Getting to Jeju and Around the Island

Last checked: October 2026

Jeju is an hour's flight from Seoul or Busan. On the island there's no subway: you get around by bus or rental car. Buses reach every major sight but take time, so plan your days by area.

Flight from Seoul (Gimpo)

About 1 hour 10 min

Airport to Jungmun

Limousine 600, 4,500 won

Island bus fare

1,150 won with card

Pay with

T-money or a Visa card

Flights to Jeju

• From Seoul, fly from Gimpo (GMP), not Incheon. Flights leave all day on Korean Air, Asiana, and low-cost carriers. The flight takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• From Busan (Gimhae) the flight is about 1 hour.
• From Incheon there are only a few domestic flights a week. Most international arrivals take AREX to Gimpo (about 40 minutes) and fly from there. See Incheon Airport to Seoul.
• Fares on low-cost carriers start low but rise sharply on weekends, holidays, and in summer. Book early.
• Bring your passport. Photo ID is checked on domestic flights. Check-in closes 30 minutes before departure, so arrive at least an hour early, and two hours early at busy times.

Flying straight to Jeju from abroad

Jeju has direct international flights, mainly from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Japan. Check the current season's routes with the airlines.

Jeju's visa-free entry only applies if you fly or sail straight to Jeju. Eligible visitors can stay up to 30 days without a visa, but only on Jeju, and not if they entered Korea through Seoul or Busan. Nationals of 23 countries are excluded. K-ETA rules still apply: travelers from countries on the temporary K-ETA exemption list (including the US, Japan, the UK, Canada, Australia, and 11 EU countries such as France and Germany, but not all of the EU) don't need one until December 31, 2026.

By ferry

Ferries run from Mokpo, Wando, and Yeosu on the south coast. Schedules change by season and ships go out of service for inspection, so check the operator's timetable before you plan around a ferry. Ferries are cancelled more readily than flights in bad weather.

From Jeju Airport

Buses leave from numbered stops outside the 1st floor of the domestic terminal. International arrivals exit onto the same road.

Airport limousine 600: to Jungmun and Seogwipo

• Stops at the big Jungmun resort hotels, ICC Jeju, Seogwipo Port, and Seogwipo KAL Hotel.
• Fare: 4,500 won to Jungmun, 5,500 won to Seogwipo.
• Hours: from about 06:00 to 22:20. With route 601 (to ICC Jeju only), a bus leaves about every 20–30 minutes; buses all the way to Seogwipo leave about every 50 minutes. About 70 minutes to ICC Jeju and 1 hour 40 minutes to Seogwipo KAL Hotel.

Airport limousine 800: to Seogwipo, skipping Jungmun

• Faster to downtown Seogwipo: about 80 minutes to the New Seogwipo Bus Terminal, for 5,000 won.

To Jeju City

• City buses from stops 3 and 7 cost 1,150 won with a card. Jeju City is only a few kilometers away, so a taxi is a short, cheap ride.
• Jeju taxis start at 4,300 won for the first 2 km, with 20% more from 23:00 to 04:00.

Getting around by bus

You can tap a Visa card on Jeju city buses. Since August 2025, contactless Visa cards from any country work on Jeju city buses, so you don't need a transit card. T-money and other Korean transit cards work too.

• Route numbers tell you the type: 100s are express, 200s are trunk routes (201 and 202 follow the coast), 300s and 400s are Jeju City, 500s and 600s are Seogwipo, 700s are village routes.
• Around the island: 201 runs the east coast (Jeju City – Seongsan – Seogwipo) and 202 the west coast (Jeju City – Gosan – Seogwipo). Express 101 (east coast to Namwon) and 102 (west coast to Moseulpo) are faster alternatives.
• Transfers: within 40 minutes, up to twice, if you tap your card when getting off. Changing to a bus with the same or lower fare is free; changing to a pricier bus (such as express to express) gets a discount instead.
• On express buses, tap again when you get off. The distance charge is taken then. Paying cash always costs the maximum, 3,000 won.
• Planning: the official Jeju bus app was discontinued in July 2026. Use bus.jeju.go.kr (live bus locations in English) or Kakao Map and Naver Map.
• Free bus rides for older people are only for Jeju residents, not visitors.

Renting a car

Still deciding? Jeju: bus or rental car?

A car saves a lot of time on Jeju, especially in the east and west where buses are infrequent.

• You need an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna convention, plus your home license and passport. You can drive for one year from your date of entry. Digital IDPs are not accepted.
• Licenses and permits from mainland China are not valid in Korea. Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Vietnam permits are.
• Most rental companies require drivers to be at least 21 with a year of driving experience.
• Pickup: each rental company runs a free shuttle bus from the airport to its own lot. Follow the rental car shuttle signs outside arrivals, and check your company's stop when you book.
• Insurance: choose full collision cover with no excess (often called "super" or "full" CDW), compare the final total rather than the headline price, and photograph the car at pickup.
• Speed cameras are common, and Korean navigation apps warn you about them.
• Most rental cars can't go to Udo island. The exceptions are people with disabilities, older passengers, or infants on board, guests staying overnight on Udo, and electric or other low-emission rental cars. Otherwise leave the car at Seongsan Port.

Weather

Typhoons and strong winds cancel flights and ferries, most often from July to October. In July 2026, over a hundred flights were cancelled in a single day. If you have an international flight home from Seoul, leave a spare day between Jeju and your departure.

Sources

• Jeju Bus Information System – fares and routes
• Jeju Bus Information System – airport limousines
• Jeju International Airport – bus stops
• Jeju taxi fares
• Financial News – Visa cards on Jeju buses (August 2025)
• Embassy of Korea – Jeju visa-free entry and K-ETA (January 2026)
• Korean Air – domestic boarding