3 Weeks in May

Woah. That's a lot. Those places are all over. Realize that Ulleungdo requires a ferry, booked in advance, from the east coast. Ulleungdo, at the very least, would take up 3 days or more. You'd probably have to get to your port the night before to be safe. Then you're going to want to spend at least 2 nights, because you'll likely get there midday. So really, it's more than 3 days. And you could easily spend more than 2 nights there (though it's not necessarily cheap). It is worth it to go there, though. It's my favorite place that I've been in Korea in 4.5 years.

Really, if you want to do hiking and seeing temples, I'd suggest focusing on a region.

how about Gangwon province? It's rural and mountainous. It's a slower pace of life. Seoraksan is there, and people go in every season. Sokcho is a popular little city, too (right next to Seoraksan). You could do lots of hiking in Gangwondo and see lots of small towns and such.

I might also suggest that if you're interested in Gyeongju (Bulguksa) that you could head north a little more to Pohang (a city with a fish market; kind of rough around the edges in a cool way). Take a ferry from Pohang to Ulleungdo. Then, from Ulleungdo, take a ferry to a city further up on the east coast like Gangneung (in Gangwon province).

If you've been to Seoul a few times, why bother with it?

Hanguk,

Thank you for the reply. If Ulleungdo takes up so much time, do you think I should give it up and use those days to see the other places ? Do you know any website to check the ferry fares and time ?
I like Seoul, so I wish to go back at least for a day or 2.

I suggest taking the time to go to Ulleungdo. Don't wear yourself out running all over the place :). Ulleungdo is cool. If you're up to it, rent a car. The roads are pretty steep and twisty, but it makes getting around so much easier (and it's easy to navigate the island). Ulleungdo is really worth it. I don't think enough foreign visitors give it a shot because it takes a little extra legwork to get there. It's worth it, though.

Here is some info, but I suggest calling the tourist info hotline that they have listed http://visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264149 They can be very helpful when you call them. I'm sure you can also e-mail them.

If I remember correctly, fares are around 40-50,000 won each way. It should be about 2.5-3.5 hours depending on which mainland port you use. Be aware that sometimes the seas are too rough and the ferries won't go; so plan for extra time.

Also, book tickets as far in advance as you can. They will fill up, especially if it's a holiday/weekend.

Thank you. I don't think I will drive.
Is it possible to walk or use public transport only in the island ?

Personally, I'd add a day or two to Jeju and definitely hit Ulleungdo for 2 or 3 days. Jeju is really touristy, but it's really easy to get away from it all if you want to. I'd also go to Udo while on Jeju for at least a day trip, although it would probably be a neat little island to overnight on. Hiking on Hallasan and/or one of the Jeju Olle Trail sections is also really nice.

Jason

A lot of people do get around by bus. I didn't use the bus, but I think they're reliable.

I would NOT suggest using walking as a means of transportation. There's hiking of course, but you're going to want to get around using motor vehicle. There's no sidewalks in a lot of areas (outside of the little towns), and the roads are very steep and twisty. They're not good places for pedestrians. You'll also get exhausted unless you're in incredible shape. Despite the relatively small size of the island, distances can be quite long due to it's terrain. There's a road that almost circles the island, but not quite. It starts in one town, goes over a hill, hits the other big town (they're very close) and then snakes around the rest of the island, ending a few km the first town. But it takes 30 km to get from the first town to the end.

JasoninJapan,

I will surely visit Jeju. It's in my list of confirmed places. Beside the 2 places you mentioned, where else will you suggest I should visit in Jeju ? Which hiking trail will you recommend that is not to long and see the most ?

Hanguk,

Which places will you suggest I should visit in Ulleungdo ? Shall I take the bus just to visit the 2 towns or go to the end of the bus route or take a hike ?

Is there any direct ferry between Jeju and Ulleung or must I return to mainland to reach the next ?

Just about everything is good. I'm not quite sure what you mean. The buses run around the island. Take them to whatever spot you like. There's also taxis. The attractions are all over the island.

The two towns are very close together, though it takes about 10-15 minutes to get from one to the other. Take a look at a tourist map of the island to familiarize yourself. They're still both fairly small and very crowded, crammed tightly between the surrounding peaks. The two towns are Dodong and Jeodong. Dodong is the larger of the two. They both have ports. Which town you dock at depends on where you depart from. I can't stress enough how the island's geography/topography affects getting around. Giant rocky peaks shoot up out of the island, breaking up access. Google Earth should give you a good idea of the shape of the island and the peaks.

There is no ferry from Jeju to Ulleungdo. AFAIK, the three departure points for Ulleungdo are Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province (north of Gyeongju), and Donghae (Mukho Port) and Gangneung which are both in Gangwon Province.

The most direct way between Jeju and Ulleung would be to fly from Jeju to Pohang then to take a ferry from Pohang to Ulleung. There's only a couple flights a week between Jeju and Pohang, so book accordingly. Ferries run daily (barring inclement weather. Pohang, like I mentioned earlier, is good for a day to check out.

An idea to save you from backtracking:

Busan->Gyeongju->Pohang->Ulleungdo->Donghae/Gangneung->around Gangwon Province->Seoul->Jeju (by air or overnight ferry from Incheon)->somewhere on the southern coast (ferry)->Busan

or skip flying from Seoul to Jeju and just make your way south and take a ferry from there to Jeju.

Thank you very much. Will check them out later. I am going for a trip these few days :-)