5 Reasons to Explore Jeju by Bike

With its beautiful beaches, amazing volcanic landscape and endless rows of tangerine fields, Jeju Island is a place that I think everyone should explore during their time in Korea. What a lot of people don’t know about Jeju Island is that it’s actually a prime cycling destination, too. Cyclists in Korea have been flocking here for years to take advantage of its wide coastal roads and tropical scenery. If you follow me on social media, you probably noticed (Insta overload) that Veeran and I spent a week cycling around the island during our summer holidays. We both agree that exploring Jeju by bike is the best way to do it! Here’s why,

You’ll Experience Every Corner

Exploring Jeju by bike, you’ll really see every corner of the island. Most people who go to Jeju either hire a car or use public transport. They focus on the highlights and miss all the bits in between. When you cycle around the whole island, you go slowly enough to appreciate every single spot of coastline and to really experience the changing landscape. We discovered so many unknown places that we probably would never have found if we hadn’t cycled past them.

It’s Budget Friendly

If you take the ferry to Jeju, like we did, you can take your bike on for free! Having our own bikes in Korea has been a great investment for us. It’s opened up so many free weekend activities and allows us to spend a lot less on public transport. Cycling is good for you, fun and 100% free! For the Jeju Fantasy Bike Path all you need to do is buy a passport (4,000 KRW – only if you want to collect stamps) and you’re on your way!

What if you don’t have a bike and don’t want to invest in one? There are various rental shops around the island hiring bikes for around 25,000 KRW per day. This might seem like a lot but, when you compare it to the absolutely extortionate price of hiring a car or scooter, it’s an okay deal. Plus, unlike cars and scooters, you don’t need to worry about the bureaucratic headache of obtaining an international driver’s license. Personally, I would just buy a bike and sell it on after the trip, or at the end of my contract.

Click here for my tips on how to save money travelling in Korea!

It’s Environmentally Friendly

Serious kudos to Vee who took this pic with his phone! #skills #photographygoals

Going to Jeju towards the end of the high season really opened our eyes to the amount of damage that mass tourism is doing to the island. We were shocked to see so much rubbish in the ocean, on the beaches and around most of the main tourist sites. One of the things that Jeju is renowned for is its clean fresh air which, sadly, isn’t as clean as it used to be. Taking a car to Jeju when there are other options just contributes to this problem. Take a bike and leave nothing but tire marks instead.

It’s an Amazing Achievement

Jeju Island is the largest island off the mainland of Korea. The cycle path that runs around it is 244km long. Personally, I think it’s an amazing achievement to be able to say that you’ve done that! Lying by the beach is all fun and well, but exploring an island by bike is even better!

One of the nicest things about cycling in Korea is the little bike passport that you get- I love being able to collect stamps for all the paths that I’ve done. It’s great for us to look back on and see just how many kilometres of Korea we have cycled!

It’s not as Difficult as you Think it is

You might be thinking that 244km sounds like a lot, and it is. But, if you break it down overall several days, it’s totally manageable. We spent 5 days cycling with plenty of breaks to explore so no day was too difficult. Plus, as it’s a coastal route, it’s fairly flat. (I say fairly because, well, it wasn’t quite as flat as we thought it would be. There were a  few climbs but nothing mental!) Seriously, YOU CAN DO IT!

Honestly guys, exploring Jeju by bike is the absolute best way to do it! Save money and help the environment while seeing every spot of Korea’s volcanic paradise! Plus, you can achieve something at the same time! Sound like a no brainer to me- if you can find the time while you’re here you will not regret it!

Interested in checking out more of Korea’s bike paths? Don’t miss Yeongsangang and Seomjingang!

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