Season in the Sun

So when’s the perfect time to visit Jeju Island? Anytime. And with festivals all year round, there’s always something to do.

Enjoy the view of Hallasan blanketed in snow during winter

Winter

Suit up! Because winter is coming and you don’t want to miss the amazing views as blankets of snow envelop Jeju Island.

Hallasan Snowflake Festival

Call us crazy, but winter might be one of the best times to climb Hallasan, the tallest mountain in Jeju Island and the whole of South Korea. During winter, the snowflakes cling onto the alpine trees and land, creating vast snow fields and stunning sights that will make your winter experience unforgettable. Winter might be miserable for some, but not for the residents of Jeju Island. They celebrate the season with the Hallasan Snowflake Festival, where you can catch various folk song, drama and dance performances, and go hiking, sledding, toboggan riding or skiing around the area... or get into a friendly snowball fight!

Fields of gold line the streets of Jeju Island during spring. Take a leisurely drive – if you’re lucky, you may see cherry blossoms along the way!

SPRING

Rejoice! For all the florals in Jeju Island come to bloom for an amazing sight.

Gapado Green Barley Festival

Gapado is famous for its green barley fields and breathtaking views that overlook mountains and seas. The Gapado Green Barley Festival lets visitors learn about the history, natural environment and culture of Gapado through a series of guided tours over the barley fields. The festival also has a fair that involves bicycle events, conch-catching, a barley field marathon and kite-flying over the barley fields. You’ll also find lots of food stalls offering local faves like barley bibimbap with seaweed!

Jeju Canola Flower Festival

By springtime, Jeju Island turns into fields of gold, and that’s because all the canola flowers are blooming. Canola plants aren’t just beautiful – they can be used to make kimchi, and the flower petals are used in the production of vegetable oil. The annual Jeju Canola Flower Festival celebrates this miracle plant. It’s one of the most famous festivals in Jeju Island, and vis itors can participate in a variety of events like singing contests and a range of hands-on activities that showcase the unique spirit of the island.

SUMMER

Nothing beats being at the beach to witness the arrival of summer.

Iho Tewoo Festival

The Tewoo, a traditional log boat, plays a vital role in the Jeju community. The traditional flat raft is fashioned from tree trunks secured with wooden rods and nails. Its flat shape prevents it from getting knocked over by waves. To highlight the importance of this cultural artefact, Jeju Island has renamed its Iho beach to Iho Tewoo beach. The annual Iho Tewoo festival is held there, where visitors get to try their hand at making Tewoos and participate in a Tewoo rowing contest. But if you’re in the mood to relax, you can just hang out by the beach, share a drink with your friends, and stay for the fireworks at night.

Haenyeo hanging out by the coast to review their spoils for the day.

Autumn

As the temperatures drop, welcome the blustery winds of Jeju Island.

Jeju Haenyeo Festival

Haenyeo, which means “sea women” in Korean, are the female divers of Jeju Island. In the past, the men used to go out to sea to fish, while the women went offshore diving to earn an income. With just goggles and a wetsuit, the haenyeo dive underwater for up to 90 seconds at a time. Today, only a few thousand haenyeo, most over sixty years old, are still diving. In a bid to preserve this diving tradition, Jeju Island holds the annual Haenyeo Festival in October, where the public can view the haenyeo dive and harvest shellfish, and even interact with the haenyeo by diving and cooking with them.

Jeju Horse Festival

Jeju Island has its own special breed of horses that are smaller than the usual stallions, but have a remarkable level of stamina and endurance, making them great for racing, riding and farming. Jeju horses became endangered during the industralisation of the ’60s, but were eventually protected by the government. The Jeju Horse Festival celebrates the history of the horses through a series of parades, performances, races and riding experiences held at the Gasi-ri Common Pastures. They have been used to rear the Jeju Horses for the past 600 years and visitors can get to see how the beloved horses were reared in the past.