January 2, 2026, 9:24 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Beach fun against a backdrop of skyscrapers, student parties in the university district, and the world’s largest shopping mall. The coastal city of Busan in South Korea is a place full of vibrant energy. Yet even in this bustling seaside metropolis, there are places for complete relaxation, like the “Beach Train” and the “Sky Capsule.” The mini-trains chug along the coast, directly above the ocean. TRAVELBOOK author Doris Tromballa boarded one of Busan’s “Sky Capsules.”
If you’re in a hurry, this is definitely the wrong place: A sign at the entrance to the “Haeundae Sky Capsules” and the “Beach Train” reads: “The Sky Capsules and the Beach Train are not to be understood as public transportation, but as a pleasure ride.” Well then, what more could you want? I head to the counter to get the tickets.
Better to Buy Tickets Online in Advance
A small shock at the counter: No tickets are available for the outbound trip (from Mipo Station to Cheongsapo Station) with the Capsule! Everything is sold out today. However, the outbound trip with the Beach Train is still possible. I breathe a sigh of relief because, luckily, a combo is also possible: outbound with the Beach Train, return with the Sky Capsule. I could have (and probably should have) booked the tickets online beforehand, as the small trains are incredibly popular.
But each ticket is tied to a specific time slot—and I simply couldn’t plan that precisely. So I’m relieved that it worked out spontaneously after all. For two people, we pay about 38 euros for the outbound trip with the train plus the return trip with the Capsule. The ticket hall is packed with tourists eagerly waiting in line. We have to wait half an hour, then it arrives—the Busan Beach Train!
Quickly Secure the Best Seats
As soon as the gates open, the first ones sprint off: Is there insider knowledge at play? Correct! Because the train has only a few seats. They are arranged in ascending rows toward the window, like in a cinema: You sit sideways to the direction of travel and have a wonderful view as the (electric) Beach Train slowly moves along the coast. I only got a standing spot, but with the view, I quickly forgot about it. Small islands rise from the sea in front of Busan, children play soccer in the courtyards of the small coastal houses, and seagulls hover over the beach. Now, no one is looking at their phone anymore (except to take photos).
The train runs three times an hour—at a leisurely 15 kilometers per hour. You can switch halfway through the route (2.3 kilometers) and take the Sky Capsule back to Busan, or you can ride the entire coastal road with the train (about five kilometers) back and forth. Just before my transfer station, Cheongsapo, I see two lighthouses on two headlands—the station is coming up! The ride took about 20 minutes.
Alpine Vibes at the Ocean
We climb out of the charming Beach Train and look around: Now it’s up to the second floor of the station, because the “Sky Capsules” are aptly named: They travel on white stilts above the railway line, several meters high. Since the capsules have a very narrow track width, you should feel as if you’re literally floating between the sea and the sky!
The “Sky Capsule” ticket also has a timestamp, so we immediately join the line. It certainly suggests some waiting time. And here they come, lined up like pearls on a string. The capsules remind me a bit of the old gondolas that took us skiing up the mountains: in bright colors, red, yellow, blue, or pink, decorated with popular Korean cartoon characters (bunnies, mice, kittens). They rattle in on one side of the station, the “outbound riders” get off, then they turn around a small curve, and the “return riders” can board. When it’s crowded, up to four people can fit, but the staff tries to ensure you can have your own capsule with just two people.
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Romantic Ride into the Sunset
Because the “Sky Capsules” are especially popular in Busan for one thing: marriage proposals! No wonder, as the sunset during the blue hour bathes the sea and sky in deep blue and red hues. Who could say no to that?
Our capsule rolls in, we board (just the two of us, yay!), and the ride begins. Slowly, the little train moves over the threshold toward the sea. Fear of heights? It’s sometimes an issue for me, but here: nothing at all, it’s simply enchanting. Behind us, the pine forests rise, and in front of us, the ocean spreads out in the evening light. Below us, there’s a walkway along the railway line—and that’s when I realize how slow we actually are: The pedestrians are overtaking us! The speed of the Capsule: just four kilometers per hour. But it doesn’t matter; we were explicitly promised a “pleasure ride,” not a stressful public bus.
So we gladly took the time to let ourselves be carried slowly over the sea. From the approaching capsules, other travelers wave cheerfully at us—everyone here is relaxed and happy. If you want to capture the journey, you can also lean your smartphone camera against the windows, set it to time-lapse, and let it run for the half-hour ride.
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The Highlight: Busan’s Skyline at Sunset
But the best is yet to come: In the last ten minutes, the gigantic beach skyline of Busan slowly emerges between the trees again. Now, in the evening sun, the pink light reflects off the mighty glass facades, creating magical reflections on the buildings and in the sea. A color spectacle that literally leaves me speechless. I don’t know whether to take 50 more photos or to capture this beauty with my mind’s eye. Relaxation: I choose the latter and put the phone aside.
After half an hour, the capsule rumbles back into the capsule station at Mipo. Like a roller coaster ride in slow motion and without loops, I think. But full of tranquility and like diving into the in-between world of sky and sea. When I have solid ground under my feet again, it’s clear: For me, Busan’s “Sky Capsule” is definitely the most romantic mode of transportation in the world!