Ulleungdo & Dokdo Guide: Ferries, Sights, Island Food

Ulleungdo is a volcanic island in the East Sea, in Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province. It covers about 73 square kilometers, with the peak of Seonginbong at 984 m, and lies roughly 130 km from the nearest point of the mainland, near Uljin. There is no bridge or runway: everyone arrives by sea. Dokdo, 87 km away, is administered as part of Ulleung County, and visits to it start from Ulleungdo.

An airport is under construction. Work began in November 2020 on a 1,200 m runway for aircraft of up to about 60 seats, and the opening has slipped to around 2028, so ferries remain the only way in (as of 2026-10-11). The loop road around the island, 44.55 km long, was opened along its full length on 29 March 2019. Plan at least three nights, because weather decides whether ships sail.

Late spring to autumn is the practical season. Ulleungdo has a mild maritime climate: the annual mean is about 12.7 °C (January 1.7 °C, August 23.8 °C), rainfall about 1,480 mm, and sunshine about 1,960 hours a year. It is one of the snowiest places in Korea, with snow on about 56 days a year, and heavy snow or rough winter seas often stop ships.

The Dokdo boats are planned to run from about 15 March to about 15 November, with each company deciding its own dates (as of 2026-10-11). Autumn schedules still run, but sailings are canceled for waves on some days. A calendar from one operator shows, for example, no afternoon Dokdo sailings on eight days in September 2026, and a ship maintenance day on 7 September and a no-sailing day on 13 September for the main Pohang ship.

Ferries reach Ulleungdo from Pohang on the east coast of North Gyeongsang and from Mukho in Donghae, Gangneung and Hupo in Uljin. From Pohang the distance is 217 km. Daejeo Ferry's fast ship Eldorado Express leaves the Pohang passenger terminal at 09:50 and the return leaves Ulleung at 14:20; the crossing takes 2 hours 50 minutes and it docks at Dodong. The ship carries 970 passengers and no vehicles (timetable dated 2026-10-11).

A second operator, Ulleung Cruise, runs an overnight ship from its own terminal at Pohang Yeongilman port: it leaves Pohang at 23:00 and arrives at Sadong harbor, with the Ulleung departure at 12:00 (changed from 1 September 2026); the voyage takes about 6 hours 30 minutes and it is the only service that carries vehicles, up to about 4.5 m in height. Cabins and berths are sold by class. There is no LPG or hydrogen fueling on the island, so such cars cannot be shipped; electric cars can.

The county lists three passenger terminals on the island, Dodong, Jeodong and Sadong, and the operators serving them: Daejeo Ferry, Ulleung Cruise, Sea Spovill and JH Ferry, among others. Mukho to Ulleungdo is roughly 170 km, in the range of 2.5 to 3 hours depending on the ship. Which terminal your ship uses decides where you start your island day, so check it on your ticket.

Daejeo Ferry's fare table for the Pohang to Ulleung fast ship gives an adult one-way fare of ₩81,000 in economy, ₩121,500 in business and ₩171,500 in first class, with a higher peak fare of ₩88,950 in economy; children (1 to 11) pay half. The terminal fee is included and a fuel surcharge is added separately each month (as of 2026-10-11). Ulleung Cruise sells berths by class: an adult place in a six-berth inside cabin is ₩81,500 one way, with 10 per cent off for students and soldiers, 20 per cent off for seniors and half price for children.

Tickets are sold on each operator's own booking system and through the island-ferry ticketing service of the Korea Shipping Association, which covers Ulleungdo and Dokdo and handles booking lookups and cancellations; the operators also run their own phone lines in office hours. Every passenger must show valid photo ID when buying and boarding: a passport is accepted, but copies, photographs, screenshots and university cards are not.

For the Ulleung Cruise terminal the boarding cut-off is 20 minutes before departure, and arriving about one hour ahead is recommended. Passenger boarding for the 23:00 ship from Pohang runs from 21:20 to 22:30, and for the Ulleung departure from 11:00 to 12:00. Cars must be handed in earlier, and loose luggage must be taken out of the car before loading.

When bad weather or a high-wave advisory stops a sailing, the operator cancels the booking automatically and you rebook for another day. Card payments are reversed without an application, usually in 7 to 10 days depending on the card company; bank-transfer payments are refunded after staff confirm the account. Daejeo Ferry also lists a refund case for when a ship cannot dock at Dokdo.

Cancellations are common enough to plan for: keep a buffer of at least two days before any flight or fixed commitment on the mainland, and put the Dokdo excursion early in the stay so a canceled sailing can be repeated. The open-sea crossing can be rough, so if you are prone to motion sickness, ask a pharmacist at the port before boarding and choose a seat near the middle of the ship.

Dodong is the main harbor and the island's town, a compact strip of restaurants and guesthouses around the ferry terminal. A cable car up to the Dokdo viewing platform leaves from near the Dokdo Museum: an adult ticket is ₩7,500, teenagers and soldiers pay ₩5,500, and children and seniors ₩3,500; it runs 08:00 to 19:00 from April to October (last entry 18:00) and 08:00 to 18:00 from November to March (last entry 17:00), with hours adjusted for weather and sunset, and the cabin has no heating or cooling (as of 2026-10-11).

The Dokdo Museum, at Yaksu-teo-gil 90-17 in Ulleung-eup, opened in the 1990s and presents the history and geography of Dokdo and the East Sea. The Haengnam coastal walk runs along the shore left of the harbor to the Haengnam lighthouse. The county's cultural interpreters lead a coastal-walk program at 10:00 and 14:00 and a Dodong village tour at 15:30; sign up at the interpreters' house on the third floor of the Dodong ferry terminal.

Jeodong, a short way along the coast, is the fishing harbor, where squid boats unload and squid hang out to dry. The candle-shaped basalt stack Chotdaebawi, about 30 m tall, stands by the harbors, and Jukdo, a small island just off the coast, can be visited by sightseeing boat; the boat trips around the island last about three hours.

The island has one coastal loop road, the 44.55 km Ulleung circular road (local route No. 90), plus branch roads such as the Taeharyeong road. Four rural bus routes, all run by one company, serve the whole island at a flat fare of ₩1,500 for adults, ₩600 for middle and high school students and ₩500 for primary pupils (as of 2026-10-11). The timetable changes by season, with fewer buses in winter, so plan around the last bus back.

The county also lists taxis, rental cars and tourist-bus operators. Because roads are steep and winding with tunnels, a taxi for a half-day circuit of the north side is an option for people with limited time. Keep to the island's rules when driving: LPG and hydrogen cars cannot be brought in and there is no fueling for them.

Nari Basin, in the island's northern interior, is the only large flat area, a collapsed volcanic caldera with farmland and traditional wood-and-reed tumakjip houses; it is free to enter and open all day. Seonginbong, the summit at 984 m, is reached by trails from the basin and other trailheads. Because island weather turns fast, set off early and do not climb in rain or fog.

Gwaneumdo is a small islet joined to the main island by a bridge on the loop road in the north. Bongnae Falls, about 25 m high, supplies the island's drinking water, and next to it the Punghyeol wind holes breathe out cool air even in midsummer. The north coast also has the Seonnyeotang coastal spot, the Seokpo sunrise and sunset viewpoint, the Jeongdeulpo viewpoint, Hyeonpo viewpoint and ancient tombs at Hyeonpo, and the Taeha Hyangmok monorail on the west.

Dokdo is a group of two main islets, the East and the West, and about 90 small rocks in the East Sea, about 87 km from Ulleungdo. Together they cover about 18.7 hectares, and the west islet rises to about 169 m. It is a Natural Monument of Korea (No. 336). Dokdo is administered by South Korea as part of Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province, and it has no civilian residents, only a small staff and police guard. Japan also claims the islets and calls them Takeshima; this guide only describes how a visit works.

From Ulleungdo you can see Dokdo only on clear days, from high points such as the cable car's viewing platform. Visitors who go out by boat land only on the East Islet, where an 80 m quay finished in November 1997 can take ships of about 500 tonnes. On the islet the area is a protected special island, so building, taking plants or stones, camping and cooking with flammable fuel are prohibited.

Ulleungdo's food comes from the sea and the mountain. Squid is the signature catch and hangs drying along the harbors; raw fish and cuttlefish are common. Honghap bap is rice cooked with island mussels, sanchae bibimbap is rice with wild mountain greens, and Ulleung beef (yakso), raised on island herbs, is served as bulgogi.

The sweet to take home is hobak-yeot, a hard pumpkin candy, and dried squid and mountain vegetables are the usual gifts. Most restaurants are packed into Dodong, within a few minutes of the ferry terminal. The county's food list has separate sections for local-food restaurants, ordinary restaurants and cafés.

Most travelers stay in Dodong or Jeodong, within walking distance of the harbors; the county keeps a separate list of lodging. Bring what you cannot easily replace: the island has limited supplies, and goods arrive by ship. A power or ferry disruption in winter can leave you staying longer than planned.

A travel desk helps with information, and visitors can use the cultural-interpreter programs described above. For cars: only the Pohang overnight ship carries vehicles, up to about 25 tonnes for trucks and 185 passenger cars per sailing, and electric cars charged above 50 per cent or with an accident history are refused for loading (as of 2026-10-11).

The county's event list includes a squid festival, a moon-viewing festival, a beach song festival and a snow festival, and a 2026 stamp tour runs from August to December, with souvenirs given until supplies run out. Dates for next year are announced each year and this guide is updated when they are confirmed.

Safety is mostly about weather and terrain. Roads are steep, tunnels are narrow, and rain can make coastal paths and the cliff steps slippery. In winter, snow can stop buses and ships. Do not feed or take wildlife from Dokdo, do not leave rubbish, and respect the quiet of villages.

Carry your passport at every boarding. Book ships first, then lodging. Keep the Dokdo day early in the stay and keep a spare day at the end. Bring layers: the island is cooler than the coast and winds are strong at viewpoints. Carry some cash for small restaurants and for bus fares.

Last updated: 11 October 2026. Figures are as of the date shown.

Source: Ulleung County · Daejeo Ferry · Ulleung Cruise · Korea Shipping Association · Checked 11 Oct 2026

Written by HOLIDAY in its own words from official public information. This is not an official publication of the Korea Tourism Organization or any government body.

HOLIDAY refreshes this article regularly as fares, hours and event dates change.