Geomunoreum
거문오름
The volcanic cone that made the caves on this side of the island: lava from here ran about 14 km to the coast and left the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System behind it. In front of the cone a collapse trench runs about 2 km long, 80 to 150 m wide and 15 to 30 m deep, where cave roofs fell in. There are three routes of different lengths, two of which may only be walked with a guide. Eleven departures a day, fifty people each, and booking closes at 17:00 the day before.
Language
Place information
- Korean name
- 거문오름
- Opening hours
- Otherwise 09:00 (every 30 min) (11 a day) (last entry 14:00) World Heritage guide service 09:00–17:00
- Closed
- Every Tue (a rest day for the site itself) · Seollal · Chuseok
- Hours notes
- These are not opening and closing times but the span of departures, and that 14:00 slot is the last one you can join. Fifty people per departure. When you come out depends on which route you took, and the operator states that as a duration rather than a time. In bad weather the site closes completely.
- Booking
- The Geomunoreum walk required Booked by telephone or online, up to 17:00 the day before. Eleven departures a day, capped at fifty people each.
- Time needed
- Half day
- Admission
- ₩2,000
- Operated by
- Jeju World Heritage Office
Prices
| Adult | ₩2,000The same table lists exemptions: under-6s and over-65s, Jeju residents, national merit holders, disabled visitors, basic-livelihood recipients, and 4·3 victims and their families, among others. |
|---|---|
| Youth(youth and soldiers) | ₩1,000 |
| Child(children) | ₩1,000 |
| Group (10 or more) · Group(groups of 10 or more, adult) | ₩1,600 |
| Group (10 or more) · Group(groups of 10 or more, youth and soldiers) | ₩800 |
| Group (10 or more) · Group(groups of 10 or more, children) | ₩800 |
Nearby
Secret Forest
A walk through cedar planted on private land west of Andol Oreum. It was the owner's ground until enough people found their way in that the path was opened; an entrance fee now pays for keeping it. The unpaved loop takes about half an hour and has eight marked spots to photograph, with a stand of hinoki cypress partway round. Closures are posted on the operator's Instagram rather than following a fixed calendar, which is worth checking before driving out here.
Bijarim Forest
Two loops split at a crossroads inside the wood. Course A is about 2.2 km of level volcanic-cinder path, 40 minutes to an hour, and takes a pushchair or wheelchair with help on the slopes; course B includes rough stone and does not. Dogs are not admitted, which separates this from most Jeju walks.
Manjanggul Lava Tube
A lava tube about 7.4 km long whose main passage runs 18 m wide and 23 m high. Roof collapses left three entrances; visitors may use only the second, and may walk 1 km in from it. At the end of that kilometre stands a lava column about 7.6 m high, said to be the largest known anywhere, and that column is also where you turn round. The operator files this cave as partly open — the other caves inscribed with it are closed to the public altogether.
Changkkom
A coastal rock with a hole through the middle. The sea shows straight through it, which is why people come with cameras.
Stories about this place
- Four places on Jeju's east side, and who decides how far in you get
Manjanggul is 7.4 km long and 1 km of it is open; Geomunoreum has three routes and you pick one when you book; the Secret Forest is a loop a landowner opened; and at Seopjikoji nobody has set an extent at all. All four are places you park and walk into — what differs is who decides how far you walk.
- One day on Jeju's east side, timed by the operator rather than by me
Geomunoreum, Manjanggul, Bijarim and Seongsan Ilchulbong all have a published duration — and all four are on the same page. So this route has no start times and a stay length at each stop instead. One thing is fixed: Geomunoreum's booking closes at 17:00 the day before.
Nearby Food
Related articles
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- Half a day on Seogwipo's south shore — the route with no start time
- Three places on Jeju's west side where the posted time is not an opening time
- Extraordinary Attorney Woo Filming Locations in Jeju — a Rock, a Temple and a Bridge
- Eight Places to Visit in Jeju, Compared: What to Check Before the Price
- Three Places to Visit in Aewol, Jeju: Handam Coastal Trail, Gwakji Gwamul Beach and Saebyeol Oreum
Where these facts come from
- Jeju World Heritage Office — Geomunoreum. Walks depart 09:00-14:00 every thirty minutes, eleven a day, fifty people per departure; closed every Tuesday as a rest day for the site, and on Seollal and Chuseok themselves; closed completely in bad weather. Booking by phone or online until 17:00 the day before. Admission 2,000 won adult (1,600 group), 1,000 youth/soldier (800), 1,000 child (800); groups from 10, with a separate list of exemptions. Three routes: the summit course (unaccompanied, about 1.8 km, 1 hour), the crater course (with a guide, about 5.5 km, 2 hours 30), and the full course (about 10 km, 3 hours 30). The collapse trench is about 2 km long, 80-150 m wide and 15-30 m deep. ·
- Jeju World Heritage Office — heritage guide service. The Geomunoreum guide runs 09:00-17:00, meets at the visitor centre entrance, and is given as 1 hour for the summit course, 2 hours 30 for the crater course and 3 hours 30 for the ridge course. Note: the third route is called the full course on the Geomunoreum page and the ridge course here. ·
- OpenStreetMap — Geomunoreum (Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si). The source of the coordinates. Note: another oreum of the same name exists in Seogwipo, so the two were separated by administrative area — the operator gives Jocheon-eup. ·