Udo Island: A Guide To The Island Off The Coast Of Jeju Island
Jeju Island is much larger than you might expect which means you really need to know what you want to see before you go and stay near those things. If you’re staying on the west side of Jeju Island, for example, then you would really never have time to get to Udo Island which is off the eastern coast of the island.
Stay near the beautiful Seopjikoji though, and you will definitely and should definitely make time for a daytrip to Udo Island. If you’re staying in the right place, or going to take the time to stay ON Udo Island, then here is the guide for you.
Check out what’s in the guide to Udo Island and plan your trip:
- Plan Your Trip To Jeju Island
- How To Get To Udo Island
- How To Get Around The Island
- Where To Stay On Udo Island
- What To Know About Udo Island
- What To See
- What To Eat
- What To Do
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Plan Your Trip To Jeju Island
To get to Udo Island, you need to get to Jeju Island first. It was my fifth time to Jeju Island and we finally made it to Udo Island so definitely know what you want to do or you just won’t do anything. Here is what you need to know to do that.
Get To Jeju: First you’ll have to get to Jeju Island. Did you know you can get there by plane OR by ferry? Here are all of the different ways you can get to the Hawaii of Korea.
Rent A Car: Renting does not have to be a hassle. If you don’t want to go directly with a local shop, check out Klook which offers a great deal on rental cars and works really well for tourists. It’s fast and efficient and you’ll land and be on the road in no time. For more options, check out this guide to how to rent a car in Jeju.
Airport Transfer: If you won’t be renting a car, make sure to plan your airport transfer. If you’re headed somewhere in Jeju City, you can book a transfer here. If you’re headed to the Seogwipo area, you can book a transfer here.
Jeju City Bus: There is a hop on hop off bus on Jeju Island if you can’t rent a car and want to get around via public transportation. The double decker bus starts at Jeju Airport or you can get on at the Jeju Intercity Bus Terminal. They make stops at Sarabong Peak, Dongmun Traditional Market, Eoyeong Coast Road, Dodubong Peak and some more awesome spots. Look into the Jeju City Bus if you don’t want to rent a car on your trip.
Decide Where To Stay: I’ve written a guide for where to stay on Jeju Island depending on what you want to see. Basically, think of Jeju Island as four different quadrants. If you want to see Udo Island, you’ll probably want to stay in the southeast region of Jeju Island. Check out my guide on where to stay on Jeju Island.
How To Get To Udo Island
To get to Udo Island, you need to take a ferry which you can get from one of two ports. Either Seongsan Port or Jongdal Port will get you to Udo Island. The ferries will drop you at one of two ferry ports on Udo Island: Haumokdong Port or Cheonjin Port. We departed from Seongsan Port and arrived at Cheonjin Port which is where the most frequent ferries are.
Make sure you note the return times of ferries and don’t miss that last one. The ferries usually start around 8:00am give or take depending on the season and the last one returns around 5:00pm give or take a bit depending on the season. When you buy your ticket to go to Udo Island, make sure you check those return times. The ferry trip is short and takes just 15 minutes or so.
How To Get Around The Island
You’ll need to figure out which mode of transport you want to use to get yourself around this tiny island. If you’ve rented a car on Jeju Island, you won’t be able to take it over with you. As of 2017, rental cards are NOT allowed on Udo Island.* The roads are narrow on the island and only locals can have cars so plan accordingly.
By Bus: When you disembark from the ferry, you’ll see ALL of the various transportation options in one place. A shuttle bus loops around the island and is a good option if you don’t have a license which you need to rent a motor bike or if it’s hot and you don’t want to ride a bike around the island.
The shuttle bus stops at all of the major sites that circle the island. You don’t have to disembark at every stop, but you can. Hop on and hop off as necessary. The buses come around about every 15 minutes so let that guide how long you stay at places.
By Scooter: This is the option that we chose. There were two adults and 1 child in my group and at first they said the max for a motor bike was 2 people. My friend and I, both being able to speak Korean, said that our kiddo in tow can’t take up much space so let us take one. They said no so we headed to the bus but turned around to see that a Korean family was able to hop in with three.
It took a little conversation but they let us rent one. They didn’t seem interested in renting to us and I’m not sure if it’s because we were foreigners or not. One man said we couldn’t because we didn’t have a Korean license but when I took my Korean driver’s license out and showed him he finally said we could rent one.
Again, I’m not sure if they’ve had issues with foreigner previously or something, but you might have to push a bit if you want to go this route.
By Bicycle: There are bicycles, electric bikes actually so it’s even easier if you want to work out a bit when you visit the island. Bikes would be a great way to get around the island. There was only one hill-ish side it felt like so just know that but it’s short.
*As mentioned, rental cars are not allowed on Udo Island, however there are some occasions when they’ll let it pass.
- When you are accompanied by someone born before 1954 (ID card)
- When you are accompanied by a pregnant woman (Diagnosis paper of pregnancy)
- A disabled person using a wheelchair
- When you are accompanied by a child under the age of 6 (Family Relation Certificate, Copy of Resident Registration, or Medical Insurance Card)
- In case of having booked accommodation in Udo in advance (Information on the Booking Confirmation)”
Where To Stay On Udo Island
We only took a day trip to Udo Island, but there were some just lovely places to stay that we found. Had I known, I would have planned to stay for a night. it’s a beautiful little island.
Jeju Udo Dalgrian Pension
Check out these quaint but adorable wooden pensions on Udo Island. They have great reviews and this is where I’d want to stay. The little wooden pensions are perfect for an island stay in my opinion and they have space for kids if you’ve got some in tow like I do.
What To Know About Udo Island
Udo Island is a lava plateau formed after volcanic eruptions that is 3.8km off the coast of Jeju Island. The island is said to look like a cow lying on down. People didn’t start inhabiting the island until the Joseon Dynasty, which was the last dynasty of Korea. At that time, in 1697, the Korean government built a horse ranch there. It’s been a fairly popular island to visit for citizens and visitors since then.
What To See
We went around the island anti-clockwise because there seemed to be more on the southern side that we wanted to see and figured if we didn’t make it to the northern end, that’d be fine. In the end, we made it down, up, and all around. There’s plenty of time if you take a morning ferry and get the last one out for a daytrip to Udo Island.
Seobinbaeksa (서빈백사)
Also called Sanho Beach, this is a beautiful white shell beach. It’s not sand. It’s shells so be prepared to wear your sandals or bring water shoes if you want to go into the water. It can be a bit uncomfortable to walk on but it is gorgeous. My little one didn’t want to leave. Even in very late summer, the water was refreshing. If we had spent the night on the island, we probably would have spent one entire day here. We wanted to but we also wanted to see what else was out there.
- Address: 2565-1 Yeonpyeong-ri, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 연평리 2565-1)
Udo Botanical Garden (우도정원)
A newer garden on the island which is a hidden gem at the moment, this botanical garden was started by one of the locals who didn’t want to grow peanuts like everyone else. We were lucky to find a beautiful pink muhly field and pampas grasses as well as palm trees and more. It’s a beautiful site and it’s just a little road in from Seobinbaeksa.
- Address: 1964 Yeonpyeong-ri, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 연평리 1964)
- Hours: Every day: 10:00am ~ 5:00pm
- Admission: W3,000
Hagosudong Beach (하고수동해변)
A beach with fine sand instead of shell, Hagosudong has the same crystal clear blue waters but this one is known as maybe the most beautiful beach on the island. The water is shallow so it’s a good spot if you’ve got young ones that want a little dip.
- Address: 1200-11 Yeonpyeong-ri, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 연평리 1200-11)
Geommeolle Beach (검멀레해변)
This black sand beach is a lot smaller than the other beachy areas but surrounded by cliffs so it’s got a rather dramatic view. A popular pastime here is to hop onto a boat and check out the caves in the cliffs. We tried to do this but unfortunately the tide was too high. Be prepared to just sit back, enjoy the views and eat peanut ice cream because you can only take the boats out to see Dongangnyenggul Cave if it is low tide.
When we couldn’t take the boat, we were still happy to stop here because there are four main cafes right here that are good for peanut ice cream. Check below for the cafes and their info. Whether you take the boat or not, take in the views and take a break eating peanut ice cream at Geommeolle Beach.
- Address: 1132 Udo Haean-gil, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 우도해안길 1132)
Udobong Peak (우도봉)
If you’re looking for a bit of a hike, then head a few hundred meters up to Udobong Peak, also called Someori Peak (소머리오름) which means Cow’s Head Peak. The peak is just at 130 meters so it’s not too strenuous but does provide views out over land and sea and one of the five lighthouses of the island is at the top.
When I say not strenuous, I mean it’s really quite easy so you can take the trip up if you have the time. The entrance is near Geommeolle Beach mentioned above. You’ll need an hour to get up and down again. Keep that in mind.
- Address: 47 Udobong-gil, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 우도봉길 47) (This is the road to get to the entrance to the path up Udobong. You should be able to see it from this address.)
Biyangdo Island (비양도)
This even smaller island is connected to Udo Island by a narrow bridge. There are some horses here that kids can get a little ride in a circle on if you want them to live out some of their equestrian dreams too. One of the five lighthouses of the island is on the tip here too.
- Address: 920 Udo Haean-gil, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 우도해안길 920) (This is the address for a 7/11 right where the bridge to the island is.)
Mangru Lighthouse (망루등대)
The most northern of the five lighthouses on the island, Mangru Lighthouse is a striking white beacon of light. What I actually found more interesting though, was the Beacon Mound just in front of it that doesn’t seem to be featured in most of the pics you see of the site. The beacon mound, called Bongsoo-dae (봉수대), was where the military would communicate via smoke during the Joseon Dynasty.
These mounds were a major military communication tool until 1895. People had to man the station in teams of five at all hours of the day. You can go up to the top and check it out and then also take a walk to the nearby pavilion. This was where we spent the afternoon with the views.
- Address: 602 Udo Haean-gil, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 우도해안길 602)
What To Eat
The island is known for a few dishes, some more popular than the others. Peanut Ice Cream is a must when you visit. When you’re crisscrossing the island, look around and you’ll see peanuts growing. But you can also look out for garlic, chives, agar, and sea snails as well as a lot of abalone dishes.
Peanut Ice Cream
Udo Island is well known for growing peanuts so a local dish that is a must eat for every visitor is peanut ice cream. Yes, you heard that right. The peanut ice cream is delicious and there are a few popular places to get it.
Udo Rock Sound (우도바위소리)
This is the one we stopped into largely because the shop itself looks like a giant turban shell and I dug that. The peanut ice cream, well actually gelato, was very good and there are nice picnic tables right out front with parasols with a view out over the water that was perfect. Really hit the spot.
- Address: 1112 Udo Haean-gil Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 우도해안길 1112)
Jimmy’s (지미스)
- Address: 1132 Udo Haean-gil Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 우도해안길 1132)
- Hours: Every day: 8:30am ~ 6:00pm
Dennis Cafe (대니스카페): This spot is known for making fresh peanut ice cream every day and uses fresh Jeju milk.
- Address: 1128 Udo Haean-gil, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 우도해안길 1128)
- Hours: Every day: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm
Udo Prince Story (우동왕자이야기)
- Address: 1148 Udo Haean-gil, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 우도해안길 1148)
Abalone
You’re on an island so seafood is pretty much what’s on order. I LOVE abalone porridge, abalone soup, and well… abalone so I dig this one. We had a fantastic meal that brought together abalone, pork (another specialty in Jeju) and they had THE best ganjang gejang, raw crab marinated in soy sauce) I’ve ever had.
SoSeom JeonBok (소섬전복): I highly recommend this restaurant. We all enjoyed our meal. We actually enjoyed it so much, we even ordered some of their ganjang gejang to be shipped up to our house in Seoul. So worth it.
- Address: 1158 Udo Haean-gil, Udo-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju (제주 제주시 우도면 우도해안길 1158)
What To Do
I’ve already told you all of the things you should see and where you should eat, but there are a few other things that you can do on Udo Island. Here are just a few more things not to overlook when you head to Udo for a daytrip or a couple of days even.
Ride The Udo Island Submarine
Want to see the marine life up close? Take a submarine ride. It’s been on my bucket list for awhile and we didn’t have time unfortunately. But I think it looks great. Book your submarine tickets on Trazy before you go.
Complete Olleh Trail 1-1 (제주올레 1-1코스)
Olleh Trail is a giant circuit of trails that go around the perimeter of Jeju Island as well as the smaller islands nearby. Olleh Trail 1-1 goes around Udo Island and it’s 11.3km. It follows the main road around the island mostly and it’s where you’ll be going anyway, so why not try to do it and get the stamps to prove it!
See The 8 Views Of Udo Island
Like many places in Korea, there are some specific “views” that are recommended on Udo Island. When you’re making your way around the island, you’ll spot these. There are more things to see than just these spots as I mentioned above but keep them in mine. The 8 Views of Udo Island are:
- Jugan Myeongweol (주간명월): This is one of the caves that is a popular spot to see. This cave has a hole in the top that is shaped like a moon so when the light flows in, it creates beautiful patterns.
- Yahang Eobeom (야항어범): This is a spot you’ll only really be able to catch if you stay the night on the island. From this spot, you can see the night fishermen out on boats that light up the night sky as they catch fish, squid, and other seafood treats.
- Cheonjin Gwansan (천진관산): From this spot in Dongcheonjin-dong on Udo Island, you can get a great view of Mt. Halla.
- Jidu Cheongsa (지두청사): This is the view you can get of Udo from Udo Peak. See the Udo Lighthouse and maybe see the horses that wander through the fields here.
- Huhae Seokbyeok (후해석벽): This is the popular rocky cliffside that was created by volcanic activity 2 million years ago. You’ll catch site of this when you’re headed to Geommeolle Beach.
- Dongan Gyeonggul (동안경굴): This is the cave that you can get to on a boat tour from Geommeolle Beach area. But you can only get there during low tide.
- Jeonpo Mangdo (전포망도): Catch this view as your own on the boat from Jeju Island to Udo Island. This is when you catch site of the cow laying down that the island is said to look like.
- Seobin Baeksa (서빈백사): The white seashell/coral beach that we first stopped at and loved. This is near the ports so while it’s last on the list, it’ll likely be the first thing you see after you figure out how you’ll be traveling around the island.
Udo Island is a spectacular daytrip from Jeju Island. Basically, Udo Island is a must see in Korea. The next time you plan your trip to Jeju, plan to stay on the west side of the island so you can enjoy this fun trip when you get there.
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