Just an hour and a half south of Seoul holds the only island of South Korea. Jeju Island, one of the most beautiful and picturesque bodies of land invites travelers from all around the globe to enjoy it’s salty beaches and strenuous hikes.
Every corner you turn and each city within Jeju holds a unique personality that builds up the fullness of the islands character. The island is perfect if you’re looking for a long weekend trip, and you definitely don’t want to miss out on crossing off these island activities from your to-do list.
If you are heavily considering visiting to Jeju and are curious on what to bring prior, check out my post on the 3 important tips you should do before arriving to Jeju.
So, I’ve accumulated 9 best things to do in Jeju island to grasp the entirety of the island during the Summer. Yes, it is possible to hit every part of the island by yourself in a matter of 4 days, so let’s dive in!
1. Hike Mount Hallasan
If you are up for the challenge + are reasonably fit, hiking Hallasan is a must. Hallasan is located in the center of the island and is South Korea’s tallest mountain. Get to Hallasan around 6:30AM-7:30AM if you want to get a reasonable parking spot on the street and beat the rush.
There are 2 paths to get to the top – Seongpanack and Gwaneumsa trails. If you are coming from the north of the mountain (volcano’s crater lip), you are probably going to go up the Gwaneumsa trail. If you are coming from the south side of Jeju, like I did, you will probably go up the Seongpanack path.
The hike should take you about 8 hours back and forth. I’m a bit crazy and the whole hike took me 4 hours. I’m just normally a quick walker/hiker.
TIP: what a lot of hikers don’t know about Hallasan is that once you come back down from the top, you can get a certificate for ₩1,000 at the info desk. All you need to do is show them a picture of yourself on the top, fill in your information, and they will print out your certificate for you!
2. Catch the sunrise at Seongsan Illchibong
Wherever you are, wake up at 4 AM, pack your bags and drive over to Seongsan Illchibong. Get the best seat at the very top-middle section of the staircase. You want to go early because it gets packed within minutes. I was one of the first people there and hands down got the best seat in the house. Don’t underestimate and think that people will not wake up to see the sunrise – I was surprised at the turnout!
You do have to walk up a few flight of stairs, so don’t forget to wear comfortable running shoes!
Oh, and take lots of pictures. The sunrise was truly something else. I was one of the first people there, and one of the last ones to leave because I was enjoying the moment a little way too much.
3. Hike an Oreum
First of all, what is an Oreum? Oreums are small, rising volcanic bodies formed from eruptions, and are usually in the form of smaller hills. There are hundreds of oreums in Jejudo, so you definitely don’t want to miss out on hiking a few.
The hikes will take you about half an hour to hike up, depending on how quick you are. The hikes up are a bit strenuous, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes. I hiked all the oreums in my hiking gear, but don’t be thrown off when you see all the locals dressed up like they’re about to go out on a photo shoot. They seriously don’t let physical activities get in the way of fashion!
I only had time to hike up 3 oreums, but I recommend on hiking as many as you can. The views are absolutely gorgeous, and you get blessed with the best views of the island.
The 3 oreums I hiked (in this order):
– 따라비 오름 – Ttarabi Oreum
– 백약이 오름 – Baegyak Oreum (24 minutes from Ttarabi to Baegyak)
– 다랑쉬 오름 – Darangswi Oreum (13 minutes from Baegyak to Darangswi)
4. Visit Innis Free and O’Sulloc’s Tea Museum
If you are stuck on what souvenirs to bring back home, you can’t go wrong with tea from O-Sulloc. The tea leaves are grown in this very location and is the freshest you can get!
5. Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls
In order to see Cheonjiyeon, it cost ₩2,500 ($2), so make sure you you go within the hours it’s open from 9 AM – 10 PM (last admission is at 9:20 PM.
6. Jeongbang Falls
Jeongbang is also a popular waterfall with a lot of tours that come throughout the day, so make sure you get there early enough where you can avoid all the foot traffic + to get clear photos without any photo bombers.
7. Oedolgae Rock
To get the best views, walk through the walking trek. It’s surrounded by Bum Island, Sae Island & Seonnyu Rock, and a lot of Korean dramas are actually filmed around here!
8. Manjanggul Cave
Oh, also make sure that you are not wearing open toed shoes because the floors will be wet from water dripping from the ceiling!
9. Jeju Folk Village
Open hours: 8:30AM – 5PM
Fun Fact: Jejudo is listed in the UNESCO Worth Heritage, edifying the island’s lava tubes, lake-filled Mount Hallasan, and Seongsan Illchibong’s dramatic landscape that rises out of the ocean
Andddd, there’s that! There are my top recommendations to do do while in Jejudo. There are obviously a ton of more things that you can do, but the 9 listed above are definitely spots that you don’t want to miss out on exploring. Hope this list helps when visiting the charming island of Jejudo 🙂
