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Yeosu
South Korea / Jeolla: Jeonju, Yeosu & Suncheon / Yeosu

Yeosu

Night Sea, Island Temples and a Cable Car over the Bay

Plan this trip
2 daysIdeal stay₹4,680From / night₹1,940Food / day₹1,220Entry

A port at the end of the KTX Jeolla line, known across Korea for its harbour at night (the song "Yeosu Bam Bada"): the Yeosu Maritime Cable Car over the bay to Dolsan, the camellia island of Odongdo, Hyangiram hermitage on the cliffs above the sunrise, and the 2012 Expo site. Seafood alleys, especially gejang (raw marinated crab), line the harbour. Suncheon Bay is 20 minutes away; ferries run to Jeju.

Highlights

  • Maritime cable car at night
  • Odongdo camellia island
  • Sunrise at Hyangiram hermitage
  • Romantic Pocha harbour stalls
  • Gejang (marinated crab)
  • Expo Ocean Park light show
  • Island cruises in Hallyeo waterway

Things to do

  • Yeosu Maritime Cable Car to Dolsan (book the evening)Evening · 1h 30m
  • Sunrise at Hyangiram hermitageMorning · 2h 30m
  • Odongdo island walkMorning · 2h
  • Harbour night cruiseEvening · 1h 30m
  • Romantic Pocha seafood streetEvening · 2h

Tours & tickets

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When to go

Best time: April – June, September – November

Worth knowing

Jangma: the Summer Monsoon

The monsoon (jangma) brings days of heavy rain from late June to late July, hot and humid in between. Flash floods can close riverside parks, mountain trails and some roads. Plan museums, markets and indoor days, carry an umbrella, and keep hiking days flexible.

Worth knowing

Typhoon Season

⚠️ Typhoons reach Korea mostly in August and September, and Jeju and the south coast take the brunt: flights and ferries are cancelled for a day or two, beaches close and coastal walks are shut. Watch the forecast in the week before, book refundable flights to and from Jeju, and keep a spare day before your flight home.

Worth knowing

Seollal (Lunar New Year) Travel Rush

Seollal falls on 6 February 2027 (holidays 5-7 February). Trains, express buses and Jeju flights sell out weeks ahead, expressways jam, and many small restaurants and shops close for the three days. Book every train and flight that week early, or stay in one city over the holiday.

Worth knowing

Chuseok Holiday Rush

Chuseok, the harvest holiday, falls on 15 September 2027 (holidays 14-16 September; in 2026 it was 24-26 September). KTX and bus seats for the holiday sell out within hours of opening, roads are gridlocked, and many shops and family restaurants close. Stay put over the three days and book any train before or after them.

  • Seollal (Lunar New Year) — Three days of family holiday when much of Korea travels home: KTX, SRT and express-bus seats sell out weeks ahead, Gimpo–Jeju flights are full, and many small restaurants, markets and shops close. Palaces and the big sights stay open, often with folk games and free entry days. Avoid moving between cities on the first and last day.
  • Chuseok (harvest festival) — Korea's biggest holiday: tens of millions travel to their home towns, trains and buses sell out the day bookings open, expressways jam, and many family restaurants, markets and shops shut for the three days. Seoul's palaces and folk villages hold events. Plan to stay put in one city over the holiday, and book any train before it.