By tighttravellers, June 2026
Ey up! We just spent the night on Udo Island in South Korea and it was the bollocks. Bangin’ food, sunset and the famous peanut ice cream! Here’s our tight travellers guide – for people who splurge on bloody good food but skimp on everything else.
How to get to Udo
Get yoursen on a flight to Jeju Island in South Korea; we compare cheap flights on SkyScanner. We would 100% recommend to give yoursen time to ‘av a gander around Jeju. It is the perfect budget friend island with so much to do!
Make your way to the port: Seongsan Port is more popular and has more ferry times available. When we made our way to Udo (June 2026), there were ferries every 30 minutes from 7:00 till 18:30. No need to book in advance, just turn up with your passport (!!) and purchase a ticket for the next boat. The ferry to Udo cost 12,000 won (about £6) and the ferry back cost 10,000 won (about £5). Don’t ask us why it’s different, we are not entirely sure – but at a guess, we got the ferry to Cheonjin Port (at the Southwest of Udo) and the ferry from Haumokdong Port (the West of Udo). The ferry takes around 15 minutes.
Once you arrive on Udo, there are various modes of transport. Our personal favourite, your legs. Walking is free and this is how we chose to explore the small island. There are options of renting a small buggy / scooter but this cost 25,000 won (only about £12.50 but still), there are also e-bikes.
Things to do on Udo
Walk Olle Trail 1-1; this trail goes all the way around the island. It is a 13km, relatively flat trail and takes 4-5 hours. Make sure to make plenty stops, like at Haye-dong Port where you can see haenyeo diving women.
Rent a Scooter / Bike to cycle around the island. It takes around 1-2 hours to cycle around the island; take your time and make plenty stops en route.
Go to the beach! We found that Hagosundong beach was better for a sunbathe and a quick dip. There is also the famous Hongjodangoe (coral beach) which seemed to be popular for tourists getting the perfect insta shot and Seobinbaeksa (red algae beach).
Take the high-speed boat tour from Geommeolle Beach (black sand beach), zoom across the beautiful blue waters and admire the dramatic sea cliffs from below; if you’re lucky you might spot some dolphins!
Hike up to Udobong peak and lighthouse, the highest peak on the small island. Perfect for panoramic views of the island and potential views of Hallasan if you are there on a clear day.
Visit the connecting Biyangdoudo Island. There is a small stone bridge that connects the two islands; perfect for a quick gander round.
Try the famous Peanut Ice Cream. Honestly, it’s peanut crazy. Peanut cream latte, cookies, ice cream, beer – you name it, they ‘av it.
Where to stay on Udo
We trawled through numerous booking platforms, trying to find the cheapest place to stay. We settled for a Pension stay; private room, bathroom, balcony, sea views. The room was clean, spacious, we watched the sunset from the balcony with a Cass in hand and even spotted a pod of dolphins!
Where to eat on Udo
We tried 2 restaurants while on Udo, both slightly more spenny than on Jeju Island but both proper good. We tried the famous Jeju black pork at Poong Won although this was incredibly spicy!
Our favourite meal though was at On-Off where we had a pork and cheese Tonkastu. This was the absolute bollocks!
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