Things to do on Udo Island, the Happiest Place on Earth!

Udo, or Cow Island as the locals call it, is just 3.5 km off the north-eastern coast of Jeju. It is a small island surrounded by emerald blue seas, pristine beaches and breathtaking landscapes swarming with happy holiday makers.

I have not been to Bhutan (ranked No. 1 in happiness in a CNN report), but Udo tops my list as the Happiest Place on Earth.

Getting There

The ferry ride from Jeju to Udo takes just 15 minutes. The passenger-cum-car ferry leaves every 30 mins from Seongsan Port (GPS no 7825671) and Jongdal Port. The most frequent route is between Seongsan and Cheonjin. Refer to this article for more details on ferry schedule and fares to Udo Island.

If you plan on driving watch the video below which shows how cars are loaded onto the ferry. Not to worry there are ushers to guide you if you are not confident of reversing onto the ferry platform. As at time of writing, return fare for adults is ₩8,500 and for compact cars is ₩21,600.

The short journey can be choppy depending on weather, but seasickness should not be an issue. The fun starts right on the ferry as can be seen by these day trippers happily feeding seagulls along the way.

Important:

• Bring your passport. It is required for passenger manifest registration when buying ferry tickets.
• As you might be carried away merrily exploring the beautiful island be reminded that the last ferry back from Udo varies depending on season.

Map of Udo Island

How Long Should I Spend on Udo

At the very minimum, 3 hours. That is just enough time to zip around the island on a scooter or car visiting the major tourist spots for a few quick pictures.

To enjoy Udo, do it at a leisurely pace. This will take around 6 hours with time for lunch and a cup of coffee or ice cream at Jimmy’s, picnic at one of the beaches or have a dip in the crystal clear waters of Seo-Bin-Baek-Sa in summer.

If you have more time, spend a night on the island. There are small pensions available but do not expect too much in terms of quality and comfort.

There is a certain atmosphere on the island that just makes everything seem calm, relaxed, and happy. So take your time.

Getting Around Udo Island

The island is just 6 km² in size and can be covered on foot in a day if you are prepared to trek the 16 km route around the island. This is part of the Olle Trail.

Here’s a short intro to Udo:

As you can see there are many modes of transport available on the island. The best option is self-drive. It saves time so you can enjoy the island at your own leisurely pace.

Another option is to take the public shuttle that stops at designated places of attractions. This incurs waiting time and could get crowded on busy days. At popular attractions you may not get on the bus so you may have to wait for subsequent buses.

Scooters, bicycles, ATVs (all terrain vehicle), and tricycles are popular with younger travellers. Keep in mind that an international driving license is required for renting of motorised vehicles. If you don’t have a license and don’t like to pedal you can try an electric bike. Whichever mode of transport you choose I’m sure you’ll feel the happiness in the air 🙂

View of Udo from a scooter:

We drove along the coast starting from Cheonjin Port in an anti-clockwise direction. It’s hard to believe this small island has so much to offer. This place invoked a feeling that says don’t rush right from the moment we stepped off the ferry. So we took a leisurely drive with windows down to enjoy the cool spring breeze and the beautiful scenery.

Along the way we stopped by Jimmy’s Ice-Cream, popular with tourists for its creamy ice cream topped with locally grown peanuts Udo is famous for. Not to be missed.

There are many restaurants in Udo so we were spoilt for choice. Since the weather was nice we decided to order takeway burger and fries from a small cafe and had a picnic lunch by a gazebo near Biyang-do overlooking the Sea of Japan. After lunch we spent most of our time at picturesque Geommeolle Beach sipping coffee at Dennis Cafe to enjoy the panoramic view. The cafe is fully air-conditioned, great for cooling off on a hot day.

What to See on Udo

Here are some interesting places to visit:

• Hu-Hae-Seok-Byeok: Unique 20m high vertical cliff which has well aligned faults looking like neatly stacked rock pieces.
• Seo-Bin-Baek-Sa: Beach with fine white sand and emerald blue sea on the west coast of Udo
• Ji-Du-Cheong-Sa: Lush green grassland leading up to 132m high Udo Peak. A gradual trek up to the lighthouse and observatory at the top with spectacular views of the surrounding and Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) in the distance.

• 

• Biyang-Do: Interesting black pebble island with a yellow-and-black lighthouse connected by a narrow road to Udo.
• Geommeolle Beach: Black sand beach surrounded by unique rocky cliffs. Go an a Jetboat tour to enjoy splendid views around the bay and through the Dongangyeonggul Cave.

• 

• Dong-An-Gyeong-Gul Cave: Cliff with a cave at the end of Geommeolle Beach. Accessible only at low tide.
• Ju-Gan-Myeong-Wol: Another unique cave where the sun reflects off the water onto the wall of the cliff in the morning forming the shape of the moon.

We could not cover all the recommended places of interest in the brochure. To fully appreciate Udo Island and all it has to offer would require more than a day. Good excuse for a return visit  🙂

Car ferry to Udo Island

White coral sand beach, Udo

Dennis Cafe @ Geommeolle Beach - Cafe with a view

Geommeolle Beach, Udo

Dennis Cafe at Geommeolle Beach

Biyang-Do, Udo Island

Accommodation we stayed in on our Jeju trips:

➡️ The Whistle Lark in Jeju City is a 4-star modern hotel situated on the northern part of the island with ocean view rooms. Room was clean and bright and a nice cafe next to the hotel. Nice shower with strong water pressure. Within walking distance to Black Port Street and Jeju Dongmun Market.

➡️ The Island Blue Hotel is a 4-star hotel situated in the Seogwipo part of Jeju. Convenient location close to eateries and a good base for visiting major attractions in the South of the island. Just 2 mins walk to black pork street and raw fish street, 8 mins walk to Jungang Underground Shopping Street and 10 mins walk to Dongmun Market.

➡️ The Ocean Palace Hotel is a bit old but the rooms are huge and clean with recent renovation. Great location with views of the ocean from higher floors.

Alternatively you may book your Jeju accommodation using the our travel partner Agoda:

Related Posts on Jeju:

• 9-day Self-Guided Trip to Jeju
• Hiking the Seongpanak Trail to Hallasan
• Cheapest Flight From Singapore to Jeju
• Ferry schedule and fares to Udo
• Driving in Jeju
• GPS Tel numbers for driving in Jeju
• Flight from Gimpo to Jeju

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KK Yong

Co-Founder at TakingFlights.com

Former aircraft engineer now a web solutions provider who believes in making the web beautiful one site at a time. Also a keen photographer he enjoys capturing and documenting his travels for the benefit of fellow travelers.

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