Renting a car in Jeju is not just convenient — it is essentially mandatory. The island’s bus network exists, but routes are infrequent, taxis queue at tourist spots, and the best places (a coastal cliff road at sunrise, a hidden oreum hiking trail, a family-run black pork restaurant far from Jeju City) simply do not appear on any bus schedule. A rental car turns a rushed itinerary into a self-paced road trip. Here is how to do it right.
Renting the Car: What to Book, Where, and How Much
After you arrive at Jeju International Airport, head to the dedicated rental car shuttle zone on the ground floor of the arrivals hall, marked in Korean and English. Most major Korean rental companies — Lotte Rent-a-Car, SK Rent-a-Car, KT Kumho, and Jeju Car Rental — run free shuttles from the airport to their nearby lots. Book online before arrival; walk-in prices are noticeably higher, especially in peak season (July–August and cherry blossom season in early April).
Typical daily rates for a compact car (Hyundai Avante or similar):
- Off-peak weekday: ₩40,000–₩55,000/day
- Peak season or weekend: ₩65,000–₩90,000/day
- SUV or minivan: add ₩20,000–₩40,000/day
- Full coverage insurance (자차보험): around ₩10,000–₩15,000/day extra — always take it
You need a Korean driver’s license or an International Driving Permit (IDP). Tourists from most countries can use an IDP issued in their home country. Bring your IDP, your original national license, and your passport to the rental counter. The minimum age is typically 21, and some companies require one year of driving experience. Credit card holds for the deposit run ₩100,000–₩300,000 and are released within a few days of return.
Fuel: most rental cars run on gasoline. Jeju fuel prices track the national average — expect around ₩1,650–₩1,750 per liter. A full loop of the island is roughly 250 km; a compact will use about ₩25,000–₩35,000 in fuel over a full day of driving.
Driving on Jeju: Roads, Navigation, and Parking
Jeju’s roads are genuinely easy. The island is served by Jeju Route 1132, a two-lane coastal ring road that circles the entire island and is well signed in both Korean and English. Speed limits are 60–80 km/h on most island roads and 100 km/h on the expressway sections near Jeju City. Fixed speed cameras are common and enforced — signs warn you in advance, but stay at or under the limit.
Navigation: download Kakao Map or Naver Map before you arrive. Both apps have Korean addresses and points of interest that do not appear accurately on Google Maps. Kakao Map in particular is the default app for most Koreans and handles rural Jeju roads well. Enter the destination name in Korean if possible — searching “용두암” (Yongduam Rock) beats searching a romanized address every time.
Compared to parking and tolls elsewhere in Korea, parking is almost never a problem outside Jeju City’s main commercial strips. Most beaches, oreums (volcanic cinder cones), and scenic viewpoints have free or inexpensive lots. Manjanggul Lava Tube charges ₩2,000 for parking. Hallasan National Park trailheads (Eorimok, Seongpanak) fill early on weekends — arrive before 8 a.m. if you plan to hike. In Jeju City near the Dongmun Market area, expect paid lots at ₩300–₩500 per ten minutes.
Where to Drive: A Practical Route for 2 Days
Jeju rewards a loose counterclockwise loop from the airport. Day one, head west then south: Hallim Park (한림공원, ₩12,000 entry), the thatched-roof village of Seongeup Folk Village (free), and the lava-column coastline at Jungmun. Dinner in Seogwipo — a bowl of Jeju-style black pork barbecue (흑돼지) costs ₩18,000–₩25,000 per person at restaurants along Ildos-ro.
Day two, work east: Seongsan Ilchulbong (성산일출봉, ₩5,000 entry, best before 9 a.m.), Manjanggul Lava Tube (₩4,000), and the green tea fields at Osulloc (free to walk, tea from ₩7,000). Return to the airport via the north coast road for a straight shot with ocean views the whole way.
Stops that only make sense with a car:
- Saebyeol Oreum (새별오름) — a cinder cone with 360-degree island views, no bus service
- Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road — a quiet stretch of highway where windmills line the cliff edge
- Bijarim Forest (비자림) — a grove of thousand-year-old nutmeg trees, entry ₩3,000
- Jeju Haenyeo villages on the east coast — women free-divers selling fresh sea urchin directly from small roadside stalls
Returning the Car and Things Nobody Tells You
Return your car with a full tank — rental companies charge ₩3,000–₩4,000 per liter above market rate if they refuel for you. The gas stations nearest the rental lots are aware of this and are appropriately busy on return mornings. Fill up within two kilometers of the lot.
The rental company will photograph every panel of the car before and after. Do the same with your phone before you drive off the lot. Small scratches on bumpers are the most common point of dispute — full coverage insurance (자차보험) eliminates nearly all of this stress, which is why it is worth the extra ₩10,000–₩15,000 per day.
One practical note: Jeju has a zero-tolerance drunk driving law (Korea-wide, 0.03% BAC is the legal limit for license suspension). The island’s night restaurant culture means it is easy to have a drink at dinner — designate a driver or take a taxi back to your accommodation and pick the car up in the morning. Taxis in Seogwipo and Jeju City are plentiful and cheap (₩3,500 base fare).
Jeju by rental car is one of the most straightforward self-drive experiences in Asia. Roads are clean, signs are readable, and the island is small enough that you genuinely cannot get lost for long. Book the car before you book the flights, pick up full coverage, and the island opens up completely.