Today I’m sharing all of my knowledge about Korea’s beloved Jeju Island. We learned a lot while planning for & enjoying our family’s trip there this past summer. We brought our kids [international ages: 2 years & 4.5 years old] and thought it was a great family getaway. My older son has begged to return multiple times.
I’ve highlighted a few of the places I’ll be referencing on this map, for context.
As you can see, Jeju is an island off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula. It’s Korea’s largest island, and an incredibly popular destination amongst Koreans.
I’d never heard of Jeju Island before moving to Korea. Many say it’s the Korean version of Hawaii. It’s certainly the closest thing Korea has to a tropical paradise, with palm trees, volcanic features, and white & black sand beaches. We enjoyed the more laid-back atmosphere that felt different than our typical high-speed Seoul.
Honeymooners, groups of friends, and families of all ages flock to Jeju at all times of the year to escape & explore the beautiful natural scenery.
When to Visit Jeju Island:
Jeju is much more temperate than Seoul and other parts of Korea, which makes each season pretty doable. It depends what kind of vacation you are looking for. Winter contains the coldest months, but you can hand-pick the famous Jeju tangerines which are in season from October-February. With a plethora of indoor museums and cozy Airbnb options, I wouldn’t count out a winter trip! Especially because those prices tend to be cheaper.
Spring & Fall are popular times to visit Jeju. The foliage and spring blossoms draw huge crowds of tourists, as they rightly should: Korea’s yellow ginkgo trees in fall and the cherry/ magnolia blossoms in spring are hard to beat. I’d originally hoped for a spring trip, but COVID had us rethinking that timing.
We visited in July. We were actually a bit cold at times (jackets most days!) but I know that’s hit or miss. Again, temperate weather keeps Jeju less blasted-hot than Seoul & other areas further inland.
It’s worth noting that Korean beaches have specific seasons where swimmers are allowed to be in the water– often from the beginning of July to the end of August. It varies by location. This makes beaches very crowded those weeks of the year! We were lucky that the weekend we visited was cloudy & rainy, & COVID, deterring many tourists. You can often wade and play in the water before & after (June, September, etc.) depending on how strict lifeguards are there.
Weather on Jeju Island
I’ve given a basic rundown on the seasons of the year. Jeju weather is unpredictable. It rains a lot on the island, which is why it’s so green and lush.
We went the first week of July and the forecast was all rain. We lucked out with only about 30% of our weekend trip having rain, but still. Anecdotally, several friends that visited in various spring months also experienced a lot of rain.
Quick Facts [Source: Weather Atlas]
- There are 130 days of rainfall each year in Jeju, on average (that’s more than Seoul by about 22 days).
- July is the most humid month.
- August is the hottest and rainiest month of the year (and warmest sea water).
- May has the most days of sunshine, on average.
- January is the coldest month, with lows of about 3.2 C (38 F).
How to Get to Jeju Island (from Seoul):
- Get yourself to the southern tip of South Korea (by car, bus, or train) and then board a ferry. If you drive from Seoul it’ll take you about 5 hours to get to Wando, where you can board a 2 hr. 40 min. ferry to Jeju.
- Airplane! Fly, fly fly. CHOOSE THIS OPTION! The flight only takes about an hour, and there are tons of schedule/price point options available. Our flight left from Gimpo Airport which was small, super clean and lovely, and easy to get to.
What To Pack for Jeju Island:
You’ll want to know what you’re doing ahead of time, and pack accordingly. If you plan to hike, don’t forget some good shoes & a light backpack. Planning lots of beach time? Bring hats, sunblock, and swimsuits. So…pretty standard stuff here. 😉 The key is to watch the weather forecast and plan for the worst. With a trip like Jeju you’ll be outdoors a lot. That’s always more pleasant with the proper gear.
Kid Tip: Pack lots of layers & multiple sets of clothing for your children, and towels too. Lots of beaches and waterfalls = lots of opportunities to get WET! Most Korean hotels & Airbnbs will not have a dryer so quick-drying fabrics are helpful, too.
If you are bringing or renting a car, you’ll be able to visit grocery stores & marts pretty easily. We did a grocery run once while there. Even so, I was glad we brought a starter-set of snacks & diapers that I know work for our family. I’d also bring swim diapers, which may be harder to find in smaller marts & grocery stores.
Jeju has a LOT of especially fishy seafood. That’s part of the island experience, and of course it’s great to try new foods. Even though I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater, I was glad to have some homemade granola bar waiting back at the Airbnb each night to fill out meals where we ate less than normal. Basically, go easy on little ones and avoid pressuring them to eat foods they are averse to. Be prepared with comfort foods to fill in the gaps while traveling. Travel is a time for flexibility!
Where to Stay on Jeju Island:
This will depend on what kind of trip you want to have. Without a rental car, you’ll probably want to stay close to the airport in Jeju City (where many of the bus-tours depart from).
If you don’t mind crowds, many choose Seogwipo for its central location and plethora of restaurants & activities.
With kids & COVID, we wanted to be out of the busier areas: Jeju City up north and Seogwipo down south.
A stand-alone cottage we found on Airbnb was a perfect fit for us. It was located on the west coast (up north) of the island, right near Gwakji beach.
The hosts were lovely (in the house next door) and helpful. The shared yard with kid toys was a dream, and being in a free-standing home was paradise for my husband and I. In our high-rise apartment in Seoul we usually had to keep our boys using “quiet feet” all day long. And our son is still talking about the loft area! [Not an ad, just loved this set-up! :)]
No, Thank You: What we strategically left out of our Jeju Family Itinerary
Jeju is known as a Honeymoon destination, and the island has taken this claim seriously. There are multiple love-themed museums on the island that focus on reproductive human body parts.
We didn’t take our young children to visit Loveland (part outdoor sculpture park// part theme park?) so you’ll have to read all about that elsewhere. 😉
There are also tons of other museums on the island (a basic google search brought up at least 25) for every topic imaginable: cars, green tea, history, culture, chocolate, teddy bears, folklore, art, and more.
We didn’t visit any museums for a couple of reasons:
- We went during COVID! Outdoors > Indoors.
- We had a short weekend with limited time and didn’t want to miss any of the natural beauty on the island.
- I usually only spend time and money on a museum on a family trip if one of us is VERY interested in the topic and we want to prioritize OR it’s specifically a museum for children that’s very highly rated…and it’s a rainy non-pandemic day…and they’ve been drug around things that bore them all week.
- Some smaller museums we’ve been to in Korea (certainly not all!!) tend to be highly kitschy and touristy in kind of a long-abandoned, creepy kind of way. If you know, you know.
WHAT TO DO [WITH KIDS]:
HIKE
Trek Mt. Hallasan: Korea’s Highest Peak
Famous Hallasan is the obvious hiking option when visiting Jeju Island. (San means mountain, so technically “Halla”… but it’s hard for me to type that without singing some Gwen Stefani). As South Korea’s tallest mountain, it towers above the rest of the island. Surprisingly, we couldn’t ever see it when we visited because of intensely thick fog. Hallasan is located right on the middle of the island and is actually a shield volcano.
Enthusiastic hikers leave early in the AM to reach the peak at a decent hour. You can also hike smaller trails closer to the base. We considered doing this with our boys, and I think they would’ve done well. With the rainy morning forecast we opted for a different activity, but I’d love to hike it someday!
Sunrise Peak: Seongbansan
One of Jeju’s most famous tourist attractions, Seongban Ilchubong is located right on the east coast of Jeju Island. Or, as we lovingly refer to it in our family, “The Hike Where We Each Carried a Child On Our Back the ENTIRE Time”…subtitle “Nice Convenience Store Woman Provides Napkins & Refuge During mid-hike Nosebleed”
The hike itself isn’t terribly long– but it is persistently steep. After you buy your tickets at the base, you start on a paved ramp (pictured above, left). As is common in Korea, there are established stairs up most of the way…many, many stairs.
We started the trek at 3:30 pm and our boys were pretty wiped out. Paul & I knew they were exhausted but really wanted to hike it… so we drug the kids up the mountain. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing, but I’d say the experience was worth it. The views from the top were gorgeous, even on a cloudy day.
You can’t tell, but the top of the volcano-turned-mountain is the shape of a huge bowl. I wondered if a crater had hit it, but a very quick search let me know that most definitely wasn’t the case. Hah! It’s just the shape that naturally occurs after a volcano erupts underwater…thousands of years ago, then hardens. I’m 98% sure that’s accurate. Time for me to brush up on my geology, apparently!
TOUR THE NATURAL SITES DOWN SOUTH
Jusangjeollidae Cliffs
These pictures don’t do the rock formations justice, but Jusangjeollidae is one of the famous natural sites on Jeju. Essentially, it’s black volcanic rock columns set against a rocky cliff. We were unable to tour around the other side (the main side!) I think because of potential inclement weather.
My boys were in their happy place though, climbing over the rocks and adventuring near the water. This stop can take as little or long as you’d like. There’s a nice, paved trail that goes on for quite awhile. On clear days I think you can even take a boat ride around the cliffs for a better view. Find great info on this site here (btw that website– Visit Korea: English has been a fantastic resource for us; highly recommended).
The Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls are also very close to here! I wish we’d made it out there.
Surfing & Boat Tours at Seogwipo
Seogwipo is one of the main, populated areas of Jeju, housing lots of resorts, hotels, and museums to visit. This is also the big scuba diving area of the island, and it’s also where all the surfers go to catch a wave. We were able to watch some surfers down at the black sand beach for a bit!
If you’re feeling less adventurous, you can take a motor boat or yacht sightseeing tour from the Seogwipo Marina.
DAY TRIP VIA FERRY TO UDO
Udo is an island off Jeju’s eastern coast that you can reach by ferry in just about 15 minutes. What you can expect from Udo: delicious peanut ice cream and beautiful natural scenery.
Read the full account of our trip over to Udo here. Spoiler alert: We highly recommend adding it to your family’s itinerary.
BEACH TIME
Geumneung Beach
Geumneung is a pretty established beach, so you’ll encounter guards enforcing rules & vendors renting out blue umbrellas for the day.
Koreans dress very modestly when swimming– like long sleeve rash guards and shorts down to the knee modest (regardless of temperature). This is purely cultural and not enforced– but just be aware that will be the norm.
The water was freezing that day, but we had a lot of fun regardless. It was a great beach for young kids!
Gwakji Beach
I found this beach to be magical. The water is this gorgeous, clear light-turquoise color and the white sands/black rocks offset each other beautifully. This is all true of Geumneung, too, but the sand stretched on longer at Gwakji (which is a plus for my young kids). It also felt a lot more spacious- and therefore less crowded- than other nearby beaches.
The best part: It’s FILLED WITH really shallow pools of water for yards and yards. The boys could wander forever while still only being up to their knees & waists. It was so tempting, in fact, that despite the chilly weather (NOTE THEIR JACKETS AND PANTS IN PIC ABOVE) they eventually got each layer wet. We had to carry them away at the end of the night because they were having such a great time.
Family Down Time
After a long day of touring, one of our favorite family activities on Jeju was just grilling and relaxing back at the Airbnb. Many set-ups on the island include grilling equipment! This is a thing! Locals will often make Korean BBQ with pork belly & lettuce wraps… but since we were there over the 4th of July (America’s Independence Day) we had hot dogs & S’mores!
Local Foods at Jeju Island:
Jeju Black Pork
The “black” description of Jeju pork comes from the pigs’ fur actually. The black pigs that roam on Jeju apparently make for some tasty pork. (The pork itself looks very similar to any other type…pink).
I am sad to report we didn’t actually have the famous black pork while on Jeju. Our favorite Korean BBQ spot in Gangnam features Jeju black pork (and it’s delicious), but it would’ve been great to have it in Jeju.
There’s a Black Pork Street just east of the Airport, along the north coast of Jeju. Check it out here.
Hallabong: Jeju Oranges
Hallabong (aka Dekopon) are sweet, seedless mandarin oranges that grow on Jeju Island. This citrus fruit is very well-known throughout the country. My dear friend brought me a Hallabong orange from Jeju when I was in the hospital one winter, and the shape & flavor were very unique.
Although the Hallabong oranges are only in-season October-February, you can try dried oranges & Hallabong-infused chocolates throughout the year. You can even buy them on Coupang or Gmarket; they shape them into adorable miniature Dol hareubang (famous Jeju rock statues). We took some home and were pleasantly surprised at the citrus flavor & quality of chocolate.
There are also tangerines growing on the island, which local sellers make into fresh, delicious juice! Highly recommend.
Osulloc Green Tea
You can visit the Osulloc Tea Museum and visit their gardens while in Jeju. This is where a great deal of green tea is cultivated.
My family personally doesn’t do matcha, but Osulloc has stores & cafes all over Korea and their drinks are very high quality! I love their Jeju Tangerine Milk Tea.
Abalone
It should come as no surprise that there’s an abundance of fresh seafood to be found on Jeju Island. Abalone is particularly prevalent (thanks to the elderly diving “mermaids” that get it from under the sea).
This local restaurant was close to the airport. You can see the abalone (pictured below, right) which is cooked, and ready to be scooped out of its shell! It was chewy, but well seasoned. I didn’t go out searching for it again, but it was fine. You can also order abalone rice porridge (warm) or abalone rice.
Kid Tip: If you forget some surefire snacks to supplement and your little ones aren’t loving the dishes ordered, you can always ask for bap “bahp”: a side of plain rice.
Entrees in Korean restaurants always come with banchan; side dishes (pictured below, left).
Not-Necessarily-Local-But-Delicious Foods:
Burger Time
We found this lobster burger joint while driving up the west coast from Geumneung to Gwakji beach. It’s a great example of the Western fusion dishes you can find in Korea.
We’d heard really amazing things about Wave burger restaurant, but the timing didn’t work out! Apparently everything is homemade; it’s down south, about halfway between Seogwipo and the east coast.
If all else fails, and you’re just really wanting a burger, we saw a couple of McDonald’s on the island too.
Hand-Dipped Popsicles
Secom Dalcom Ice Cream (a small orange-painted cafe right by the water at Gwakji beach) sells hand-made popsicles, or “stick ice cream” as they call it. They had a huge variety. We each tried a different flavor and were impressed with them all: creamy berry yogurt, rich fudgy chocolate, refreshing mango, and cookies & cream Oreo. I have struggled to find truly creamy ice cream in Korea…but this Midwestern girl was very happy with the quality of these frozen treats!
There is no google link to give for reference… but if you go to Gwakji beach, FIND THE ORANGE CAFE! You can’t miss it!
Indian Kitchen
We’d read great reviews about Restaurant Indian Kitchen Jeju (the official wording of the listing on google, for easy reference). It was located just a 10 minute drive from our Airbnb. Since we struggled to find great Indian food in Seoul (always pretty bland, overly sweet, overpriced), I was always in the mood for it. This restaurant did not disappoint.
Not only was the chickpea chana masala (right) the best I’ve ever had, but the GARDEN. Our boys could run around a stone-walled grassy yard while we waited for our food to arrive. I really loved the flowers and pathways surrounding the restaurant.
With kind, attentive staff I’m not sure what else you could ask for! GO HERE IF YOU VISIT JEJU! I’m not even sponsored– I just really like a good chana masala. All the brownie points to Paul for letting me choose the restaurant on his birthday. (I owe you!)
Have you been to Jeju Island? What time of year did you go, and what did you love about it?
Does it remind you of Hawaii?? 😉
Let me know in the comments!
& Don’t forget to read our Udo Guide to round out your Jeju Itinerary:
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