Jeju Island 2-Day Itinerary: A Mother-Daughter Taxi Tour Adventure
Day 2 of our 2-night, 3-day Jeju Island trip!
Following our Day 1 adventures, Day 2 was packed with a taxi tour starting in Aewol and covering the western part of the island, passing through O'sulloc Tea Museum and Saebyeol Oreum, and ending in Jungmun.
My sister, mother, and I went on a mother-daughter trip, and booking the taxi tour was a great decision. We took so many photos and had a comfortable and enjoyable trip.
Let's start!
First stop: Lunch!
Aewol Restaurant Recommendation: Jeju Gwanghae
I found Jeju Gwanghae while searching for restaurants in Aewol. We decided to go because of a review that said it was the most satisfying meal their parents had in Jeju. It was close to our accommodation, Tamras Stay, so we checked out early and arrived right at 10 AM when it opened.
We arrived a little early and looked around the souvenir shop on the first floor before heading up. We ordered the small braised cutlassfish set menu, which was the perfect amount for the three of us. The set included grilled mackerel, soy sauce marinated crab, and spicy marinated crab.
The food was delicious, and I loved the window seat with the ocean view! We managed to get this spot by arriving right when they opened. The braised cutlassfish included abalone and rice cakes. Like everything in Jeju, it was a bit pricey.
After lunch, we met our taxi tour driver and headed towards Aewol Cafe Street. Driving along the Aewol coastal road and admiring the blue sea felt so refreshing and like we were really on vacation!
Cafe Street was crowded, so our driver dropped us off in a quieter area near the coast. He told us where to get some great photos and that it was about a 5-minute walk to the main area along the coast.
The blue sea visible along the way was simply breathtaking... The weather was also perfect, which made it even better!
Jeju Saddler Haus
Our original destination was Knotted Doughnut, but we stopped at Saddler Haus because it was nearby (both are now gone, unfortunately).
The Aewol Saddler store was so pretty, so we took lots of pictures. We even took photos under a large palm tree that made us feel like we were really on vacation! I love croffles, but the Saddler Haus in Seoul isn’t easily accessible, so I decided to visit here during my Jeju trip. After buying some croffles, we moved on to the Knotted Doughnut store.
Jeju Knotted Doughnut
The Knotted Doughnut shop has since relocated from Aewol Cafe Street to near Jeju Airport, but back then, the giant pink bear at the entrance was a landmark!
We took pictures with the bear! There was also a small bench that read "Welcome to Knotted Jeju" where we could take more photos. The two-story Knotted store was located inside a large yard! We had pre-ordered the day before, but it wasn’t quite pick-up time yet, so we decided to look around the area a bit more.
Right next to it was Downtowner, so we took a commemorative photo with a Dol hareubang (stone grandpa)! But, this is also gone now… Saddler, Knotted, and Downtowner have all disappeared from Aewol Cafe Street! The rent must be incredibly high there...!
Just a bit further, we could see the ocean! Right in front of the sea was a large ocean-view cafe with outdoor tables that looked like they were straight out of Hawaii. It was probably High End Jeju, known for its amazing views.
We enjoyed the scenery until it was time to pick up our donuts. Then, we quickly headed back to Knotted.
I bought all my favorite flavors (milk cream, Earl Grey, vanilla cream, kaya butter, lemon cream) and Jeju-exclusive flavors (matcha cream, Hallabong cream)! It’s very sweet and fattening, but it’s so delicious!
We headed back to meet our taxi driver! We couldn't pass up the beautiful ocean and scenery along the coastal walking path!
We stopped to take pictures and then continued on!
Hyeopjae Beach
After another drive, we arrived at Hyeopjae Beach! There was a small stone wall where people were swimming and surfing. I wonder if it was a surfing school..? Black basalt and emerald seas. The Jeju sea is truly beautiful! I spent some time admiring the view. The taxi driver dropped us off and left us to take photos and enjoy ourselves. I wish I had brought a swimsuit to enjoy the beach. Next time, I'll definitely swim!
My sister and I took lots of photos with the beautiful Jeju sea as our backdrop. The wind was so strong it was hard to take good pictures! Here's my mom's perspective of my sister and I passionately trying to capture the perfect shot for each other. I didn't realize how intensely we were taking photos! And a funny photo my sister took of me. I have no idea why I was posing like that!
O'sulloc Tea Museum
We initially planned to have lunch near Hyeopjae Beach, but we weren't hungry after our late brunch, so we headed straight to O'sulloc. The driver dropped us off at O'sulloc and left to have lunch. We got matcha ice cream and cold green tea. It was so crowded! It felt like a market. There were tea tasting and scent experiences, but it was too chaotic. We just ate and left quickly. Outside, there was a cute baby horse statue, so I took photos of my mom and sister. I couldn't ride it in my skirt.
As we strolled around, we noticed something in the distance… Horses! We were so amazed! It was so peaceful and beautiful! Seeing horses grazing in the green fields made me feel like I was finally in Jeju. After lunch, the taxi driver returned, and he took lovely photos of us in the green tea fields. If you visit Jeju O'sulloc, you have to take a photo in the green tea fields! After taking pictures, we quickly got in the car to head to our last stop: Saebyeol Oreum!
Saebyeol Oreum
We stopped briefly to take pictures with the Lonely Tree on the way to Saebyeol Oreum. I saw it on Instagram and thought it would be pretty, but the tree had no leaves when I went. It didn't look as nice as I had expected. But there were still many people lining up to take pictures! I was so disappointed, I didn't even take a picture!
The driver said this was better, so he took a photo from afar that included Saebyeol Oreum. I guess it was just an Instagram illusion. Disappointed with the Lonely Tree, we arrived at Saebyeol Oreum! The driver suggested we take the less steep route that goes up one way and down the other.
Tip: From the parking lot, the path to the right is easier for climbing. The path to the left is better for descending, as it has a gentler slope. It takes about 20 minutes to climb one way, so you should plan for a total of 40 minutes to 1 hour for the round trip!
Saebyeol Oreum is famous for its beautiful reeds and silver grass in the fall! We visited in late April, so we didn’t see the reeds, but if you visit in late October to early November, you can see the silver grass in full bloom, creating a stunning silver wave across the Jeju landscape. Saebyeol Oreum is known for its autumn scenery, but it was still beautiful in the spring!
We reached the summit and took pictures! We took a photo in front of the monument at the top. The driver's route was relatively easy, but the altitude was surprisingly high, at 519.3 meters! It would be beautiful to watch the sunset from Saebyeol Oreum, but we skipped lunch and were hungry, so we quickly descended and headed to our accommodation.
Jeju Black Pork: Masitssuda Jungmun Main Branch
We checked into Hidden Cliff Hotel near Jungmun, dropped off our luggage, and went out for dinner. The driver dropped us off in front of the hotel, and our taxi tour came to an end. We found Masitssuda, a restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. It was about a 5-minute walk from Hidden Cliff Hotel. We ordered Jeju black pork belly and kimchi stew. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't incredibly memorable. It was just okay.
There was a large yard and swing chair in front of the restaurant, so we took a few photos. There was also a photo spot like stairs leading to the sky. It was scarier than it looked! My mom took a photo of my sister and I. Be careful if you take photos here! There's a sign warning you to watch out and not fall!
Hidden Cliff Hotel Swimming Pool (Full Moon Night in Music)
After dinner, we returned to the hotel and went to the highlight of Hidden Cliff... the infinity pool! It's free for hotel guests, but after 7:30 PM, they have a "Full Moon Night in Music" event with music and a party-like atmosphere. This requires a separate admission fee of 20,000 KRW per person. We had been busy all day with the taxi tour and checked in late, so we bought evening tickets because it would have been a shame to only use the pool the next morning.
The Full Moon Night in Music was fun with the pretty lights and music! The water was warm, but it was still cold in April, so we came up before it closed. Thanks to the taxi tour, we had an amazing experience!
Even though it was a trip without a rental car, and we relied on public transportation, it turned out to be fantastic. I hope you consider the tips I shared today.
Stay tuned for the Day 3 review soon!
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