Getting around · Jeju · South Korea
Getting around Jeju
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Jeju has no railway, so travel is by road. Most visitors rent a car, which turns the island into a series of 30–90 minute drives; the bus network reaches every village but is slow for crossing the island. Taxis and day-hire taxi tours fill the gaps. Recommended for most trips longer than two days.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Car
- Airports
- CJU
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
- Travel pass
- T-money and other Korean transit cards
Ways to get around
Car
Rental companies operate from depots near the airport, reached by shuttle buses from the arrivals hall. Roads are good and well signed, and driving from Jeju City to Seogwipo takes about an hour.
Speed cameras are frequent; satellite-navigation apps that accept phone numbers of destinations make it easier to find places.
Bus
Red express buses link the airport with Seogwipo, Jungmun and Seongsan, and blue and green local buses serve the coast roads and villages. The airport limousine bus 600 runs to the Jungmun hotels and Seogwipo.
Korean transit cards such as T-money work on Jeju buses, and Naver or Kakao map apps give live bus times.
Taxi
Taxis are easy to find in Jeju City and Seogwipo and can be booked through the Kakao T app; many drivers also offer full-day taxi tours at a fixed rate.
In rural areas taxis are scarce, so book your return before you are dropped at a remote sight.
Ferry
Short ferries cross from Seongsan Port to Udo in about 15 minutes, from Hallim to Biyangdo, and from Moseulpo to Gapado and Marado. Overnight and fast ferries also link Jeju Port with mainland ports.
Ferries stop in strong winds and high seas; keep a buffer day if your trip depends on a crossing.
Cycling
Cycling the roughly 230 km coastal cycle path is a popular multi-day trip, and electric bikes and scooters are rented by the hour on Udo.
Tickets and passes
T-money and other Korean transit cards
Rechargeable cards bought at convenience stores that work on Jeju buses as well as on mainland subways, and give a small discount on fares.
From the airport
Jeju International Airport is about 4 km west of the old town, roughly 15 minutes by taxi or bus to central Jeju City. Express buses and the 600 limousine bus reach Jungmun in about an hour and Seogwipo in about 1–1.5 hours, and car-rental shuttles leave from outside arrivals.
Do you need a car?
Recommended for most trips longer than two days. Buses cover the island but are slow between sights, and many beaches, forests and oreum are awkward to reach without a car; travellers who don't drive can use day tours or a taxi tour.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Udo | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car and ferry | Drive or bus to Seongsan Port, then a 15-minute ferry |
| Marado | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car and ferry | Drive or bus to Moseulpo or Songaksan port, then a 25–30-minute ferry |
| Gapado | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car and ferry | Drive or bus to Moseulpo port, then a short ferry |
| Biyangdo | About 50 minutes by car and ferry | Drive or bus to Hallim Port, then a 15-minute ferry |
| Chuja Islands | About 1–2 hours by ferry | Ferry from Jeju Port |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Jeju?
Recommended for most trips longer than two days. Buses cover the island but are slow between sights, and many beaches, forests and oreum are awkward to reach without a car; travellers who don't drive can use day tours or a taxi tour.
+How do you get from the airport to Jeju?
Jeju International Airport is about 4 km west of the old town, roughly 15 minutes by taxi or bus to central Jeju City. Express buses and the 600 limousine bus reach Jungmun in about an hour and Seogwipo in about 1–1.5 hours, and car-rental shuttles leave from outside arrivals.
+What is the best way to get around Jeju?
Car: Rental companies operate from depots near the airport, reached by shuttle buses from the arrivals hall. Roads are good and well signed, and driving from Jeju City to Seogwipo takes about an hour.