how to get to Namiseon Island

i thought of posting the directions of how to get to Nami Island or Namiseon on your own, for whoever who is interested, cos i thought my time would have been better planned if i knew what long it actually took and how to get there and things to take note of. i went there in the 2nd week of August 2012.

so firstly from whereever you are in Seoul, take the subway to Cheongnyangi station on Line 1. its 4 stations from Dongdaemun station. make your way towards the ITX station direction. you should see the signs as seen below.

go towards direction with the sign with "Gapyeong" on it. before going up the escalator to the ITX platform, you have to tap out with your subway t-money card first so that the cost doesnt accumulate or something. then just beside that, you can buy tickets to the ITX train. it should cost you 4000won each. then take the escalator up to the platform.

inside the ITX train, comfortable seats and very clean interior. the journey should take you about 30-40 minutes, from Cheongnyagi, its 3 stations to Gapyeong i believe. there will be an announcement informing you that you are reaching the next station 3-5 minutes before you reach. you even have a table! you can swivel the chairs around too, the korean boys next to us did that to talk to their friends. 

 this is the scenery along the way, a nice break from the heat-inducing urban scape of Seoul

when you get off Gapyeong staton, this is what you should see when you alight.

the exterior of the station. there is a mart inside but dont have to buy there cos there is a big Family Mart or GS25 when you reach Nami island itself. you will see this taxi statoin right outside the Gapyeong station. 

get in line and hop into a cab. if you can, get into a silver coloured taxi/cab as it is cheaper. not sure about the other colours though. it only costs us 2800won and took 3-5 minutes to get there. just say "Nami" and the taxi uncle will know.

 you will see this when you get off, and a Family Mart/GS25 mart. walk towards the tall structure you see, thats the zipline into Nami if you are up to it!

 ticketing entrance- the palace motifs are everywhere

 err ALOT of tourists

 8000 won for tourists- this is the entrance fee and also the ferry ticket, 2 in 1

 towards the ferry,  you can go in the shade to the lower deck or upper deck if you want a suntan

*going back from Nami Island
go back the same direction as you came. but when you go back, you dont just flag a cab anywhere, you have to find the taxi/cab line. easy, just locate this tall bungee tower, the line is just beside the cars you see in the picture below.

 queue in line like the ahjummas :)  you should get back to the same Gapyeong station as shown above. my taxi ride back was even cheaper 2400won and took 3 minutes.

*important! if you can, plan your going back time according to this schedule you see here. i didnt know that the ITX train only leaves ONCE PER HOUR for weekdays. we were there at 125pm but missed the train cos we went to the wrong platform. important to follow the signs to platforms that bring you to Cheongnyagi or Yongsan. take note of the orange column as shown below, weekdays is the left column and weekends (twice an hour) on the right. we missed the train back to Cheongnyangi and had to wait 50mins for the next train -,-"

also important, note the markings that show ITX on the ground as shown below to know which platform to board. and also the carriage number on your ticket, like mine was "8-2D", so find "8" on the ground. you cant walk through the ITX train like a normal subway as it segregates the carriages so important to stand/wait at the right carriage exit/entrance. BUT thats not all, you should listen to the announcements of the train that is coming, cos even though its the ITX platform, the normal KORAIL/subway also enters this platform. so confusing. but i enjoyed sitting at the station with the beautiful mountains as a backdrop and quiet away from the crowds.

so thats it! it doesnt sound as daunting as written here. just be alert, look out and listen to annoucements. and ask around the locals if you can. use key words "ITX" and "Seoul", they would give you the right info hopefully! enjoy! :D