What is the best time to visit Jeju Island, Korea? And is Jeju Island worth visiting?

Jeju Island for a long time has been one of those places I’ve heard of and always wanted to visit but honestly just never thought I’d make it happen.

Until January 2024 when we were able to extend a trip to Seoul to also include Busan and Jeju Island.

I’ve always known Jeju Island as a popular summer destination mostly for Korean tourists and there’s no doubt that the amount of outdoor activities, hiking trails, waterfalls and beaches make this a dream destination for any outdoor enthusiast or beach lover.

And yet Jeju Island is an extremely underrated island destination in Asia and I truly think it’s South Korea’s best kept secret.

So if you’re considering a trip to Jeju Island, you’re probably wondering, is Jeju Island worth visiting? And also what is the best time to visit Jeju Island?

Here’s everything you need to know about planning a trip to Jeju Island.

a panoramic view from a hill, looking down on a small town surrounded by a bay of turquoise blue water. — Jeju Island, UNESCO World Heritage Site

When is the best time to go to Jeju Island?

Most Jeju Island blogs will tell you that the summer is the best time to visit Jeju Island. While the summer is undoubtedly the best time of year to visit Jeju if you want to guarantee warm weather, it’s also the most crowded time of year.

I would recommend visiting in the shoulder seasons, either spring or autumn for decent weather and few crowds with lower prices too!

Particularly I would recommend the autumn (September - October) as the days are longer and the water is still warm from summer if you plan to swim!

Plus autumn and winter are actually the driest seasons in Jeju, with double the amount of rainfall in the summer than in October-January.

That being said, we visited in January and were blessed with beautiful weather for our whole trip. It definitely wasn’t beach weather and was about 10 celsius most days, but it was sunny, mild and great for outdoor activities as long as you have the right clothes. The island was quiet, accommodation and car rental were cheap - we had a fabulous time.

The only downside of visiting in winter is that we couldn’t climb Mount Hallasan. It has snowed recently and we were not equipped with snow hiking gear or indeed any of the heavy duty hiking gear we would usually have for an 8-hour winter hike!

Here’s a breakdown of Jeju island weather and seasons to visit.

Jeju in Spring

Months: March-May

Average temperature: 12-20 celcius

Best for: outdoor activities, beating the crowds, cooler weather

Spring in Jeju is slightly unpredictable depending on when the weather starts to warm up.

Jeju in February can be brutally cold with unrelenting weather, while Jeju in April or May can be warm with beautiful temperate conditions for hiking trails and other outdoor activities.

woman in a brightly patterned fleece standing on a wooden deck with a large waterfall flowing over a cliff behind her and into a dark blue pool — Cheonjeyeon Waterfall

Jeju in Summer

Months: June-August

Average temperature: 22-30 celcius

Best for: Beaches vacations, hot weather, family summer holidays, island vacations

Undoubtly the best months for hot weather, this weather is perfect for summer vacations and island getaways to the beach but it is too hot usually for hiking or other strenuous outdoor activities.

clear, shallow turquoise blue water in a bay, with small houses and trees visible on the other side of the bay — Jeju Beaches

Jeju in Autumn

Months: September- early November

Average temperature: 15-25C

Best for: hiking, outdoor activities, beach and island vacations

September can still be very warm in Jeju with the temperatures still creeping towards 30C. However late September and October are very mild with less rain, warm temperatures and warm water temperatures too.

Crowds are fewer and prices are slightly cheaper.

a woman walking along a wooden boardwalk surrounded by greenery and tall trees at sunset — Oedolgae coastal boardwalk

Jeju in Winter

Months: December-February

Average temperature: 7-11 celcius

Best for: chance of seeing snow, lowest prices, less crowds, cold but often clear days

We visited in Jeju in January and were spectacularly lucky with the weather.

It didn’t rain at all and we had one cloudy day, the rest was clear blue skies and sunshine, although it was also freezing cold, especially on the east and as we drove past Hallasan Mountain on the HIghland 1100 road, temperatures dropped to -6C.

However on the sunny days at sea level it was a lovely 10C, so a very comfortable temperature with the right clothes, especially in the sunshine!

a woman in a puffy winter jacket standing on a wooden staircase on a cliff with turquoise blue sea water below her in the bay — The Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone trail

Is Jeju Island worth visiting?

It’s very rare that I am already planning my return trip before I’ve even left a destination.

Jeju Island is everything I love about a destination: lots of outdoor activities, beautiful scenery, stunning beaches with water that’s great for swimming. Plus affordable hotels, great food options and very easy to navigate on a road trip!

I honestly fell in love with Jeju Island and I couldn’t get enough of the dramatic coastlines, volcanic rocks, amazing hikes and almost unreal waterfalls. It is no surprise that Jeju is often called the Hawaii of South Korea!

In short, yes I absolutely think that Jeju Island is worth visiting. Whether you’re an avid hiker or adventurer or if you’re looking for a relaxing, island holiday in the sun - Jeju can offer both and so much more.

I also really love that a lot of the waterfalls and coastal attractions in Jeju are just a short 5 minutes walk from the car park, this makes a lot of the things to do on Jeju island very accessible even for those who don’t like to walk far or aren’t able to.

I also love that a visit to Jeju is such a contrast from the metropolitan buzz in Seoul or Busan. The island life on Jeju is so relaxing and yet there’s so much to do that you can be as active or as chilled as you like on your trip to Jeju.

Because the island is so small, it’s also easy to add on a visit to an existing South Korea itinerary. For example we were able to fly in and see a lot of the island in just 3 days. Although it was a short amount of time and I definitely want to go back for longer, it’s definitely possible to visit for a weekend and see lots of sights.

That being said, if you’re planning to cover a lot of the hikes on Jeju Island, especially Hallasan, I would recommend staying for longer to allow time for sightseeing as well as long day hike - plus time to recover and visit a beach or two in between!