Created as part of a Jeju cultural experience program with support from the Jeju Provincial Government.
When Life Gives You Tangerines Jeju travel course
From Songaksan Trail to Gwandeokjeong Pavilion
Words and photos by reporter Kim Juyoung | Earth Village Mouse
Hi there, I’m freelance journalist Kim Juyoung. On social media, I also share stories under my alternate nickname,Earth Village Mouse, to make travel and culture feel a little more approachable for everyone.
If you’re planning a trip to Jeju lately, one of the most searched terms is definitely When Life Gives You Tangerines Jeju filming locations.
On this trip, I didn’t want to do just another round of sightseeing—I wanted to follow the drama’s scenes and experience the real life and culture of Jeju at the same time.
So I put together the route I actually did, turning these When Life Gives You Tangerines Jeju filming locations into one easy travel itinerary.
Honestly, this route ended up being much more than a filming-location tour—it felt like a trip that helped me understand Jeju itself.
1. Songaksan Trail
The “Hak-ssi Ajusshi” bicycle filming location
The first place I have to mention is Songaksan Trail, the filming location for the now-famous “Hak-ssi Ajusshi bicycle scene” from the drama.
The exact stretch used for the bike scene is the cliffside section near Bunamkoji, and once I saw it in person, I immediately understood why they chose this spot.
Sea-facing cliffs, layered rock formations, and a horizon that seems to go on forever—this wasn’t just pretty scenery. It felt like a living record of time carved into nature.
In the drama, the scene played for laughs,
but standing there in real life, the mood felt surprisingly grand and weighty.
Total course length: about 2.8 km
Time needed: around 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours
You really do need to climb to the top to see the best views
From the summit of Songaksan, the views stretch across Sanbangsan, Hyeongjeseom, Hallasan, Yongmeori Coast, Gunsan, Sagye Coast, and Dansan—one of those “only in Jeju” landscapes you never forget.
2. Seongsan Ilchulbong
The grand finale of a Jeju trip
If you come to Jeju and skip this place, you’ll regret it. Seongsan Ilchulbong was every bit as impressive as I expected. It appears in the drama as a background location, but beyond that, it’s one of the most iconic natural landmarks in Jeju—and really, in the world.
As a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, it absolutely delivers. Once you reach the top, the crater view opens up in a way that feels far more overwhelming than any photo can capture.
It’s hard to believe admission is just 5,000 KRW,
because it honestly felt like one of the best-value world heritage sites I’ve visited.
If you get the Jeju Digital Tourist Pass #Nowda and show it, admission to Seongsan Ilchulbong is free!
Round-trip hike: about 40–50 minutes
Sneakers are a must
Best time to go: morning or around sunset
Looking down at the sea from the top
felt almost like the final scene of a drama—
calm, beautiful, and quietly lingering long after.
3. Jeju Haenyeo Museum
A place that holds the life of Jeju
The next stop was the Jeju Haenyeo Museum, a place that gives you a much deeper understanding of Jeju culture. If you’ve watched When Life Gives You Tangerines, you’ve already had a glimpse of the eventful, demanding lives of haenyeo, Jeju’s traditional women divers.
This wasn’t just a museum—it felt like a space that documents the haenyeo way of life itself.
What struck me most was this: being a haenyeo isn’t simply a job, it’s a way of life. Free-diving nearly 20 meters underwater without oxygen tanks, then returning to a life built around community—that says everything.
And when you hear the real stories of haenyeo, you understand exactly why this culture was recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
I still remember something an elderly haenyeo I met in Sehwa told me: “The sea grows old faster than people do.” That one sentence captured the reality of Jeju’s ocean and the lives tied to it.
4. Jeju Mokgwana night view
A moody evening course in Jeju City
My final stop was Jeju Mokgwana, and it ended up being one of the most unexpectedly satisfying places on the trip. In the drama, it appears as the exam site.
During the day, it can feel a little understated, but since you can also visit during evening opening hours, I highly recommend seeing both versions—the daytime atmosphere and the completely different mood after dark.
Light falling across the hanok rooftops,
the quiet night air,
and an easy, walkable layout—
it’s also a great example of how a national heritage building can still be meaningfully used.
Since this is also a filming location for When Life Gives You Tangerines,
I went in hoping to capture the lovely look of Gwandeokjeong Pavilion on camera, but I noticed a group of busy officials.
I got curious and took a closer look,
and it turned out the Jeju Immigration Office
was hosting the 2026 nationality certificate ceremony there.
I honestly thought, “Wow, they’re holding it at Gwandeokjeong?”
I’ve heard becoming a Korean citizen
is no easy process, so it felt incredibly meaningful.
Out of so many countries in the world, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that they chose Korea.
If you received your nationality certificate here,
I imagine that memory would stay with you for a very long time.
This was once the place where successive governors of Jeju worked during the Joseon Dynasty,
and even today,
beyond being a drama filming location or tourist site, it’s still used in part as an administrative space—which I found genuinely wonderful to see.
Anyway, if you’re looking for an atmospheric night-view stop in Jeju City, South Korea, I’d absolutely recommend Jeju Mokgwana.
When Life Gives You Tangerines Jeju filming locations itinerary
What this trip really showed me is that When Life Gives You Tangerines Jeju filming locations are not just tourist stops.
Songaksan the time of nature
Jeju Haenyeo Museum the life of people
Seongsan Ilchulbong the birth of Jeju
Jeju Mokgwana history and culture
Together, those four elements turned into one complete journey. If the Park Bo-gum x IU drama When Life Gives You Tangerines moved you, I think it’s worth coming to Jeju yourself and experiencing the real meaning behind those scenes.
There’s also a When Life Gives You Tangerines filming location
inside Jeju Stone Park, so it’s worth adding that stop to your route too.
Written by
Travel blogger/YouTuber Earth Village Mouse, who travels with a book in hand
Thank you.
I’ll keep uploading my travel videos on YouTube, so stay tuned—and I hope you all have a happy trip.
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