At last count, there were 27 bridges spanning the mighty Han River in Seoul’s capital area. Banpo Bridge is the most famous.. and not just in Korea.
Photo by 서울특별시 소방재난본부 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Why, you may ask? Well, attached to the edges of the bridge is the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain. It’s THE longest bridge fountain in the entire world, and a brilliant spectacle to see, particularly on warm summer evenings. Best of all, it’s free!
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In this guide
- 1 Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain Quick Guide
- 2 Banpo Bridge Facts | 반포대교
- 3 Jamsugyo | 잠수교
- 4 Which side of Banpo Bridge should I Visit?
- 5 The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain | 반포대교 무지개 분수
- 6 When Can I see the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain Show?
- 7 Planning a trip to Korea?
- 8 Where to Get Unique Views of the Fountain Show
- 9 How to go to Banpo Bridge
Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain Quick Guide
Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain | Operates April 1st to October 31st, 2024 |
English Address | 350, Dongjak-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul |
Korean Address | 서울특별시 서초구 신반포로11길 40 |
Regular Schedule (April - June, September - October) | 12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00 |
Summer Schedule (July and August) | 12:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30 |
Transport | Express Bus Terminal Station, Exit 8-1 or 8-2 |
Admission Cost | Free |
Cancellations | May be cancelled without warning, due to inclement weather (go on a sunny day!) |
Banpo Bridge Facts | 반포대교
Banpo Bridge is the top half of the first double-decker bridge ever built in Korea. It was completed 40 years ago, back in 1982.
You’ll also hear Banpo Bridge referred to as Banpodaegyo Bridge. They are one and the same, so don’t get too confused by this. It’s because the phonetic translation of the Korean 반포대교, is Banpodaegyo. This is actually a total misnomer, since 반포 = Banpo and 대교 already means big bridge, but it’s widely accepted anyway.
Jamsugyo is often under water during Korea’s monsoon season.
Jamsugyo | 잠수교
The bottom half is called Jamsu Bridge, and it was specifically designed to be under water. In fact, the Korean 잠수교, actually means submerged bridge. When rainfall is high during monsoon season, you can count on Jamsugyo disappearing completely from view underwater.
The bottom half of Banpo Bridge is called Jamsugyo.
Head to Jamsugyo on Sundays between 1 and 9PM to enjoy the Ddubuk Ddubuk Festival, where you can enjoy food trucks, beanbag chairs, food festa, a library, and much more. This year’s autumn dates are from September 1st – October 27th.
Best of all, it’s car-free on these days, and you can take see unique views of the east and west sides of the city, with the waters of the Han River as your soundtrack.
Which side of Banpo Bridge should I Visit?
Banpo Bridge is located almost exactly in the centre of Seoul, and connects the districts of Seocho in the south, to Yongsan in the north.
Access to the Some Sevit floating islands is on the south end of Banpo Bridge
The south end is definitely where most of the action is. There’s green space for picnicking, places to sit and watch the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain show, and access to the Some Sevit Floating Islands.
On weekends, in the warmer months, you can explore the Bamdokkaebi Night Market with its food trucks and unique shopping stalls. You can also enjoy views of Namsan Mountain and N Seoul Tower from the south side.
The Bamdokkaebi Night Market is on the south end of Banpo Bridge.
The north side of Banpo Bridge is less developed, however you can still find bike paths, workout stations, and some green spaces.
The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain | 반포대교 무지개 분수
There’s a lot to do at Banpo Bridge, but one of the most well known attractions in the city and around the world, is the Rainbow Fountain show. Running for a total length of 570 metres on both sides, this is the longest bridge fountain in the entire world.
The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain is the longest bridge fountain in the world
During the show, 380 nozzles suction water up from the Han River below and spray them out into a sparkling show of music and movement. A whopping 60 tons of water is used for every single minute that the Rainbow Fountain is operating.
The spray cascades outwards for an incredible 43 metres, before falling 20 metres back down into the river.
60 tons of water is used every minute during the show
You can catch the fountain show during both the day and night, but it’s definitely better after the sun goes down. At night, the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain is illuminated by a rainbow of 200 LED lights that highlights the shooting sprays of water, as they dance in synchronization with various pieces of music.
Did I mention that it’s free?
When Can I see the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain Show?
The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain operates every day from April to October, five to six times a day. Each show lasts approximately 20 minutes. Schedules vary from month to month, and can be cancelled without warning if there’s too much wind or rainfall.
Each Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain show lasts approximately 20 minutes
The current Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain schedule is as follows:
April 1st – June 30th & September 1st – October 31st
During these months, fountain shows are at noon, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30 and 9:00PM.
July 1st – August 31st
In the hotter summer months, shows begin at noon and every half hour starting from 7:30PM. The last show begins at 9:30PM.
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Where to Get Unique Views of the Fountain Show
There’s a couple ways to get unique views of the Banpo Bridge and Moonlight Rainbow Fountain show.
See the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain from a different perspective
Take a Han River Cruise
Get up close and personal with the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain by taking a Han River Cruise. Whether it’s a yacht or ferry cruise, you’re sure to get an exciting view that most people don’t usually see.
HAN RIVER CRUISES | There are many different cruise offerings – some with meals, entertainment, or music. If you want to see the Rainbow Fountain, be sure to book your cruise in the evening in order to see the LED lights and water at their best. Choose from either a Han River Cruise by YACHT or one of the many Han River Cruise options.
Get Thee to Dongjak Bridge
You can also make your way over to the south end of Dongjak Bridge, which is the very next Hangang Bridge to the west.
There, you’ll find two incredible eMart 24 convenience stores, both with incredible views of the city. Each is 5 floors and include cafes, snack zones, bookshop, lounge and outdoor rooftop, along with a limited selection of the usual convenience store goodies. They even have Heineken and local craft beer on tap!
You can see Namsan Tower from Dongjak Bridge © Sarah Mak
At the west side eMart, you can see the N Seoul Tower and western side of the city. Head up to the cafe or rooftop on the east side of Dongjak Bridge, for unique views of Banpo Bridge.
TIP | Get panoramic views of Seoul from the top of Namsan Mountain and the N Seoul Tower Observatory. See only the observatory, or get a combo ticket that includes food and activities as well. Score the cheapest tickets to the N Seoul Tower Observatory by clicking here.
How to go to Banpo Bridge
Address: 350, Dongjak-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul | 서울특별시 서초구 신반포로11길 40
It’s possible to drive to Banpo Bridge if you have a car, but I wouldn’t recommend it at peak times. There’s limited paid parking spaces (only 823 spots), and waits can get pretty long (and frustrating).
The most convenient option for getting to Banpo Bridge is definitely via Seoul subway.
It’s easiest to get to Banpo Bridge by subway
Fortunately, there are many different subway lines that get you close to the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain Show.
Seoul Subway Lines 3, 7, or 9: Get off at Express Bus Terminal Station and take Exit 8-1 or 8-2. Walk straight for 250 metres, turning right at the Express Bus Terminal intersection. Walk straight for another 400 metres and cross the road. Go through the underpass to get tothe Banpo Bridge.
Seoul Subway Line 4: Get off at Dongjak Station and take Exit 1. Walk straight for 20 metres until the reach the Banpo Jugong Apartments, make a left turn and walk straight for 900 metres until you reach your Banpo Hangang Park.
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Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain: Essential Info and FAQs
You’re all set! You know everything you need to know to see the Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain show. Who’s going?
WanderingTravelr
I missed going to Banpo bridge the last time that I went to Korea (it was February, so a weeee bit cold) – but I’ll definitely have to go see it once I’m there next year!
shelley
Haha good thing you didn’t try to go. It doesn’t run in February! Only from April to October – is your visit during that time? It’s definitely worth seeing, especially since there’s so much other stuff going on there too. 🙂
AndysWorldJourneys
looks absolutely gorgeous by night! great pics!
shelley
Night time is definitely the best time to go see this show! 🙂
Alison and Don
Wow, this looks amazing. Great photos!
Alison
Shelley @Travel-Stained
I think the best perspective on this fountain show must be from above… now to just figure out exactly where that is. :p
Madeline Fink Fletcher
I saw this when I was in Seoul in 2015. It was a great free thing to do! The music choices that went with the fountain display were very eclectic, which was entertaining. 🙂
Shelley @Travel-Stained
Haha “eclectic” is definitely the right word to describe the music choices. 😉 That area has developed so much – and so many of the things are free. It’s really a great place to hang out in Seoul… especially on warm evenings.
Mabel Kwong
The water coming out of Banpo Bridge does look like rainbow water. So cool! Didn’t know it was a double-decker bridge. I guess Jamsu Bridge below isn’t open to the public to walk across when it’s monsoon season. Banpo Bridge sounds like quite a long bridge and if you wanted a good workout, maybe you could walk all around it as a good workout and see all the views in a day 😛 Beautiful photos you managed to get of the bridge. The blue hour one looks amazing 🙂
Shelley @Travel-Stained
During monsoon, Jamsu Bridge is totally under water, and sometimes you see only the tops of trees poking out of the water. It’s nuts! You’re right, it would be a great workout to wander up, down and across those bridges. I usually ride my bike across and that takes long enough! :p I wish I could take credit for those photos, but alas – there are people much more talented than I who took them! 😉