A Complete Guide to the Wolmi Sea Train in Wolmido, South Korea (2024)

The Wolmi Sea Train is the best way to explore Wolmido - an island right off the coast of Incheon, the home of South Korea's busiest international airport. With 4 stops along a one way loop, a one way ticket allows you to get off once to explore and get back on. The Wolmi Sea Train is even considered the "longest urban tourist monorail in Korea" and is considered one of the top 100 Must Visit Tour Spots by the Korea Tourism Organization - meaning you should definitely add it to your itinerary!

My Essential Korea Travel Resources :
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For flights, I recommend using Hopper to compare the cheapest travel dates to South Korea.

Car rentals, although not common in Korea, are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to have a copy of your international driver's permit with you!

I always use AGODA's  easy-to-use platform for hotels in Asia.

To keep cell phone service, I use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required) - make sure to have NordVPN ready too while you surf random wifi connections.

For fun things to do, Klook specializes on tours in Asia, otherwise Viator also does the trick.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use when visiting a new country.

Lastly, my essential packing list when traveling.

Getting Your Tickets & Finding the Sea Train

The Wolmido Sea Train is open year round, Tuesday through Sunday, and closed every Monday. In the off season (November - March) they're open from 10:00am to 6:00pm, and in the peak season they're open from 10:00am to 6:00pm with extended hours on weekends and National Holidays.

Tickets cost 8,000 Won per adult, or 5,000 Won per child, and each ticket includes one chance to get off, explore, and get back on the Sea Train. Luckily, the Sea Train only goes in one direction - so you won't have to backtrack at all.

Although my husband and I visited when it wasn't too busy, apparently even on the busiest days the best way to get a ticket is at the ticket kiosks located at each of the 4 stations. It's important to note that you will not be guaranteed a seat, and chances are more than likely that you'll have to stand the entire time. The host on our train even mentioned that on peak summer days you might have to wait an hour or two just to fit into the train - which is why it's important to plan ahead and remember that the last train is 50 minutes before closing time.

My Favorite Tours in Seoul :
- Full Day DMZ Tour from Seoul
- Lotte World Tower at Seoul Sky

Best Stops on the Wolmi Sea Train

1. Wolmi Sea Station
This is the easiest station to get to if you're coming from pretty much anywhere, especially since it's right next to Incheon Subway Station (on both the #1 Blue Line and the Suinbundang Yellow Lines). If you're getting on or off here, I recommend also stopping by Chinatown - one of the most famous ones in Korea! Some other areas to explore are :

• Port Area - apparently, Incheon was the first port in Korea, and when the original Jemulpo Port opened in 1883 the area was covered in Japanese style buildings and streets - many of which have now been turned into shops, hotels, museums, or exhibition halls
• Jayu/Manguk Park - this park, also called Freedom Park, has plenty of hiking opportunities, sports courts, and even an ocean boardwalk
• Songwol-dong Fairytale Village - this fun village near Chinatown has lots of murals and sculptures to explore, many of which are based on childhood stories like Little Red Riding Hood and Thumbelina
• Silo Wall Painting - apparently the world's largest Silo Painting, you can see this view from the Sea Train on the way to the next station!

2. Wolmi Park Station
I'll be honest, I wouldn't recommend using your one stop on the Sea Train here, but if you're looking for a picnic or stroll in the park kind of day then this is the perfect place to explore.

• Wolhyujeong - this traditional Korean Garden can also be seen from the Sea Train, but if you want to have a picnic or just want to head out for a walk this is the perfect place
• Wolmi Cultural Center - at this cultural center you can experience traditional life in Korea as well as the type of food, clothing, and cultures that families would have had in the Joseon Dynasty
• Wolmi Trail - another great spot for a picnic or park walk that is also a great spot to view the cherry blossoms during the spring season!
• Maritime Police Ship - you can see this fun boat shaped building on the way to the next station!

3. Wolmi Culture Street Station
If you want to get off at one station, this is the one I would recommend - and it just happens to be the area where most visitors to Wolmido are wanting to explore anyways. Along the Culture Street you'll find plenty of rides and carnival games, adorable cafes and yummy restaurants, and you might even have the chance to run into a K-Drama filming crew! Some of my favorite spots in this area are :

• Wolmi Excursion Boat & Ferry - chances are you won't be able to take the Sea Train and a ferry in one day, but if you're in the Wolmido area for a few days then I also recommend booking a boat tour or ferry ride to another nearby island!
• Restaurants - although most of the restaurants in this area are seafood based with some of the best and freshest clams and shellfish you've ever had, we did find one restaurant serving more traditional foods like udon, king mandu (dumplings) and bibimbap (called Hansin Udon Wolmido Branch)
• Cafe Street - most of the cafes on Wolmido Culture Street are on the second floor of buildings making them a bit harder to find,  but I highly recommend Orange Cafe - which has delicious chocolate lattes, macaroons, and even an adorable puppy to snuggle with!
• Musical Fountain - although I couldn't hear the music, the fountain was fun to see and we even saw many people feeding the seagulls with shrimp chips - which you can find at pretty much any convenience store on the street!
• Wolmi Theme Park - another great stop is the theme park, where you can find the famous Ferris Wheel featured on the Korean Netflix show Nineteen to Twenty, and even classic Korean theme park rides like The Viking and Disco Pang Pang

4. Museum Station
The very last station before heading back to Wolmi Sea Station is the Museum Station. Here you can not only find some of the best views overlooking Wolmido Island, but you can also stop at :

• Lock Gate Exhibition Center - this exhibition center shares about the port's beginning, current state, and port's future plans!
• Wolmi Observatory - this observatory requires a hike up the stairs, but it's said to have the best views of all Wolmido, because I haven't visited this spot yet, I'm not sure if there is an extra fee for this or not
• Incheon National Maritime Museum - having just opened earlier this year, the MMK hopes to share the "magnificent world of the ocean" through their galleries and exhibitions ​

I recommend...
Catching the train at the Wolmi Sea Station, which is right next to the Incheon Subway Station. From here, I recommend riding the Sea Train to the Wolmi Culture Street Station - then getting off to explore all the fun sights in the area! The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to walk all the way down to the Museum Station (about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile). From here, I recommend getting back on the Sea Train and riding it back to the Wolmi Sea Station to explore some of Incheon's famous Chinatown or heading back home via the Subway!

Watch my Wolmi Adventures here!

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