 2025). With a card you get one free transfer to another bus within 30 minutes of getting off. Cash rides and the same route number don't count, so tap your card when you get off.
A taxi from the terminal takes about 20 minutes and costs around KRW 10,000 when traffic is light. The cable car is on Mireukdo, an island linked to the town by an undersea tunnel, Chungmu Bridge and Tongyeong Bridge; the Donam tourist complex and the excursion boat terminal are on the same island.
- No. 141: Tongyeong Intercity Bus Terminal → cable car stop
- Operator also lists Nos. 101, 104 and 105 from the terminal
- City bus: KRW 1,650 by card (KRW 1,700 cash); free transfer by card only
- Taxi: about 20 minutes from the terminal, around KRW 10,000 (light traffic)
Rules and fares: Wednesday closures, early ticket cut-off
The Tongyeong Cable Car closes on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. If that day is a public holiday, it closes the next day instead. If your trip includes a Wednesday, check which week of the month it falls in.
Hours vary by season and weather. In May, August and October it may open early or run late. Ticket sales may close 2–3 hours before the end of operation, so going in the morning is best. Check official info before you go for that day's opening and closing times.
Round-trip fares are KRW 17,000 for adults, KRW 13,000 for children and KRW 14,000 for seniors; one way is KRW 13,500 for adults. Check official info before you go for one-way fares for children and seniors and for discounts.
- Regular closure: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays (the next day if a public holiday)
- Hours: vary by season and weather; may open early or run late in May, August and October
- Tickets: sales may close 2–3 hours before the end of operation
- Round trip: adults KRW 17,000 / children KRW 13,000 / seniors KRW 14,000
- One way: adults KRW 13,500
From the upper station to the summit, and walking up
The gondolas stop at the upper station. Check official info before you go for the distance and time of the path from the upper station to the summit of Mireuksan (461 m).
You can also walk up instead of riding: it is about 1 hr 30 min from the Gwaneumsa parking lot to the summit. Because there is a one-way fare (adults KRW 13,500), you can take the cable car just one way. Check official info before you go for how the trail connects with the cable car stations and for trail conditions.
- Cable car: about 9 minutes to the upper station
- On foot: Gwaneumsa parking lot → summit, about 1 hr 30 min
- One way: adults KRW 13,500
The Hallyeosu view and Hallyeohaesang National Park
From the top of Mireuksan you look out over the islands of the Hallyeosu waterway, and on clear days you can see as far as Tsushima.
Hallyeohaesang National Park was designated Korea's first marine national park in 1968. It stretches from Jisimdo in Geoje to Odongdo in Yeosu, and 76% of its area is sea. The Tongyeong district includes islands such as Hansando, Bijindo and Maemuldo. Mireukdo, where the cable car is, is a Special Tourist Zone and part of Hallyeohaesang National Park. Entry to the national park is free.
If you want to visit the islands of the Hallyeosu waterway, take a ferry from Tongyeong Port. Boats run to Hansando (Jeseungdang), Yokjido (via Yeonhwado and Udo) and Somaemuldo (via Bijindo and Daemaemuldo), among others, and sailings change with the weather. Island days are covered in separate posts.
- Korea's first marine national park, designated in 1968
- From Jisimdo (Geoje) to Odongdo (Yeosu); 76% of the area is sea
- Tongyeong district: Hansando, Bijindo, Maemuldo and more
- On clear days: you can see as far as Tsushima
Weather and normals: the summit is not the town
The Tongyeong Cable Car can stop in bad weather, and its hours vary by season and weather. On the day, check official info before you go to see whether it is running.
The figures below are Korea Meteorological Administration normals for 1991–2020 at Tongyeong station. They come from the city station, so temperature and wind at the summit of Mireuksan (461 m) can be different.
Average highs are about 18–27°C in April to June and September to October. August is the hottest month, with highs of about 30°C, and January is the coldest, with lows of about -1°C. July gets the most rain (about 289 mm). Here are May, August and October, when the cable car may open early or run late, plus midwinter January.
- January: high about 8°C / low about -1°C / about 32 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
Fitting it into your trip, and a checklist
Day 2 in the Tongyeong guide is a ferry from Tongyeong Port to Jeseungdang on Hansando, then bus No. 141 to the cable car. How to set the order around ferry times is in the Hansando day-trip post, and month-by-month weather is in the best-month post. If the cable car is your only plan that day, go in the morning because of the early ticket cut-off.
Tongyeong tourist information is 055-650-0580, and the national tourist helpline is 1330. Fares and hours can change, so check official information before you go. Entry requirements for Korea depend on your nationality; check the Korean government's official information before you travel.
- Date: is it the 2nd or 4th Wednesday? (the next day if a public holiday)
- Time: go in the morning and check that day's hours
- Weather: check whether it is running on the day
- Transport: bus No. 141; ride with a transit card and tap when you get off
- Contacts: tourist information 055-650-0580, tourist helpline 1330
Plan your Tongyeong trip
We never take payment — compare, then book on the official partner site.
FAQ
When is the Tongyeong Cable Car closed?
It closes on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, or the next day if that Wednesday is a public holiday. It can also stop in bad weather, so check official info on the day.
How much is the cable car?
Round trip is KRW 17,000 for adults, KRW 13,000 for children and KRW 14,000 for seniors; one way is KRW 13,500 for adults. Check official info before you go for discounts.
How do I get from the bus terminal to the cable car?
Bus No. 141 runs from Tongyeong Intercity Bus Terminal to the cable car stop, and the operator also lists Nos. 101, 104 and 105. A taxi takes about 20 minutes and costs around KRW 10,000 when traffic is light.
Is the summit weather the same as the Tongyeong normals?
No. The normals are from the Korea Meteorological Administration's Tongyeong station (1991–2020), so temperature and wind at the summit (461 m) can differ. Check the forecast and whether the cable car is running on the day.
Related reading
ⓘ Photo credits
- Hansando Island · Asfreeas / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sebyeonggwan Hall, Tongyeong · HappyMidnight / CC BY-SA 3.0