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Voykit pocket guide · South Korea
Jeju City
제주시
Use Jeju City as the arrival point for Jeju Island and rent a car; plan three nights, since Hallasan, the lava tubes and the coast are all outside the city and buses run infrequently. Fly from Seoul (about 1 h 10 min).
Jeju City is the main city and airport gateway of Jeju Island, a volcanic island off Korea's south coast built around Hallasan, the country's highest peak. The city itself is a working port with markets and a busy street grid near the airport. The island's UNESCO-listed sights, Hallasan National Park, the Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone and the Geomunoreum lava tubes, sit far apart. Most visitors drive between them, sleeping loosely around the city or on the southern coast at Seogwipo.
- Country
- South Korea
- Local name
- 제주시
- Best months
- Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct (mild, before summer humidity and after typhoon season)
- Avoid
- Jul (rainy season) and Aug–Sep (peak typhoon risk)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- KRW
- Money
- Cards work almost everywhere, including taxis, convenience stores and many market stalls; carry ₩30,000–50,000 in cash for street food, small markets and temple donations.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₩40,000-70,000 excl. bed · Mid ₩70,000-130,000 excl. bed · High ₩130,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at airport arrivals; a passport is required, and data-only plans are cheapest.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Korea Travel Helpline (24 h, English) 1330
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 60 Hz · Round two-pin European plugs fit; US and UK plugs need an adapter, and US-only appliances need a converter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and cafés: No tip; a service charge appears only in top hotels.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Hotel porter: Not expected; ₩1,000–2,000 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not expected; ₩10,000–20,000 or a meal is a thank-you.
- Water
- Officially safe from the tap; most people drink filtered water, and restaurants serve it free. Bottles cost ₩800–1,500 at convenience stores.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in every subway station; paper goes in the toilet in new buildings, in the bin where a sign asks. Bidets are common.
Get in
By air
- CJU · Jeju International
- About 3 km (1.9 mi) from the city centre; one of Korea's busiest domestic airports, also served by ferries from Mokpo, Wando and BusanAbout 1.9 mi (3 km) from the city centre; one of Korea's busiest domestic airports, also served by ferries from Mokpo, Wando and Busan
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Buses cover the ring road but run slowly and infrequently to trailheads and coves (fares about ₩1,500-3,000, 2026 estimate, check). Most visitors rent a car, roughly ₩50,000-100,000 per day (check); foreign licences need an International Driving Permit. Taxis start around ₩4,800-5,000 and can be booked by the Kakao T app in the city; a day taxi tour is an option if you do not drive.
See and do
Known for
- Hallasan National Park
- Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone (UNESCO)
- Manjanggul lava tube
- Jeju black pork barbecue
- Haenyeo women free-divers (UNESCO intangible heritage)
- Jeju Olle coastal walking trails
- Dongmun Traditional Market
- Hamdeok and Hyeopjae beaches
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Seongsan Ilchulbong | Car about 1 h, or direct bus from Jeju City | 1-1.5 h |
| Seogwipo (Cheonjiyeon Falls, Jusangjeolli cliffs) | Car about 1 h, or route 600 bus across the island | 1-1.5 h |
| Hallasan (Seongpanak trail) | Car about 40 min, or bus to the trailhead | About 1 h |
| Udo island | Car to Seongsan port, then ferry about 15 min | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Jeju City (Yeon-dong / Nohyeong)
- Restaurants, rental-car offices and 15-20 min from the airport; the practical base for a first night.
- Aewol
- West-coast cafes and sunset coast; 30 min by car from the city, no easy bus links.
- Seogwipo
- Southern coast near Cheonjiyeon Falls and the Olle trail; about an hour from the city and warmer in winter.
- Seongsan / Gujwa
- East-coast base for the sunrise peak and Udo ferry; only if you have a car.
Language
Korean everywhere; English on subway signs, station announcements and in larger hotels, thin in speech outside Seoul's centre. Hangul can be learned in an afternoon and turns every sign into readable sounds; Papago handles the rest.
- Show addresses in Korean to taxi drivers; copy them from Naver Map or Kakao Map.
- KakaoTalk is the messaging app of guesthouses, guides and friends.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A slight bow with a 'annyeonghaseyo'; handshake with the right hand, left hand touching the right forearm; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses with people you have just met
- Age and rank: Expect to be asked your age; it sets how people speak to you. Let the eldest sit and start first; avoid: Calling older people by their given name
- Handing things: Two hands for money, cards, gifts and drinks; avoid: Passing things with one hand to older people
- Subway: Quiet voices, bags off seats, queue at the marked lines; avoid: Priority and pink pregnancy seats, even when empty
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or a boxed gift; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Writing names in red ink — it is used for the dead
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees; bow at the main hall; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; loud talk; pointing at Buddha statues
- Numbers: Know that 4 is unlucky; buildings may show F instead of a fourth floor; avoid: Giving gifts in sets of four
- Sensitive topics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Comparing Korea with Japan or China casually; jokes about the North, the Japanese colonial era, or plastic surgery
Scams and watch-outs
- Flights and ferries are cancelled in typhoons and heavy fog with little warning; keep a buffer day before an international connection.
- Hallasan summit trails (Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa) require a timed permit booked in advance through the national park reservation site; check the current rules.
- UV is strong on the coast and crater rims even in cool months; bring sun protection.
- Rental car insurance and one-way drop fees add up: compare total cost, not the daily rate.
- Driving is on the right; watch for tour buses and scooters on narrow coastal roads, and do not drive after the strong winds close roads.
- Beaches and swimming areas are staffed only in summer (July-August); do not swim alone off-season.
Jeju is safe for travellers; the main risks are driving on windy coast roads, strong UV, and weather closures, not crime.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Jeju City yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hallasan National Park
- Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone (UNESCO)
- Manjanggul lava tube
- Jeju black pork barbecue
- Haenyeo women free-divers (UNESCO intangible heritage)
- Jeju Olle coastal walking trails
- Dongmun Traditional Market
- Hamdeok and Hyeopjae beaches
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Jeju: www.visitjeju.net/en
- Wikivoyage — Jeju City: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jeju_City
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/jeju-city). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.