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Latest update: 17 April 2026
Jeju is bigger than you think. With over 700 square miles (1,800 km²), it’s the largest island in South Korea. You’re definitely not going to see everything in two or three days. And that’s totally fine. Here’s my itinerary based out of Seogwipo: a mix of nature, tea, and proper downtime.
Jeju itinerary based out of Seogwipo
I use Seogwipo as my home base and take day trips from there. That means I mostly explore the southern and eastern parts of Jeju. The rest of the island stays off the radar; there’s simply no time for it. So if you’re looking for a comprehensive Jeju loop covering the whole island, this isn’t it. But if you want to know what you can see in 2–3 days without running yourself into the ground? You’re in the right place.
Practical info before you head out
A car is basically essential on Jeju. The distances are manageable, but many places aren’t easily accessible by bus. I rent a car through DiscoverCars, and that works out great.
Important: Google Maps doesn’t work well in South Korea. Download Naver Maps instead. It’s what everyone uses, and it’s great for navigation. I keep Google Maps open for searching and saving places, but I use Naver when actually driving.
I stay in an apartment just outside Seogwipo. It’s a great base for this itinerary — nicely central in the south. My best friend and I stay in this apartment, and I’d book it again in a heartbeat.
Tip! Keep an eye out for stone figures dotted around the island. These are called dol-hareubang — literally “grandfather stones.” They’ve been carved from basalt since around 1750 and were originally placed at fortress gates to scare off enemies. Very Jeju. You’ll also find them in every size and shape imaginable at souvenir shops. And apparently, rubbing the nose of one increases your chances of having a boy, while rubbing the ears is said to bring a girl.
Day 0: Arriving on Jeju
On the first day, I don’t arrive until late afternoon, flying in from Busan. I book my ticket fairly last-minute through Trip and pay around $65 (€60) per person, including checked baggage. It’s only an hour’s flight and the airport is so small that I’m outside with my bags in no time.
I pick up my rental car (booked through DiscoverCars), and it’s another hour’s drive to my accommodation. By the time we’re settled, it’s evening, so we find a nearby restaurant and end up at Jeju Island Grill (Google Maps location) for a Korean BBQ with Jeju black pork before calling it an early night.
Tip! Make the most of Jeju’s local food scene.
Day 1: The highlights of southern Jeju
Today is all about waterfalls and volcanoes. You drive from one attraction to the next, all within southern Jeju. It’s a full day, but everything is relatively close together when you’re based in Seogwipo.
Jeongbang Waterfall
I start the day at Jeongbang Waterfall. It’s supposedly the only waterfall in South Korea that falls directly into the sea. A staircase takes you down to a rocky beach. Even on an early Monday morning, there are already quite a few visitors, but if you climb a bit further over the rocks, you can find spots for photos without anyone in the background. Allow about half an hour here; the entrance is 2,000 won (about $1.50) per person.
Damsoyo: a peaceful garden
Time to slow down a little. At Damsoyo, you walk a loop through a garden with a pond, then pick a spot for a coffee and a slice of cake. The pumpkin cake is genuinely worth it. The whole place has a really calm, serene vibe.
The secret green tea cave
Jeju is known for its green tea, and when I spot a “secret green tea cave” on Google Maps, I’m immediately curious. The cave turns out to be on the grounds of Onolun Green Tea House. They produce green tea here, and there’s a small shop selling all kinds of matcha products, plus a café. They also offer a green tea foot bath, but we skip that.
We’re here for the cave. A short walk along the tea plantation leads you to a pretty, photogenic cave. Not exactly a secret, but still a fun little stop.
Seongsan Ilchulbong
The must-see of Jeju. This volcanic crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and rightly so. I read a lot online about how tough the climb is, so I brace myself for a challenge. Honestly? It’s not that bad. Yes, there are stairs. A lot of stairs. But you set your own pace, and there are plenty of places to rest. For an average fit person, it’s totally doable. I also see older visitors and young kids reaching the top, so it’s really accessible to most people.
You can also catch a haenyeo show here, if one is scheduled. More details about Seongsan Ilchulbong and the show are in my Seogwipo blog.
Coffee and lunch near Seongsan
Right by the volcano, there’s a small gimbap place run by one woman (Google Maps location). We order black pork and vegetable gimbap — simple but good, and exactly what you need after the climb. Then we grab coffee at Walk In Coffee Bar (Google Maps location).
Tea tasting at Orteas
We head inland to the Orteas tea plantation, where we’ve booked a tea tasting session (this one). We learn how to taste tea properly: from warming the cups to sniffing and slurping. For the best green tea, only the youngest leaves at the top of the bush are picked by hand. Black tea comes from the same plant but uses older leaves lower down.
In a small tasting room, we guided through the whole process. We get a different cup for each tea to bring out its best flavor. We also get to make matcha ourselves, whisking it up from scratch. Naturally, we pick up a few things from the shop before taking a stroll through the tea fields.
If it fits your schedule, this is genuinely a fun activity to book.
O’Reve Hot Spring & Spa
If you still have energy in the evening — or especially if you don’t — O’Reve Hot Spring & Spa is a nice way to wind down. After 6 PM, you pay half price. There are hot tubs, different saunas, and a buffet restaurant. It’s a bit quiet when we visit, and some of the hot tubs aren’t working, but the ones that are running feel great.
More details about the spa are in my Seogwipo article.
Day 2: Hiking and eating
Day two starts with a coastal walk and ends with good food. The pace is more relaxed than yesterday, so there’s time to chill at your accommodation or sleep in a little.
Breakfast at 60 Beans
We start at 60 Beans, a coffee bar with a lovely sculpture garden right outside. It’s just around the corner from our accommodation, and the trail starts from here. There’s a small breakfast menu, but you can also grab a croissant or another pastry.
Olle Trail 7 (partial)
The Olle Trails are a network of walking paths across Jeju, well-marked with arrows and ribbons. There are over 250 miles (400 km) of trails in total. An overview of all trails is available here. We walk part of Olle 7 from 60 Beans toward Seogwipo.
The path first runs flat along the coast with great views. Then it climbs steeply via stairs up to a small hilltop pavilion. From there, we wind through a park where retired Koreans are playing a kind of golf game, before we finally head to the waterfall we’ve been hearing all morning.
Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
We’ve already covered a good distance, but we want to see what this waterfall looks like. Cheonjiyeon is more built-up than yesterday’s — big parking lot, plenty of food stalls, and souvenir shops. A flat 500-meter (about a third of a mile) walk through a green park leads to the 22-meter (72-foot) waterfall. At the waterfall itself, it’s noticeably busier, with Koreans doing full photo shoots.
Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market
By now we’re definitely hungry, so we finish our walking activities at the covered Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market. You can shop for groceries here, but also sample all kinds of street food. Let yourself get tempted by a filled roll, a fresh juice, or whatever catches your eye. The meat skewer stall draws a crowd: they blast music and constantly flame the meat. We cave and buy some, but honestly, it’s nearly inedible: incredibly tough. We also can’t entirely figure out if we got what we actually ordered. But try explaining that in Korean…
We take the bus back to our accommodation for a shower and some couch time. One thing we’re really keen to experience is the tangerine harvest season in October. Tangerine decorations are everywhere, and most cafés and restaurants have something tangerine-related on the menu. You can also find tangerine soap, shampoo, and just about anything else at the souvenir shops.
Cafe Gyulkkot Darak
This is a tangerine-themed café where everyone poses for selfies among the orange fruit. You’d think: oh fun, real tangerine trees! But the tangerines are plastic. Plastic! So fake! Not that anyone seems to care — the place is packed. There are dedicated setups in multiple spots so you can get the perfect Instagram photo, and people are genuinely happy to take their sweet time doing exactly that. Very much not my thing. But I do find it endlessly entertaining to watch.
Korean BBQ in Seogwipo
Tonight is our last evening on Jeju and our last night before flying home the next day, so we want to have one more Korean BBQ with beef. We head to Jinsim Gogi in Seogwipo. We order boneless short ribs and chuck flap tail (both 19,000 won / about $14 each). It’s good, but honestly not quite as good as the Korean BBQ we had in Seoul.
Tip! Catch my complete 3-week South Korea itinerary.
Day 3: Arte Museum and the Aewol coast
On day three, we fly back to Seoul, but we still have a morning on Jeju. So we pick a couple of things to do that fall along the route to the airport. And we start with breakfast at 60 Beans again — it was great the first time.
Arte Museum
This is an immersive art museum, similar to the Atelier des Lumières in Paris. There are projections of flowers, jungle, waterfalls: lots going on. Maybe a little too immersive, if you ask me. The rooms and installations are fairly small except for the main garden area, which has three shows running. It’s fun for a while, but we’re back outside after half an hour. The younger Korean crowd, busy taking selfies, manages to stick around much longer. You can book tickets online through Trip.
Aewol Cafe Street
We drive to the west coast, to Aewol. There’s a walking path along the coast here (no beach, that’s a few miles further) called Aewol Cafe Street. It absolutely lives up to the name: tons of places to eat and drink.
The wind is nearly knocking us sideways, so we duck into Haejigae Cafe, a stylish hanok-style coffee place spread across two floors. The coffee is good, and the coastal views are lovely. We happily hang out here until we really have to leave for the airport.
Frequently asked questions about Jeju
At least 2 days to see the highlights of one region (like southern Jeju). With 3–4 days, you can cover more of the island. With 5+ days, you can really explore everything at a relaxed pace.
Chances are you’re flying from Busan or Seoul. From Busan, it’s about an hour; from Seoul, it’s roughly 15 minutes longer. There are plenty of flights per day, but try to book as soon as you know your dates. I booked my flights via Trip.
Not strictly necessary, but very handy. Bus connections exist, but aren’t always frequent. With a car, you have a lot more flexibility. You can also book tours, but then you’re tied to someone else’s schedule.
More South Korea inspiration
Useful links for your South Korea trip
- Accommodation. Always handy is Booking.com, but compare prices. Trip is often much cheaper in South Korea. Rather stay in a hostel? Try HostelWorld.
- Activities. You can book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator. You can book ‘free’ walking tours at Freetour and cool food tours at Secret Food Tours.
- Attractions and museums. For 5% off museums and attractions, use discount code KIMOPREIS22 at Tiqets.
- Car rental. Compare your options at Discover Cars and Rentalcars.com.
- Flights. Compare all your options! Be sure to check Expedia, Kiwi and Trip.
- Guide books. I love the practical guides by Lonely Planet, for sale at Amazon.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? Check out your options at Expedia and CheapOair for example.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high phone and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo. Use the code THISIS8469 for a discount.
- Train and bus. Buy your train tickets directly on the Korail site and intercity buses also directly via this site. Some trips can also be booked on
Klook or via12Go . For local transport in the city, you use a T-Money card.
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