I’ve been to Jeju twice and I can tell you it’s the Hawaii of Korea and tangerine island. Think gorgeous waterfalls, hiking a UNESCO crater at sunrise, tangerine picking, slowing down at beaches, chowing down black pork, and watch legendary women divers sing before heading into the sea!
Don’t forget the underrated immersive light museum (that was life-changing for a fellow anime lover and for video game players too) 🙂
Here are 13 things to do in Jeju that made me fall in love with the island.
What To Do In Jeju?
Seongsan Ilchulbong
(성산일출봉)
Known as the Sunrise Peak, it’s Jeju’s most popular eastern mountain and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It actually looks like a bowl at the top because it’s an volcanic tuff crater. It took my friend and I approximately 30 min to speed-hike up and down so we could get the Jeju tangerine ice cream before our tour bus left.
As a 1st timer without access to a car, we went with a tour to travel around Eastern Jeju. The downfall was that we couldn’t pick the time of arrival. Ideally it’d be at 7am to see the sunrise, so plan accordingly if you want to rent a car, taxi, or tour.
Naver Maps Link: https://naver.me/xa5Rn5U3
Fee: 5000 won (adult) / 2500 won (child)
Time: March-April: 5 am – 7 pm
September-October: 5 am – 7 pm
May – August: 4:30 am – 8 pm
November – February: 6 am – 6 pm
Watch the Haenyeo Show at Seongsan Ilchulbong (Women’s Diver Show)
Can you imagine your 80 year old grandma diving in the ocean for abalone and sea urchins? Probably not, but here in Jeju, these haenyeo (women divers) are the embodiment of mermaids because they can dive 10 meters deep by holding their breath to catch shellfish without wearing a wet suit until the 1970s!
During the show, you won’t see them actually dive in the water, however, they will be dressed in traditional cloths instead of wetsuits and sing their pre-diving ritual song!
Location: Seongsan Ilchulbong
Time: 1:30 pm & 3pm
Fee: Free – however you pay Seongsan Ilchulbong entrance fee
Osulloc Green Tea Field
Iconic, touristy, but iconic. Would still go 👍
People come here for the green tea field for photos, but I’m here for their gorgeous cafe. If you want to find teas, matcha, tea powder, and other green tea items, this will be the place to be to bring souvenirs home
If you’re a tea connoisseur and love all things green tea, come give it a visit! You’ll also find their iconic Innisfree shop here!
Naver Maps Link: https://naver.me/5uIYATBA
Time: Summer 9 am – 7 pm / Winter 9 am – 6 pm
Fee: Free
Cheonjeyeon Waterfall
Gorgeous 3-tiered waterfall enclosed by nature that makes you feel like the main character of a Studio Ghibi film (Princess Mononoke). Breath-taking, whimsical, and the thundering falling water was relaxing aside from the mosquitoes make a feast out of my exposed ankles…bring bug spray!
Bonus: Seonim Bridge is in the same area
Seonim Bridge
If there was a path to heaven, it would be this. It felt like walking through the clouds as they changed from shades of yellow to orange during sunset. I’m so lucky I could experience this. Legend says that 7 beautiful nymphs descended from heaven and landed on the bridge at night, thus earning the name fairy bridge or cloud bridge.
I went near closing time so had to speed run it, but the park eventually closed when we were still inside so we had to climb over a small gate. I highly recommend going during sunset! During the day is meh
Time: 9am – 5:20 pm (depends on sunset time)
Fee: 2500 won (adult) / 1350 won (child)
Nohyeong Super Market
This is the most underrated activity in Jeju that was personally life-changing!!! Nohyeong Supermarket is a six-story tall immersive media art and light exhibition with interactive screens on the ceiling, walls AND floor. It’s like being isekaied (transmigrated) into an anime or stepping into a video game. Literally stepping into a magical forest, or glowing castle!!! I’ve been there twice and on the 2nd time there was also a singing performance!
Team labs in Tokyo was nice, but this Nohyeong Super Market actually left and impression
Click their official site to see their recent themes: https://nohyung-supermarket.com/
Time: 9am – 7pm (admission closes at 6pm)
Fee: 15000 won (adults) / 13000 won (youth) / 10000 won (child)
Arte Museum Jeju
This immersive media art museum with 15 exhibitions that revolves around the theme of Eternal Nature, will test your senses and bring you into an alternate reality of glowing beaches and golden sand waterfalls, as well as a blooming flower tea bar.
The glowing beach and water whale formation is is gorgeous and mesmerizing, you must experience it for yourself!
Click here for more details: https://artemuseum.com/JEJU
Time: 10am – 8pm (last admission at 7pm)
Fee: 18000 won (adult) / 14000 won (youth) / 11000 (child)
Dongmun Traditional Market
Dongmun is where food, culture, and your favourite souvenirs align. Here you’ll find food stalls with a “lobster” guy dancing, seafood, snacks, and more.
Make sure you try Jeju’s black pork, they’re known for it here!
Dogot
One of the cutest cafes with tangerines EVERYWHERE! You can pick tangerines to bring home for a small price and the desserts were delectable YUM.
Bonus: It’s near Nohyeong SuperMarket
Seongsan Ilchulbong (성산일출봉)
Known as the Sunrise Peak, it’s Jeju’s most popular eastern mountain and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It actually looks like a bowl at the top because it’s an extinct volcano tuff. It took my friend and I approximately 30 min to speed-hike up and down so we could get the Jeju tangerine ice cream before our tour bus left.
As a 1st timer without access to a car, we went with a tour to travel around Eastern Jeju. The downfall was that we couldn’t pick the time of arrival. Ideally it’d be at 7am to see the sunrise, so plan accordingly if you want to rent a car, taxi, or tour.
Watch the Haenyeo Show at Seongsan Ilchulbong (Women’s Diver Show)
Can you imagine your 80 year old grandma diving in the ocean for abalone and sea urchins? Probably not, but here in Jeju, these haenyeo (women divers) are the embodiment of mermaids because they can dive 10 meters deep by holding their breath to catch shellfish without wearing a wet suit until the 1970s!
During the show, you won’t see them actually dive in the water, however, they will be dressed in traditional cloths instead of wetsuits and sing their pre-diving ritual song!
Location: Seongsan Ilchulbong
Time: 1:30 pm & 3pm
Osulloc Green Tea Field
Iconic, touristy, but iconic. Would still go 👍
People come here for the green tea field for photos, but I’m here for their gorgeous cafe. If you want to find teas, matcha, tea powder, and other green tea items, this will be the place to be to bring souvenirs home
If you’re a tea connoisseur and love all things green tea, come give it a visit! You’ll also find their iconic Innisfree shop here!
Cheonjeyeon Waterfall
Gorgeous 3-tiered waterfall enclosed by nature that makes you feel like the main character of a studio Ghibi film (Princess Mononoke). Breath-taking, whimsical, and the thundering falling water was relaxing aside from the mosquitoes make a feast out of my exposed ankles…bring bug spray!
Bonus: Seonim Bridge is in the same area
Seonim Bridge
If there was a path to heaven, it’s this. It felt like walking through the clouds as they changed from shades of yellow to orange during sunset. I’m so lucky I could experience this. Legend says that 7 beautiful nymphs descended from heaven and landed on the bridge at night, thus earning the name fairy bridge or cloud bridge.
I went near closing time so had to speed run it, but the park eventually closed when we were still inside so we had to climb over a small gate. I highly recommend going during sunset! During the day is meh
Time: 9am – 5:20 pm (depends on sunset time)
Fee: 2500 won (adult) / 1350 won (child)
Nohyeong SuperMarket
This is the most underrated activity in Jeju that was personally life-changing!!! Nohyeong Supermarket is a six-story tall immersive media art and light exhibition with interactive screens on the ceiling, walls AND floor. It’s like being isekaied (transmigrated) into an anime or stepping into a video game. Literally stepping into a magical forest, or glowing castle!!! I’ve been there twice and on the 2nd time there was also a singing performance!
Team labs in Tokyo was nice, but this Nohyeong SuperMarket actually left and impression
Click their official site to see their recent themes: https://nohyung-supermarket.com/
Time: 9am – 7pm (admission closes at 6pm)
Fee: 15000 won (adults) / 13000 won (youth) / 10000 won (child)
Arte Museum Jeju
This immersive media art museum with 15 exhibitions that revolves around the theme of Eternal Nature, will test your senses and bring you into an alternate reality of glowing beaches and golden sand waterfalls, as well as a blooming flower tea bar.
The glowing beach and water whale formation is is gorgeous and mesmerizing, you must experience it for yourself!
Click here for more details: https://artemuseum.com/JEJU
Time: 10am – 8pm (last admission at 7pm)
Fee: 18000 won (adult) / 14000 won (youth) / 11000 (child)
Dongmun Traditional Market
Dongmun is where food, culture, and your favourite souvenirs align. Here you’ll find food stalls with a “lobster” guy dancing, seafood, snacks, and more.
Make sure you try Jeju’s black pork, they’re known for it here!
Dogot
One of the cutest cafes with tangerines EVERYWHERE! You can pick tangerines to bring home for a small price and the desserts were delectable YUM.
Bonus: It’s near Nohyeong SuperMarket
Festivals and Events in Jeju
Waterbomb Festival
Waterbomb is an annual music festival with kpop idols and aritsts who perform during the summer. Be prepared to get soaked and water gun down other people too! This was definitely one of my highlights because I got to see BIBI, Woodz, and Jessie.
Waterbomb Festival
Waterbomb is an annual music festival with kpop idols and aritsts who perform during the summer. Be prepared to get soaked and water gun down other people too! This was definitely one of my highlights because I got to see BIBI, Woodz, and Jessie.
All the festivals in Jeju
Click the Jeju Tourism Organization or VisitJeju to view all of their annual festivals. I highly recommend catching one if you can to feel the culture and energy of the people!
How Many Days Do I Need In Jeju?
3-4 days if you’re visiting either east or west Jeju
4-8 days if you want to visit both east AND west of Jeju.
Jeju is huge. When I first visited central and east Jeju, we only had 3 days. Since we didn’t rent a car, we booked a tour to bring us to East Jeju. The tour bus brought us to Micheon Cave, Seongeup Folk Village, Seongsan-ilchulbong, and Hamdeok Beach. Best thing we did since we didn’t have a car, can’t speak Korean, and didn’t want the hassle of planning how to get to each destination.
For our 2nd trip, we rented a taxi (Private car charter services) to customize our itinerary without the hassle of figuring out transportation. We were not stranded.
How To Get Around Jeju? Jeju Transportation?
Jeju is much bigger than people expect. If you don’t have a car, getting around takes planning. However, there are 8 ways to get around Jeju with a car so you can still see the most!
- Airport Limousine
- ✈️Direct comfortable bus that bring your from the airport to your hotel
- Public transportation (Budget-Friendly)
- 🔴Red Buses (Express) – Fast routes connecting Jeju Airport / Jeju City → East (Seongsan), South (Seogwipo), West (Hyeopjae)
- 🔵Blue Buses (Intercity) – Connect cities and major attractions
- 🟢Green Buses (Village) – Local routes with more stops
- Best for: slow travel, flexible schedules
- Tourist Shuttle Buses (Best for Sightseeing in East and West Jeju)
- 🟡810 Bus (East Jeju attractions) – Nature spots and UNESCO sites
- 🟡820 Bus (West Jeju attraction) – Museums, and tea fields
- Best for: first-time visitors
See the other 5 way to get around Jeju here 🙂
When To Visit Jeju?
Best time to see flowers in Jeju
- March – May: Cherry blossoms, canola flowers, tulips, azaleas, and poppies
- June – August: Hydrangeas, roses, sunflowers, and hibiscus
- September – November: Buckwheat flowers, silver reeds/pampas grass, cosmos, silver eulalia grass, and chrysanthemums, tangerines (starting november)
- December – February: TANGERINES, Camellias, plum blossoms, canola flowers
Best time to visit Jeju based on weather
- April – June: Mild (12–24°C), mostly sunny, dry
- September – October: Cool (18–26°C), dry, clear skies
Best time to visit Jeju to avoid crowds
- Mid-September to early November (Autumn)
- Mid-May to mid-June (Late spring/early summer)
Where to Stay in Jeju
Where you stay depends on you itinerary and the region you want to explore.
- 3 days (no car) → Stay in North Jeju + 1 East day trip (what I did during my 1st trip to Jeju!)
- 5–7 days (with car) → Explore all 4 regions
- Best area to stay → North (convenient), West (scenic), South (nature)
- Do you need a car? → Not for short trips in North Jeju, yes for full exploration
For more recommendations on stay and Jeju region, click his Jeju guide!
Airbnb Tips
MAKE SURE IT’S NEXT TO CIVILZATION. My friend and I booked a gorgeous Airbnb, no problems until it was night time. We needed to go to the convenience store and it was a 15 min walk away which is nothing serious. Until we actually had to walk. The area was dark, creepy (at night it’s looked we walked through an abandoned village). If you’re with friends, maybe it should be fine, but if you’re a solo female traveller, just make sure you’re up for any possible jump scare.
Is Jeju Worth It?
If you want to see the breathtaking nature and waters of Korea, I definitely recommend going to Jeju. Out of all my trips worldwide, only a few spots have made it on my list of life-changing moments. 1st is Seonim Bridge during sunset, and Nohyeong SuperMarket (the lightshow that made me tear up because I felt like I was stepping into one of my favourite animes)! So remember to put Jeju on your trip!
