Itinerary:
Korean Airlines
대구 Daegu → 제주 Jeju
Cost: 90,000W (Economy Class)
제주 Jeju → 부산 Busan
Cost: 123,000W (Business Class)
At the airport:
Jeju Airport has an information desk where you can pick up a map and some tourist brochures. Get a map and ask for bus numbers to get around to where you need to go. The map will also help you spot sightseeing areas you’ve not considered. Jeju has a bunch of museums and has these awesome walking trails called Olle trails.
Go to the Olle desk next to the Information desk to inquire about the trails. Having a map of the various trails up front will save you much angst figuring out online. Most local buses will announce trail stops but you need to pay attention.
There is an airport shuttle bus that will drop you at various locations in Jeju City, Jungmun and lastly, Seogwipo. I think it’s 5,000Won. The bus is a coach bus with AC and comfortable seats.
A bit about Jeju:
Jeju City is the most cosmopolitan you’ll get when it comes to restaurants and stores. Seogwipo falls second as one of the tourist destinations, but has less variety. Restaurants will be mostly Korean and much seafood. Jungmun is the resort area and it’s worthwhile to see the backlots of some of these posh hotels. Not only are some hotels the shooting locations of K-dramas, but offer a unique look at luxury Korea. I visited teh Shilla in winter and it had gorgeous cabanas you could rent and … a camping area on astroturf with tents and BBQ’s set up! Most line the cliff and overlook the ocean and the sights can be gorgeous.
Food in Jeju: hope you like seafood
Unless you’re staying in the little urban dwelling of Jeju City, the island offers a lot of seafood and the standard Korean platter. This isn’t a problem if you know what you want to order your sushi or plate in Korean; you’ll be hard-pressed to find English menus! For back-end survival, typical cheap eats like bibimbap or kimbap (recognize and learn how to order from one here) are generally loved by foreigners. If you’re a very picky eater or have dietary concerns, you can do what I did and bring your own stash of instant oatmeal, power bars, dried fruits and nuts! Another option: shop at local stores or larger multi-shopping chain stores such as Homeplus and Emart (read my post & view pics here), where you can get groceries or see your menu in plasticized casings.
Getting Around Jeju Island:
City Bus, bike, taxi, scooter and car rentals. These are the options. I chose to use the bus transportation with the occasional taxi and it was fine. The bus routes are fairly simple to spot on the map but you’ll still need occasional help with knowing which number to catch. The bus is efficient, cheap and will give you a nice ride around the island. However, if you know what you want to see, have little time and want to take point-to-point trips, definitely rent a car.
Scooters & Jeju (read Solo Jeju: Riding a Scooter around Udo Island)
Accommodations:
Budget:
Jeju Hiking Inn (booked through Hostelworld)
587-15, Seogwi-Dong, Seogwipo City
Seogwipo
p. +82-64 763 2380, +82-10-3294-0878
e. jeju@hikinginn.com
Cost: 15,000W/night (double private ensuite- 30,000W)
Hotel:
Hyatt Regency Resort Jungmun
Jungmun Resort Area
.
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What to do/see:
Hike Mt. Halla
Dragon Head Rock (Yongduam)
Manjang Cave
Loveland (read here)
Ride a Motorbike on Udo Island
Teddy Bear Museum
Haenyeo Museum
Jeju Ollie ( read here)
Sunrise Peak
Jungmun Resort area
Jeju Gimnyeong Maze Park
Odoelgae Rock
visit the *many* kitsch museums Jeju has
Haenyeo Museum (read about haeneyo) 
Teddy Bear Museum
Sunrise Peak
Jeju Ollie ( read here) 
Jeju Gimnyeong Maze Park* (read Photo Essay: Lost in Jeju Island’s Gimnyeong Maze Park)
One-Stop Website:
Jeju Island
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Jeju Publications
Jeju Life
Getting there:
From Daegu, you can fly out of Daegu, Busan and Seoul or take the Busan ferry.
How to book Jeju tickets when they’re “Sold out” for Chuseok?
1) call Korean Airlines (one of the main airlines carriers for that route) direct
2) Ask for Business Class seats. (* it’s a 30,000W upgrade difference)
3) Book point-to-point travel vs round trip (you have more control over cities you fly out of & can mix the economy seating with business class.
With Korean Air you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance and still receive a partial to full refund. The penalty is under $20 (maybe even less)
From Jeju Airport to Jungmun or Seogwipo
Catch the airport shuttle bus. It makes major tourist stops and runs every 1/2 hour. Cost: 5,000W
Related articles by
- Jeju Island: Top 6 Things to Do (grrrltraveler.com)
Hi Christine
I would to ask your opinion. Which is the best way to travel to Jeju? By KTX/Ferry via Mokpo or flight? Im a budget traveller.
Here is my tentative schedule:
1st day: Go to busan by KTX (getting 5days pass). 2nights stay.
3rd day: Jeju. Take KTX- Daejeon-Seodaejeon-mokpo. From mokpo, taking ferry to Jeju. 2nights stay.
5th-10thday: Seoul. 5nights stay
I am hoping using KTX will minimise the travel time between cities. But on the 3rd day, im abit sceptical about the interchange between daejeon-seodeajeon and hoping can catch the 9am ferry from mokpo to jeju.
Is it practical to do this way?
I hope you can shed some lights on this.
Big thanks!
@Wendy: unfortunately, I’m not very familiar with your route and never took the ferry, so I’m not sure about the cost difference. Apologies I couldn’t be of help. Good luck though.
Hi Christine!
Great post! may i check with on if a 1 day 1 night is enough to explore main (most) parts of jeju?
@linus: Apols for the delay…. Unless you rent a car and get started early in the morn, I’d give Jeju at least 2-3 days. Also, depends on what you consider “main spots” bc there really is so much and it’s spread out throughout the island. Museums, theme parks, Halla mountain, olle trails, natural wonders, etc…. You definitely won’t cover most in a day. My itinerary covers “some” of the stuff there is & I did it in a weekend via bus trips. I usually try to milk my days too, but as I said– some of these things are spread out. Would help if you had a tourist map in advance to strategize.
Besides, if you’re spending money to fly out, why only a day? However, if a day is all you have, then you’ll have to make it work and be content with what you get. I’d target an area and hit the places in that spot. Good luck!
Hi, I will be travelling around in Korea in August and September.
I’d like to ask how many days did it take for you to travel in Jeju island?
Where are the recommended place in Korea?
@Cheryl” I went to Jeju twice – once w/ a friend (7-8?) and once w/ my mother (3 days); Depends on what you want to do and see and the type of transportation you take. Jejudo has so much and more attractions than I listed, so be sure to hit up the Tourist Info & get a map when you arrive. If you’re gonna hike Mt Halla or do an Olle trail, estimate half a day to a day. If you want to ferry to Udo Island; it’ll be a day or two depending).
Korea: Where to go is dependent on what kind of things you want to see and what you’re into- shopping, art, traditional/historical, activities,etc… Seoul is a must. Busan is the 2nd largest city with a huge seaport. Another thing is to check the Korea Tourism Org pages to see what festivals are going on during the time you’ll be there. Fall should be beautiful in Korea. The leaves change w/ brilliant colors. Hope this helps some!