Jeju Island

Jeju is a beautiful island in South Korea. Home to Hallasan, the highest point in the country, the island is a unique natural wonder. Thousands of cafes, restaurants, museums and nature areas call this stunning destination home.

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NOTE: This page is dedicated entirely to Jeju Island in South Korea. Click here more articles and information about the mainland!

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Jeju Island

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Jeju Travel Info

Language

Like mainland Korea, Korean is the only nationally recognized language. Almost all of the residents speak Korean primarily. However, due to the large amount of foreign tourists many languages have a presence including Chinese, Japanese, and English. Signage, menus, and some services are offered in English. Government signs like information plaques and road signs are also likely to have English making navigating significantly easier.

Demographics

Jeju province is home to about 675,000 people, a tiny percentage of the 50 million residents of Korea. The island sees annual tourism of over 13 million visitors, of which roughly 1 million are foreigners. This makes Jeju the most visited destination by foreigners in South Korea outside of Seoul. Jeju City hosts the vast majority of the islands residents with a population of 485,000. Therefore, Jeju is a sparsely populated area with forests and small villages dotting the island.

Weather

Jeju is a subtropical island not far off the coast of South Korea. Therefore, it has relatively similar weather to the mainland with 4 distinct seasons. Jeju is the southernmost region of Korea, meaning it has the warmest and mildest weather. In summer, the weather is hot and humid with similar temperatures to the mainland. Precipitation is mild year round, but the island sees greatly increased rain during rainy season in late June through early August. Although it does get cold in the winter, it rarely drops below freezing around the coast. Because Mt. Halla at the center of the island is South Korea’s tallest point, it is common to see snow at the top during winter. Additionally, wind picks up heavily in the winter, with speeds over 30km/h common.

Public Transit

South Korea is known for it’s world class public transportation. However, Jeju is a major exception. There are no trains on the island, meaning no subways or high speed rail. There is only one airport, and no inter-island ferries. The only public transportation option are public busses. Bus connections are good in and around cities, adding only 15-20 extra minutes. However, many of the islands most popular destinations like cafes, restaurants, nature areas, and museums are in the sparse countryside. If you take the bus, long walks or taking a taxi to the destination is often mandatory, adding several hours a day, or hundreds of dollars in taxi bills. We HIGHLY recommend renting car in Jeju to make the most out of your visit. If you can’t do so, we recommend visiting the many other places in Korea with great public transit.

Jeju FAQ

Like the mainland, Jeju is more expensive than “budget destinations” in Southeast Asia but cheaper than North America and Europe. Food costs less than in Western countries, and accommodations are moderately priced. Additionally, Western currencies are stronger than the Won making many items cheaper than in the west. The need to rent a car makes it more expensive than the mainland. With the cost per day being 50-70 USD, if you are travelling with multiple people it is likely similar to the travel cost per day on the mainland.

Yes, renting a car is highly recommended. As mentioned in the public transportation section, the only options on Jeju are public busses and taxis. Getting around Jeju City and Seogwipo is manageable, but reaching anywhere in the countryside is basically impossible without a car. Taxis can be chartered for 175,000 won a day, so they’re only practical if you don’t have an international drivers license. Full-day tours cost about the same as renting a car, so we don’t recommend them unless you’re travelling solo.

This can seriously affect your trip, so let’s break it down using Jeju Int’l Airport as a starting point and look at a few popular destinations.

  • Dongmun Night Market: 13 minutes by car, 19 minutes by bus. Very doable.
  • Aewol Cafe Street: 30 minutes by car, 53 minutes with two busses. Still doable since it’s along the coast near Jeju City.
  • Snoopy Garden: 44 minutes by car, 1 hour 30 minutes with two busses and 30 minutes of walking.
  • Hallasan Yongsil Trail: 52 minutes by car, 2 hours 24 minutes with two busses and 1 hour of walking. This is basically impossible unless you’re an avid backpacker with lots of time.

As you can see, the farther you go from the city, the more difficult it gets. While taxis are available, most of Jeju is rural and has limited or no KakaoT coverage, so ride-hailing is very unreliable. Unfortunately, many of the island’s top attractions are located far from populated areas, which makes relying on taxis and busses risky. On top of that, busses outside the city often run only every 30 minutes or every hour, so planning transfers and timing can be a hassle.

Unlike other rural places in Korea, Jeju sees a large number of foreign tourists. This means English services are much more likely than in other parts of the country. While the majority of residents speak only Korean, all of the most popular spots are geared towards tourists, so you are very likely to experience English menus, signs, and even staff members. In general, Jeju is the easiest destination for English speakers in South Korea outside of Seoul.

Jeju is a great destination year round for different reasons. The island experiences a similar summer to most of Korea, but has some of the best beaches and summer activities in the country, making it the ideal summer destination. In November, Seoul’s temperature plunges below 40°f (4.5°c), while Jeju remains seasonably warm around 60°f (15°c), and sees some of Koreas most beautiful fall foliage. In winter, tourism drastically slows, but many restaurants and cafes are still open, and some activities like hallabong harvesting take place from December to February. The purpose of your visit can impact which season is best for you, but there are plenty of reasons to visit all year.

We recommend not coming in late June and July to avoid rainy season, and the tourist season is high from June to August, especially due to Korean tourists visiting on summer break. Therefore, the best times to visit with good weather and less tourism are in late spring April-May, and early fall September-October. We have had the best luck in mid-late April, when weather is surprisingly warm, foliage is green and tourism is still very low.

Jeju is a large island with activities spread all over. It might be tempting to stay in Jeju city since it is so large, but there isn’t much to do in the city, and you’ll likely enjoy staying further into the countryside if you have rented a car. Luckily, the island is absolutely full of pensions and stays, making it easy to find a place near the activities you want to do. Popular areas are the Aewol coastal area, in and around Seogwipo, and the northeast coast near Udo island. Getting away from Jeju city is a great way to find affordable seaside pensions with more relaxed surroundings. We have booked 10+ stays in Jeju, and all of our favorite ones have been on the coast away from the cities.

eju is a lot bigger than most people expect. Compared to the mainland it’s small, but driving from one end to the other takes several hours, and the island is packed with things to do from coast to coast. Seeing everything would take months. Still, Jeju is just small enough that a well planned one day trip can be worth it, especially if you find a cheap flight. If you’re moving fast and want to cover as much as possible, you can hit every major area in about three days. Or you can take your time and enjoy a slower, more relaxed trip.

The biggest factor is whether or not you rent a car. You simply can’t see much on a short trip with no car. If you plan to rely on busses, stick to two or three activities per day at most, or book hotels close to the places you want to visit. A slower pace is mandatory if you’re relying on public transit, and a week long trip is highly recommended to give you the time you need. On the other hand, if you rent a car and go all in like we did, you can start early, end late, and manage to visit three coasts and hit ten different spots in a single day.

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