Cheongpung Lake Cable Car vs. Monorail 2026: Prices & Tips

When preparing for my trip to Jecheon (제천), I debated whether to take the Cheongpung Lake (청풍호) Cable Car or the Monorail.

Both facilities go up Bongbisan Mountain (비봉산), but looking at photos, their ascent methods seemed quite different.

To cut to the chase, if you want to reach the summit quickly and enjoy the scenery, the cable car is your go-to.

If you're curious about the process of slowly ascending through the forest, then you might want to consider the monorail.

This time, I personally rode the cable car, but I arrived too late to take the monorail.

So, I'll share my actual riding experience with the cable car, and for the monorail, I'll organize what I saw on-site and its usage information.

Cheongpung Lake Cable Car vs. Monorail: At a Glance

Comparison Item	Cheongpung Lake Cable Car	Cheongpung Lake Tourist Monorail
Method of Travel	Travels in suspended cabins	Travels along rails on the mountainside
Departure Point	Multaeri	Dogok-ri
Adult Round-trip Regular Fare	Standard Cabin ₩18,000 (~$13)	₩12,000 (~$9)
One-way Riding Time	Approx. 10 mins	Approx. 23~25 mins
Things to Consider When Choosing	Aerial views, relatively short travel time	Journey through the forest, steep sections
Reservation Check	No time slot reservation needed	Need to check available time slots and remaining seats
On this Trip	Rode standard cabin myself	Visited on-site but couldn't ride

Fares and travel times are based on official/public tourism information,

and do not include waiting times or time spent sightseeing at the summit.

Please reconfirm the latest information on your visit date.

Cheongpung Lake Cable Car Prices and Discounts

The regular adult round-trip fare for the Cheongpung Lake Cable Car's standard cabin is ₩18,000 (~$13).

My companion and I paid a total of ₩32,000 (~$24). That's effectively ₩16,000 (~$12) per person,

and we received a discount by showing an app screen on-site.

If you use the Jecheon Digital Tourist Pass,

you get a ₩2,000 (~$1) discount on the Cheongpung Lake Cable Car fare.

To use this benefit, you need to scan the Digital Tourist Pass QR code on-site,

and go through a process where staff confirm its issuance and your coupon.

If you plan to get a discount, please mention it at the ticket office before payment.

It's a good idea to reconfirm the benefits and terms of application at the time of your visit.

I'm Afraid of Heights, So I Was Worried...

Honestly, I tend to be scared of heights, so I was a bit worried even before getting on.

(Despite saying that, I always end up riding cable cars at tourist spots, lol)

Cable cars are suspended in the air as they go up, right? I wondered what I'd do if it got too scary looking outside, haha.

But when I actually rode it, it was better than I expected.

Especially when coming back down after going up to the summit, maybe because I had already seen the high-altitude scenery,

it wasn't as scary as I initially worried it would be.

(Though looking at it again now while editing, it is quite high!)

Of course, this is just my personal feeling.

Even on the same cable car, everyone's perception of height or swaying can differ.

Nevertheless, if you're debating whether to take the Cheongpung Lake Cable Car because of a fear of heights, like me,

I wanted to share my experience that even I, who is scared of heights, found the standard cabin surprisingly manageable.

Difference Between Standard and Crystal Cabins

The Cheongpung Lake Cable Car offers both standard cabins and crystal cabins with transparent floors.

According to public tourism information, the adult round-trip fares are ₩18,000 (~$13) for standard and ₩23,000 (~$17) for crystal cabins

. If you want the experience of looking down through the floor, the crystal cabin might be worth considering.

If you're concerned about the height like I was, starting with the standard cabin might be a good idea.

However, when I visited, the crystal cabins were not operating. (Perhaps because it was a weekday?)

If you really want to ride the crystal cabin, don't just decide based on the price; make sure to check if it's actually operating on the day of your visit.

How Much Time Should You Allocate for Bongbisan Mountain?

The cable car travels approximately 2.3 km from Multaeri to Bongbisan Mountain,

and the one-way ride is advertised as about 10 minutes.

We thought we'd be quick, but the scenery was so beautiful, haha,

we ended up staying for about 40 minutes.

If the weather hadn't been so chilly, we would have stayed even longer.

But there are also surprisingly good photo spots and walking trails,

so if you want to explore everything, you should probably allow 1 to 2 hours.

I Couldn't Ride the Cheongpung Lake Monorail Because I Arrived Late

After riding the cable car, I was curious about the monorail too, so I went to find it.

However, we arrived too late and couldn't make it for an available time slot.

From what I saw this time, rather than visiting the Cheongpung Lake Monorail at the very end after seeing everything else,

it would be better to check available reservation times first and then plan your itinerary around them.

The monorail ascends Bongbisan Mountain from the Dogok-ri boarding area,

taking approximately 23 minutes one-way and 50 minutes round-trip, according to Jecheon City's guidelines.

You'll need to allocate more travel time compared to the cable car.

To avoid going all the way there and not being able to ride, like I did,

please check the official website for available reservation slots and operating status before your visit.

Is the Monorail Less Scary?

The monorail I saw on-site looked like it was climbing along a track deep in the forest.

Seeing the steep sections, my initial thought was, “Wouldn't this be a little scary?”

But then I realized, it's not like a cable car, suspended in the air looking straight down.

Instead, it goes up at an incline along the ground, so the feeling would be quite different.

I tend to find looking straight down from high places a bit overwhelming,

so I thought this method might actually be quite alright for me.

It really depends on whether you find the sensation of being suspended in the air overwhelming, or if steep inclines or

vibrations are more of a concern for you.

Next time, I definitely want to book it and experience it for myself, haha!

Traveling with Kids or Parents?

If you're hoping to see the summit views with your parents and prefer a shorter travel time,

based on the indicated ride times, I'd probably compare the cable car options first.

Conversely, if you want to truly savor the journey of ascending through the forest, and

have some time to spare, the monorail could also be a fantastic option.

If you're traveling with children, you'll also need to check the boarding restrictions. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (한국관광공사) guidelines,

infants under 36 months and pregnant women are not permitted to ride the monorail.

So please confirm the conditions for your accompanying family members first.

Before You Book: Check Departure Locations and Closing Times!

The Cheongpung Lake Cable Car (청풍호 케이블카) and monorail have different departure points.

- Cable Car: 166 Munhwajae-gil (문화재길), Cheongpung-myeon (청풍면), Jecheon (제천시), Chungcheongbuk-do (충북)

- Monorail: 879-17 Cheongpungmyeongwol-ro (청풍명월로), Cheongpung-myeon (청풍면), Jecheon (제천시), Chungcheongbuk-do (충북)

When entering into your navigation system, please distinguish between the facility names when searching.

Operating hours can vary depending on the season and weather, and

ticket sales closing times and last ride times might also differ.

Especially if you want to ride the monorail, rather than just showing up late in the afternoon,

I recommend checking the available reservation slots and ticket closing times first. Operations might also be suspended due to weather conditions like strong winds or lightning.

👉 [Check booking and operating information on the official Cheongpung Lake Cable Car (청풍호반케이블카) & Monorail website]

If You Had to Choose Just One?

The cable car I rode myself on this trip was actually better than I expected, even with my fear of heights.

If you're like me and want to ascend Bibongsan (비봉산) to see the stunning views, and

don't want to spend too much time on the journey itself, then starting with the cable car might be a great option.

I was really curious about the monorail, slowly ascending through the forest, but unfortunately, I couldn't make the timing work this time.

If you're weighing the differences between the Cheongpung Lake Cable Car and Monorail, consider not just the price, but also

how you want to ascend and how much flexibility you have in your travel itinerary.

And amidst it all, the views were absolutely breathtaking!

Especially as the rice fields ripened and turned golden,

and the sun slowly began to set,

the way everything transformed into a golden hue was truly a masterpiece.

Seriously, photos just can't capture this.

You HAVE to go... And in the distance, the mountains stretch endlessly,

which just made me think, "Wow, that's incredible."

It makes you wonder how people formed villages and lived here in the old days,

it's truly marvelous.

Cable Car on a Cold Day, or Cheongpung Lake Cable Car (청풍호 케이블카) in Winter?

I went on October 16th, when it was relatively warm.

It was around 25 degrees Celsius then.

Even then, the wind was incredibly strong,

and I saw people carrying warm drinks.

We also watched for a bit, but it got too cold... so we ended up sightseeing indoors.

If you're reading this post now,

absolutely make sure to wear a scarf, a thick jacket, and a mask.

If you plan on taking lots of photos, even gloves!

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