Ulleungdo: Korea's Wildest Island, and How to Actually Get There

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Ulleungdo (울릉도) is a volcanic island in the East Sea, about six hours by ferry from Pohang (포항). Most people who visit Korea have never heard of it.

From the moment we got off the ferry at 6 am, the views were unreal. Everything seemed like it came straight out of a documentary or a movie. It's a part of Korea I had never experienced before. Jeju (제주) is amazing too, but Ulleungdo is on another level.

We spent a week there in July 2022, took it slow, and swam and snorkelled almost every day.

Ulleungdo at a glance

Ulleungdo is small, about 10 km across. A road runs all the way around the coast, and the mountains fill the middle, with Seonginbong (성인봉, 984 m) at the top. So you go around the island, not across it.

• Sadong Port (사동항), south: this is where the big overnight ferry from Pohang docks, and where you board it to go back. Ulleung Airport (울릉공항) is being built right next to it.
• Dodong (도동), southeast: the main town. Most of the restaurants, cafés, motels and shops are packed into one narrow valley here, and most buses start from here. Some fast ferries come in here too.
• Jeodong (저동), east, just north of Dodong: the fishing harbour, full of squid boats. The fast ferry from Gangneung (강릉) comes in here. The Haengnam Coastal Walk (행남해안산책로) connects Dodong and Jeodong, and Bongnae Falls (봉래폭포) is up the valley behind Jeodong.
• Northwest, Taeha (태하), Hyeonpo (현포) and Hakpo (학포): quieter, with the Taepunggam (대풍감) viewpoint and the best sunsets.
• North and northeast, Cheonbu (천부) and Nari Basin (나리분지): Cheonbu is where the small bus up to Nari Basin starts. Samseonam (삼선암) rocks and Gwaneumdo (관음도) island are on the northeast coast, and Kosmos (코스모스) sits at Chusan (추산) under the sharp peak of Songgotbong (송곳봉).

How to get to Ulleungdo

There's no airport yet. Ulleung Airport is set to open in 2028, so for now you go by boat.

Take the overnight ferry from Pohang

If you get seasick even a little, go from Pohang. Here's why:

• The New Seado Pearl (뉴씨다오펄) is a huge car ferry, so it barely moves.
• You sleep on board, so you save a night of accommodation. It can get loud at first, because the restaurant deck turns into something like a nightclub or a karaoke room. It quiets down later in the night. If you're a light sleeper, bring earplugs.
• Because the ship is so big, it rarely gets cancelled unless the weather is really bad. It may run less often in the off-season, so check the schedule.

From Seoul, take the KTX to Pohang (about 2.5 hours), then a taxi to Yeongilman Port (영일만항). If you get there early, Space Walk (스페이스워크) in Hwanho Park (환호공원) is a good way to spend the evening. It's a steel walkway shaped like a roller coaster on a hill above the city, and it's lit up at night.

The ferry leaves Yeongilman Port at 11 pm (11:50 pm in winter) and arrives at Sadong Port around 6 am.

• Cheapest cabin: a 6-person inside room, 81,500 won one way (2026, terminal fee included, fuel surcharge extra)
• Booking: I booked on the official website, ulcruise.co.kr. Annoyingly, there's no English version, so use your browser's translate button.
• Bring your passport. You can't board without valid ID.

What about the fast ferries?

Fast ferries from the east coast, from places like Gangneung, take about 3 hours. They also come with a lot of horror stories. Plenty of people say they nearly died of seasickness, even after taking pills or wearing motion-sickness patches. If you're even a little prone to seasickness, take the big ferry from Pohang.

Getting around: rent a car if you can

I took my own car over on the ferry, and it cost a fortune. Renting a car on the island is the better deal, and that's what I'd recommend. Small cars start at around 60,000 won a day.

Driving there is fine. The roads are narrow, with lots of tunnels and tight turns. When the wind and rain get really strong, small rocks sometimes come down from the cliffs. Not much you can do about that one. Life is luck.

The road around the island was only fully connected in 2019, so you can now drive the whole coast. To rent a car in Korea, foreign visitors need an International Driving Permit.

No car? Buses and taxis

• Buses: there are buses around the island, plus small buses to Nari Basin and Bongnae Falls, mostly starting from Dodong. They take forever to come: often once an hour, sometimes longer, and some routes stop early in the evening. A ride costs about 1,000 to 3,000 won. Get the timetable before you go and plan around it.
• Taxis: expensive, but worth it when the bus isn't coming. Dodong Port to Nari Basin is usually around 15,000 to 20,000 won. Ask roughly how much before you get in.

Swim and snorkel

We swam and snorkelled a lot. The biggest downside is getting in. There are no soft sandy entries, just rocks, so without water shoes your feet will hurt. The good part is that most swimming spots are inside small coves, so the water is very calm and easy to swim in.

Haengnam Coastal Walk: the best thing we did

Do this walk. It runs along the cliffs between Dodong and Jeodong ports, about 1.9 km one way, around an hour if you don't stop. You will stop, though. There are photo spots everywhere. Walkways are attached right onto the cliffs and go through narrow rock gorges with blue water underneath, and every corner shows you another cliff or cove. It closes in bad weather and for repairs, so check before you go.

Nari Basin

Nari Basin is unreal. It's a green basin in the middle of the mountains, and the only flat land on the island. When it rains, it's even better: fog rolls down the mountains and fills the whole basin.

Unless you really love namul (나물, seasoned wild greens), bring your own lunch. Gimbap (김밥) or triangle kimbap (삼각김밥) from a convenience store works. There isn't much to eat there, and honestly the food wasn't great. The café there was really nice, though.

Samseonam rocks

What to eat

To be honest, Ulleungdo doesn't really have a must-eat specialty restaurant. Local beef (hanu, 한우) and Dokdo shrimp (독도새우) are everywhere, and they're very expensive. If money is no issue, go for it.

What we actually liked:

• Maru Tongdak (마루통닭) in Dodong: garlic roast chicken, about 23,000 won for a whole chicken. So good.
• Arirang Gimbap (아리랑김밥): gimbap you won't find on the mainland. Some rolls are made with squid ink, there's a myeongi (명이, pickled wild garlic leaf) roll, and a spicy roll with dried squid and hot peppers that's very spicy. Rolls cost 6,000 to 7,000 won. Get the pumpkin sikhye (식혜) too, a sweet rice drink made with Ulleungdo pumpkin (6,000 won). They can sell out early.
• Chinese food near the port: any place is fine. Order tangsuyuk (탕수육, sweet and sour pork) and fried rice. Jjamppong (짬뽕) is very spicy, and jjajangmyeon (짜장면) is on the sweet side, so pick those only if you know you like them.
• Korean buffet (한식뷔페): cheap all-you-can-eat Korean home-style food (rice, soup and a long row of side dishes) for one fixed price. It's what locals and workers eat for lunch. Look for the 한식뷔페 sign near the ports.
• Self-catering: convenience stores sell pork belly, so if your place has a kitchen, you're set.

Where to stay

Most places on Ulleungdo are small guesthouses, motels and pensions. Where you stay depends on whether you have a car.

• No car? Stay in Dodong or Jeodong. If you're backpacking or getting around by bus, base yourself in the motels around Dodong or Jeodong. You'll find clean ones. It's one plain room and that's it, but the buses, restaurants and the coastal walk are all right there.
• Up north: Nyangkkone Guesthouse (냥꼬네 게스트하우스). We stayed here, and it's my top pick for the north side. It was a bit old back then, but it has since been fully remodelled and it looks great now. The owner goes fishing and cooks whatever he catches for guests in the evening, and from what I've seen he still does. It's an easy place to make friends. The other big plus is the sunrise. The sunrise photo below was taken about five minutes from the guesthouse.
• If you want to splurge: Kosmos in Chusan. It sits on a cliff right next to Songgotbong peak and was designed by architect Kim Chan-jung. It's very expensive and hard to book, and they ask you to reserve at least a month ahead. We didn't stay there.

→ See places to stay on Ulleungdo

Camping

We camped for part of the trip, and the views were great. There are two campsites I'd look at:

• Hakpo Campsite (학포캠핑장): on a cliff on the quiet west coast. Great sunsets, stars and waves, but the wind is brutal. It used to be first come, first served, but now you book it online.
• National Leisure Campsite (국민여가캠핑장): near the main town, so shops and restaurants are close. It's right by the road, but it's also right in front of the sea, so I'd take it.

One night we pitched our tent even though the wind was really strong, and it snapped one of the poles. That one's on us. Pitch when the wind is calm and you'll be fine.

Both campsites are booked through a Korean camping app called ThankQ Camping (땡큐캠핑). Bookings open at 9 am every day, up to a month ahead, for a maximum of 3 nights. Campfires and charcoal aren't allowed, and there are no power outlets at the pitches.

How many days?

We took it easy over a week. If you want to see a lot fast, 4 nights is enough, but plan around the ferry schedule and the weather. When the wind and rain get really bad, there's nothing you can do, so keep a spare day.

Getting back

The ferry back leaves Sadong Port around 12:20 pm and gets into Pohang around 6:40 pm. Don't sleep through the end of the ride. The sunset over the sea on the way back was incredible. Go out on deck for it.

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