3 days in Jeju

Day by day

1. Day 1: Hallasan National Park and Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak)

   Hallasan National Park, Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) and Manjanggul Lava Tube, then Cheonjiyeon Waterfall in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hallasan National Park

      South Korea's highest mountain is a dormant shield volcano whose summit crater holds the small Baengnokdam lake.

   2. Late morning

      Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak)

      Climb for sunrise or in the late afternoon; tour buses fill the stairs from mid-morning to early afternoon.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Jeju black pork

      Dedicated barbecue houses across Jeju City and Seogwipo, including the cluster of restaurants on Jeju City's Black Pork Street; staff usually grill and cut the meat for you.

   4. Afternoon

      Manjanggul Lava Tube

      Part of the UNESCO-listed Geomunoreum lava-tube system, Manjanggul runs for about 7.4 km underground, of which roughly 1 km is open to visitors.

   5. Evening

      Cheonjiyeon Waterfall

      Visit after dark when the path is lit and tour groups have gone, then walk to the Saeseom bridge for harbour lights.

2. Day 2: Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff and Jeongbang Waterfall

   Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff, Jeongbang Waterfall and Hyeopjae Beach, then Jeju Dongmun Traditional Market in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff

      Come on a day with a swell running; the spray over the columns is far more dramatic than on a flat calm.

   2. Late morning

      Jeongbang Waterfall

      Jeongbang is unusual because it falls about 23 m off a cliff directly onto a rocky shore and into the sea.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cold raw-fish soup

      Seafood restaurants around Bomok harbour near Seogwipo, best in the summer damselfish season.

   4. Afternoon

      Hyeopjae Beach

      Stay for sunset, which drops behind Biyangdo; arrive before 10am in August to find parking.

   5. Evening

      Jeju Dongmun Traditional Market

      Come after about 6pm for the night-market food stalls, and buy boxed hallabong here to take home rather than at the airport.

3. Day 3: Hamdeok Beach and Seoubong and Haenyeo Museum

   Hamdeok Beach and Seoubong, Haenyeo Museum and Bijarim Forest, then Sunrise from Seongsan Ilchulbong in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hamdeok Beach and Seoubong

      The closest good beach to Jeju City has a shallow turquoise lagoon framed by black lava rock and a wooden walkway.

   2. Late morning

      Haenyeo Museum

      Pair it with lunch of abalone porridge at a haenyeo-run restaurant along the Hado or Jongdal coast.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Abalone porridge

      Haenyeo-run restaurants and seafood houses around Seongsan, Gujwa and the north-east coast.

   4. Afternoon

      Bijarim Forest

      More than 2,800 nutmeg-yew (bija) trees, many several hundred years old, grow in this protected forest near Gujwa.

   5. Evening

      Sunrise from Seongsan Ilchulbong

      Climb in the dark and watch the sun rise over the sea from the crater rim, then have abalone porridge in Seongsan village.

Before you go

• Hallasan National Park: Summit hikes on the Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa trails have required a free advance online reservation in recent years; check the official national park site before you go.

If it rains

• Swap in Jeju Stone Park (Jocheon): Start in the indoor museum to understand the island's geology, then walk the outdoor circuit, which takes about an hour.
• Swap in Jeju 4.3 Peace Park (Jeju City): Allow time for the exhibition hall, which is clearly laid out with English panels, and visit before rather than after a beach day.
• Swap in O'sulloc Tea Museum and Seogwang tea fields (Andeok): Walk into the tea rows behind the museum for photos, then go early on weekends, when the café queue becomes long.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Jeju City Old Town keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Sinjeju and Nohyeong ($$$) suits shopping, families and nightlife. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 16–21 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.9 hours in December to 14.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Jeju
• 2 days in Jeju
• 5 days in Jeju

Questions travellers ask