If you are thinking about getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life in South Korea, then Seonyudo Island is definitely the place to go!
Seonyudo Island is located on the Eastern Coast of South Korea, just over an hour East of Jeonju. From Seoul we travelled to Jeonju as it is known to have amazing eats in South Korea. The bus from Seoul left from Nambu Bus Terminal (Orange Line 3) and arrived at the Jeonju Bus Terminal (not the actual “express” terminal) after a duration of approximately 3 hours. There are also plenty of buses that go to Gunsan from Jeonju. These buses occur about every 20 minutes, and it is about an hour long journey. There are buses that take you directly to Gunsan from Seoul, however we wanted to get in on the good eats before leaving the mainland, and I recommend you doing the same!
Transit
To get from Gunsan (closest city on the mainland) to Seonyudo Island you can get there the following ways:
1. Ferry
2. Taxi
3. Bus
How to get there by Ferry:
There are two ferries that go from the city of Gunsan to Seonyudo Island. The morning ferry leaves at 9:30am and the afternoon ferry leaves at 1:30pm. If you are travelling back from Seonyudo Island to Gunsan the morning ferry leaves at 11:30am and the afternoon ferry leaves at 4:30pm.
You can purchase the ferry tickets at the Gunsan Coastal Ferry Terminal. A round-trip ticket will cost 25,400 krw, and a single ticket will cost 15,300 krw.
The location of the ferry terminal at Gunsan is: (주)월명유람선월명여객선
The terminal can be reached by bus from the bus terminal in Gunsan, however if you are travelling as a group (as we were) we found it more time and cost efficient to grab a taxi.
How to get there by Taxi:
Although we were planning on taking the ferry to Seonyudo Island, we actually ended up getting there by taxi. Last year (2017) was somewhat complicated to get there by a vehicle as there is road construction that is going on and this makes it difficult to get there on land. While we were in our taxi heading to the Gunsan Coastal Ferry Terminal, our driver told us that he could get us to Seonyudo Island by taxi. After thinking over the cost, we decided to accept and he charged us only 50,000 krw for the ride from our hotel in Gunsan to Seonyudo Island. The ride to the Island was… interesting. As the main roads are not yet finished, our driver could not drop us off directly at our pension. Instead, we had about a 10 minute walk across a close-by bridge, and cut off a lot of waiting time!
How to get there by Bus:
There are intercity buses that can take you from Gunsan to a little bus terminal area that is located at a roundabout before actually entering the island. At this roundabout you can get off (along with everyone else) and switch buses and hop on an island bus. Now we did not travel by bus to the island so I know I don’t have all of the information. I do not know where exactly the bus drops you off on the island and how frequently the island bus runs. While I was on Seonyudo Island, I did see a number of these island buses so it is safe to say that they do run fairly frequently.
My Advice: If you want a safe, easy route then definitely going by ferry to the island is the most simple route to go. If you want to save time and you are travelling with a group, I would suggest considering taking a taxi (when the roads are completed). You’ll save a few thousand krw and travel in more of a direct route!
Pensions
There are a number of pensions on the island to choose from. The difficulty I had was actually finding one online! Many of the pensions owners do not speak English, and so I had a friend who speaks Korean help me out and call a few pensions for me to help secure one for the weekend. The pensions are only equipped with the basic necessities. They only come with a room, bathroom access (either attached to your room, or a shared bathroom with other guests), blankets, and maybe a TV. The pensions do not come with a bed, so you will be sleeping on the floor using the blankets and pillows they provide you. We did bring a sleeping bag and a travel pillow with us, although it’s not necessary. This however did come in handy as one pension did not provide enough blankets to suit 4 guests.
During our stay we actually stayed in two different pensions. This was due to the fact that we went during the May long weekend and many of the pensions were already booked up! Our first pension was great, it had plenty of blankets, an attached bathroom with shampoo, body wash, and towels, an air conditioner, and a mini-fridge. Our second pension did not have enough blankets, came with a fan, no TV, and the bathroom was not attached. If you are inquiring about a pension it would be best to ask what is all included in the room, just so that there is no surprises when you get there! The cost of the pension for our first night was 80,000 krw, and for the second night was 60,000 krw.
Getting Around the Island
There are plenty of ways to get around the island once you arrive! From bicycles, to scooters, to mini 3-wheel cars there is no shortage of ways to get around the island. Below is a cost break down of transportation options:
Walking – free 😉
Bicycle – 10,000 krw/day
Tantum Bicycle – 20,000 krw/day
Scooter – 10,000 krw/ 1 trip around the island (no amount of time was specifically given, however this was meant as a short trip)
Scooter – 20,000 krw/ 1 trip around the island or 30,000 krw/ 2 trips around the island or 30,000 krw/hour (at a different location)
ATV – 30,000 krw/hour
Mini 3-wheel vehicle – 30,000 krw/hour
There are multiple places to rent these transportation options from! Please note that each place may differ slightly in price (as noted above for the scooter pricing).
Island Eats
There is certainly no shortage of seafood on the island. There is one main area by the Seonyudo Beach (main beach on the island) that has a few coffee shops and restaurants. Other than this area, they are fewer and farther in between. We did go to this main strip each day for our “big meal”. There are little supermarket shops on other areas of the island where you can pick up snacks and quick eats! In general food is a bit more expensive on the island. You are looking to pay around 20,000 krw per two people for each meal. I do recommend you purchasing snacks before going to the island as a way to minimize the costs.
Things to do
Seonyudo Island is totally geared towards people who enjoy being outside and exploring! The main things to do on the island include bicycling, hiking, fishing, and eating.
Hiking: There are a few hiking cliffs around the islands and they give you the most AMAZING views!
Fishing: You can rent fishing rods for 10, 000 krw/day (24 hours). This was really neat as we rented the rods later in the day and got to continue fishing the next day as well!
Bicycling: We chose to rent bicycles instead of renting a scooter. It was really neat to explore all ends of the island and take in all of the views! The island is relatively small and you can easily work your way around the island with ease!
Eating: Of course, there are lots of seafood options for you to choose from! If you don’t enjoy eating seafood, there are some alternative options, just not quite as many for seafood eaters. Overall though, there is something for everyone.
Happy planning your trip to Seonyudo Island! Enjoy the views and unique island life of South Korea!
