Jeju City
First-timersThe island's main city: close to the airport, with the central bus terminal, Dongmun Market and the most hostels.
Jeju City city guide
Things To Do In Jeju City
The main city on Jeju, Korea's volcanic island: the base for Hallasan, a crater rising from the sea, lava tubes, coastal walking trails and the haenyeo, the island's women divers.
1,947 m
Hallasan
2007
Joins UNESCO
1 h
Flight to Seoul
The volcanic island
Jeju is a volcanic island off Korea's south coast, and the country's favourite holiday spot. Its volcanic landscapes, including Hallasan, South Korea's highest mountain at 1,947 metres, the Seongsan Ilchulbong crater and the lava tube caves, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The island is also home to the haenyeo, women who free-dive for shellfish and seaweed without oxygen tanks, many of them into their seventies and eighties. Their tradition is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.
Jeju City, in the north, has the airport, the markets and most of the hostels, and it's the easiest base for buses around the island. Three or four days is right: one for Hallasan, one for the east coast and Seongsan, and time to walk the Olle trails.
Where to stay
Stay in Jeju City for transport, or around the island for scenery.
Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Jeju City
Climb Hallasan. Only two trails reach the crater lake at the summit, Seongpanak (9.6 km one way) and the steeper Gwaneumsa (8.7 km). Both are free, but you must book a slot on visithalla.jeju.go.kr: bookings open on the 1st of each month for the following month. Rangers close the upper trail around midday, so start by 7am and allow seven to nine hours. Bus 281 runs to the Seongpanak trailhead.
On the east coast, climb Seongsan Ilchulbong (5,000 won), a crater rising straight out of the sea, in about 15 minutes. Locals climb it for sunrise, before the ticket office opens. Below it, the haenyeo give diving demonstrations at 1:30pm and 3pm.
Walk the lava tube of Manjanggul, which reopened in May 2026 after safety work: a 1 km section of one of the world's longest lava caves (about €3, closed on the first Wednesday of each month).
Walk sections of the Jeju Olle Trail, more than 20 marked routes around the coast and countryside. In the evening, eat at Dongmun Market's night market in Jeju City.
Free things
Free things to do in Jeju City
The Olle trails are free and run right around the island, with blue and orange ribbons marking the way. Routes 6 and 7, near Seogwipo on the south coast, are among the most scenic.
Hallasan is free to climb, though the summit trails need a booking. The beaches cost nothing, from Hyeopjae and Geumneung in the west to Woljeongri in the east.
Get to Seongsan Ilchulbong before the ticket office opens and you can walk up for free.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Jeju City
Jeju black pork (heukdwaeji) is the island's barbecue, thicker and chewier than mainland pork, grilled at the table and dipped in anchovy sauce. Gogi guksu, noodles in pork broth, is the cheap local lunch.
The haenyeo's catch shows up everywhere: abalone porridge (jeonbokjuk), sea urchin and seaweed soup. Jeju is also famous for its citrus, especially hallabong, a big, sweet tangerine sold at every market from winter into spring.
Dongmun Market's night market is the best place to graze. A meal is €6 to €15 (about 9,000 to 23,000 won), and there's no tipping.
Nightlife
Going out in Jeju City
Jeju City has the island's most nightlife, with bars and pubs around City Hall and the Nohyeong-dong area, popular with young Koreans and travellers. Dongmun night market is the best start to the evening.
Outside Jeju City the island is quiet after dark, apart from a few beach bars in summer. A beer is €3 to €6.
Getting around
Getting around Jeju City
Flights from Seoul's Gimpo Airport take about 1 hour 10 minutes, on one of the busiest air routes in the world, and are often cheap if you book ahead. Jeju Airport is on the edge of Jeju City.
Buses cover the whole island from the Jeju City bus terminal and are cheap with a T-money card, but journeys to the far side take one to two hours. A hire car is much easier for the east coast and the inland craters. You need an International Driving Permit.
Use Naver Map or KakaoMap for bus times; Google Maps doesn't work properly in Korea.
Costs
What Jeju City costs
Jeju is mid-priced. Dorms start around €15 and a careful day costs €35 to €55, more if you hire a car.
Most of the big sights are cheap or free: Hallasan and the Olle trails cost nothing, and Seongsan Ilchulbong is 5,000 won.
The currency is the won (KRW): about 1,530 to the euro. Cards work almost everywhere and there's no tipping. A T-money card covers the island buses and convenience stores.
Safety
Staying safe in Jeju City
Jeju is very safe. On Hallasan, the weather changes quickly and the summit can be cold and windy even in summer, so bring layers, water and food, and start early.
The Olle trails follow sea cliffs in places: stay on the path and don't go onto wet rocks. Typhoons can hit between July and September; check the forecast.
Emergency: 112 police, 119 fire and ambulance. 1330 is the free tourist helpline, in English.
Day trips from Jeju City
Craters, lava caves and coast, an hour or so from Jeju City.
Seongsan Ilchulbong
A 15-minute climb to the rim of a crater rising from the sea (5,000 won), with haenyeo diving shows below at 1:30pm and 3pm.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The Jeju Fire Festival lights up the hills in spring.
March
Jeju Fire Festival
Saebyeol Oreum
Burning the hillside grass.
April
Canola season
East Jeju
Yellow flowers.
When to go
April to June and September to November. Spring brings canola flowers and cherry blossom; July and August are hot, busy and in typhoon season.
Jan
Cold
Feb
Cold
Mar
Spring
Apr
Cherry blossom
May
Good
Jun
Rainy season starts
Jul
Monsoon
Aug
Hot, humid
Sep
Chuseok
Oct
Autumn leaves
Nov
Good
Dec
Cold
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Milder than the mainland.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in won locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Doing things—
Jeju City travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Do I need to book Hallasan?
Yes, for the two summit trails, Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa. It's free on visithalla.jeju.go.kr, and bookings open on the 1st of each month for the next month.
How long does Hallasan take?
Seven to nine hours return. Start by 7am, as rangers close the upper trail around midday.
What are the haenyeo?
Women free-divers who harvest the sea without oxygen tanks. You can watch them at Seongsan Ilchulbong at 1:30pm and 3pm.
Do I need a car?
It's much easier, but buses go everywhere. You need an International Driving Permit to hire one.
How do I get to Jeju?
Fly from Seoul Gimpo in about 1 hour 10 minutes.
How many days do you need?
Three or four.
What should I eat?
Black pork barbecue, abalone porridge and hallabong tangerines.
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