My Favorite Places in Jeju Island

Back in October, my friends and I visited Jeju Island for a 6-day stay. It was an unforgettable trip and one of my favorite memories from my time in South Korea thus far! With this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite places from our time spent there. If you visit Jeju, I hope it comes in handy! 

Gamttanam Cafe

Jeju is well-known for its tangerines, so visiting at least one tangerine field is a must-do during your trip. I saw this particular tangerine field/cafe on Instagram and knew I wanted to visit. The picturesque cafe and photo areas were just as beautiful in real life, and we really enjoyed the overall relaxed atmosphere. The food and drinks were also delicious and photo-worthy, so be sure to try some. 

Osolluc Tea Museum & Innisfree House

The Osolluc Tea Museum is a great place to try teas and tea-flavored desserts, while also enjoying beautiful views of the sweeping fields. I loved relaxing here and savoring matcha green tea soft serve! 

Right next door is the Innisfree Jeju House. Innisfree is a popular skincare brand in Korea, with many of its products including ingredients sourced on the island. This location is gorgeous and includes several interactive displays. The cafe also has many Instagram-worthy offerings. They were sadly out of all food options when I came, but the tangerine tea I ordered was delicious! 

Gwangchigi Beach & Starbucks

Gwangchigi Beach is a beautiful beach located near Seongsan Ilchulbong, or  'Sunrise Peak'. We really enjoyed walking along this beach and taking pictures with Seongsan Ilchulbong in the background. There were many families and couples enjoying the atmosphere and views when we visited. We also saw lots of cute dogs and even people riding horses at one point. 

 After grabbing lunch nearby, we headed to Starbucks. I know it seems silly to include Starbucks on this list, but the Jeju locations actually have several great Jeju-exclusive menu items and souvenirs available! Some branches are also very beautiful, with the one we found near Gwangchigi Beach being several stories high and offering sweeping views of the area. Also, if you have homework to do during your stay in Jeju, Starbucks is a great place to be productive. 

We really loved the Jeju-exclusive Black Sesame Frappuccino and the Forest Cold Brew (the name comes from the inclusion of matcha!). 

Arario Museum 

Jeju has a surprisingly large number of museums centered on a variety of topics and interests. In fact, the island is home to over 100 museums! Some unique ones include the Hello Kitty Island Museum, the Chocolate Museum, and the Jeju Air and Space Museum. Our hotel was right across the street from an art museum called Arario Museum, which houses many exciting and thought-provoking works, including those from well-known artists such as Keith Haring and Andy Warhol. I really enjoyed spending time here enjoying the art. I would definitely recommend visiting a museum during your time in Jeju– there’s one for nearly every interest!

 Manjanggul Lava Tube 

This lava tube is actually one of the largest in the world at 7.4 kilometers long. We loved getting to see amazing natural sights such as the cave’s stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, lava tubes, lava shelves, and lava rafts. At the end of the 1 kilometer that tourists are permitted to walk through is the highest lava column in the world (it is 7.6 meters high!). This UNESCO World Heritage Sight is definitely worth a visit! 

Overall, I loved the time we spent in Jeju Island! This is just a small set of the many incredible sights the island has to offer. Be sure to check it out for yourself when visiting Korea!