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The green-sided tuff cone of Seongsan Ilchulbong above a small cove of dark sand, Jeju

Sample journey · 6–8 days

Jeju on foot: Olle trails between volcanoes and haenyeo villages

Jeju City, Seongsan Ilchulbong, Udo, Seogwipo, Hallasan & Hyeopjae

Photo: Lightscape / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Many Koreans know Jeju as a honeymoon and holiday island, but it is best known on foot. The Olle trails, more than twenty waymarked routes that together circle the whole island, run along lava cliffs, through tangerine groves and villages whose fields are divided by walls of black stone. In the local dialect 'olle' means the narrow lane from the street to a house, and the trails do feel like an invitation in. The waymarks are simple: blue and orange ribbons in the trees and arrows painted on stones.

In our other Korea journeys Jeju is a stop of a few days, or not there at all; here it has a whole week. Each day you walk one Olle route or part of one, usually 10 to 18 km, with nights in three different places on the coast so you don't change hotels every day. The journey suits active couples and those travelling solo or slowly: the trails aren't technical but they are long, and the summit of Hallasan is an option, not a requirement.

The route

The journey

  1. Jeju City
  2. North-east coast & Hamdeok
  3. Seongsan & Seongsan Ilchulbong
  4. Udo island
  5. Seogwipo & the south coast
  6. Hallasan (optional)
  7. West coast & Hyeopjae
  8. Jeju City
  1. Turquoise waves, palm trees and coastal buildings at Hamdeok beach, Jeju

    01Days 1–2 · Jeju City & the north-east coast

    A first trail along the lava shore

    Jeju is usually reached via Seoul, about an hour's flight. The first night is in Jeju City: in the evening, Dongmun market with its tangerines, seafood and the island's prized black pork. Next morning, the first Olle route east along the coast: past Hamdeok beach and its turquoise water, across low fields enclosed by black stone walls and through small villages where squid dry in the harbours. On the way, the haenyeo museum, which tells the story of the women divers who for generations have dived without air tanks for abalone, sea urchin and seaweed; their culture is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. In the afternoon we drive the rest of the way to Seongsan, for two nights.

  2. A white lighthouse on the rocky shore of Udo island, Jeju

    02Days 2–4 · Seongsan & Udo

    Sunrise on a volcano and an island shaped like a cow

    Seongsan Ilchulbong is a tuff cone risen from the sea, its name meaning 'sunrise peak'. The climb takes about half an hour up steps, so it's worth rising before dawn to watch the sun come up out of the sea above the grassy bowl of the crater. By day, Olle route 1, which starts at a small cone and runs through fields and along the shore, with Ilchulbong always in view, about 15 km. On the second day, a ferry of roughly fifteen minutes to Udo, an island said to be shaped like a reclining cow. Here a shorter Olle route circles the island: white sand of crushed red algae, a lighthouse on a hill, peanut fields and small villages where the haenyeo still dive. Back in the evening, fish soup or rice with sea urchin at a harbour eatery.

  3. A wave breaking against dark basalt columns on the rocky coast of Seogwipo, Jeju

    03Days 4–6 · Seogwipo & the south coast

    Waterfalls falling into the sea

    About an hour's drive south to Seogwipo, the warmest part of the island, its slopes covered in tangerine groves. Three nights here. The first day is Olle route 6: past rocky coves and the Jeongbang waterfall, which drops straight into the sea, to Seogwipo's harbour and market, where seafood pancakes sizzle in the evening and tangerines are sold in every form. The second day is route 7, often called the loveliest: from Oedolgae, a lone rock pillar in the sea, along cliffs and coastal pine woods, about 17 km. Nearby is Jusangjeolli, where cooling lava set into hexagonal columns that the waves break against. If your legs are tired, part of the day can be spent in town or among the tea fields in the island's interior.

  4. The snow-covered summit crater of Hallasan with its lake in winter, Jeju

    04Days 6–7 · Hallasan

    To South Korea's highest summit, or through the forest

    Hallasan is a 1,947 m volcano at the island's centre, South Korea's highest summit, with a small lake in its crater. For strong walkers, the climb to the top: about 19 km there and back, eight to nine hours, with an early start, because checkpoints must be passed by a set time and the trails to the summit require advance registration. It's a long, steady and rewarding day, especially in winter when the forest is under snow. For something gentler, shorter trails on the mountain's flanks past alpine meadows and rock walls, or the Saryeoni forest with its cedar avenues, walked calmly and without hurry. In the evening, back to Seogwipo for the third night. Mountain weather changes fast, so we always confirm the plan that morning.

  5. A woman crouches on flat shore rocks among buckets and tubs, with the sea and the cliffs of Sanbangsan behind, on the Yongmeori coast

    05Days 7–8 · The west coast & Hyeopjae

    The haenyeo coast and a last sunset

    On the way west, the Yongmeori coast beneath Sanbangsan mountain, where wind and sea have carved coves into layered rock and the haenyeo often sort their catch on the stones. Their work is work, not a show, so we watch from a distance and take photos only when we've asked. In the afternoon, part of a west-coast Olle route to Hyeopjae, where white sand and pale green water look out to little Biyangdo island. One night here, with an evening sunset over the sea, the best on the island. On the last morning, a short walk on the shore or coffee looking out to Biyangdo, then about an hour to the airport and the flight to Seoul, and from there home.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Sunrise on Seongsan Ilchulbong

    Half an hour up the steps before dawn, and the sun rising from the sea above the crater.

  2. 02

    Olle route 7

    Cliffs, pine woods and the Oedolgae rock: one of the island's loveliest stretches of coast.

  3. 03

    Haenyeo culture

    A museum, village harbours and a shore where the women divers still work the sea.

  4. 04

    Udo island

    A short ferry and a trail around the island, with white sand and a lighthouse.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • More gently

    The longer routes can be shortened and parts covered by taxi or bus, while a driver moves the luggage between hotels.

  • Longer and deeper

    Two more days would allow more Olle routes in the south-west, or a lava tube and the gotjawal forests that cover parts of the island.

  • By season

    In spring the rapeseed fields bloom; in autumn, silver grass and the tangerine harvest. In winter Hallasan is under snow and the coast is windy, but the trails are empty.

  • With Seoul or Busan

    Jeju pairs naturally with a few days in Seoul or Busan, or, for culture lovers, with Gyeongju and a temple stay.

Practical considerations

  • The pleasantest walking months are roughly April to May and October to November. The rainy season usually falls in late June and July, and typhoons can arrive from about July to September.
  • Olle route conditions change, and some sections are temporarily closed or diverted. We check the current arrangements before you travel and on the ground.
  • The trails to Hallasan's summit require advance registration, and checkpoint cut-off times depend on the season. We check before you travel.
  • Coastal paths often cross lava rock and are slippery after rain; you'll want comfortable, sturdy shoes, water and protection from sun and wind.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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