Han River yacht tour upgraded to private, Seoul: Sailing Paradise

I was meeting up with my friends for the first time in ages, and while we were wondering what to do, I wanted something new since food crawls are what we always do. Then I remembered taking a yacht when I visited Busan—it was so lovely that it really stayed with me. I thought only cruise boats went along the Han River, but when I looked into it, I found out you can take a yacht too! So this time, I went on a Seoul Han River yacht tour at Sailing Paradise in Yeouido.

Getting to Sailing Paradise and preparing to board

Paradise building ➡️ E-Mart 24/pedal boats ➡️ head right ➡️ fill out the boarding declaration

What to keep in mind when booking

Arrive at least 10 minutes before boarding. You need to fill out the boarding declaration and receive boarding instructions. If you plan to spend time at a café or nearby beforehand, make sure to factor in travel time! We were at a café and almost ended up late, haha.

• The Rosaline yacht may have its departure cancelled with fewer than 20 people.
• The Soday yacht may have its departure cancelled with fewer than 15 people.
• The Humin yacht may have its departure cancelled with fewer than 5 people.
• The Misso Marine yacht may have its departure cancelled with fewer than 5 people.

A private-yacht upgrade after booking for three

The three of us booked for that day and were originally supposed to ride the 11-passenger Humin. As I mentioned earlier, departures can be cancelled when fewer than five people book, so we were a little worried that our group of three might be cancelled. Luckily, the owner went ahead with the departure with just the three of us. But that was not even the end of it—there was something even more amazing.

Instead of the yacht we were originally meant to take, they switched us to Misso Marine, a yacht exclusively for private tours!! It is normally a private tour worth ₩450,000, so I was truly, truly grateful that they arranged it this way for just three bookings 🥺🙇🏻♀️

Once we boarded, there was welcome wine, beer, and snacks waiting for us. I am more of a wine person than a beer person, and my friends are not big drinkers, so we each had a little wine that day, haha.

What we got to do on the private yacht tour

Trying yacht steering for ourselves

One of the great things about the private tour was that we could try steering the yacht ourselves. The captain showed us how from beside us, so it was easier than I expected! It was a little different from driving a car: rather than having a separate brake pedal, the captain explained that turning the wheel half a turn to the left and then half a turn to the right is how you brake.

Enjoying the Han River while listening to the captain

Rather than simply riding along on the yacht, we also got explanations about the scenery around us and situations that come up while navigating, which made it fun to listen to. Then the calm waves suddenly started hitting quite hard, and since Misso Marine is apparently a yacht that can surf, we laughed among ourselves, “Is this what surfing feels like?” LOL. But the captain explained that it was caused by the yacht that had just passed us at high speed!

It was more than simply riding a yacht on the Han River: because it was a private tour, we could try steering ourselves and listen to the captain’s explanations, making this Seoul Han River yacht tour an even more memorable time!

Great spots for photos with the Han River behind you

The yacht and the Han River make such an incredible backdrop that every spot gave us great photos. But... if you ride before sunset, put on lots and lots of sunscreen. I do not want to know why either 🥹 (My face was so sunburned it showed even through the mosaic 🥵)

I especially recommend taking photos at the front of the yacht or by the railing with the Han River behind you. Also, it gets surprisingly windy and your hair flies everywhere, so I recommend tying it up!

While we were on the yacht, I was truly happy without a care in the world. Since it was a private tour and only the three of us were on board, it really felt like we were the main characters, and like we were traveling in Seoul for the first time in ages 😆 My friends were so, so happy that day too! The captain also took photos for us here and there, so we could save some memories together.

A note on boarding prices

The chart on the left shows rental prices, and the one on the right shows the price for the one-hour experience we originally booked! Just for your reference, haha.

Who I recommend this for

• Anyone who wants to try something different with friends.
• Anyone looking for a Yeouido date idea or a Seoul date spot.
• Anyone who wants to relax and enjoy Han River scenery with their parents.
• Anyone looking for a different Seoul activity instead of a Han River picnic.

Spending a different kind of time with my friends made it feel like I was traveling in Seoul again after a long time. If you want to try a Seoul Han River yacht tour instead of a Han River picnic, I recommend it!