By Clever Tourists · Published · Last updated
Fly from Gimpo Airport (GMP) to Jeju International Airport (CJU): the flight is scheduled at about 1 hour 10 minutes and there are departures all day. Gimpo–Jeju was the busiest airline route in the world in 2025 by OAG's count, with about 14.4 million seats a year, or roughly 39,000 a day. Off-peak one-way fares often sit around ₩45,000 to ₩70,000 (≈ $34–52), and you need your passport to board. There is no direct ferry from Seoul; going by sea means a train south to Mokpo and a crossing of several hours.
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For almost everyone the answer is a Gimpo flight. The ferry is for drivers taking a car to the island, or for travellers who want to see the south-west coast on the way.
| Option | Time | Typical one-way cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gimpo (GMP) to Jeju (CJU) flight | About 1h10 in the air; 3 to 4 hours hotel to hotel | Often ₩45,000–₩70,000 (≈ $34–52) off-peak; ₩145,000 (≈ $108)+ on peak dates | Nearly everyone |
| Incheon (ICN) to Jeju flight | About 1h10, but only a few flights a week | Check Jeju Air for the date | Connecting straight off an international arrival at Incheon |
| KTX to Mokpo + ferry | About 2.5 hours by KTX, then roughly 4 to 5 hours at sea | ₩48,000 (≈ $36) KTX plus the ferry fare | Taking a car, or avoiding flying |
Airlines: OAG counted seven airlines on the route in 2025. Korean Air and Asiana are the full-service options; low-cost carriers such as Jeju Air, Jin Air and Air Busan fly it too, and aggregators also list Air Seoul, T'way Air and Eastar Jet. Compare the actual times rather than the brand: with this many departures, a flight that suits your hotel check-in usually exists at a similar price.
Flight time: schedules show about 1 hour 5 to 1 hour 15 minutes. Add the trip to Gimpo, check-in and security in Seoul, and the ride from Jeju airport, and most people spend 3 to 4 hours hotel to hotel.
Fares: Korean Air's own route page has shown one-way lows of about ₩45,500 to ₩58,200 (≈ $34–44) on cheap days and highs above ₩145,000 (≈ $108) on busy ones, and aggregators show lows of around ₩45,000 to ₩51,000 (≈ $34–38). Weekend, school-holiday, Chuseok and Seollal dates are the expensive ones. Book those weeks ahead.
Bags: the cheapest low-cost fares do not always include a checked bag. If you are bringing a suitcase, compare fares with the bag added, not the headline price.
Korean domestic flights check photo ID at boarding. Korean Air's domestic boarding rules list a passport among the accepted IDs for foreign nationals aged 19 and over (residents can also use an alien registration card). A photo of your passport or a hotel copy is not the same thing; carry the original in your hand luggage.
You do not go through immigration again: you dealt with entry when you arrived in Korea. For the entry side, see the K-ETA guide.
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Gimpo is on the AREX all-stop airport railway, Subway Line 5 and Line 9, which is why it beats Incheon for this trip. From Seoul Station, the AREX all-stop reaches Gimpo in roughly 20 minutes. Do not board the AREX Express: it runs non-stop between Seoul Station and Incheon and skips Gimpo.
Domestic departures use Gimpo's domestic terminal, separate from the international one, so follow the domestic signs from the station. Our Gimpo Airport transit guide covers which line suits which neighbourhood, and the T-money guide covers paying for it.
Jeju Air restarted Incheon–Jeju on 12 May 2026, the first time in almost ten years, at only two flights a week at launch. It is useful if your schedule lines up with an international arrival at Incheon, but you cannot count on it for a random date. If it does not fit, take the AREX all-stop from Incheon to Gimpo (about 33 minutes) and fly from there.
There is no passenger ferry from Seoul or Incheon to Jeju: the last Incheon–Jeju operator handed back its licence in 2024. To reach Jeju by sea you go south first. The simplest pairing is KTX from Yongsan to Mokpo, about 2 hours 20 to 2 hours 40 minutes for ₩48,000 (≈ $36) in standard class, then a Seaworld Express car ferry from Mokpo to Jeju, which takes roughly 4 to 5 hours.
Wando has a shorter crossing, but getting to Wando from Seoul means a long bus ride. Sailing times change by season and ship, and boats are cancelled in rough seas, so check the operator's own timetable for your date. Our Busan to Jeju guide compares the south-coast ferry routes.
Jeju International Airport is on the edge of Jeju City, a short bus or taxi ride from the centre. For Seogwipo and the south coast, airport limousine and express buses cross the island in roughly an hour. If you are not renting a car, read Jeju without a car before booking a hotel. Then choose a base with where to stay in Jeju and plan the days with how many days in Jeju.
About 1 hour 5 to 1 hour 15 minutes from Gimpo Airport. Allow 3 to 4 hours hotel to hotel.
Off-peak one-way fares often run about ₩45,000 to ₩70,000 (≈ $34–52). Weekends, school holidays, Chuseok and Seollal can push them past ₩145,000 (≈ $108).
Yes. Domestic flights check photo ID at boarding, and for foreign visitors that means the original passport.
Gimpo. It has flights all day, while Incheon–Jeju restarted in May 2026 with only a couple of flights a week.
No. The nearest practical sea route is KTX to Mokpo (about 2.5 hours) and then a ferry of roughly 4 to 5 hours.
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Entry rules change, and they depend on your nationality — always confirm the current requirements on the official government site before you book or apply. Only use official government (.gov) portals; ignore look-alike agency sites.
Plan your nights in Jeju: hotels on Trip.com.
