Region
Jeju
Rent a car for 3 nights and split the island: Jeju City for arrival, Seogwipo for the south coast.
Key facts · South Korea
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct
- Currency
- Korean won (KRW, ₩)
- Language
- Korean
- Plugs
- C · F · 220 V
- Time zone
- UTC+9 all year
Rules in force · 5
- East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
- East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
- South Korea ↗Check K-ETA and visa status on the official sites before you fly; the list of nationalities exempted from registering online changes year by year.
- South Korea ↗Google Maps gives poor walking and driving directions in Korea; use Naver Map or Kakao Map for routes.
- South Korea ↗Buy a T-money card (or use a phone-based transit pass) for subway and buses; it also pays at convenience stores and many taxis.
Jeju is a volcanic island about the size of a small country, ringed by a 182 km coastal road. Buses reach the main towns and a few sights, but the crater cones, lava tubes and Olle trailheads sit off the trunk routes. With 3–4 nights and a car you can loop the island; without one, base in Jeju City or Seogwipo and day-trip by bus and taxi.
Sleep
Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it
Where to sleep
- Jeju CityCity guide
Airport, ferry terminal, Dongmun Market, most hotels.
Best Apr–Jun, Oct
JFMAMJJASOND - SeogwipoPlanned
South coast, Jungmun resort strip, waterfalls, Hallasan south trailheads.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Night sequences
- 3 nights
- Jeju City 1 + Seogwipo 2, car throughout
- 4 nights
- Jeju City 1 + Seogwipo 2 + east coast 1 (Seongsan)
- Jeju is windy year-round; ferries to Udo, Gapado and Chujado are cancelled in rough weather.
- Interior buses feeding Hallasan trailheads stop around sundown; coastal routes run later.
- Rental car insurance may be mandatory for foreigners; confirm before pickup.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Udo Island | Seongsan | 90 min | check | Ferry from Seongsan port; a scooter or bike on the island is the usual way round. |
| Gapado | Seogwipo (Moseulpo) | 60 min | check | Short ferry; flat, small, walkable in a couple of hours. |
| Chujado | Jeju City (ferry terminal) | 180 min | check | Long ferry crossing; only worth it as an overnight. |
Bags between cities
Luggage forwarding to Jeju is not a standard service; carry your bags or ship via mainland courier (check).
When and how
Months, arrival and passes
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeju City | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go | × | × | ok | go | ok | ok |
| South Korea (country-wide) | go | ok | ok | go | go | go | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeju City / north coastisland north | cool | cool | ok | best | best | wet | wet | storm | wet | best | ok | cool |
| Seogwipo / south coastisland south | cool | cool | ok | best | best | wet | wet | storm | wet | best | ok | cool |
- Jeju City / north coast
- Milder than the mainland; heaviest rain June–September, typhoons Aug–Sep.
- Seogwipo / south coast
- Wetter and slightly warmer than the north; Hallasan summit is much colder and often in cloud.
April–June and September–October are the driest and clearest windows; the island is busy year-round.
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul Gimpo (GMP) | Jeju International Airport (CJU) | domestic flight | ~1 h 10 | Seoul–Jeju is one of the busiest air routes in the world; book ahead for weekends and holidays. |
| Busan (Gimhae) | Jeju International Airport (CJU) | domestic flight | ~1 h | Short hop; ferries from Busan no longer run as of 2024. |
| Wando / Nokdong / Yeosu | Jeju ferry terminals | coastal ferry or car ferry | 3–5 h | Slower and less frequent than flying; some services skip set days each month — check the timetable. |
Regional passes
Rental car
buyThe default for seeing the island; book ahead in peak season and confirm insurance terms for foreigners.
T-money card
buyTap on Jeju buses; works island-wide and on the mainland.
Airport Limousine (route 600)
checkExpress bus between the airport and Seogwipo via Jungmun; useful if you are not driving.
Eat and move on
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Black pork barbecue (heukdwaeji) | Jeju City: Black Pork Street | Grill at the table; queues build after 18:30.Grill at the table; queues build after 6:30 PM. |
| Hairtail (galchi) and mackerel | Coastal towns island-wide | Often served braised or grilled as a set meal. |
| Seafood hot pot and abalone | Seogwipo and the east coast | Haenyeo divers still gather shellfish along the coast. |
| Hallabong tangerines and tangerine sweets | Island-wide, especially the south | Winter is the fresh-fruit season. |
| Jeju black-pork noodles and gogi-guksu | Jeju City | Cheap lunch option near the market. |
Go next
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source