Udo Island and Seongsan Ilchulbong are two of Jeju’s most iconic destinations — and they pair perfectly together in a single day trip. Seongsan sits on the far eastern tip of Jeju, and Udo floats just 3.5 km offshore. Most travelers combine them into one full day: ferry to Udo in the morning, explore Seongsan in the afternoon. Here is exactly how to do it.
Getting to Udo Island: Ferries and Entry Fees
Ferries to Udo depart from Seongsan Port (성산포항) year-round. The port is about 75 minutes from Jeju City by intercity bus (Line 701), or 90 minutes from Jeju International Airport. Taxis from central Jeju run around 45,000–55,000 KRW. If you drive, paid parking is available at the port for 2,000–3,000 KRW per hour.
The ferry takes roughly 15 minutes and runs every 30 minutes from 07:30 to 18:00 (times vary slightly by season). Round-trip ferry fare is 12,000 KRW for adults. There is an additional Udo Island admission fee of 1,000 KRW per person, collected on the island. Keep both tickets — you will need them on the way back.
Private vehicles are not allowed on Udo without a Jeju resident permit. Tourists must use electric carts, bicycles, or the island loop bus. Electric carts seat four people and rent for around 35,000–40,000 KRW for two hours. Bicycle rentals start at 10,000 KRW for a standard bike and 15,000–20,000 KRW for an electric bike. The full loop around Udo is about 17 km — manageable on an e-bike in two hours including stops.
What to See on Udo: Four Beaches and One Cliff
Udo’s most famous spot is the lighthouse hill in the northeast corner of the island, reachable in about 10 minutes on foot from the east port. There is no entry fee, and the views of the Seongsan coastline from the top are excellent.
Geommeolle Beach (검멀레 해수욕장) on the eastern shore is Udo’s black sand beach — volcanic basalt gives it a dramatic dark color and it is rarely crowded. Hamdeokcheong Beach (하고수동 해수욕장) on the western side has turquoise water and white coral sand, making it one of the most photographed beaches in Jeju Province. Swimming is possible in summer (July–August).
Udo is also known for its peanut products. Peanut ice cream cones sell for 3,000–4,000 KRW at stalls near both ports. Peanut makgeolli (막걸리) and peanut ramen are local specialties at the small restaurants near Cheonjin Port — a bowl of peanut ramen costs around 9,000 KRW. There is no ATM on Udo, so carry cash before boarding the ferry.
Seongsan Ilchulbong: Climbing the Sunrise Peak
Seongsan Ilchulbong (성산일출봉) is a UNESCO World Heritage tuff cone that rises 182 meters above the sea. The name means “Sunrise Peak” — its crater faces east, making it one of the best sunrise spots in South Korea. Most visitors arrive by 05:30 during summer months (April–September) to watch the sun clear the horizon from the crater rim.
The entrance fee is 2,000 KRW for adults. The summit trail is about 750 meters long with steep stone stairs — allow 20–30 minutes up and 15–20 minutes down. The trail opens at 07:00 in winter and 05:30 in summer. It closes at 20:00. Dogs and drones are not permitted on the trail.
From the crater rim you can see the full outline of Udo Island to the northeast and the green patchwork of Seongsan village below. On clear days the southern Jeju coast stretches to the horizon. The crater itself is a wide bowl of grass and volcanic rock — there is no path inside, just a viewpoint around the rim.
Below the peak, Seongsan village has a concentration of haenyeo houses (해녀의 집) where Jeju’s famous diving women serve fresh abalone, sea urchin, and conch caught the same morning. A haenyeo seafood platter runs 15,000–25,000 KRW. The village also holds a traditional market on days ending in 2 and 7 of each month (2일장, 7일장), selling local produce, dried seafood, and street snacks.
How to Combine Udo and Seongsan in One Day
- Take the 07:30 or 08:00 ferry from Seongsan Port to Udo. The island fills up after 10:00, especially on weekends — early arrival makes a real difference.
- Spend 2–3 hours on Udo doing an e-bike loop: east port → lighthouse hill → Geommeolle Beach → Hamdeokcheong Beach → Cheonjin Port.
- Take the noon or 13:00 ferry back to Seongsan. Eat lunch at one of the haenyeo restaurants near the Ilchulbong entrance.
- Climb Seongsan Ilchulbong in the early afternoon. The light is clearest for photos between 13:00 and 15:00.
- Full day budget per person: ferry 12,000 KRW + Udo admission 1,000 KRW + e-bike rental 15,000–20,000 KRW + Seongsan entry 2,000 KRW = roughly 30,000–35,000 KRW before food.
- Rainy days are still viable — both sites stay open, and Seongsan’s black basalt walls look dramatic in mist. The ferry may be cancelled in strong winds; check at the port counter before planning your day around it.
Best Season to Visit and How to Avoid the Crowds
Udo and Seongsan look different depending on the season, and choosing the right month matters more than most guides admit. Spring (April–May) brings canola flower fields in bloom on Udo’s interior roads, plus mild temperatures for cycling the full loop without overheating. Autumn (October–November) has the clearest air of the year, which makes the crater views from Seongsan Ilchulbong noticeably sharper — this is when photographers get the best long-distance shots toward the Jeju coastline. Summer (July–August) is the only season with reliable swimming weather at Hamdeokcheong Beach, but it also brings the heaviest ferry queues and midday heat that makes the Ilchulbong stair climb uncomfortable after 11:00. Winter is quiet and cheap, though wind cancellations on the Udo ferry are more frequent, so build a buffer day into your itinerary if you are visiting between December and February.
Whichever season you visit, timing within the day matters more than the calendar. The single biggest local tip that does not appear on official tourism pages: the 08:00 ferry from Seongsan Port is consistently the least crowded departure, even in peak summer, because most tour buses schedule their Udo visit for the 09:30–10:30 slot. Arriving on the 08:00 boat means you reach the lighthouse hill and Geommeolle Beach before the tour groups do, and you can finish your loop and be back at Cheonjin Port in time to catch the same buses heading the other way — effectively swimming against the crowd all day rather than with it.
For getting around Udo itself, the choice between an e-bike and the island loop bus comes down to how much time you have. The loop bus suits travelers with only half a day, since it stops at all four main viewpoints on a fixed schedule and costs less than a bike rental — but you are tied to its timetable and cannot linger at a beach you like. An e-bike suits anyone spending two hours or more on the island, since it lets you skip the queue at Hamdeokcheong Beach in peak season and detour to quieter coastal roads on the island’s south side that the bus route does not cover.