Jeju Island (제주도’Jeju-do’) is considered
one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, and it is indeed a beautiful island. I recently visited and was able to spend 4
days and 3 nights on this island. I’ll be dividing this trip into 5 different
posts
To get to Jeju Island, you have two options:
1)
Take a plane. Many planes for Jeju depart from
Seoul and Busan. From Busan, it is about an hour-2 hour flight. From Seoul, it’s
about a 2 hour flight. Ticket prices, if booked early, cost about 70,000 won or
roughly $70. If booked later, it will cost about 150,000 won or more of you
depart from Busan.
2)
Take a ferry. There are four main ferries: the the popular ones departs from Busan and takes about 12 hours overnight to reach
Jeju whereas the other departs from Incheon and about 13-14 hours to
arrive. Other ferries depart from Mokpo, taking around 3-4 hours, and from Wando, taking about 3 hours. From Busan, the ticket price is about 48,000 won or roughly $48. If you're bringing a car, that's ok. Most ferries take cars (though there is obviously a fee for that), except for ferry from Wando. Make sure to call the ferry provider before you bring your car.
- The website for the ferry from Busan to Jeju is: http://skferry.co.kr/. Their phone number is 1688-7577. The website is not in English. If you do not speak Korean, have a Korean friend help you make your reservation.
- More details on the port that the Seokyeong Ferry '서경 카훼리' (Jeju ferry) departs from can be found here: http://www.busanpa.com/Service.do?id=engbpa_pc_ps_02_10.
- Other ferry information can be found here: http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/TR/TR_EN_5_1_5_1.jsp.
To get around Jeju, you have three options:
1)
Take a bus.
This can be difficult. You have transfer buses and it can make getting
to certain parts of the island difficult. Fare is 1,100 won. Have a T-money card or Cash
Bee card so that you don’t have to pay extra when you transfer to another bus. On the other hand, many consider this the cheaper option of getting around Jeju. However, you will be sacrificing convenience for cost.
2)
Take a taxi. This is an expensive option, but it
helps you get to parts of the island that buses don’t go. Starting fare is
2,200 won.
3)
Rent a car. This is what my friend and I did,
and I feel it is the best option. You can get around the island with ease and
don’t have to worry about things such as last bus. It also makes it easy to see
the entire island. Since my friend is Korean, all he needed was his Korean driver’s
license. Foreigners can rent cars, but they have to have their international/Korean driver’s license. For the entire four days, renting the car was 60,000 won ,
plus gas (which was about 50,000 won per fill-up).
My friend and I decided to take the ferry from Busan,
because 1) we’re cheap and 2) we had never experienced it before. The ferry
departed on Saturday at 7 PM. The ferry can be accessed by the Busan subway
line; it’s at Jungang Station.
The ferry itself is similar to a jjimjilbang in that you
sleep on the floor in a communal room. However, you can upgrade your room to a
private for the extra cost of about 20,000 won. In the communal rooms, you are given a blanket and a
black rectangle to use as a pillow. These blankets are not washed regularly so
they feel kind of icky, but, the ferry is pretty hot so my friend and I
actually just used them as padding rather than as an actual blanket.
The biggest drawback to the ferry was that on the day we
departed to Jeju, it rained, so the ocean was super rough. The rain made the night
very uncomfortable, despite having an almost empty communal room. Because of
the discomfort, on the ferry back to Busan, my friend and I made the decision
to get drunk so that we could sleep easier. The sea wasn't that rough on the
way back, but the room was over capacity on the way back, so the alcohol did
help us, giving us a very comfortable night of sleep.
**It’s important to note that the ferry does not have a shower (at least in the communal rooms),
so I HIGHLY recommend that you bring wet/baby wipes so that you can feel slightly
clean. My friend and I didn’t do this and felt absolutely disgusting on the
first day of our trip.**
Hi there, where did you buy your tickets.
ReplyDeleteYou can buy your tickets online or directly at the ferry stop. I recommend having a Korean friend help if you're going to buy them online!
DeleteHi! I would like to check, what is the name of the ferry and where can I purchase the ticket online? Where exactly can I buy the ferry tickets in Busan? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteOh, and just wondering for private rooms, how much will it cost?
ReplyDeleteRegular price for shared rooms is 48,000 won. A private room, at least when you book at the dock, is an extra 20,000 won.
DeleteBut what is the name of the ferry? and can i buy it online? where exactly can i buy the ferry tickets in busan?
ReplyDeleteHi. Where did you take the ferry? Was it at the Busan International Ferry Terminal?
ReplyDeleteNo. The Busan Coast Passenger Terminal(Busan Ferry Terminal is located at Jungang Station. Here is more information: http://www.busanpa.com/Service.do?id=engbpa_pc_ps_02_10
DeleteHi may i know the cost 48,000won for ferry from busan to jeju island for return or just one way?
ReplyDelete48,000 one way, or 86,000 won round trip.
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteMay i know is there any ferry from jeju to busan?looking for 6pm ferry..try to google but only talk about busan to jeju
There's only a 6:30 pm ferry from Busan to Jeju. This times varies between Nov.-May. My blogpost contains the Busan ferry webpage. Please check there for more information.
Deletehi where did you rent your car from? 60,000 won for a car and fuel for 4 days are very cheap. thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe rented a car for 60,000 won for the whole 4 day trip. This does not include gas. Filling up was about 50,000 won each time. We rented the car from Jeju OK Rental Car.
DeleteWhere does the ferry stop at Jeju? Could you help provide the name of the ferry terminal? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThere's only one ferry terminal in Jeju. I think it's called the International Ferry Terminal, but I can't really remember. Nonetheless, you don't have to worry about going to the wrong terminal when you get there or when you're leaving since there's only one.
DeleteHi..do you pre book the car online or hire it directly at the airport? Will it be cheaper to get it online or directly from the airport? I found that car rental website with only Korean language offers cheaper rate as compared to those with English website
ReplyDeleteWe booked by calling the car rental. As we didn't fly, we didn't book with an airport rental place. If you want to save a few dollars, go with the Korean site (if you speak korean). You'll probably also get a such better deal by going through the Korean site.
ReplyDeleteAlright..Thanks Shea!
DeleteIs there are car rental place at the ferry terminal, or do you need to take a taxi or bus to find one? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI want to express my sincere appreciation to the authors of the "Jeju Island" blog. Your informative articles have been invaluable in showcasing the beauty and attractions of Jeju Island. As a car rental business owner in India, I provide visitors with the opportunity to give car on rent to explore this amazing destination at their own pace. Thank you for inspiring travelers and promoting the wonders of Jeju Island.
ReplyDelete