We took a week long trip to Jeju island in November 2022. From lovely aesthetic cafes to tangerine picking, this article contains our Jeju itinerary, what to do in Jeju, and mistakes we made so you can avoid them.
Overview of our 7-day Jeju itinerary
- Flying to Jeju from Singapore
- Day 1: Picking up our rental car, finding food
- Day 2: Seogwipean Bakery, Ecoland, and black pork
- Day 3: Rainy Seongsan Illchubong, Aqua Planet Jeju, Jeju-specialty fish, Seogwipo Olle Market
- Day 4: Volcanic stone pillars, an animal and tangerine farm, enjoying Hallasan and more black pork!
- Day 5: Osulloc was closed, Innisfree, and grilled abalones
- Day 6: Camellia Hill, mackerel stew, climbing an oreum and a DIY BBQ
- Day 7: Cafe hopping in Aewol, Hyeopjae beach
- Day 8: Saying bye to Jeju island, enjoying one final meal
Flying to Jeju from Singapore
As of the time we visited Jeju island in November 2022, there was only one carrier that flew directly from Singapore to Jeju, and that is Scoot. For us, the extra expense, time and hassle of flying to Seoul first then taking a domestic flight to Jeju did not make sense. This was especially since we wanted to spend the full duration of our week-long trip on Jeju island.
The flight was at an unearthly hour, and with one toddler and one lap infant, we braced ourselves and endured the 6 hour journey fuelled by adrenaline and excitement for the week to come.
Day 1: Picking up our rental car, finding food
Our Jeju car rental experience
In order to rent a car in South Korea, you need an International Driver’s Permit (IDP). For us in Singapore, we can get an IDP from the Automobile Association of Singapore (AA). We chose to walk-in and get it done on the spot. You can have it done online and pay for it to be couriered to you, just note that this option will take 10 working days for delivery. The IDP is valid for one year from the date of issue. This came in handy for us on our trip to Kyushu , as an IDP is likewise required for car rental in Japan.
While we remembered to do the necessary paperwork and bring our licenses (both the Singapore Driver’s Licence and IDP), we somehow forgot to bring a regular credit card on the trip. We had brought our usual multi-currency cards – YouTrip, Revolut, Amaze – and even an Amex card, but not a single “normal” Visa or MasterCard. The car rental agency refused to accept any of our multi-currency cards, citing that they were of the “debit” nature (this is not true of Amaze, but there was no arguing with the counter lady), and their system could not process Amex cards. They were also unwilling to accept cash as a deposit for the car, and simply told us that “we cannot rent you a car”.
Sitting at the Jeju car rental shop after hardly any sleep on the flight, with an itinerary that relied on having a car to get around Jeju island, we were devastated and extremely stressed. I was watching the bags and the kids who were getting hangry, while praying and asking God to show us what to do next. Thankfully, there was another Singaporean family at the car rental shop at the same time as us, and we approached them to ask if they would let us use their credit card in exchange for transferring them the same amount via PayNow immediately. They graciously agreed, and we managed to get the keys to our car! This was the moment when all the anxiety melted, and we started to get excited about the week to come.
[Side note] We booked our car rental directly from Lotte Rent-a-Car, and did not need to make any payment at the time of booking. However, this resulted in us almost being unable to rent the car, and the customer service support onsite was dismal. The Singaporean family who helped us had booked their rental via Klook, which allowed them to make payment via Klook and they had customer support available to them in English. For these reasons, we might choose to book via a platform like Klook in the future. You can book a Jeju car rental easily on Klook here.
Driving in Jeju island
We rented a Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric vehicle, with two car seats for the kids. This was a really comfortable ride and pleasant driving experience for all of us. The car seats were very clean and plush, and they even had 360 swivel capabilities which meant we could easily put the kids into their seats without having to bend into awkward positions.
For Singaporean drivers like us, things to note include:
- Use Naver Maps or Kakao Maps for navigation, if you need an alternative to the in-car GPS. Google Maps will not be able to show you navigation routes.
- Phone numbers are used to find destinations, rather than addresses. Enter the phone number of the place you are going to in the GPS to find the location.
- It’s right-hand drive in South Korea, opposite of Singapore. They drive on the right side of the road, like the US and most of Continental Europe.
Sea Urchin Soup and Bracken Soup near Jeju Airport
After the car rental adventure, we were all hungry ready for our first Korean meal. We stopped by Kim Hwi Jeon, a small homely restaurant located near the airport. Here, we had their specialties of bracken soup, sea urchin soup, and grilled mackerel. It was delicious and we all enjoyed the hearty soups.
Most restaurants we dined at during our trip were child-friendly. They had high chairs, scissors for cutting food (used for adults but also very useful for preparing children’s portions), and Asian child friendly menu options like plain rice, steamed egg and soup.
Checking in to our Airbnb listing, having dinner
Tummies full, we found our way to our first accommodation, an Airbnb listing near Seongsan Illchubong. We were very tired from the long trip, so we decided to pop by a nearby grocery store to get some groceries as well as a simple dinner to have back at our accommodation.
We got some supermarket kimbap, fresh fish and local snacks which we enjoyed before putting the kids to bed. After the kids were asleep, Ben and I enjoyed peanut makgeolli, a Jeju specialty. Be sure to get the one with the cartoon peanut man on the bottle!
Day 2: Seogwipean Bakery, Ecoland, and black pork
Seogwipean Bakery – gorgeous cafe with delicious bakes
After a good night’s rest, we started the day early and headed off to Seogwipean Bakery upon recommendation of a friend. Jeju island is filled with amazing cafes of all kinds of unique design! Seogwipean Bakery faces the coast and you can enjoy sea views while having your coffee and baked goods. They bake throughout the day, and there is a menu with a list of bakes and what time they are ready. We were spoilt for choice! Everything we had was so yummy. We also had an iced Americano – the quintessential Korean young adult drink.
Apart from the gorgeous aesthetic, Seogwipean Bakery was also very child-friendly, with Stokke child seats available, and a spacious baby changing room. It was probably our favourite cafe of the entire trip.
Ecoland – beautiful gardens and themed attractions with train
We headed onward to Ecoland, a theme park / botanical gardens hybrid complete with its own train. Our son loves trains, and that was the primary draw of this place for us. We were surprised by how much we ended up enjoying ourselves here.
There are different activities and flowers to view in the different seasons, but it’s mostly a place to enjoy nature and take photos at some of the quirky photo spots they’ve set up. In terms of food, there were small kiosks but nothing substantial, so if you’re hoping to have lunch here, do pack a picnic.
You can purchase tickets onsite at the ticketing booth, or pre-order online.
Black pork at KeokyuMin Black Pork
For dinner, we headed to KeokyuMin Black Pork to have our first taste of Jeju black pork! If you’re unfamiliar with Korean BBQ, do note that there is usually a minimum order requirement, such as that you need to order a minimum two portions of one cut of meat before you can order other cuts. We decided to go with a set which included beef, pork and some seafood. The servers would usually also do the grilling for you, and cut the meat up into smaller pieces (with scissors) before it’s ready to eat.
This restaurant was packed with local tourists, and we didn’t see any other foreigners here. We enjoyed the food, but it was a little difficult to communicate at times since no one spoke English.
Day 3: Rainy Seongsan Illchubong, Aqua Planet Jeju, Jeju-specialty fish, Seogwipo Olle Market
We didn’t get to climb Seongsan Illchubong
We were looking forward to climbing Seongsan Illchubong, but woke up to a rainy morning on our last day on the eastern side of Jeju island. We sat in the car at the carpark for a bit, but the rain didn’t look like it would let up, and we didn’t want to climb with two young children in the rain.
Visiting Aqua Planet Jeju
We did a search on the map to find alternative things to do on a rainy day in Jeju, and found that Aqua Planet Jeju was only a 10 minute drive away. So, we bought tickets online (you can do so here) and headed over.
The experience at Aqua Planet Jeju was fantastic. We enjoyed it more than our visits to Singapore’s SEA Aquarium at Sentosa! Aqua Planet Jeju had a large variety of aquatic creatures to enjoy, as well as penguins and otters. There were also plenty of interactive exhibits and even a playground for children.
The highlight for us was watching the haenyeo demonstration in the large tank. We were able to watch as the haenyeo descended into the water without any breathing equipment, and removed some shellfish from a rock before ascending for air. Even if we had been able to catch the haenyeo at Seongsan Illchubong, we wouldn’t have had such an interesting perspective of being able to watch the descent as we’d have been above the water. Our son was also intrigued as we’d been reading The Ocean Calls: A Haenyo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho in preparation for this trip.
Trying Jeju specialty ribbon fish or hairtail fish
A South Korean friend recommended a local restaurant, Manok Jeju, for us to try Jeju’s specialty fish, a fish known by many names – ribbon fish, hairtail, cutlassfish, and beltfish. We had the traditional set, which included the fish prepared in various styles: raw, grilled, and in stew. This was accompanied by side dishes and soy marinated crab. The fish is distinctively long and has very soft flesh. They debone it at the table with a spoon and chopsticks!
This was a great experience of local culture, and we’re glad we had the opportunity to try it.
Seogwipo Olle Market
In the afternoon, we checked in to our next accommodation near Seogwipo. It was a gorgeous traditional home done up in a contemporary minimalist style, and we enjoyed the space and rested for a while before heading out to Seogwipo Olle Market.
The market was crowded and full of life, with many snacks and souvenirs on offer. Crowds aren’t really our thing, so we quickly bought a variety of foods including tteokbokki and hallabong juice and found a quieter corner to enjoy them at. Without kids in tow, this would be a great place to spend hours at, eating your way through all the specialties.
Day 4: Volcanic stone pillars, an animal and tangerine farm, enjoying Hallasan and more black pork!
Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff
[Note: As at time of publication (Aug 2023), it appears that the area is temporarily closed and undergoing upgrading. Please check before visiting.] We started our day by enjoying the natural beauty of the volcanic stone columns formed at the Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff. There was an entirely flat portion of boardwalk that was wheelchair friendly, and a viewing area nearer to the cliffs that required climbing a flight of stairs. It was very manageable for all of us, including our then 3 year old.
This was a nice quiet stop (perhaps because we visited in the morning) and we took our time to soak in the views and marvel at the beauty of the unique formations.
Cheonamdan Experience Tangerine Farm
A friend recommended this tangerine farm experience to us. It was hard to find more information about it in English, although it is very well reviewed on Korean sites such as Naver. This is the Google maps link, and this is the Naver map link. The farm is catered mostly to local tourists, although there are a few staff who speak English and would be able to help you figure out what to do. They also have an activity sheet for kids, available in English.
There are three main parts to the farm, and you pay for admission based on how many of these activities you participate in. We bought the ticket for all three. The first is a monorail ride that takes you through the farm, and makes a few stops for the kids to feed animals. The driver was speaking in Korean throughout, which we did not understand. I’m guessing it was some commentary about the farm.
After the monorail ride, we went to the animal section of the farm, where they housed various animals that kids can pet and feed. They had a wide variety of insects and animals, and with the lack of English language explanations, we found the whole setup rather bizarre and were not sure what to feel about it. The local tourists were very happy to interact with and feed the animals. We followed suit, but I did have some reservations about the standard of care the animals were receiving, given that there were so many and there didn’t seem to be many people around to care for them.
We finally headed to the tangerine section, which was the reason we visited the farm. Included with the admission ticket is a bucket that can carry about 1kg of tangerines per person. You’re allowed to pick and eat as much as you want, and bring home as many as can fit in the bucket. We enjoyed sampling the different varieties of tangerines and choosing our favourites to bring back with us!
Tangerines are synonymous with Jeju, and tangerine picking is the thing to do if you’re there during the harvest season!
1100 Altitude Wetland
This easy boardwalk trail at 1100 Highland on Hallasan was such a hidden gem! 1100m up, the weather here is very different from the rest of Jeju and in the winter months, you can even see snow here. It is highly recommended for visitors who wish to visit Hallasan but don’t wish to trek, such as those with young children or elderly. The entire boardwalk is flat, so it would be wheelchair or stroller accessible. It is rather narrow though, and it was very short so even our 3 year old could easily manage the walk on his own.
Sukseongdo black pork – the one we enjoyed the most!
For dinner, we headed to a popular black pork restaurant Sukseongdo. Here, they serve black pork that has been wet aged. Although most of the other diners were locals, we found that the servers here were better able to communicate with us and could give us recommendations on how to eat the pork too. We enjoyed the experience here very much and wanted to come back, but didn’t have the time to. Expect queues at all hours of the day, they are super popular!
Day 5: Osulloc was closed, Innisfree, and grilled abalones
Osulloc Tea Museum
We spent the earlier part of the morning enjoying our accommodation and the gardens around it, then headed out to Osulloc Tea Museum, arguably the most popular tourist spot in Jeju. As we arrived we noticed immediately how many cars and tour buses there were, a stark contrast to all the other places we had visited so far. Following the traffic marshal’s directions, we found a parking spot and walked through the tea fields before heading over to the museum to find that… it was closed for renovations. What a disappointment, although we could have done better by checking beforehand.
Although the museum was closed, there was a small cafe area where visitors could enjoy some of the treats such as matcha drinks and desserts. There was also a small gift shop. But it was overcrowded with tour groups and other visitors. Ben, who had visited the museum before, told us that the museum had exhibits on the tea harvesting and making process, and a large dining area to enjoy the tea products. We hope to be able to visit again once renovations are complete!
Innisfree Jeju House
Behind the Osulloc Tea Museum is the Innisfree Jeju House. Don’t be deterred by the Osulloc crowds and turn away before you come here! Apart from selling Innisfree products, Innisfree Jeju House also has some hands-on activities such as soap making, and a cafe where you can buy food or a picnic set to enjoy out on the tea fields. It is a very beautiful space to enjoy, even if you aren’t into cosmetics.
Windmills and grilled abalones
We explored the coast and enjoyed grilled abalones with a view of the water and windmills at this abalone restaurant on the coast. The translation shows its name as “Pungcha & Abalone”, and I think it corresponds to this Google Map listing. This restaurant has spectacular views and even has a rooftop viewing deck that guests can enjoy before or after their meal.
We had the traditional grilled abalones and grilled abalone rice. Mackerel is commonly served as a side dish with such meals. The rice is served in a hot bowl, and after eating the rice you would add hot water and cover it, which would loosen the charred bits stuck to the side of the bowl. After a few minutes, you can scrape down all the charred crunchy bits and enjoy the last bit of rice as a rice porridge.
We checked in to our next accommodation and enjoyed a quiet evening together. The Airbnb listings in Jeju are some of the most beautiful spaces we’ve ever stayed in.
Day 6: Camellia Hill, mackerel stew, climbing an oreum and a DIY BBQ
Visiting Camellia Hill, an expansive botanical gardens
Camellia Hill is a beautiful and wheelchair / stroller accessible botanical gardens with many different areas showcasing different types of flowers and native plants. We visited in winter, which is camellia season, and enjoyed the vibrantly coloured flowers amidst the winter cold. The place is vast and it’s easy to spend a few hours here.
The gardens are easy to explore, and there is a route you can follow to walk through the entire space. Near the end, there was a large field of beautiful muhly grass. It was dreamy and we ended up spending more time here than we expected to. It is a wonderful feeling to get lost in nature and not realise how much time is flying by.
Ssambap restaurant with mackerel stew
On Naver Map, we found a nearby restaurant that served mackerel stew, another local specialty we had wanted to try. This place had a large car park and seemed popular amongst local tour groups. There were also beautiful gardens onsite that guests could explore. The food was good, but not amazing, so I wouldn’t go out of my way to get here if I wasn’t in the area.
Climbing Saebyeol Oreum
By this part of the trip, we’d realised that the best adventures came from finding interesting places on Naver map and exploring them, rather than following what we could find on Google. So many of the best gems we had found were not commonly mentioned on Jeju itineraries or even found on Google Maps!
While the kids were napping at our accommodation, we found Saebyeol Oreum on Naver Map, and saw that it was recommended as a place to watch the sunset. Making a completely spontaneous decision, we drove down after the kids’ nap and climbed to the top in 15 minutes, each carrying one child. The path is completely paved and there is a railing, and it is an easy walk that anyone who can climb stairs should be able to do in 15 minutes. Doing it with an additional load though, was quite the workout.
We made it to the top just in time to watch the sunset. And it was breathtaking.
Oreums are volcanic cones, and Jeju has around 360 of them throughout the island. Many are open to visitors to climb and explore, so choose your own adventure!
A DIY black pork BBQ
As much as we enjoy dining with our children, there is something special about being able to take our time to enjoy and savour food and each other’s company. On this night, we decided to cook a simple pasta for the kids’ dinner and after they were in bed, we had our own black pork BBQ using the facilities available at our Airbnb listing. It was fun to savour the slow pace of cooking, the cold air of the night and the starlit sky.
Day 7: Cafe hopping in Aewol, Hyeopjae beach
Exploring Aewol’s beautiful cafes
Aewol is THE place to go if you enjoy cafes. Do note, most of them require each adult to purchase one drink in order to enter. The cafes here are unlike any that we have back home in Singapore – each has its own unique style and there is an abundance of space throughout.
The first cafe we visited was Cafe Bomnal, located right on the coast. We were mesmerised by the sea view here, and didn’t realise till much later that the cafe is actually huge and has many different areas, both indoor and outdoor, to explore. From there, we took a walk around and enjoyed the coast before heading to Knotted Cafe for some donuts. This area had a playful vibe about it, with vintage rides that our son enjoyed exploring. There are many more cafes in the area, and they are mostly connected by the coastal walking trail. You can definitely spend a full day here exploring and getting a caffeine high.
Hyeopjae beach – clear waters and white sand
Hyeopjae beach is a beautiful beach with clear waters and white sands. We were there in winter, but could see that there was infrastructure set up for swimmers during summer, with bathrooms and showers available. There are also plenty of cafes and restaurants that spill onto the beach, so you could sip a cocktail or enjoy your dinner while watching the sunset.
Day 8: Saying bye to Jeju island, enjoying one final meal
Once again, we spent the morning enjoying the beautiful space and gardens at our final accommodation. Each of the places we stayed at had two bedrooms, which made it easy for us to replicate the arrangements back home – with one room for the kids to share, and one for Ben and myself. We brought our trusty aeromoov travel cot along, which was used for our daughter, while our son slept in the bed provided by each accommodation. In Korea, they mostly sleep close to the ground so it we didn’t have many worries about him falling from the bed, even though he was still sleeping in a cot back home at that time. On the first night of the trip, he indeed rolled off the bed but we helped him back on and he promptly fell back asleep. Thereafter, it seems his body adjusted to knowing the edges of the bed and he didn’t have any further incidents.
Jamae Guksu Noodles – a soul-warming bowl of noodles soup
This is an incredibly popular spot near the airport, and the only place we visited on our trip that had an English menu! We found the food to be well worth the hype, especially the stewed pork, soup noodles and steamed dumplings. They had free “kids meals” too; each of the kids were served a small bowl of noodles in soup. At around 10am when we visited, the restaurant was packed but there was little to no waiting time for a seat, and the food came very quickly after we ordered.
Flying off from Jeju Airport
The airport on Jeju island is a small one, and at the time of our trip, the international terminal was only servicing two flights, making it incredibly empty. There was only one shop selling food, and a tiny duty free store.
The terminal, however, felt new and clean, and had plenty of space for the little ones to run around. There was also a large parents room with multiple changing tables and nursing rooms. The terminal faced the runway and we watched planes take off and land while we waited for our turn to board.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip and one that taught us many things about travel as a family. We learnt that we enjoyed spending time in nature together. We learnt that the slow pace of the trip was perfect for our family. We’ve embraced this and did a farm stay in Japan! And we learnt that we loved road trips! Since then, we’ve done a couple more road trips including one week in Kyushu. We also share our travel tips for travelling with kids in this article.
Hope you enjoyed following along and that this Jeju travel blog was helpful in your own planning of a trip to Jeju island!
