Sky Capsule Ride - Busan's most beautiful train ride

Sky Capsule or Beach Train?

Two attractions run on the disused railway line between Mipo and Songjeong today, and they are easily confused.

Sky Capsule

The Sky Capsule is the one everybody comes for: small pastel-coloured capsules running on an elevated track between Mipo and Cheongsapo. You sit facing each other. The capsule is yours alone and it trundles along at walking pace. That is exactly why it works so well. You have time to look out of the window and take photos.

Beach Train

The Beach Train is the alternative and covers the same coastline, but at ground level below the capsule track and all the way up to Songjeong. It is considerably cheaper, has air conditioning and doesn’t need to be reserved weeks in advance. The catch: it moves faster, and you share the carriage with plenty of other passengers. That makes it the clearly weaker choice if you want to enjoy the view.

My advice: go for the little capsules, of course. The view from the capsule is the reason you are here in the first place. You can still treat yourself to the Beach Train afterwards if you want to carry on to Songjeong. There are also combo tickets covering both.

Which direction should I go?

This is the most important decision before booking, because you can only ever book one direction. There is no return trip in the capsule.

The direction Mipo to Cheongsapo is the more popular one and sells out considerably faster. The reason: on this ride you sit on the sea side, so the view goes straight out over the water.

Going the other way, from Cheongsapo to Mipo, you look more towards the coast and the hillside. To be honest, the difference is smaller than you might think. The track runs so close to the water that you can look out at the sea in both directions.

My recommendation: book the opposite direction, so Cheongsapo to Mipo. You’ll get a slot more easily, pay the same and see practically the same thing.

Booking the Sky Capsule

Book EARLY!!!! You should plan at least one to two weeks ahead, otherwise you’ll be looking at sold-out time slots. For the slots around sunset you need to be even further ahead, those are regularly the first to go. Each capsule holds a maximum of 4 people. The price is per capsule and depends on the number of people, and for the ride you are looking at around 50,000 WON. So you always ride privately, whether there are two or four of you. A capsule is not shared with strangers.

You can book tickets directly here: www.bluelinepark.com

Tip

Decide who is coming along before you book. Since the price rises with the number of people and the capsule is yours anyway, it is worth riding as a group of four if you are travelling together. And plan enough buffer: if you turn up late for your time slot, the ticket expires.

My suggestion for the perfect day

This is how I would plan the day: one way in the capsule and back on foot. Takes a leisurely five to six hours.

1. Getting to Cheongsapo

Getting there is really easy: take the metro to the last stop, Jangsan, and change there to the bus towards Cheongsapo. It runs roughly every 15 minutes, so you won’t have to wait long.

2. By Sky Capsule to Mipo

From Cheongsapo you set off in the capsule. The ride to Mipo station takes around 30 minutes. Time enough for 1,000 photos for Insta and TikTok.

3. On foot to Haeundae Beach

From Mipo station it’s a few minutes’ walk on to Haeundae Beach, Busan’s best-known beach. Here you can lie down in the sand, go for a swim in the sea or simply watch the goings-on along the promenade.

4. Walk the panorama path back

Now comes the best part: simply walk back along the stretch you rode in the capsule. The path runs right by the sea below the capsule track and is freely accessible.

Along the way there is a free observation platform with a glass floor that juts out over the sea. Under your feet you can see the waves crashing against the rocks. Careful if you’re afraid of heights: this one isn’t for the faint-hearted, but it makes a great photo.