Paju Imjingak Peace Gondola Crossing the Imjin River into the Civilian Control Zone

850 m DMZ Skyway Crossing the Imjin River from Imjingak

Paju Imjingak Peace Gondola runs 850 m one way across the Imjin River from the southern boarding station at Imjingak Tourist Site to the northern boarding station in the Civilian Control Zone. The round-trip distance is 1.7 km, and the round-trip ride itself takes about 10 minutes.

This is the world’s first gondola operating through a section of the Civilian Control Zone. The cabins travel up to 50 m above the ground, offering a panoramic view of the Imjin River, Dokgae Bridge, Imjingak, Pyeonghwa Nuri, and the Unification Bridge.

How to Ride the Doppelmayr Detachable Gondola Lift

The gondola is an automated circulating cable car manufactured by Austrian company Doppelmayr. In the boarding and disembarking areas, the rope and connecting device separate, allowing the cabins to move slowly; after boarding, they reconnect and the gondola operates at high speed.

There are 26 operating cabins in total: 17 standard cabins and 9 crystal cabins. Each cabin can accommodate around 10 people. The system is designed to transport approximately 2,000 visitors per hour.

Crystal cabins have transparent floors, allowing you to see the Imjin River beneath your feet. However, strollers and standard or electric wheelchairs can only use standard cabins.

2026 Operating Hours, Closures, and Ticketing Deadline

As of 2026, weekday operating hours are 09:00–18:00, while weekends and holidays are 09:00–19:00. Tickets can be issued until 30 minutes before closing, so if you arrive in the late afternoon, calculate the ticketing deadline first.

The gondola is closed on national safety inspection days and quarterly safety inspection days—the first Monday of March, June, September, and December.

The gondola round trip itself takes about 10 minutes, but reviews describe a stay of approximately 1–2 hours for exploring the facilities at the northern upper station. However, no separate, up-to-date official recommended viewing time or operating standards for severe weather is provided.

Standard and Crystal Cabin Round-Trip Fares and On-Site Purchase

As of 2026, standard cabin round-trip fares are 12,000 won for adults, 10,000 won for children, and 10,000 won for discounted visitors. Crystal cabin fares are 15,000 won for adults, 13,000 won for children, and 13,000 won for discounted visitors. Adults are middle school students and older but under 65; children are those over 3 years old (36 months) through elementary school age.

Paju residents pay 7,000 won for a standard cabin and 9,000 won for a crystal cabin. An identification document showing a Paju address and a resident-registration certificate issued within the past six months are required. Groups of 20 or more pay 11,000 won for adults and 9,000 won for children in standard cabins, and 14,000 won for adults and 12,000 won for children in crystal cabins.

Tickets can be purchased without an advance reservation at the first-floor on-site ticket office, and both credit cards and cash are accepted. Online purchasers must exchange their tickets for paper tickets at the ticket office on the day of use, and the tickets can be used from two hours after the purchase time.

Eight-Minute Walk from Imjingang Station, All-Day Vehicle Parking

Foreign travelers using the train can get off at Imjingang Station on the Gyeongui–Jungang Line and walk eight minutes to the gondola. For buses, get off at Imjingang Bus Stop. Local bus 93-9 operates on weekends, while village bus 058 operates daily. The walk from the bus stop to the gondola takes three minutes.

The address is 2F, 148-73 Imjingak-ro, Munsan-eup, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do (Majung-ri). Imjingak Tourist Site Public Parking is separately charged; all-day parking costs 2,000 won for passenger cars and 5,000 won for buses.

The main telephone number is 031-952-6388, and the official website is https://www.dmzgondola.com/main/main.html. It is best to decide whether to use Imjingang Station or the bus stop by considering both the train schedule and whether bus 058 is operating.

Upper Course in the Civilian Control Zone, Open After a Security Pledge

To visit the Civilian Control Zone, visitors must complete a security pledge. When purchasing tickets on-site, one representative or guide should bring an identification document and complete the pledge at the first-floor ticket office.

Accepted identification includes a driver’s license, resident registration card, mobile ID, passport, a photo of an identification document, and an alien registration card (ID Card). Not every passenger needs to present identification; tickets can be purchased as long as one person in the group has an ID.

Pets are not allowed inside the Civilian Control Zone and therefore cannot board the gondola. Strollers and wheelchairs can use only standard cabins, so the gondola is not suitable for wheelchair users planning to ride a crystal cabin.

Photography Rules That Must Be Followed in Front of the Fence

In the Civilian Control Zone, photographing and distributing on social media images of boundary facilities such as fences, guard posts, and surveillance equipment is prohibited. Violations may lead to referral under the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act, as well as civil and criminal liability and penalties.

There are areas with land mines that have not yet been removed outside the fenced area behind the mine warning signs, so visitors must not leave the designated viewing route. This is not an ordinary public park where people may enter freely; visitors must follow the security pledge and controlled route.

At the upper Civilian Control Zone area are the Dobodari space recreating the location where President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-un walked during the April 27 inter-Korean joint statement, as well as the Imjingak Peace Lighthouse and Pyeonghwa Pavilion, which express wishes for peace. The Wish Ribbon Zone was created to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement in 2023.

From DMZ Station to Military Street

DMZ Space is located on the basement level 1 of DMZ Station, while Café Forbidden Place and a gift shop are on the first floor. The third floor has a rooftop, allowing visitors to use indoor and outdoor facilities separately after getting off the gondola.

Along Military Street, built beside the fence, visitors can see the marks and histories of 34 divisions of the Republic of Korea Army, based on the situation when it was created in 2023. The Pinwheel Zone is a photo spot depicting the shape of the DMZ with pinwheels.

On the first floor of Imjingak Station are the ticket office, an agricultural and specialty products information center, a GS25 convenience store, and Café 9977; the second floor has Dunkin Donuts and Provence; and the third floor has the platform and Pixolve commemorative photo facilities. After spending time at the upper station, visitors can obtain drinks and basic conveniences before returning to the departure point.