Udo Half Day Itinerary
How to Get to Udo
The best way to get to Udo Island is by taking a ferry from either Jongdal Port or Seongsan Port on Jeju Island. We left from Seongsan Port since it was the closest to us and near Seongsan Ilchulbong, where we had hiked earlier that morning. If you have all day, there’s no rush, but the island gets busy towards the middle of the day. Since we only had a half day in Udo, we got the first ferry out, which is recommended.
Ferries usually run frequently, but the schedule changes depending on the season. Most operate between 7:00 AM and 6:30 PM or from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, so be sure to check the current times and plan accordingly. Udo has two ports: Chunjin Port, located in the southwest, and Hawoomok-dong Port in the northwest. The ferry ride takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and there are plenty of seats both inside and outside. There is also an upper deck with a great view.
We bought our ferry tickets the day of, and it was a really simple process. You just need to fill out a boarding card with some basic information and show your passport. If you have a Korean registration card, that might work too, but as a foreigner, it’s best to use your passport. A round-trip ticket costs around 10,500 won per person. You will get two tickets, so make sure to keep both safe since one is required for the return trip.
Getting Around Udo (CoCo Nara)
Although Udo Island is very small, it’s not easy to explore the whole island on foot. As soon as you arrive at the port, you’ll find several transportation options to help you get around. You can rent a bicycle or e-bike, take the public bus, or rent an electric car, although the car option tends to be quite expensive.
Another popular and fun way to explore the island is by electric scooter. We decided to rent one through a company called CoCo Nara, which is just a two-minute walk from Cheonjin Port. CoCo Nara is foreigner and English friendly, and unlike many other shops, they allow visitors to rent scooters without a Korean driver’s license or motorcycle license. All you need is your international driver’s license, your passport, and your regular driver’s license from your home country.
The staff provides clear information and pricing in English, which is super helpful if you don’t speak Korean. We’re both pretty tall, so the fit was a little tight, but we didn’t want to miss out on the experience of riding an electric scooter around the island. The cost was 40,000 won for two people for 8 hours.
Hagosudong Beach
Our first stop of the day was Hagosudong Beach. This is by far the most popular bathing beach on Udo. It is surrounded by cafes, restaurants, and ice cream shops, and the beach is crowded most of the day. Since we arrived early, there was nobody to be seen. It was too early fore any businesses to be open, but it was nice to see the beach empty. However, the summer sun was already scorching us to death in the early morning, and we realized we had a hot day ahead of us.
On the beach, there is a statue of a haenyeo, which is a female diver who doesn’t use scuba gear to get seafood. These women are a significant part of Jeju culture. There are many variations of these statues around the island, celebrating these brave women and their unique culture.
Geommeolle Beach (Black Sand Beach)
For a relatively small island, Udo has a surprising number of diverse beaches. We scootered over to Geommeolle Beach, which has black volcanic sand. It’s a very small beach, only about 100 meters long. From the shore, we could see the top of Udobong, an iconic volcanic cone on the island. We had never seen black sand before, so we were having a blast playing in it. Boats were constantly passing by, as many of the local tours take visitors to explore the nearby sea caves.
Bongkkeurang Bakery & Cafe
For our early lunch we ate at Bongkkeurang Bakery & Cafe. They serve Korean style burgers with suje (handmade) patties which is very different compared to an American patty. The patty texture is similar to American meatloaf, it isn’t very greasy, just really thick.
We ordered the rainbow burger, peanut burger, and U-do sky which is a yogurt smoothie. It was intriguing to see a burger with a bright rainbow bun, which is what drew us to the restaurant. The rainbow burger was fine, but it was just really hard to eat since it is very tall and super saucy.
We enjoyed the peanut burger more because we love peanuts and the peanut butter sauce. The yogurt smoothie was our favorite. It had a sweet taste and was visually interesting. The restaurant is a bit pricey, but so is everything on Udo since much of it is curated for tourists. It was nice sitting on the deck, eating our burgers and looking at the sea.
Sanho Beach (Coral Sand Beach)
Continuing our search of Udo’s diverse beaches, we stopped at Sanho Beach also known as Hongjodangoe Haebin Beach. This beach has beautiful, clear water where you can easily see all the gorgeous shades of blue in the sea. The best part is that this isn’t a grainy sand beach, instead it has coral sand. The coral chunks are huge and when I picked it up, it looked like I had popcorn in my hands. This is my favorite beach in Korea mainly because of the sand. It doesn’t stick to your feet, and the coral pieces are cool to look at.
Because of the coral sand, the water here is absolutely pristine. If you are used to the silty beaches of Korea’s west coast, think again. This is probably the cleanest and warmest water you will find in the country, and on a day this hot it was absolutely amazing to wade through. If you only have a half day on Udo, this is the main beach we recommend.
HahaHoho
A must-try in Udo is the peanut ice cream. Apparently, HahaHoho has one of the best peanut ice creams on the island, so we went to see if the hype was real. HahaHoho is also a popular hamburger spot on Udo, but since we had just eaten burgers, we only wanted dessert. When we visited, it was very busy with a long wait. Luckily, since we were getting the peanut gelato to go, we were served quickly. The peanut gelato comes as two hand-scooped servings of subtly flavored peanut gelato, each topped with a generous amount of crushed peanuts. It was simply incredible, and if this piques your interest, we have a whole article on the best peanut ice cream in Udo.
Final Thoughts
Udo Island may be small but it offers a diverse mix of stunning beaches, local flavors, and unique cultural experiences. Riding an electric scooter made it easy and fun to explore highlights like black sand beaches, coral shores, and scenic ocean views. From peanut burgers to the island’s famous peanut ice cream, Udo’s food is quirky and delicious. Overall, Udo is a perfect half day escape that feels both relaxing and unforgettable.
Check out our Travel Diary
