Jeju in 5 days: Jeju City, Hallasan, Udo, Seogwipo and the west coast

The shape of the route: two bases, one loop

Everything starts at Jeju International Airport on the north coast, on the edge of Jeju City. The two summit trails up Hallasan, Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa, are both reached by city bus from the Jeju Bus Terminal. That makes Jeju City the right base for the first two nights: arrival day and the hike, with no hotel move in between.

The second base is Seogwipo on the south coast, where two waterfalls, the Oedolgae sea stack and the Maeil Olle Market are all close to the town centre. Moving between the two by the east coast rather than the direct road across the mountain turns the transfer into a sightseeing day: VisitKorea's bus column describes bus 201 running along the east coast from Jeju Bus Terminal to Seogwipo Bus Terminal, stopping at almost every attraction, including Seongsan Ilchulbong. The last day then runs west from Seogwipo through Jungmun and round the west coast back to the airport, closing the loop.

Five days is enough for this outline but not for everything on the island. It leaves out the inland forests, the Manjanggul lava tube (kept here as a rainy-day swap), Marado and a full Olle Trail walk. If you only have three or four days, drop the west-coast day or the hike rather than squeezing everything in.

Days 1 and 2: Jeju City and Hallasan

Day 1. VisitKorea gives about 20 minutes by bus or 15 by taxi from the airport to Dongmun Traditional Market, the island's largest traditional market; its listing gave hours of 08:00 to 21:00 when we checked, varying by shop. In the evening the area around Gate 8 becomes a night market. Before dark, go to Yongduam on the seafront, a rock of about 10 metres worn into the shape of a dragon's head, where VisitKorea says you may see haenyeo, Jeju's women divers, at work. Go to bed early: the hike starts before dawn.

Day 2: Hallasan. Only the Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa trails reach Baengnokdam, the crater lake at the summit (about 1,950 metres, according to the park), and that final section needs a reservation on the official Hallasan reservation system. When we checked, its English notice said bookings open at 09:00 on the first business day of the month before your hike, for up to four people, and that every hiker must show a QR code and ID. Book before you fix the rest of the trip.

The classic day is up Seongpanak, down Gwaneumsa. The reservation system lists Seongpanak as 9.6 km and 4 hours 30 minutes one way, with the trail open from 05:00, and Gwaneumsa as 8.7 km and about 5 hours one way, steeper and with deeper valleys. When we checked, bus 281 ran from the Jeju Bus Terminal to Seongpanak in about 45 minutes, from 06:00 every 10 to 14 minutes. The park asks hikers to use the bus: the Seongpanak car park is small and fills very early. Coming down, Gwaneumsa has no direct bus to the city; the system's page says bus 475 links the trailhead with Sancheondan, where you change to bus 281, and listed the 475 every 45 to 90 minutes, so check the next departure before you start down.

Watch the cut-off times above: in October to March you must pass Jindallaebat by 11:30, and the system gives three hours from the trailhead to Jindallaebat, so take one of the first buses and be walking by 08:30 at the latest. There are no shops on the mountain, so carry all your food, water and rain gear, and crampons in winter. If you have no reservation, or no recent hiking experience, the park recommends the Eorimok and Yeongsil trails, which climb to about 1,700 metres without a booking and still give you the mountain.

Day 3: Seongsan Ilchulbong and Udo on the way south

Check out of Jeju City and head east. VisitKorea gives about 80 minutes by taxi from the airport area to Seongsan Ilchulbong, the tuff cone that rose from the sea more than 5,000 years ago and whose summit crater is about 600 metres across. The climb to the top takes about 30 minutes. When we checked, VisitKorea's listing gave opening from 05:00 to 19:00 in March–April and September–October, 04:30 to 20:00 in May–August and 06:00 to 18:00 in November–February, last tickets one hour before closing, closed on the first Monday of each month, and 5,000 won for adults. Do not put this day on a first Monday.

From Seongsan Port the ferry to Udo takes about 15 minutes. VisitKorea describes a 17 km loop that takes two to three hours by electric bike, with a shuttle bus and scooters as alternatives, and Sanho Beach, whose pale sand is made of rhodolith fragments. VisitKorea's Udobong listing says you must show ID to board, and gave adult fares of 10,500 won return including the island's admission and utility fee. Ferries change with the weather, so check before you go; on a windy day, swap Udo for the Manjanggul lava tube (09:00–18:00, last admission 17:00, closed the first Wednesday of the month, according to VisitKorea).

Late in the afternoon, continue down the coast to Seogwipo. By car this is simple: the luggage stays in the boot while you are on Udo, and you avoid the road after dark, which VisitKorea advises against because animals can appear suddenly. By bus it is a long day: bus 201 links the Jeju Bus Terminal, the Seongsan Ilchulbong stop and Seogwipo Bus Terminal, but VisitKorea gave intervals of 30 to 80 minutes in February 2025, and we could not verify luggage storage at the port. If you travel without a car, either skip Udo on this day or add a night in Seongsan and make the trip six days.

Day 4: Seogwipo on foot

This is the slow day, and it needs no car. Jeongbang Falls, about 1.5 km south-east of central Seogwipo, drops 23 metres straight into the sea; when we checked, VisitKorea listed 09:00 to 17:20 and 2,000 won for adults. Cheonjiyeon Falls, 22 metres high in a wooded gorge, stays open into the evening: its listing gave 09:00 to 22:00, last tickets at 21:20, also 2,000 won for adults, so you can keep it for after dinner.

West of the centre is Oedolgae, a 20-metre sea stack below Sammaebong Peak, free and open around the clock; VisitKorea calls the sunset over Beomseom island from here a long-admired view, and recommends the cliffs around it for walking. For lunch or an early dinner, the Maeil Olle Market is Seogwipo's largest market, more than 620 metres long and covered, which makes it a good rainy-day fallback; VisitKorea listed 07:00 to 21:00 in summer and 07:00 to 20:00 in winter.

Day 5: Jungmun and the west coast to the airport

Check out and drive west. Daepo Jusangjeolli in Jungmun is a coast of hexagonal lava columns 30 to 40 metres high along about a kilometre of shore; when we checked, VisitKorea listed 09:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:40) and 2,000 won for adults, with paid parking. Then continue round the south-west corner to the west coast.

On the west coast, Hallim Park has gardens and two lava caves, Hyeopjaegul and Ssangyonggul; its VisitKorea listing gave 09:00 to 17:30 in September and October and 15,000 won for adults. Facing the park, Hyeopjae Beach has white sand, shallow water and the island of Biyangdo offshore, and is open all year. Biyangdo itself is about 15 minutes by ferry from Hallim Port, but VisitKorea counted only about four sailings a day, so it fits only if your flight is late and the timetable works.

From Hallim, follow the coast road east through Aewol towards Jeju City; VisitKorea notes the cafés and seafood restaurants along the coastal road between Aewol and Yongduam. VisitKorea's taxi estimate from the airport to Aewol is about 40 minutes, so allow at least that plus time to return the car. Without a car, the simple version of this day is Jusangjeolli and then airport limousine bus 600 or 601, which serve Jungmun and the Jusangjeolli area directly from the airport and are card-only.

Car or bus, and how to swap days for the weather

The most practical mix is no car for days 1 and 2, when you are in Jeju City and the hike is better by bus, and a rental car for days 3 to 5. VisitKorea's driving guide says short-term visitors need an international driving licence, a passport and a credit card in the driver's name, and must be over 21; some companies also ask for your home licence. Google Maps navigation does not work in Korea, so install Naver Map or Kakao Map, and check what the insurance covers, since damage to the rental car itself is not always included.

Jeju's city buses stopped taking cash on 1 October 2024, according to VisitKorea; pay with a transportation card or by scanning the QR code next to the driver. Bus 101, an express from the airport along the east coast towards Namwon, has a luggage hold and leaves from Platform 2 in front of Gate 2.

Plan the weather swaps before you go. If Hallasan is closed on day 2 (cancel or change your booking on the reservation system), use the day for Hamdeok Beach and the Seoubong cone east of the city instead. If the sea is rough on day 3, do Manjanggul instead of Udo. The Seogwipo day and the market are the easiest to move, so keep them as your buffer.

• Day 1 — Jeju City: arrive, Yongduam coast, Dongmun Market and its night market. Night in Jeju City.
• Day 2 — Hallasan: bus 281 to Seongpanak at first light, summit by the cut-off, down by Gwaneumsa (reservation needed), or Eorimok/Yeongsil without one. Night in Jeju City.
• Day 3 — East coast: Seongsan Ilchulbong in the morning, Udo by ferry from Seongsan Port (or Manjanggul if the ferry is off), then south to Seogwipo. Night in Seogwipo.
• Day 4 — Seogwipo: Jeongbang Falls, Oedolgae, the Maeil Olle Market, Cheonjiyeon Falls in the evening. Night in Seogwipo.
• Day 5 — West coast: Jusangjeolli, Hallim Park and Hyeopjae Beach, the Aewol coast and an evening flight.