Jeongbang Waterfall on Jeju Island: What can you expect?
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The Jeongbang Falls are one of the main natural attractions people come to Jeju Island to see. It’s a cascading waterfall that towers above us and is located where the river meets the sea in the Seogwipo area.
They stand at 23 m (75.4 ft) high and are located on the edge of a small cliff in the south. During the rainy season (July and August), the falls can significantly increase their size to a width of up to 8 m.
When you think about all the natural sites to be seen across Korea’s only tropical island of Jeju, Jeongbang Waterfall is definitely up there at the top of the list. This is one of multiple waterfalls within a short distance that definitely deserves recognition.
I visited Jeju Island multiple times during my working holiday visa to Korea. Let me show you how to apply for your own visa and even how to get set up as an expat after you arrive!
| Country: | South Korea (Republic of Korea) |
| Currency: | South Korean Won / KRW |
| Do you need a visa to visit as tourists? | Check here |
Jeongbang Waterfall Cost & Opening Times
You can visit the Jeongbang Waterfall on Jeju Island between 9 am and 5.40 pm 7 days a week. There is a slight difference in the opening times between the summer and winter seasons, but only by about 1 hour. I’d recommend checking the official website before you visit just to be safe.
Luckily, you do not need to buy tickets in advance. You can purchase tickets at the entrance to the waterfall park on the day. Make sure to hold on to your ticket as you will need to
| Ticket Type | Ticket Cost |
|---|---|
| Adult | 2,000 won / £1.20 |
| Adult Group | 1,600 won / £0.96p |
| Children | 1,000 won / £0.60p |
| Children Group | 600 won / £0.36p |
Want some more inspiration for your trip to Jeju Island? Check these out:
- Gwaneumsa Trail: Hiking the Steepest trail of Mt.Hallasan
- Taking the Seongpanak trail to the Hallasan peak
- Cherry blossoms in Jeju City – where can you find them?
What to Expect: the Jeongbang Falls in Jeju
The Entrance
You will first enter a large car park which is right next to the entrance. This car park is huge and has more than enough space for a large number of visitors at any one time. Unlike many other tourist attractions, you don’t need to worry about getting there at a particular time just to guarantee a parking space.
Before you can enter the park to see the Jeongbang waterfall, you will need to purchase your ticket at the entrance. Once purchased, you will be given a paper ticket that looks like a receipt – KEEP IT SAFE! You will need to show this ticket in a few minutes at the entrance stairway into the park. Don’t do what my friend did and crumple it up assuming it was just a receipt that she didn’t need anymore.
Park staff will collect your tickets when you descend the first staircase. It is just a small window to your right-hand side with a ticket agent inside. If you try to walk past it, they will flag you down.
The Staircases
In total, there are 130 stairs to climb down from the entrance to the waterfall itself. Some of these steps are steep and during bad weather, it can become extremely slippery. As you descend the wooden staircases you’ll come to 2 or 3 small viewpoints that overlook the small bay beneath you.
It’s also here that you’ll get the first glimpse of the stunning Jeonbang Waterfall you travelled to Jeju to see.
The Forest trail
OK, so this isn’t much of a trail as you’d get during an actual hike. But it’s a short walk on a paved path between the staircases and the base of the waterfall. This area can get extremely slippery (I nearly fell over on two occasions) so please take extra caution when walking through here.
You’ll see a few different signs along the short path which will start to introduce you to the falls as well as warn you about a few of the risks in the area (we will come back to those later in the post).
If you are interested in hiking, Check out some of these popular trails in Korea:
- Jirisan Mountain, Cheonwangbong Peak: Biggest on the Korean mainland
- Jangsan Mountain, Busan’s popular city hike
- Seunghaksan Mountain: Completing the Loop Trail
- Geumjeongsan Mountain, Hiking the highest peak in Busan
The Jeongbang Waterfall in Jeju
Once you have finished the short walk from the stairs through the forest path, you will see a clearing onto a large pile of rocks. Hundreds of boulders and stones fill the space between you and the ocean.
To your right, you’ll see the huge Jeongbang Falls falling into a pool of water and likely you’ll see a lot of tourists trying to snap the perfect photograph. They’ll be climbing across the rocks and trying to avoid each other’s cameras while setting up their own tripods.
There are no boardwalks and there is no flat ground for you to walk on to get close to the waterfall. This means your only option is to climb across some of the large rocks. If you do this, I would recommend wearing appropriate footwear as flip-flops might not be too suitable. If you are close to the rocks you will likely be splashed too so make sure you’re prepared to get wet!
How to get to the Jeongbang Waterfall in Jeju
Location: 278 Donghong-dong Seogwipo-si Jeju-do ( 제주 서귀포시 칠십리로214번길 37 )
There are only two ways to get to Jeju Island and that is either to fly or take the ferry. Since the ferry to Jeju takes 12 hours from Busan, the majority of visitors to the island choose to fly.
From Jeju City Airport (CJU) which is located in the north of the island, you would need to travel to the south side of Jeju to reach the waterfall. There are two ways you can get there: Drive yourself or take the bus.
Bus
Travelling by bus will take you up to 2 hours to get there.
- Take the 182 Express Bus from stop 제주국제공항5 (평화로,800번 ) near Jeju Airport for 10 stops which will take roughly 1 hour and 9 minutes.
- Get off at stop 제주월드컵경기장서귀포버스터이널(낭)
- Take the 600 Bus from the Jeju World Cup Stadium bus stop for 3 stops which will take 15 minutes.
- Get off at the Seobok Exhibit Hall stop
- You will then only have a 6-minute walk to reach the waterfall
Driving
When travelling by public transport you should take your T Money card with you and make sure it is topped up.
The quickest and easiest way to get around Jeju Island is by driving so if you are able to, I would highly recommend getting a rental car during your trip. There are a few options for renting cars on the island but one of my go-to companies is Rentals Cars. You can rent a car through them here.
Driving from Jeju City Airport will take you around 1 hour to reach the falls.
Things to be cautious of near Jeongbang Falls
You will need to take care when travelling through the Jeongbang Falls Park in Jeju because much of the area can become slippery. The surface of the wooden staircases can be very dangerous during rainfall and the waterfall itself can splash quite a far distance.
There are no rules about climbing over the rocks but if you should choose to, you need to be careful.
The sea and the tide can also be dangerous if you go to the falls at the wrong time. During high tide, many of the rocks can be hidden by the water which can make it much harder to walk over them. This could result in injury so again, make sure you use caution in the area at all times.
Where to stay near Jeongbang Falls on Jeju Island
Since Jeongbang Falls is located in Seogwipo in the south of Jeju Island, this is the best city to arrange accommodation in when planning a trip. I often travel solo so I tend to stay in hostels where I can meet other solo travellers easily. To do this, I usually book accommodation through HostelWorld.
If you’re not a fan of hostels or you would prefer to have a more luxurious hotel stay, you could instead choose to stay at a property listed on Booking.com. They are the largest accommodation rental platform worldwide and have something for everybody!
Have you been to the Jeongbang Waterfall? What did you think?
