It starts in the forest: wooden steps, mist, no view at all.
Above the tree line the mountain opens up – in May the azaleas run all the way to the top.
At the very top there is a lake in a crater. To see it you need a reservation.
Scroll –
from the forest to the crater lake
At 1,947 m (6,388 ft) Hallasan is the highest mountain in South Korea and a dormant shield volcano: no gas vents, no alert level. Closures here are caused by weather and construction, not by lava. The national park charges no entrance fee. But the summit, Baengnokdam, is only for those who booked online – and who reach the intermediate shelter early enough.
Running normally according to the reservation system. A free online reservation is required; QR code and ID are checked at the trailhead. Jindallaebat shelter (km 7.3) has to be passed by 12:00, 12:30 or 1:00 pm depending on the season.
The section from Samgakbong to Baengnokdam has been closed since 1 August for rockfall protection. It reopens on 24 September 2026 at 5 am; bookings for 24–30 September opened on 21 September. Steeper than Seongpanak, with long flights of steps.
The secondary trails to Witseoreum shelter need no reservation: Eorimok 6.8 km, Yeongsil 5.8 km, about three hours up. No summit, but the view of the south face – the choice for anyone without a summit slot.
When a storm, heavy rain, snow or typhoon warning is issued, park management closes the trails entirely or from the shelters upward – even for people holding a reservation. The daily status is on visithalla.jeju.go.kr under “real-time summit access control”.
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Jeju is Hallasan. Around 360 cinder cones sit on its flanks, and the whole mountain is a national park, a biosphere reserve and a World Heritage site. The summit hike is not climbing, it is endurance: 1,200 m (3,900 ft) of ascent, lava rock, boardwalks, steps – and a clock that runs alongside you.
From Seongpanak it starts flat, hours of forest between beeches and dwarf bamboo, with no view. Only at Jindallaebat shelter does the mountain open up: above the tree line the ground turns wide, azaleas bloom in May and June, and in autumn the leaves turn. The last stretch is steep, and then you stand at the rim of Baengnokdam, the “lake of the white deer” – a collapse crater about 100 m (330 ft) deep, holding a lake that is broad after rain and often little more than a puddle in late summer.
On the summit it is usually ten degrees colder than on the coast and windy; in clear weather the view runs across the whole island to the sea. Nothing is sold up there, not even at the shelters. Anyone cooking noodles carries the broth back down. And by 1:30, 2:00 or 2:30 pm – depending on the season – the summit has to be empty.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 22 September 2026. None of these round tours takes you to the summit at Baengnokdam – that would require the group to hold its own reservations and a full day. They show Hallasan from below or on short trails and combine it with Seongsan Ilchulbong, Manjanggul cave or the waterfalls near Seogwipo. For the summit, book yourself; see below. Prices were collected in euros.
Since 2021 the Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa trails have run on a reservation system with a daily quota. It costs nothing, but several guidebooks report that weekend slots are gone within minutes. Bookings only at visithalla.jeju.go.kr – in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese.
That is when booking opens for the whole following month – 9 am Korean time. Weekends and public holidays fill immediately, weekdays often stay free until shortly before. Cancellations release slots continuously, so a second look pays off.
Name and phone number or email (visitors without a Korean number use email verification). Always take the earliest window: starting at 8 am makes the midday cut-off at the shelter almost impossible. Incomplete bookings are deleted by the system after a day.
The QR code arrives after confirmation, covers entry and exit and is tied to one person. Code and ID (passport or a legible copy) are checked at the kiosk. Save a screenshot – there is no reception everywhere on the mountain.
Anyone who does not turn up and does not cancel by the day before is blocked from booking for three months, and for a year on the second occasion. Passing on your code: one year. Without a reservation there is only a chance at the kiosk if slots are free – nobody should count on it.
The cut-off does not apply at the parking lot but at the intermediate shelter: Jindallaebat (Seongpanak, km 7.3) and Samgakbong (Gwaneumsa, km 6). Arrive later and you are sent back – with or without a reservation. The park's reservation guide lists three seasons; the trail pages give different figures (see the note below the table).
| Winter (November–February) · entry from 6:00 am | shelter by 12:00 · leave summit by 1:30 pm |
| Spring and autumn (March, April, September, October) · entry from 5:30 am | shelter by 12:30 pm · leave summit by 2:00 pm |
| Summer (May–August) · entry from 5:00 am | shelter by 1:00 pm · leave summit by 2:30 pm |
| National park entrance, all trails · reservation Seongpanak/Gwaneumsa | free · no charge |
| Parking, car, at the park lots · first hour, then 500 KRW per 20 min., daily maximum 13,000 KRW (about US$9) | 1,000 KRW (about US$0.70) |
| Gwaneumsa campground per night · pitch 11–30 m² / from 31 m² | 7,000 / 9,000 KRW (about US$5 / 6.50) |
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0
All trails are waymarked, with kilometer markers and shelters; there is no requirement to hire a guide. A popular plan: up Gwaneumsa, down Seongpanak, back on bus 281. For the descent the booking for the ascent trail is enough in practice – have it confirmed on site.
| Seongpanak Trail · 9.6 km (6 miles) one way · 750 → 1,947 m · reservation required | The park allows 4.5 hours one way; 8–9 hours round trip is realistic. Long but even: grade C (easy) to the Sara-ak spring, B to Jindallaebat, A (hard) on the summit section. No kiosk, three restrooms. Parking lot with 156 spaces, usually full before dawn; overflow lot with shuttle at Jeju International University. Bus 281 stops at the trailhead. |
| Gwaneumsa Trail · 8.7 km (5.4 miles) one way · 620 → 1,947 m · reservation required | The park allows 5 hours one way, 10 hours round trip. Steeper and more scenic: Tamna valley, Samgakbong shelter (km 6), the Yongjingak suspension bridge, long flights of steps; grades B and A. Parking lot with 192 spaces, bus 475 from 6:20 am every 45–90 minutes – many take a taxi early. Closed above Samgakbong until 23 September 2026. |
| Eorimok Trail · 6.8 km to Witseoreum (1,700 m) · no reservation | About 3 hours up from the visitor center (park headquarters). From the shelter on to Yeongsil or Donnaeko, not to the summit. Entry cut-off per the guide between noon (winter) and 3 pm (summer), return from Witseoreum by 3, 4 or 5 pm. |
| Yeongsil Trail · 5.8 km to Witseoreum · no reservation | The shortest way above the tree line, boardwalks, the view of the Yeongsil rock pillars and the south face; azalea fields in early summer. Same cut-off times as Eorimok. |
| Winter (roughly late November to March) · all trails | Without crampons or microspikes you are not let in (per the guidebooks; the park writes “bring 아이젠”). Plus gaiters, hat, gloves, a thermos. Rentals are in outdoor shops in Jeju City, not in the park. |
Photo: Jaccoob23 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Without a car: Seongpanak: route 281 (Jeju Bus Terminal – Seogwipo, stops on the 5.16 Road right at the trailhead) every 10–14 minutes from about 6 am; express buses 181/182 every 30–50 minutes (181 from the airport, about 40–50 minutes). Gwaneumsa: route 475 from Jeju City (change at Jeju National University), first run 6:20 am, last 7:45 pm, every 45–90 minutes; because of the thin schedule many take an early taxi (guides: 15,000–25,000 KRW from Jeju City, 20% night surcharge). Popular combination: up Gwaneumsa, down Seongpanak, back on the 281.
By car: Seongpanak: 156 spaces, full very early according to the park notice of 5 June 2026; free overflow lot (199 spaces) at Jeju International University with a shuttle along the 5.16 Road. Roadside parking is enforced. Gwaneumsa: 192 spaces including bus, disabled and EV spaces. Parking fee per the park's fee page: 1,000 KRW first hour, then 500 KRW per 20 minutes, max. 13,000 KRW per day.
October to early November (fall foliage, clear views, mild temperatures) and May/June (azalea bloom at Jindallaebat, mid-May to early June). Winter is spectacular, but only with crampons and in stable weather; closures for snow and storms are frequent. July and August bring monsoon rain, heat in the lowlands and typhoons – weeks with closures. Always take the earliest entry window: anyone starting late will not make the midday cut-off at the shelter. Baengnokdam holds much water only after rain; in late summer the lake is often small.
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0
The UNESCO World Heritage site “Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes” has three parts: Hallasan, the tuff cone Seongsan Ilchulbong and the Geomunoreum lava tube system with Manjanggul cave. The two smaller sites need no booking, cost a few thousand won and fit into half a day.
A tuff cone formed in shallow water about 6,700 years ago on the east coast, with a crater roughly 600 m across. Stairs to the crater rim in 20–30 minutes. Opens between 4:30 and 6 am depending on the season for sunrise; the ticket office closes an hour before the site. Closed the first Monday of the month. The coastal path below is free, and Jeju residents pay nothing.
Closed for two and a half years after the rockfall of December 2023, open again since 30 May 2026 with a continuous stainless-steel deck, rockfall protection and dimmed LED light. About 1 km is walkable, up to the 7.6 m lava column. 11–15 °C (52–59 °F), bring a jacket. Daily 9 am–6 pm, last entry 5 pm; closed the first Wednesday of the month.
The destination of the Eorimok and Yeongsil trails: the view of Hallasan's south face, azalea fields in early summer. No summit, no booking – and the better hike for families with younger children.
Without a rental car the sites on the east coast are tedious by bus. The guided day tours drive them in one loop – usually Seongsan Ilchulbong, the haenyeo diving women's show and Manjanggul cave. What exactly is included is in the operator's title and description.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 22 September 2026. Prices are per person; entrance fees such as the 5,000 KRW for Seongsan Ilchulbong may or may not be included, depending on the operator – read the listing before booking. Prices were collected in euros.
Photo: AhmadElq · CC BY-SA 4.0
Not to the summit. Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa require a booking; QR code and ID are checked at the trailhead. Without one you still have the secondary trails Eorimok, Yeongsil and Donnaeko up to Witseoreum shelter at 1,700 m – free to walk, but no crater lake.
On the first working day of each month at 9 am Korean time, for the whole following month. Weekend and holiday slots are gone within minutes according to guidebooks; weekdays stay free longer, and cancellations release slots continuously.
Seongpanak is longer (9.6 km) but more even and has the better bus link (route 281). Gwaneumsa is shorter (8.7 km), steeper, with a suspension bridge and more views – and closed above Samgakbong until 23 September 2026. Many go up Gwaneumsa and down Seongpanak.
Until 23 September 2026 yes, above Samgakbong shelter, for rockfall protection. From 24 September 2026, 5 am, it is open again; booking for 24–30 September started on 21 September. The work is the start of a five-year plan covering all five main trails, so further closures are to be expected.
Yes. From roughly late November to March you are not let in without microspikes, according to guidebooks; park management lists them as required gear on its home page. Rentals are in outdoor shops in Jeju City, not in the park.
Bus 281 from Jeju bus terminal (every 10–14 minutes from about 6 am) stops right at the trailhead on Route 5.16; express buses 181/182 run every 30–50 minutes, with 181 taking 40–50 minutes from the airport. We could not verify the fares officially; guidebooks quote up to 3,000 KRW.
As of 22 September 2026, yes. The Seongpanak Trail is operating normally; the Gwaneumsa Trail was closed for construction above Samgakbong until 30 September and reopens on 24 September 2026 at 5 am. Short-notice weather closures are posted daily in the reservation system visithalla.jeju.go.kr.
For the two summit trails Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa, yes – free, online, with a QR code and ID check at the trailhead. Booking opens on the first working day of the previous month at 9 am Korean time. The secondary trails Eorimok, Yeongsil and Donnaeko can be walked without a reservation but do not lead to the summit.
Nothing. Entrance and reservation are free. You only pay for parking (1,000 KRW for the first hour, then 500 KRW per 20 minutes, at most 13,000 KRW per day) or, if you want, the summit certificate.
There are daily quotas per trail; guides quote 1,000 places for Seongpanak and 500 for Gwaneumsa for 2026. The park management shows the free places in the booking system. Weekends and holidays are usually sold out within minutes.
The cut-off applies at the intermediate shelter: Jindallaebat (Seongpanak) or Samgakbong (Gwaneumsa) must be passed by 12 noon in winter, 12:30 pm in spring/fall and 1 pm in summer. The summit must be left by 1:30, 2:00 or 2:30 pm. Entry is from 6, 5:30 or 5 am.
Via Seongpanak the park allows 4.5 hours one way, via Gwaneumsa 5 hours; round trip is 8–10 hours. With breaks and photo stops at the crater lake, plan the whole day and start early.
Yes, there is no guide requirement. The trails are marked, with shelters and kilometer posts. The park only advises against going alone because the summit trails are long and strenuous.
The summit is for fit children from about age ten – 19 km (12 miles) and 1,200 m (3,900 ft) of climbing. With smaller children, Eorimok or Yeongsil to the Witseoreum shelter (1,700 m) are better; no reservation is needed for those.
Sturdy hiking boots, wind and rain jacket, a warm layer for the summit, 1.5–2 liters of water, food and a trash bag. In winter microspikes are mandatory, plus gaiters, hat and gloves. Nothing is sold on the trails or at the shelters.
To the Seongpanak trailhead: bus 281 (from Jeju Bus Terminal, every 10–14 minutes) and express buses 181/182 (181 from the airport, 40–50 minutes). To the Gwaneumsa trailhead: bus 475 from 6:20 am every 45–90 minutes; many take an early taxi. The Seongpanak lot (156 spaces) is full before dawn; overflow lot with shuttle at Jeju International University.
It is considered dormant: no eruption for about a thousand years, no gases, no reported unrest. The dangers are weather changes, wind and ice on the summit plateau, and time pressure from the cut-off times – not the volcano.
Anyone who does not come and does not cancel is banned from booking for three months, one year the second time. Anyone passing on their QR code is banned for a year. Cancelling online up to the day before has no consequences.
Yes, as a half-day trip on the east coast: 182 m (597 ft) tuff cone, UNESCO World Heritage, 20–30 minutes of stairs to the crater rim, 5,000 KRW (Jeju residents free), sunrise opening from 4:30–6 am depending on season, closed the first Monday of the month. The coastal path below is free.
Sources · accessed on 22 September 2026
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