Jeju is often touted as the Korean Hawaii as it’s a gorgeous place to visit with a lot of nature. There are many things to do on the island – you can even take a ferry to visit other nearby islands. But there are undoubtedly times when it rains in Jeju. The island receives most of its rainfall between the months of May and September, with July and August being the peak months for rain. So what do you do when it rains in Jeju? Luckily, I’ve prepared a list of 10 places to visit in Jeju when it rains.
Table of Contents
1. Bangju Church
Although temples are the place of worship most tourists visit, South Korea has some beautiful churches. Bangju Church, in Seogwipo city, also known as Church of Sky, is one of them.
It doesn’t really look like a church when you see it as it was designed by the Korean-Japanese architect Itami Jun almost a decade ago to represent Noah’s Ark. That’s why it’s also surrounded by water. Itami’s design really conveys how modernity meets tradition.
Bangju Church is close to another indoor activity on this list, which you’ll see below.
More info
| Cost: Free. |
| Hours: 9 am to 6 pm |
| Website: N/A |
2. Black Pork Street
Tourists and Koreans alike claim black pork to be the best type of pork in Korea and you can find an abundance of it in Jeju. In fact, the black pig is a native animal of the Island. This type of pork has a distinct and richer flavour compared to other types of meat when cooked.
A rainy day won’t stop you from visiting Black Pork Street in Jeju city. There are many famous restaurants on the street, so you won’t be disappointed.
Sadly, some restaurants try to scam tourists by serving them normal pork. So before you barbeque your black pork you should check its appearance. It should have some black spots on it from its black hair roots. It’s also redder than other kinds of pork.
More info
| Cost: It varies. |
| Hours: It varies. Some restaurants open in the late morning and close at midnight. |
| Website: N/A |
3. Bonte Museum
Bonte Museum is close to Bangju Church. In fact, you pass the church on the way to the museum. The museum was designed by self-taught Japanese architect Tadao Ando, and aims to show the beauty of both traditional and contemporary artwork.
It contains four galleries, which show you different sides of art. The first one focuses on traditional forms of art such as traditional handicrafts and furniture.
The second illustrates the fusion between traditional and modern art through sculpture and other artworks. You can also see Ando’s meditation room here with his original architecture sketches and designs.
The third gallery is a homage to Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama and features exhibits like “Infinity Mirrored Room”. And finally, the fourth gallery focuses on the theme of funerals and features the exhibition “Carriage to Heaven”.
You can also visit the Sculpture Garden outside which contains sculptures from famous artists such as David Gerstein. Art lovers will definitely love this place.
More info
| Cost: Adults – 20,000 won for adults/ Teens – 14,000 won/ Children – 12,000 won for children or seniors. You can find more prices on the museum’s official site. |
| Hours: 10 am to 6 pm. |
| Website: http://www.bontemuseum.com/eng_new/main.php |
4. Dongmun Market
Dongmun market is a short walk away from Black Pork Street so you can visit them both in one day. It’s always fascinating to visit Korean markets because you can observe the hustle and bustle of life and taste authentic Korean dishes and snacks. Thankfully, most of this market is indoors so you can enjoy your time there without worrying about getting wet.
There’s a ton of food to try like hotteok, a pancake with a sweet filling that can sometimes contain nuts. In fact, Dongmun market has many different types of hotteok you can taste (example?).
You can also try tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), mandu (steamed dumplings), and odeng (fish cakes).
The market is famous for fresh seafood too like eels and octopus as well as the famous Jeju tangerines.
You can also buy cheap souvenirs at the market.
More info
| Cost: It depends on what you buy. |
| Hours: 7 am to 8 pm. Closed on Sundays. |
| Website: http://dm.market.jeju.kr/index.php |
5. Haenyeo Museum
Haenyeo are female free divers who collect food such as shellfish and seaweed underwater without using any proper diving gear. The only items they use are goggles, a ball to keep their balance, and a basket to put their food in.
You can see haenyeo in action at Seongsan Ilchubong and other places, but dives may be cancelled if the weather’s bad, and you’ll surely want to see haenyeo in action when the weather’s better. So, a great alternative is to visit the Haenyeo Museum.
It was opened in 2003 to raise people’s awareness of the lives, history and work of haenyeo. The museum features pictures depicting the female free divers’ lives as well as recreations of their homes and even meals. There’s also an observatory and a souvenir shop to visit at the museum.
More info
| Cost: Adults -1000 won / Teens – 500 won. |
| Hours: 9 am to 6 pm. |
| Website: https://www.jeju.go.kr/haenyeo/index.htm |
6. Hello Kitty Island
Hello Kitty Island is a themed museum dedicated to the beloved Japanese character, so fans of this feline cutie will love this place. It’s filled with Hello Kitty statues, installations and artefacts. The museum space also has a Hello Kitty 3D cinema, café, constellation room and more. Even non-fans will find this place adorable and entertaining.
More info
| Cost: Adults – 14,000 won / Teenagers -13,000 won / Children – 11,000 won |
| Hours: 9 am to 6 pm. |
| Website: https://www.hellokittyisland.co.kr/museum/index.html |
7. Jeju April 3rd Peace Park
Jeju April 3rd Peace Park has a more sombre tone than the other tourist sites on this list, as it commemorates the Jeju residents who died during the Jeju Uprising. Although some of the site is outside, given that it’s a memorial park and cemetery, there’s also a museum that tourists can visit. It contains exhibits which explore the events that led up to the April 3rd incident as well as that occurred after that tragic day.
More info
| Cost: Free. |
| Hours: 9 am to 6 pm. Closed the first and third Monday of the month. |
| Website: https://jeju43peace.or.kr/ |
8. Jeju Folklore & Natural History Museum
Jeju Folklore & Natural History Museum, which opened in 1984, is the only folklore and natural history museum in South Korea. The museum’s four themed exhibition halls tell the cultural, historical and geological story of Jeju Island.
The natural history part of the museum features coastal fossils and rock samples, flora and fauna specimen. There’s even a miniature model recreating the volcanic eruption that formed the island.
On the other hand, the folklore collections include cultural exhibition halls, where visitors can see dioramas that depict Jeju’s ancient and modern cultural tradition.
More info
| Cost: Adults – 2000 won/ Teens 1000 won |
| Hours: 8.30 am to 6.30 pm. |
| Website: http://museum.jeju.go.kr/ |
9. Jeju Nanta Theatre
Nanta is normally associated with Seoul, as the non-verbal Korean musical performance originated in this city. However, there’s also a Nanta Theatre within Jeju Media Center located in the northern part of Jeju Island.
Given that Nanta focuses more on “Samulnori” (a genre of Korean percussion music) and acrobatic cooking and dancing rather than words, you’ll enjoy the performance even if you speak no Korean.
More info
| Cost: VIP – 60,000 won/ S – 50,000 won/ A- 40,000 won. |
| Hours: Shows start at 5 pm. |
| Website: http://nanta.i-pmc.co.kr/Nanta/en/About/nantaTheater04.aspx |
Teseum Jeju
Teseum Jeju, also known as Teseum Safari is one of the first museums in the world to exhibit different types of teddy bears. If you love teddies then this museum is the perfect place for you.
The museum contains over two large floors of teddy bears arranged in cute poses. The collection is so varied that you can even see teddy bears shaped liked tigers, elephants, sharks, dolphins and on characters from Greek mythology. Visitors can also take photos with the teddies and famous tourist sites.
More info
| Cost: Adults – 10,500 won / Teenagers – 9,000 won / Children – 8,000 won |
| Hours: 8.30 am to 7 pm. |
| Website: http://www.teseumjeju.com/ |
