3 Days Road Trip in Jeju
This 3 days road trip covers most of the popular attractions in Jeju from the east to the west. Jeju island is well known for natural wonders, including waterfalls, white sand beaches and a dormant volcano mountain at the center of the island.
Summary of this itinerary:
A. Day 1 – Jeju East
B. Day 2 – Jeju South
C. Day 3 – Jeju West
About South Korea
South Korea is an East Asian country on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. The country is land bordered by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) to the north. As the border between North Korea and South Korea is heavily guarded and not accessible to the public, traveling to South Korea is strictly restricted to air and sea passage.
The currency of South Korea is Korean Republic Won (KRW).
Day 1 – Jeju East
It is recommended to explore Manjangul Cave in Jeju as it is one of the largest lava tubes in the world. There are 3 entrances to go into the 7.6km Manjangul Lava Tube but the only one that tourists can use is the second entrance and only 1km of it is accessible to the public. Despite only 1km of it is open, the lava column that is located at the end of the tourist area is about 7.6m high and is known as the highest lava column in the world. Along the way, there are various cave formations such as flowstones, lava tubes, lava shelves, and lava rafts that can be observed.
After exploring the cave, it is time to move on to the nearby Jeju Maze Park. Jeju Maze Park has an elaborate topiary maze and it is quite fun even for an adult.
For the afternoon, it is time to take a short half day trip to Udo Island. Udo Island is a compact version of Jeju Island as it also offers a lot of beautiful natural landscape. It is advisable to cycle around the Island in order to explore the hidden gems.
Remember to take the evening boat back to seongsan-ri and hike to the peak of Seongsan IIchulbong to enjoy the most beautiful sunset in Jeju Island.
Day 2 – Jeju South
Start your day with a happy tone by going to the teddy bear museum first. The teddy bear museum in Jeju is not your usual museum, there are a lot of teddy bears that dressed in different themes. At the end of the museum, there is a teddy bear show that is quite entertaining.
After the teddy bear museum visit, make your move to the nearby Seonim Bridge and Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls. The Cheonjeyeon Waterfall is a three-tier waterfall and it is one of the three famous waterfalls in Jeju. Thereafter, visit Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff.
For the afternoon, it is about time to visit the second largest city of Jeju, Seogwipo. Seogwipo has a lot of attractions to offer. Jeongbang Waterfall and Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, the other two famous waterfalls in Jeju, are also located in Seogwipo-si.
Other than Waterfalls, you might also want to visit Saeseom Island. Saeseom Island is a very small island that takes around 15-30mins to explore the entire island. It is a refreshing and scenic walk if you want to take a break from the bustling city. If you have time, you might also want to visit Oedolgae.
Day 3 – Jeju West
For day 3, you can start your day at the Sangbangsan Bomunsa and slowly walk towards the Yongmeori Coast. Sangbangsan Bomunsa is a Hilltop Buddhist temple offering ornate designs & colorful statues. There is a Buddha cave deep in the mountain where you have to climb a few hundred stairs to reach from the temple at the bottom. When you are climbing, there are certain lookout points where you will be able to see stunning view of the Yongmeori Coast.
The Yongmeori Coast in Jeju is similar to the Antelope Canyon in USA as the area features unique cliff formation. These picturesque landforms are the results from years of coastal erosion processes. Although the color contrast of Yongmeori Coast is less attractive than the Antelope Canyon, Yongmeori Coast offers a scenic ocean view which makes the tour more enjoyable.
After visiting Yongmeori Coast, continue your coastal walk to Songaksan.
Songaksan Dullegil Trail is a circular walking trail with super amazing scenery. It is the only circular walking trail that I want to repeat non-stop as every step you take will be breathtaking. Any further description will be redundant as the scenery will just speaks for itself.
Ending Remarks
Although I covered most of the attractions in Jeju, there are still a lot of attractions in Jeju to offer. There is Jeju City at the north and Hallasan National Park that are yet to explore. I would recommend at least 5 days in Jeju so that you can cover most of the attraction with a relaxing pace.
Overall, I feel that 3 days in South Korea is too short. There are other cities like Busan and Seoul which also have a lot of amazing attractions.