E-LAND Cruise (Han River cruise)

Nice Cruise Took the evening cruise which was approximately 90 minutes along the Han River. Cruise was very relaxing and provided very nice views of Seoul. The boat had two levels, the lower being glass enclosed and the top deck was open air. Ample seating is provided on the lower deck and minimal seating is providing on the upper deck (get there early for best seating on upper deck). Fortunately we had perfect weather but would not suggest on rainy day as the upper deck has little shelter. The light and water show on the bridge was a nice feature but not spectacular. At 15,000 won ($15.00) this was a good value for this cruise.

Oh, what a fantastic night Music Cruise! Whenever my family travel to a city, we always take a cruise to see a different perspective of the city from the water if it is available. So Seoul with its Han River (Hangang) is no different and interestingly, Eland Cruise has day and night cruises.

We decided on night cruise and there were only 3 types available on a weekday (Mon-Fri) night: a 40-minute Moon Light Cruise (departs at 10 pm), a 90-minute Dinner Cruise with on-board buffet dinner (departs at 7:30 pm) and a 70-minute Music Cruise (departs also at 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm). In the end, we chose the Music Cruise without dinner because firstly the ferry for the Dinner Cruise did not have an open deck for night sightseeing, and secondly the Dinner Cruise would be more focus on dinner rather than night sightseeing.

Getting there: The Music Cruise departs from the Yeouido Dock Terminal 2. We were glad that we recced the place in the afternoon just to be familiar with the boarding procedure and with the walking route to the correct boarding terminal (because it would be dark in the night and the cruise would not wait for you if you were late).
To get to the Eland Cruise terminal, we took Exit 3 of the Yeouinaru Station (Subway Line 5) and after walking about 10 to 15 minutes, we could see the cruise terminal. However, we had to turn right to the ticket office first. At the ticket office, we filled and submitted a Boarding Declaration with our identity particulars and contact number (one Declaration if you are in a group), presented our passports (this is a requirement after the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, so please do not forget otherwise you cannot board) and redeemed our Klook vouchers for the (discounted) tickets. Depending on the season and the queue, I would advise arriving at the ticketing office at least 20 minutes before the cruise departure time.
Once we got the tickets, we made our way just diagonally across to Terminal 2 and joined the queue in the waiting area.

The Cruise: The large ferry has 2 levels. The ground level has counter serving hot food and beverages, drinks, toilets as well as chairs (seats) facing the stage where a live band performed and where there were fans blowing warm air from the back. I was at the upper level most of the time, which is open deck area with just a few rectangular immovable seats and also has a counter serving hot food and beverages
The 70-minute cruise sailed us under the following bridges (daegyo) to the right of Yeouido Dock: Wonhyo, Hangang Railway (mainly not lighted), Hangang, Dongjak and Banpo and then return to Yeouido Dock. Besides the bridges, we also saw on either side of the Han River the following: tall apartment buildings, 63 Square building and the cultural complex Sebitseom comprising 3 artificial islets (Gavit, Chavit, and Solvit) and which is the world’s first floating complex to have buildings atop floating structures on water

What we enjoyed:
(1) The speed of the ferry was just right for a relaxing and steady cruise
(2) The band performance was great - they even sang Christmas carols one and half month in advance
(3) The fantastic night scenery of the skyline and landmarks on either side of the Han River, and coupled with the full moon looking down from the night sky, it became heavenly!
(4) The lights on Hangang Bridge was especially colourful (orange, red and yellow) to behold, and more so for the Sebitseom islet of Gavit, which changed colour frequently
(5) There were not many people on the upper open deck, so I could move around freely for good photograph taking spots

What we did not enjoy:
(1) It was blistering cold on an autumn night on the open deck when the ferry sailed, but I had to be there to enjoy the night scenery. It would surely be warmer on a summer night, but do wear enough warm clothing for the upper deck experience.
(2) The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain Show just closed one week earlier on 30 October, so there was no show when we reached the Banpo Bridge
(3) Setting up a very fast shuttle speed on the SLR camera helped but even then, a few photographs were slightly blurred due to the vibration caused by the wind, my hands and the ferry

We had a fantastic evening on this Music Cruise and love every minute of it. We would do it again next time when we are back in Seoul with the Banpo Bridge Rainbow in operation or on a Saturday night for the 70-minute Fireworks Cruise or during the weekday for the 40-minute Story Cruise or the 90-minute Han River Tour Cruise (past the Mapo, Seogang and Yanghwa Bridges).

I recommend this night cruise for a great evening of seeing Seoul with a different perspective.

Interesting view of Seoul and great Rainbow Bridge Light Show I went on the evening cruise just as the sun was setting. It was perfect timing as we could see part of Seoul during daylight/dusk and then as evening as the way back. We stopped by the Rainbow Bridge to view the light show, which was synchronized to music and quite a good show. It went on a bit too long, but was still interesting. There are seats inside and outside, on two levels, drinks available for purchase and it's narrated in Korean and English (may have to ask to have them turn up the volume in order to hear). If you're looking for something to do in the evening, this is a great option.

Leisure cruise We took subway line 5 to Yeouinaru station, went out of Exit 3, turned down the path to Han River. The E-Land Cruise terminals were about 15 minutes walk along the path. When purchasing tickets (12,000 won each) from the ticket booth outside E-Land Cruise Terminal 1, we were asked to fill in an Embarkation Card and showed our passports. We then had buffet lunch (14,900 won per person) at Ashley on 1st floor of Terminal 2. After lunch we went back to Terminal 1, the staff there checked our passports again before we were allowed to board. The ferry had an air-conditioned lower deck and an open top deck. There were seagulls flying along with our ferry as a crewman was feeding them with small fish on the top deck and it was quite amusing. It was a leisure cruise and the whole ride was about 35 minutes. It was really relaxing to spent half a day to walk along the Hangang Park, had lunch by the river side and ended up with a leisure cruise

Watch out for the fountains from the bridge! Dinner while cruising on the Han river. Whole trip takes about 2 hours. Dinner is a buffet, but very nicely done and there is plenty of food. You don’t have to join in the initial crazy rush as there was plenty left. There is live music, which is not intrusive, but I went up on deck and spent most of the time watching the lights of Seoul. After about an hour the boat approaches a bridge and the crew clear everyone from the decks. This is because there are fountains fo water pumped off the bridge as part of a lighting display (a couple who did not listen to the instructions got soaked!).
Overall a nice experience.

A nice evening. We went on a night cruise that was about 90 minutes long that included a water/light show on one of the bridges, and fireworks. We stayed up on top and had great views. They also had a 20 minute performance from a singer, which everyone seemed very interested in watching. I chose to have the top deck almost to myself, and I could hear the singing just fine from there. It was a beautiful evening and I thought the cruise was a very worthwhile thing to do. No spectacular sights, but very nice all the same. And not very expensive.

Korean Holiday The Eland Han River Cruise was just as advertised. It was a unique way to discover Seoul and enjoy the city's beautiful scenery. We start off at Yeouido Dock and pass by 63 building, N Seoul Tower, Banpodaegyo Bridge, Konghang Train Bridge, Jamsil Olympic Stadium, and the famous Yanghwa Bridge. While on board, we sat back and relaxed as a live band serenaded us, providing a great soundtrack for our sightseeing cruise. We purchased a package that included a buffet dinner at Ashley, a famous restaurant chain in Korea. Even though the buffet had a good selection of foods, save your money, because most of the food was served warm instead of hot and the service was poor at best because the wait staff was extremely slow in clearing the tables. We had to visit the Han River because it is another site that appears in many of the Korean dramas that appear on TV.

Christmas Dinner cruise I took the Eland dinner cruise from Yeouido pier and enjoyed a leisurely cruise, very nice dinner and entertainment. It lasts about 2 hours and you cruise up the Han river under the well lit bridges. There is a lunch cruise and a dinner cruise depending on whether you want to sightsee in the daytime or see the city lit up at night. For Christmas dinner I reserved a table at the SUJI restaurant in Itaewon and was severely disappointed. No real turkey, just packaged turkey slices and overpriced. To make up for the dismal Christmas dinner I decided on the cruise even though there was no turkey, only duck. The food selection was quite vast and good. There was entertainment and everyone had a good time. I will definitely be going again. Possibly for lunch to see the sights during daylight.

Nice to see both sides of the city. I took the 7:30pm Live Cruise from Yeouido Han River Terminal to the Rainbow bridge and back. It is a 60mins cruise. I recommend buying your tickets at the booth ferry instead of online websites since they will not allow refunds if it happens to rain unless you don't mind sitting inside. I was lucky the rain stopped an hour before my scheduled departure and I get to enjoy the view on the top open deck. Make sure to check their time schedule and arrive at least 30mins before departure. It is very easy to get there by subway.

How To Get There:
Get off at Yeouinaru station (Line 5 여의나루역) and take exit 3.
Walk straight along the riverside about 500m toward 63 City Building.
You will find "Eland Cruise" ferry terminal on your left. (about 5 minutes away from the station. Look for the "Eland Cruise" sign. It is near 63 City Building.)

Fun River Cruise My friend and I went on the dinner firework cruise. I was quite surprised that this seems to be unpopular with tourists. The night we went, it was all locals. There were not many staff that spoke any English and even then, in Korean there wasn't much explanation of what was going on.

Wait and don't eat at first. You aren't dismissed in any order, they just let everyone go up at once. There's a mad rush and unless you want to be pushed by some ahjummas, don't go up at the beginning. There is plenty of food. The food was high quality but a bit light on meat options. The cheese tray and desserts were my favorite. They do have an espresso machine which I missed. Don't bother with the coffee, it is absolutely terrible.

They had a lovely jazz band and the fireworks were great. Overall it was a fun night!