A better way to visit a Jeju Biosphere Reserve: Take the bus

An important note on Jeju’s updated bus system and this blog post

From August 2017, Jeju Island implemented a new city and intercity bus system. It increased the number of buses in service, while simplifying the routes, fees and numbering system.

Consequently, the contents of this previously published blog post may have changed. We therefore would kindly request that you consult this page for new bus maps in English on VisitJeju.net, and this page on our blog for a chart of the old and new bus route numbers.

If you read Korean, then the province’s official bus system website is a useful and up-to-date resource. We hope you’ll enjoy your travels on Jeju Island!

All parking at and along the route to Saryeoni Forest is now prohibited. To find out how to get there by bus or car, read on!

One of the most common questions we receive from visitors to Jeju relates to public transportation. A comprehensive system of intra- and intercity buses is in place, but using a new system — and in a different language — can be challenging.

To test this, four of us from the JTO SNS team decided to make our way to Saryeoni Forest [click here for a previous article on the forest], a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve, which is not only popular, but quite accessible by public transportation… for more reasons that just its proximity to Jeju City.

As you might have gathered, the forest is in a rural area with a single two-lane road running past the northern entrance. Over the years the rustic, photogenic setting has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Parking was always at best a headache, at worst actually dangerous for pedestrians.

The city government has since stepped in and prohibited all parking in the area and along the narrow roadway. Instead, bus schedules running to Saryeoni have been stepped up, and a free shuttle service (running every 30 minutes) is provided from the nearby Jeju April 3^rdPeace Park and Halla Eco Forest, where ample parking is available.

Did you know?

Saryeoni Forest Trail runs between Mulchat Oreum in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City and Saryeoni Oreum in Namwon-eup, Seogwipo. It is an evenly graded 15-km path that is walkable by people of all ages and fitness levels. It runs through Jeju’s UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve and is known for its “eco-healing” walks and programs.

So, the challenge was this: three of us would take the Jeju City Tour Bus (1,200 won one way) from Jeju City Intercity Bus Terminal, while one would drive to the April 3^rd Peace Park and take the free shuttle to Saryeoni.

As it turned out, the free shuttle took longer. But in the end we enjoyed our time in nature and returned to the office with relative ease. We hope you have the same good experience on public transportation!