Jeju City

Understand

Predominantly the administrative and population capital of Jeju Island, Jeju City is also likely the first and final stop for tourists, playing host to Jeju International Airport as well as the major domestic ferry terminal. The city is fairly large, located on the north side of the island and sandwiched between Mt Halla and the coast.

Orientation

The city consists of the old downtown (Jungangno 중앙로) to the east and the surrounding areas of Tapdong (답동, a port district north of Jungangno, also romanized as Topdong) and Yongdam (romanised differently on almost every sign: if it helps, there's nowhere else on Jeju with a similar name, the rock seems to be spelled Yongduam—영두암 — and the surrounding suburb Yongdam—용담 — on Naver). The inter city bus terminal lies just south of Jungangno. Tucked slightly inland to the southwest lies Shin-Jeju: Jeju's new high rise commercial quarter and where the modern Korean highrise apartments reside. A humongous traffic intersection in Shin-Jeju acts as a western hub, feeding cars and buses across the entire west side of the island across one of three major highways: one coastal, one interior, and one alpine. Finally, on the coast both north of Shin-Jeju and west of Jungangno lies Jeju International Airport.

Getting there

By plane 1 Jeju International Airport (제주 국제공항). It is the main gateway to the island. The vast majority of flights to Jeju are from Gimpo (Seoul's domestic airport) and Busan's Gimhae International Airport. Most Korean domestic airports have scheduled flights to Jeju. The Jeju-Seoul route is the busiest air route in the world by passenger numbers. (updated May 2024) (CJU IATA) You can fly the major airlines, Korean Air and Asiana to Jeju, and many budget options are available such as Eastar Jet, Air Busan and Jeju Air. There are international flights from Japan including Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai. From China there are flights from Beijing, Shanghai Pudong, Hong Kong, Shenyang and Dalian. Upon leaving the terminal, you will see taxis as well as two bus stands. One is for the inner-city Jeju City bus services and one for the Airport Limousine service to Seogwipo. The airport has an observation deck on the 4th floor.

By bus Inter-city buses and the Airport Limousine (inter-city bus #600) travel frequently between Seogwipo on the south side of Jeju for ₩3000 or as low as ₩1000 from nearby rural townships. Intercity buses will terminate at the Bus Terminal, but all arriving via the west side of the island will pass by the stop outside Halla Medical Center.

By boat Daily ferries go between Jeju and the mainland. See the main Jeju page.

Getting around

By bus Jeju City has an inner-city (shin-nae) bus system that is equally as efficient as it is poorly marked for tourists. Bus shelters have lists of stops in Korean only, but the stop names are mostly fairly non-descript and require you to have local knowledge or a map to make any sense out of them. Bus maps are not available from tourism centers, but English station lists can be obtained, the relevant information from which is reproduced below:

Jeju International Airport - 36, 37, 100, 200, 300, 500 Jeju Ferry Terminal - 92 Inter-city Bus Terminal - 26, 31, 63, 100, 200, 300, 502 Halla Arboretum - 63, 300 National Jeju Museum - 100 Culture and Art Center - 300 Tapdong - 92 Yongdam Junction - 36, 37, 63, 300, 500 Fifth-day Folk Market - 36, 37, 63 Jungangno - 36, 37, 92, 100, 500 Dongmun Market - 100, 300 Shin-jeju Junction - 26, 31, 36, 37, 92, 100, 200, 300, 500, 502 Halla Hospital (Medical Center) - 26, 31, 37, 92, 200, 300, 500, 502 If this system was not frustrating enough as it is, you may have to transfer to go most places and the announcements tend to be quieter than on the mainland. Listen out for this when having to transfer between buses. Buses cost around ₩1,000, a fare card is needed (the ones from elsewhere in South Korea work, otherwise obtain from a convenience store).

On foot Nothing in downtown Jeju is more than approximately 2 km from anywhere else so whilst not convenient, walking is quite feasible, and sometimes even faster. This includes the areas of Yongdam, Tapdong, Jungangno and the inter-city bus terminal.

See

1 Yongduam Rock and Yongyeon Pond (용두암), Yongdam (take the #36, #37, #63, #300 or #500 to Yongdam Junction and walk, or just wander over from downtown or Tapdong.). A large piece of volcanic rock said to be the solidified remains of Yimugi, a water dragon. Whilst the legends behind just how he got himself turned to stone in that position vary, it hasn't diminshed his influence, as the surrounding suburb is called Yongdam by extension: literally "Dragon's Head Rock". Just about 100 m to the east you can find the lesser known, but probably prettier Yongyeon Pond, a picturesque canyon straddling a pleasantly turquoise pond with a pavilion perched overhead. Again, a dragon features heavily in the legendary history of this site, but simply that it visited. A festival is held here in May. If all this talk of dragons is making you want to sit on a horse for some reason, then there is an old guy out the front who aggressively and inexplicably offers this service for a fee. Both sites are lit up spectacularly at night. Free.

2 Jeju Old Government Offices (Jeju mokkwana (제주목관아)) (in downtown, follow the signs to the wooden gate), ☏ +82 64-728-8665. A comparably nice set of Joseon-era historical buildings in central downtown Jeju City. What's unusual is the existence of a nicely landscaped square pond in the complex, and its tumultuous history of getting built in lieu of a well, destroyed due to an irrational hatred of noisy frogs and ultimately rebuilt. ₩1500, free if wearing Korean traditional dress. (updated May 2019) 3 Iho Tewoo Beach (이호테우 해변). It is close to Jeju Airport, and it is enough distance to ride a bicycle. There are white and red pony lighthouses, the slope of the beach is gentle, and there is a pine forest nearby, so it is a good place to enjoy the scenery and take a walk. (updated Nov 2022) 4 Hangpaduri Hangmong (Anti-Mongolian) Historical Site (제주 항파두리 항몽 유적), 50, Hangpaduri-ro, Aewol-eup, ☏ +82-2-1330. A special defense unit of the Goryeo kingdom rebelled against the invading Mongolian army in 1270, and eventually retreated to Jeju Island for a last stand. They held off the Mongolian forces here for 2 years before they were all killed at a fortress built here. Free. (updated Nov 2022) 5 Loveland (제주 러브랜드), 680-26, Yeon-dong (on the road between Jeju City and Seogwipo, ₩1,500 by intercity bus, about ₩10,000 by taxi). Jeju's most eccentric and internationally infamous attraction and almost a reason in itself to visit Jeju, this bizarre sculpture park was created by graduates of Seoul's Hongik University. Few of the more than 140 exhibits are gen

Do

Glass Castle (Yuri wi seong(유리의성)), 3135-1 Jeoji-ri, Hangyeong-myeon (inner western portion of the island; take an inter-city bus to Hallim and a taxi from there). One of Jeju's two theme parks specialising in glass sculptures. Also offers an optional hands-on studio experience where visitors can craft their own works. ₩9,000 plus studio fees. Kimyoung Maze (김녕미로공원), San16 Gimyong-ri Ggujwa-up (about 500 m down the road from the Manjanggul lava-tube cave). A Jeju-shaped hedge maze which is interestingly complex and fun to walk through. The hedges are evergreen so it runs all year round. The maze claims fewer than 5% of visitors complete it in under 5 minutes, and the layout tends not to favor blind-luck too heavily so try timing yourself. ₩3,300 discounts off-peak. 1 Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival (정월대보름 들불 축), Saebyeol Oreum area on Route 95, Bongseong-ri, Aewol-eup, Bukjeju-gun (take a 50-minute bus ride from Jeju City Bus Terminal). The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival originates from the traditional harvesting of the grasses found in the local domestic farm animal pastures, which were annually set in fire each winter by the villagers as a way to exterminate harmful insects. It has been held annually since 1997. It is held during the holiday of Daeboreum (which is the 15th day of the first lunar month of the year, typically February). It gets extremely busy directly after the festival finishes (19:00-20:00), so it's sometimes worth staying around for a beer or a meal for an hour or two until the worst of the traffic has gone. Halla Arboretum (Halla sumokwon (한라수목원)) (take the #63 or #300 up to the carpark, or walk up the hill from Shin-jeju, or, there is a rear entrance up the hill south of KC TV in the carpark of the Korean Military HQ). Take a stroll through some botanical gardens. This is actually one of the nicest arboretums in all of South Korea, as it is both well-established and located up on the lower flanks of Mt Halla at the back of Jeju city. The gardens wind themselves over the foothills, giving tantalising views of the coast and Mt Halla through the trees. The ~2km walk from the arboretum to the rear entrance at the military complex is also pleasant and follows the southern limits of Jeju City through a rather atmospheric pine forest. Free. 2 Suwolbong Peak (수월봉). A view peak in the western part of Jeju, 77 m above sea level, and the scenery from the top cools the chest. In particular, the coastal cliff of Suwolbong Peak, which seems to be carved, extends up to 2 km to the east. This coastal cliff is called "Ungal," and spring wat

Buy

Previously, cash was mainly used, and card use is now useful. However, there may still be many places that use cash, so it's good to take it. 1 Jeju Dongmun Traditional Market (제주 동문재래시장). , some utterly humongous traditional markets exist in Jungangno. As expected, they sell a lot of fish. Furthermore, modern, Western-style shopping can be found in the underground mall out on the main road. Department stores such as Lotte and E-Mart exist in Shin-Jeju.

One Jeju specialty is brown colored clothing. These have been dyed via juice from the persimmon fruit, which is the traditional way of dying clothing. The iconic stone statues, usually in pairs, are called grandfather statues and are for protection. Many places sell small stone replicas of them made of Jeju basalt (volcanic stone). If aircraft weight restrictions are a concern, check the back of the statue for vugs (cavities) as it's entirely possible to find the odd one as light as a feather. Citrus fruit (hallabong and mandarines). The specialty citrus of Jeju is the hallabong (dekopon in Japanese) something akin to an over sized tangerine which has a very distinctive plump bulge on its top. Its fame comes from its sweet taste and peelability. Do not be at all surprised if, when arriving back on the mainland, your bag pops into the baggage claim tucked between many crates of hallabong. Mandarin oranges are also a major Jeju product. Jeju hallabong chocolate. These come in varieties. The first is a plain flat chocolate with a layer of hallabong flavor sandwiched in the middle. The second however is shaped like a little grandfather statue and is primarily the "flavor" component of the first with a tiny slither of chocolate on the back. The latter tend to be a little less flavorsome (ironically) but are cute enough to make nice gifts. If hallabongs aren't your thing, fear not, for they also come in orange, kiwi, green tea and purple cactus fruit (somewhat a mixed berry flavor) varieties. There are crunch chocolates too, less unique but very tasty. Jeju kamgyul (citrus) wine. Similar to Japanese sake but with a fresh citrus finish. At only ₩5,000 for an entire 750-mL bottle though, honestly, you can't complain even if it isn't quite your thing. Green tea. Although perhaps not as famed as Boseong, the entire Western end tip of the island is littered with tea plantations. Ganse dolls. A souvenir of the Olle hiking coastal trails, they are cute little (15 cm) plush ponies on mobile phone straps handmade out of used clothing (and thus individually unique) by the women of Jeju. Profits go to developing and mai

Eat

Being a seaside town, there are many great seafood restaurants available, so just take your pick. The people of Jeju have evolved various lifestyles, depending on whether they live in fishing villages, farm villages, or mountain villages so specialties vary within the region. Life in the farm villages was centered on farming, as it did around fishing or diving fishery in fishing villages, and did around dry-field farming or mushroom/mountain-green gathering in the mountain areas. As for agriculture, the production of rice is little. Instead, beans, barley, millets, buckwheat, and dry-field (upland) rice are the major items. The most well known fruit is the hallabong. It has been grown here as early as the era of the Three Kingdoms, and were offered as presents to kings along with abalone as special products of Jeju. Grilled pork from black-haired pigs is also a local specialty. Foods from Jeju mainly made with saltwater fish, vegetables, and seaweed, and are usually seasoned with soybean paste. Salt water fish is used to make soups and gruels, and pork and chicken are used to make pyeonyuk (sliced boiled meat). The number of dishes set on a table is small and few seasonings are used. And usually, small numbers of ingredients are required to make dishes native to Jeju. The key to making Jeju-style foods is to keep the ingredient's natural flavor. The taste of the food is generally a bit salty, probably because foods are easily spoiled due to the warm temperature. In Jeju, there is no need to prepare Kimchi for the winter as in mainland Korea. It is quite warm during the winter and Chinese cabbages are left in the field. When they do prepare Kimchi for the winter, they tend to make few kinds and small amounts. Restaurants are scattered across the entire island, usually near highway intersections, but the majority naturally lie around the coast and particularly in the urban centers of Jeju City and Jungmun/Seogwipo. For non-Korean dining, the best option is Gecko's near Seogwipo (see details in the drinking section). In Jeju city there are some options. There is a Mexican restaurant near City Hall/Sinsan Park named El Paso that apparently serves up mediocre but passable Mexican fare. In Shin-jeju there is also an Indian restaurant named Rajmahal that serves up quality spicy Indian dishes. There is also another place with Pakistani/Indian cuisine called Baghdad Cafe around the City Hall/Sinsan Park area. The representative food you have to eat in Jeju-Si:

Jeju citrus (제주 감귤) refers to all citrus fruits, a specialty of Jeju Island. It can be largely divided

Drink & nightlife

Try Hallasan Soju the local brand of Korean rice wine, soju. Expect to pay ₩3,000 a bottle in a restaurant or ₩1,000 in a shop. Very strong. Except for Gecko's in the South, there aren't any other genuine Western pubs on the island, but there are some good options. In Jeju City, all the real partying establishments are in Shin-Jeju, about a ₩5,000 taxi ride from Jeju city proper. Some of the establishments in this area rumored to be worthwhile are La Vie, Boris Brewery, Modern Time, Blue Agave, and GP.

Bar 1 La Via (라비에), 17th floor of Sinseong-ro 13-gil, ☏ +82 507-1341-1138. 18:00-03:00. (updated Nov 2022) 2 Led Zeppelin (레드 제플린), 37 Shingwang-ro, ☏ +82 1025602291. 19:00-00:00. A vinyl bar which, as the name suggests, is focused on album-oriented rock, and has a massive selection of records. Song requests are the main pastime and the sound-system rules. Off the main drag in Shin-jeju next to the Indian restaurant. (updated Aug 2024) 3 Naedo Music Market (내도음악상가), 2nd floor, 106 Teu Haean-ro, ☏ +82 507-1338-9262. 17:00-24:00. (updated Nov 2022)

Cafe 4 Abebe Bakery (아베베 베이커리), Next to Gate 12 of Dongmun Market, Dongmun-ro 6-gil, ☏ +82 507-1414-0750. 10:00-21:00. (updated Nov 2022)

Sleep

Budget Jjimjilbangs are fairly common across Jeju city. With all of them, expect to pay under ₩10,000 for sauna access, a locker in which to put your stuff, cotton pyjamas or a robe and a patch of heated floor to pass out on. Most are listed below:

Dong-cheon, Jungangno (down a little alley on the south side of the road, near the stream at the east end of the underground shopping mall). Jjimjilbang downtown. JeJu Joyland, Aewol-eup, Aewol-ri, 82 (take the bus 37at Jeju airport and get off at last station Hagwi then transfer to bus going Aewol (5 min from Aewonro bus station)), ☏ +82 10-3131-5270. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. A log cabin pension, family/group rooms available, kitchen, washing facilities, WiFi. Tap Changito, Tapdong (from Jungangno, walk down to the harbour and turn left; it's behind the E-Mart near a Dunkin' Donuts). Despite having ocean views, this jjimjilbang on the north side of town mysteriously lacks any windows on the inside. Three main spas, with the largest in the men's being myseteriously garlic scented. Sleeping mats are eschewed in favour of a great big foam thingy across the entire floor. Headrest cubes still in short supply, so use towel bundles. More open plan than most so can get noisy. Also has a cinema and comic book library. ₩8000. Ilchul Bulgama, Gu-jeju (opposite the Culture and Arts Center near Samseonghyeol). Yeha Guesthouse (cheap & clean), 561-17, Samdo 1-dong, ☏ +82 64 713-5505. Beautiful guesthouse (hostel) near the Jeju Bus Terminal. English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean are spoken. Domitory, double, Double+1 single and Double+2 single rooms are available. Shared room ₩19,000. Jeju Burim Jimjilbang, Sin-jeju (between Jeju Grand Hotel and Marchen House Apartments in Shin-Jeju). Jjimjilbang on the west side of town. Yongduam Sea Water and Sauna Club, Yongdam (on the coast road near the Leisure and Sports Park). Another jjimjilbang on the north side of town. Convenient to pop into after visiting Yongduam Rock to see the illumination at night. 1 Hani Guesthouse, Hallim-eup, Geumneung-ri, 1258 (take a bus from the Jeju-si local bus terminal gate No.11, get off at Guemnueung-ri (금능리) bus stop (1 stop after Hallimpark)), ☏ +82 64-796-5000. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Aimed at younger travellers. A hotel like atmosphere with all the usual amenities like a communual kitchen/lounge area, washing facilities, PCs, WiFi. Dorm: from ₩18,000, private standard/deluxe room available.

Mid-range If you are not looking for luxury, minbak (guesthouses) abound on Jeju, and due to its reputation as a

Go next

Seogwipo, a more upmarket and tourist oriented city on the south side of the island and home to the Jungmun Tourist Complex. Alternately, use Jeju City as a base to explore the island's interior and attractions:

Hallasan Mountain, Seongsan Ilchulbong and Manjanggul Lava Tube, the three UNESCO rated natural sights of Jeju. Loveland, the infamous theme park in central Jeju. The nearest city on the mainland is Mokpo, a serene medium-size port city.

Japan – flights to Fukuoka (the nearest), Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya. China – flights to Shanghai (the nearest), Beijing, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Shenyang, Dalian, Yangzhou, Kunming, Nanjing, Harbin, Ningbo, Xi'an, Changsha, and Changchun. There are also flights to Singapore and Taipei.