Private Driver or Rental Car in Jeju?

Renting a car is the cheapest way around Jeju if you hold a paper International Driving Permit and are happy to drive with a Korean map app; a private driver is worth it when you have no permit, only a day or two, or want someone to plan the route and explain what you see. Buses reach the big sights but slowly, and the island is about 73 km across. If you want a guide as well as a driver, LOVE KOREA’s private car charter with a licensed guide runs 9 hours for up to six, from US$324 for the group (checked October 2026).

Check private charter dates

What a foreigner needs to rent a car in Jeju

The rental companies at Jeju Airport ask for four things: your home driving licence, held for at least a year; a paper International Driving Permit, the grey A6 booklet issued under the 1949 Geneva or the 1968 Vienna convention; your passport; and a credit card in the driver’s name. Digital and plastic permits are refused, and so are the “international driver’s licences” sold online by private companies. The permit has to come from your home country before you travel; it cannot be issued in Korea. A 1949 Geneva permit meets every company’s rule.

Driving and finding your way

The roads are good and the island is small, but navigation is the catch: Google Maps does not give driving directions in Korea, so drivers use Naver Map or KakaoMap. Plan for parking at the busy sights, Seongsan Ilchulbong and the waterfalls by Seogwipo above all. And one place a rental car usually cannot go: Udo, the island off the east coast. Rental cars are generally not allowed on the ferry, with exceptions such as an overnight stay, so most visitors leave the car at Seongsan Port and take the 10 to 15-minute crossing on foot.

Taxis, Kakao T and Uber

Yes, you can use Uber on Jeju, and Kakao T and K.Ride work too, which makes single rides easy, from the airport to a hotel or across town for dinner. For a full day of sightseeing a metered taxi is the wrong tool, because the sights are far apart. That is what the taxi tours are for: Jeju English Taxi Tour’s private taxi tour is a licensed guide-driver booked by the day, US$238 for up to four. For the airport run alone, GUIVING’s private airport transfer is US$60 one way for up to seven (both prices checked October 2026).

When a driver is the better buy

A driver wins in four cases. You have no International Driving Permit, or forgot it. You have one day, or a cruise call, and cannot spend it on navigation and parking. You are four to seven people, so the car costs about what a group tour would, per head. Or you want the sights explained: on a guided charter like LOVE KOREA’s, the guide plans the route the night before, messages you the pick-up time by 9pm, and goes in with you. Note the extras on that listing: pick-up outside Jeju City is ₩70,000, paid on the day, and a ₩40,000 holiday surcharge applies on listed dates.

Pick your way around the island:

Prices and review counts as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026, not a quote.

Check dates and book