We really fell in love with Jeju. After the energy of Seoul and Busan, the island felt like a completely different side of South Korea, with volcanic landscapes, beautiful beaches, lush greenery and a much slower pace.
We spent four full days exploring the island by car, hiking volcanic craters, swimming, visiting markets and eating some of our favorite food of the entire trip. But what made Jeju really special was its distinct culture, especially getting to see the island’s legendary haenyeo divers in person.
📅 How Many Days Do You Need in Jeju?
We spent four full days on Jeju, and we’d recommend 3–4 days for a first trip. Three days gives you enough time to see the major highlights, while four gives you more room for beaches, markets, and exploring without constantly rushing.
Jeju is bigger than you might expect, and driving between opposite sides of the island can take well over an hour. The best approach is to group your activities geographically rather than crisscrossing the island throughout the day.
🌤️ When Is the Best Time to Visit Jeju?
Jeju is a year-round destination, but spring and fall are probably the sweet spots for most travelers. Spring brings canola flowers and cherry blossoms, while fall has cooler temperatures, lower humidity and beautiful silver grass across the island.
We visited at the end of August and beginning of September, when it was hot and humid but still very much beach season. The water was warm, the island was incredibly green and we could combine swimming with hiking and sightseeing. Summer and early fall can also bring heavier rain and typhoons, so we’d leave a little flexibility in your itinerary for outdoor activities.
🏨 Where to Stay in Jeju
For a first trip to Jeju, especially a shorter stay, we’d recommend staying in Jeju City near the waterfront and Dongmun Market. You’ll be close to the airport, restaurants, shopping and the night market, while still being able to drive out to different parts of the island during the day.
We split our stay between Playce Camp Jeju near Seongsan and Whistle Lark Jeju on the Jeju City waterfront. We really liked Playce Camp, but we wouldn’t personally choose Whistle Lark again. The location was excellent, but the hotel itself had some downsides. We’d still stay in that same waterfront area next time.
Also, a special shoutout to Playce Camp’s hotel shop. You’ll find plenty of tangerine-themed everything across Jeju, but after browsing shops all over the island, this was one of the best-curated collections we found, with locally designed shirts, bags, socks, magnets, mugs and other Jeju-inspired goods.
🚗 Getting Around Jeju: Rent a Car
When we were researching our trip, almost everything we read recommended renting a car on Jeju, and this ended up being great advice. We loved having the freedom to explore at our own pace, pull over when something caught our attention and change plans without worrying about bus schedules or tour itineraries.
You can visit Jeju without driving, particularly if you book day tours, but we’d rent a car again without hesitation. One random thing we noticed almost immediately: there are SO many white cars, especially Kia and Hyundai, and some seriously dark tinted windows.
🌋 Best Things to Do in Jeju
Hike Seongsan Ilchulbong
One of our favorite things we did on Jeju was hike Seongsan Ilchulbong, or Sunrise Peak, on the eastern coast. This enormous volcanic tuff cone was formed by an underwater eruption thousands of years ago and is part of the UNESCO-listed Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.
Don’t let the word “hike” scare you off. The summit route is relatively short and very well developed, with paved paths and stairs for most of the climb. We’d consider it easy overall, although there are enough stairs to get your heart rate up. Give yourself roughly an hour round trip, including time at the top to enjoy the crater and coastline views.
It’s called Sunrise Peak for a reason, but we didn’t go at sunrise and still loved it. Don’t skip the hike just because you aren’t interested in a pre-dawn wake-up. The haenyeo performance also takes place down by the water below Seongsan, so the two are easy to combine.
See Jeju’s Haenyeo Divers
Jeju’s haenyeo, or “sea women,” are one of the most fascinating parts of the island’s culture, and seeing them in person was one of the experiences we were most excited about. We first learned more about their story through The Last of the Sea Women, and honestly, watching the documentary was a big part of what made us want to visit Jeju in the first place.
For centuries, generations of Jeju women have free-dived without oxygen tanks to harvest abalone, sea urchins, shellfish, octopus and other seafood. Some active haenyeo are now in their 80s, and UNESCO recognized the Culture of Jeju Haenyeo as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016.
We’d booked an experience months in advance that would have taken us into the water with haenyeo, but it was canceled that morning because of unsafe water conditions and visibility. I was super bummed, but thankful that we pivoted and still got to see the haenyeo performance below Seongsan Ilchulbong, where four women sang and danced before entering the water and diving for their catch.
OUR TIP: Arrive early if you want a good view. There’s essentially one front row of rocks beside the small stand where the day’s catch is prepared, or try to stand directly behind it. The performance is weather-dependent, and a tour guide there told us cancellations happen about 30% of the time.
❤️ One thing we’d also encourage: support the women if you can, whether that’s making a small donation or buying some of the fresh catch. A lot of people showed up, took photos and left, and after learning how much this tradition is disappearing, it felt important to us to contribute in some small way.
Explore a Jeju Lava Tube
One of the coolest ways to experience Jeju’s volcanic origins is underground. Manjanggul Lava Tube stretches roughly 7.4 km (4.6 miles), making it one of the longest lava tubes in the world, although only about 1 km is open to visitors. It felt completely otherworldly to walk through a tunnel created by lava flowing beneath the island thousands of years ago.
What surprised us was how much the landscape changed underground. At some points the ceiling was relatively low; at others, the chamber opened up dramatically. The temperature change was just as striking. We went from hot, humid summer weather outside to what felt like natural air conditioning immediately.
OUR TIP: Give yourself about an hour, bring a light jacket even in summer, and wear shoes with decent grip because the ground can be wet and uneven. Entry was free when we visited.
Visit Cheonjiyeon + Jeongbang Waterfalls
If you’re exploring southern Jeju around Seogwipo, it’s easy to visit Cheonjiyeon and Jeongbang waterfalls together, and we’re glad we did both because they’re very different.
Cheonjiyeon Waterfall is the more manicured experience, reached by a short, mostly flat walk through lush greenery. Jeongbang Waterfall, just a short drive away, feels much wilder, with water plunging over the cliffs right beside the sea and black volcanic rocks below.
OUR TIP: At Jeongbang, don’t stop at the first waterfall area. There are two falls, and we thought the one off to the left was definitely worth seeing. If we only had time for one, we’d choose Jeongbang, but they’re close enough that we’d recommend doing both.
See Jusangjeolli Cliff
Jusangjeolli Cliff is another fascinating reminder of Jeju’s volcanic origins. Lava cooled and contracted here into striking geometric columns lining the coastline. Incredible to see juxtaposed with the bright aqua water.
It was one of the busier natural attractions we visited, so it didn’t have the same peaceful feeling as some of our other stops, but the formations are impressive. We’d add it if you’re already exploring southern Jeju rather than driving across the island solely to see it.
Wander Jeju DongHwa Village
Jeju DongHwa Village was a lovely stop, especially in summer when the hydrangeas are in bloom. There are fields of flowers, landscaped grounds and a pretty stone park that make it nice just to wander.
There’s also a very pretty Starbucks here that’s worth stopping into while you’re exploring the grounds. Mark can’t turn down a coffee, so of course made a stop here. There was also a Studio Ghibli exhibit on the property that we unfortunately just missed, but even the gift shop was fun to walk through.
🏖️ Beaches in Jeju
Jeju has beaches all around the island, from stretches of white sand and clear turquoise water to black volcanic coastlines. We only had time for a couple during our four days, but if you’re visiting during warmer months, we’d definitely build some actual beach time into your itinerary.
Hamdeok Beach
Hamdeok Beach was our favorite proper beach stop. There are several beach and swimming areas, with clear turquoise water, pale sand and black volcanic rocks along the shoreline. We had some floating algae when we visited, but the water was warm and we still enjoyed swimming.
The people-watching was almost as fun as the beach itself. Large shade tents were set up along the sand, and around the lava rocks we saw families catching tiny fish, crabs and hermit crabs and creating little temporary “aquariums.” We also saw people collecting things from the water to eat.
Other Jeju Beaches to Consider
We didn’t have time to visit all of Jeju’s beaches, but a few others were high on our list.
Hyeopjae + Geumneung Beaches sit right next to each other on western Jeju and are known for clear, shallow water, pale sand and views of Biyangdo Island. Hyeopjae is the more famous of the two, while neighboring Geumneung can be a little more relaxed.
On the eastern side, Woljeong-ri Beach is another popular option, with beautiful emerald water and a strip of cafés and restaurants nearby. It’s also known for water activities like surfing, snorkeling and kayaking.
With limited time, we’d choose your beach based on where you’re already exploring that day rather than driving across Jeju just to reach a specific one.
🍊 What to Eat in Jeju
Jeju has plenty of foods that are specific to the island, especially black pork, seafood, sea urchin, abalone and tangerines, and some of our favorite meals came from very simple local restaurants with short menus.
Try Jeju Black Pork BBQ
You can’t come to Jeju without trying its famous black pork, and our favorite BBQ place was at Dobendon in Jeju City. We liked it so much that we ate there twice.
The pork belly was incredible, and the staff cooked everything for us at the table. It came with egg, jiggae, and of course, banchan, and we’d absolutely add the fried rice afterward. They cook it right on the grill, and it ended up being one of our favorite dishes of the entire South Korea trip.
Seek Out Local Jeju Restaurants
Some of our favorite meals were the most local-feeling ones.
At Seongsan Mackerel Wrap Rice, there was nothing in English and just a small selection of dishes shown in large photos above the kitchen. We had a seaweed soup with sea urchin that was SO good. The kimchi fish dish for two also looked amazing.
At Hillhouse Noodles, we stopped for a casual lunch of mandu, pork rice and noodles. It was simple, comforting and exactly the kind of meal that worked well between sightseeing stops. This was a very popular spot, but they have a good amount of seating and you don’t have to wait long.
We also wandered into another tiny restaurant with only four dishes on the menu and initially wondered whether we’d made a mistake. The raw fish bibimbap and fish egg pancake ended up being phenomenal, and the whole meal with soju was around ₩24,000.
And one of our favorite unexpected finds was 훈랑이네 (Hunrangine), a tiny Taiwanese restaurant in Woljeong-ri with only four tables. The owners were incredibly kind, giving us tea, tiny Jeju mangoes and tangerines to try, and their homemade yuzu ade was so refreshing. If you’re headed to Woljeongri Beach, this would make a great lunch or dinner stop.
Our biggest food takeaway from Jeju: don’t overlook places just because they’re tiny, don’t have much English or only serve a handful of dishes.
Eat Your Way Through Dongmun Night Market
Dongmun Traditional Market is huge, but the evening street-food section is surprisingly manageable. We entered around Gate 3 or 4 and walked back to the night-food stalls clustered into two main rows toward the back.
We loved being able to make one full loop, see everything being cooked and then decide what we wanted. There’s plenty of flame and blowtorch action at some of the stalls, which makes it entertaining even before you start eating.
The thing we’d tell everyone to try is the tangerine red bean mochi. A whole juicy Jeju tangerine is wrapped in smooth red bean paste and chewy mochi, and it may have been my favorite bite of our entire South Korea trip. We sought them out every day of our trip.
We also ate plenty of bingsu on Jeju. Sulbing was our favorite chain, especially the black sesame and red bean version, although the fruit options are fun too.
And don’t skip makgeolli, Korea’s cloudy rice wine. It’s inexpensive, lightly carbonated and usually around 6% alcohol. To us, it tasted a little like a very light unfiltered sake with a slight tang and very little sweetness.
☕ One Jeju Café We’d Go Back To
We stopped into plenty of coffee shops during the trip, but the one Jeju café we’d actually make a point of recommending is 마음에 온 (Maeume On) in the Jeju City shopping area.
It was our favorite café on the island. The space was adorable, offering a truly peaceful break from the shopping streets. The drinks were excellent, from coffee to more traditional Korean drinks. And we loved the little sweet bites that came with them. It’s the kind of place we stumbled into rather than planned around, which made finding it even better.
🛍️ Shopping in Jeju City
If you want to do some shopping, head to Chilseong-ro Shopping Town, right near Dongmun Market. It’s easy to combine both in the same afternoon or evening.
You’ll find a mix of Korean chains, bigger international brands, local labels and smaller boutiques, with everything from inexpensive fashion and accessories to sportswear and cafés. We enjoyed browsing this area much more than the nearby Jungang Underground Shopping Center, which we found harder to navigate and not as inexpensive as we’d expected.
For souvenirs, you really don’t need to hunt too hard. Jeju souvenir shops are everywhere, and you’ll quickly notice how many ways there are to put a tangerine on absolutely everything.
💡 Things to Know Before Visiting Jeju
- Renting a car made the trip much easier for us. To navigate, we used a combination of Google Maps for reviews and photos and Naver Map for getting around. Google is useful for researching places, while Naver tends to be much more useful for actual navigation in South Korea.
- Carry a physical credit card. Unlike Seoul, Apple Pay was rarely accepted during our visit, while physical cards worked almost everywhere. We’d still keep some won for markets and small vendors.
- One thing we loved about Jeju was how often we’d find a convenience store exactly where we needed one. They weren’t just in towns. We found them at waterfalls, viewpoints and sightseeing stops all over the island, which made grabbing cold drinks and snacks incredibly easy. CU became a regular stop, and many locations had self-checkout.
- Group your sightseeing geographically. Jeju is bigger than it looks, and driving back and forth across the island eats up time quickly.
- Bring a light layer for a lava tube, even in summer. The temperature underground was dramatically different from outside.
- And leave room for spontaneity. Some of our favorite meals, cafés and moments on Jeju were things we hadn’t planned at all.
💭 What We’d Do Next Time
At the top of our list is trying the haenyeo diving experience again. We booked ours months ahead and were so disappointed when poor visibility canceled it, but we’d absolutely take another chance.
We also really wanted to eat at Suminine, a casual seafood spot known for grilled shellfish. You order an assortment of clams, scallops and other seafood, and the ajummas cook everything for you. It was on our list this trip but never worked geographically with our other plans.
And we’d happily spend more time simply driving the coastline, stopping at beaches, cafés and tiny restaurants whenever something looked interesting.
❤️ Would We Go Back to Jeju?
Absolutely.
Some of our favorite memories weren’t even the things we’d carefully planned: stumbling into tiny restaurants, watching families hunt for crabs at the beach, going back to the same BBQ restaurant twice or unexpectedly finding our favorite café while wandering Jeju City.
We left feeling like we’d experienced a lot but still had plenty of reasons to return. Come for the volcanic landscapes, beaches and haenyeo culture, but leave plenty of room for markets, tiny restaurants, tangerine everything and whatever you happen to discover along the way.
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