Last Updated on April 8, 2022
Take your island getaway one step further with a day trip to Udo Island from Jeju Island in South Korea. Although small, Udo Island has a big personality with lots of cool things to see and do for a day.
Where is Udo Island and How do I get there?
Udo Island is a small island off the east coast of Jeju Island in South Korea (not to be confused with the Udo Island in Japan).
First thing’s first. In order to get to Udo Island, you must get to Jeju Island first. You can find how to get to Jeju Island from South Korea’s mainland here.
Drive to Seongsan Port
Once you are on Jeju Island, you’ll likely want to rent a car, which is the easiest way to get around the island, as well as to the port that you will depart from to get to Udo Island – Seongsan Port.
OR
Bus to Seongsan Port
If you choose not to rent a car, no worries! There are buses that can take you to the port as well. Jeju Bus Terminal in Jeju City on the north side of the island or Seogwipo Registration Office in Seogwipo on the south side of the island are larger bus stops that travel to Seongsan Port (there are other bus stops in other areas of the island as well). Note that this will take a little longer than driving.
Ferry from Seongsan Port to Udo Island
After you arrive at Seongsan Port, you will enter the ticket office and purchase either a one-way or round-trip ticket. If you are planning on staying for just a few hours, a round-trip ticket is the way to go.
At the time I visited in July of 2020, the ferry was scheduled to depart from Jeju Island every 30-minutes or so. Though, note that the port location of departure back to Jeju Island would change every 30 minutes – on the hour, the ferry would depart from Hawoomok-dong Port (east side of Udo Island) and on the half-hour, the ferry would depart from Chunjin Port (south side of Udo Island). Be sure to confirm the ferry schedule at Seongsan Port prior to your departure.
Purchasing Tickets to Udo Island
In order to purchase tickets for the ferry, you will need to have your ID or passport (passport recommended), as well as fill out a declaration form prior to purchasing tickets (these are provided at the port).
It is also a wise idea to bring along Korean won to purchase tickets if your credit card is not accepted, as well as to have while on the island. Tickets are around $10 or so round-trip.
Transportation on Udo Island
Cars are allowed on the island if they are your personal car – rental cars are not allowed (though there are exceptions to this, such as if you are staying on the island).
There is also a shuttle bus that will take you around the island, but not nearly as fun as the alternatives.
I say skip the car, skip the bus, and rent a scooter, bike, or ATV once you arrive to Udo Island. This will allow you to freely roam the island at your own pace and make it much more convenient to stop and park wherever you please.
In order to rent a scooter or bike, you will need to have your passport as well as an international driver’s license if you will be operating a motorized vehicle, such as a scooter. If you do not have an international driver’s license but would like to get one, you can get one through AAA or take a driver’s test on your military base if you are eligible to drive/have a car for the duration of your assignment.
If you do not have an international driver’s license, no worries! You can always rent a bicycle to roam the island, which is just as fun.
What is there to do on Udo Island?
Okay, so we went through all the fuss of how to get to Udo Island, but what is actually there to do? Good question!
Roam Around Udo Island
The island small and fun to ride around on a bike or scooter. It’s also possible to just simply walk around the island if you don’t care to travel with wheels.
Search for Mermaids
Udo Island is known for their extraordinary women free divers, called Haenyeo. These women have been diving for oysters, abalone, octopus, and other sea life for centuries! You can spot incredible women – most over the age of 50 who can hold their breath for up to three minutes while they dive – on the shores of Udo Island.
Stop for Food
Like Jeju, Udo Island offers a pretty decent variety of food – Korean, Chinese, Western, seafood, burgers, tacos, black pork (a Jeju staple), and more!
If you haven’t already, download Naver, a Korean maps app, to not only help navigate around the island, but to search various restaurants in the area as well as see local’s reviews/photos.
Get Peanut Ice Cream
No trip to Udo Island is complete without stopping for some peanut ice cream. You’ll see plenty of ice cream shops scattered around the island serving this Udo classic. I’m 99.35% sure that it’s just vanilla soft-serve ice cream with local peanuts sprinkled over top. Regardless, it’s refreshing and delicious!
Buy some local peanuts
Not into ice cream? (ahem…we can’t be friends). You can still grab some locally-grown peanuts from local shops around the island!
Café Hop
Slow down the pace for the day and enjoy visiting one or multiple cafes that are located all over the island. If Koreans can boast about one thing they do better than Americans, it’s their cafes!
Tip: Many cafes on Udo Island offer peanut ice cream as well on their menu!
Horseback Riding
Skip the scooter and ride a horse instead on Udo Island! There are multiple horseback riding experiences you can book on the island. You can find these by searching ‘horseback riding’ on Naver and clicking on each place to get booking information.
Tip: For booking specific activities, such as horseback riding, it may be wise to have a translator call to book in advance, as many locals do not speak English on the island. If you are military, your base likely has someone available that can help you translate and book.
Relax at the Beach
The great thing about islands … BEACHES! Udo Island is home to multiple beaches. Some of the more popular beaches are Geommeolle, which is a black sand beach, Sanho, which is a coral sand beach, as well as Hagosudong, which is a white sand beach.
How much time do I need on Udo Island?
Udo Island is quite small – under 2.5 square-miles – and easy to see in a day trip.
When I visited, we had a flight booked for later that evening to head back to Gunsan, South Korea. We ultimately ended up staying on Udo Island for only about 3-4 hours. I will say we were a little rushed, but did still have the chance to explore a good portion of the island.
Ideally, I would suggest spending at least five hours on the island to really get the chance to explore it.
Can I stay on Udo Island?
Absolutely! Udo Island has pensions, which are essentially B&Bs, as well as hotels and Airbnb options. You can contact us for more information!
Military Spouse Travel Tips:
Prior to heading to Jeju and Udo Island, make sure both you and your spouse have your passport, international driver’s license (if you plan on renting a car and/or scooter), and Korean won. Plan to get your Korean won out on base, as I have found some ATMs do not accept my USAA credit card off base (especially on Jeju and Udo).
Exploring Udo Island with your spouse is such a fun little getaway or day-date away from Jeju. Though, if you plan on going with a group from your squadron, it can be very tempting for the guys to rent scooters and act like… well… guys. Remember to be respectful of the locals.
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