Jeju In November: Tangerines, Foliage And The Olle Walking Festival

November is one of Jeju’s best months: highs average about 16°C, the tangerine harvest begins, silver grass covers the volcanic cones and Hallasan’s autumn colour is forecast to peak around 6 Nov 2026. The Jeju Olle Walking Festival runs 5 to 7 Nov and the Jeju Citrus Expo 19 to 23 Nov. Pack a windproof layer, because Jeju’s wind is what first timers underestimate.

Sunbae Says: If the summit is on your list, book Hallasan now. November slots opened on 1 October and December slots open at 9am on Monday 2 November, and the daily caps fill on weekends.

Picture your first afternoon: you step out of Jeju Airport into mild sunshine, and ten minutes later the wind off the sea has you zipping up everything you own. That is Jeju in November. Plan for both and the island is yours.

Jeju Weather In November

The Korea Meteorological Administration’s 1991 to 2020 averages for Jeju City give November a mean daily high of 16.4°C and a mean low of 10.4°C, with 69.5 mm of rain across about 10 wet days. December drops to an 11.0°C high and a 5.6°C low.

That sounds mild, and on a sheltered beach it is. On an oreum ridge or at Hallasan altitude it is a different country. Dress in layers and bring a proper shell jacket. My packing list is in what to wear in Korea from October to December, and Korea in November covers how the mainland compares.

Hallasan In Autumn: Dates, Bookings And The New Cut Offs

The Korea Forest Service’s 2026 forecast (in Korean) puts Hallasan’s foliage peak along the 1100 Road around 6 Nov 2026, with Gyorae Gotjawal forest around 2 Nov and Halla Arboretum around 19 Nov. A private forecaster quoted by Hankyung (in Korean) expects a later start on 31 Oct and a peak around 13 Nov. History backs the cautious view: last year the colour started 17 days late and peaked on 11 Nov, two weeks behind the long term average of 28 Oct. My advice: aim for 6 to 13 Nov and you are covered either way.

The Summit Booking

Since May 2025, only the upper sections to the Baengnokdam summit need a reservation (in Korean): from Jindallaebat on the Seongpanak trail and from Samgakbong on the Gwaneumsa trail. Daily caps are 1,000 people for Seongpanak and 500 for Gwaneumsa. Booking is free on the Hallasan reservation site (visithalla.jeju.go.kr), and Korean hikers report that each month opens at 9am on the first working day of the month before, with no shows barred from booking for a period.

Winter Hours Started 1 October

This is the change most English guides miss. From 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, the park’s winter schedule applies, Headline Jeju reported (in Korean):

Trailhead	Last Entry	Who It Suits	My Take
Yeongsil and Eorimok	12 noon	Foliage without a summit	My pick for most visitors in November
Seongpanak and Gwaneumsa	11:30am	Summit hikers with a booking	Start at 5am to 6am, not 9am
Donnaeko	10am	Experienced hikers	Long and quiet; skip it on a short trip

All trails open at 5am. Final descent times are 1:30pm from the summit, 3pm from Witse Oreum and 3:30pm from the Jindallaebat and Samgakbong shelters.

Heads Up: Arrive at Seongpanak at 9am in November and you will be turned back at the shelter, booking or not. Summit hikers need to be walking by dawn; take a taxi from your hotel and pack a head torch, layers, warm water and snacks.

Skip It (For Most First Timers): the summit, if you only have one free day and the forecast is grey. Yeongsil needs no reservation and puts you among the upper slopes’ autumn colour in a morning. If you want foliage before you fly south, my Seoul fall foliage 2026 and Seoraksan from Seoul guides cover the earlier peaks.

The Jeju Olle Walking Festival, 5 To 7 Nov 2026

This is the headline event of Jeju’s November: three days of group walks on Olle Routes 19 and 20 along the northeast coast, with local food, performances and village programmes at the stops. It is the 16th edition, and organisers say it is the last in this form.

Day	Route	Distance
Thu 5 Nov	Jocheon Sports Complex to Dongbok-ri Sports Park	13 km
Fri 6 Nov	Dongbok-ri Sports Park to Jeju Batdam Theme Park	11.5 km
Sat 7 Nov	Haenyeo Anti-Japanese Resistance Memorial Park to Batdam Theme Park (reverse)	12.9 km

Seoul Shinmun reported (in Korean) that pre-registration ran through the Olle Pass app until 9 Oct 2026, with international walkers now on the same app as Koreans. The fee was 30,000 won, or 25,000 won for youth, groups of 20 or more and some other groups.

Heads Up: Pre-registration closed on 9 October. If you missed it, check the Olle Pass app or the official Jeju Olle site for any remaining places before you fly, and do not count on signing up at the start line.

Missed out completely? You can still walk Routes 19 and 20 on your own, free, on any other day, following the blue and orange ribbons and arrows.

Tangerine Season: Picking Your Own

Jeju’s mandarins (gamgyul) ripen from November, and the sweetest fruit comes from late November to late December. Picking farms dot the island, especially around Seogwipo.

Typical pricing: one farm lists 10,000 won per person with 2 kg to take home, or 5,000 won to pick without taking fruit away. A 2023 roundup of nine farms showed 7,000 to 11,000 won per adult, usually with 1 to 3 kg included, and free entry for toddlers. Many farms pause in rain or strong wind, so keep a backup plan.

Jeju Citrus Expo, 19 To 23 Nov 2026

Now confirmed: the 2026 Jeju Citrus Expo (in Korean) runs for five days, 19 to 23 November, at the Seogwipo Agricultural Technology Center and its farm ecology garden, under the theme “Jeju embracing citrus, Jeju opening the future”. Expect a direct sales market, tastings, performances and hands on programmes. The official site is jicexpo.com.

[AFFILIATE: Klook Jeju tangerine picking experience]

Worth It: a one hour picking session with kids. It is cheap, hands on and you leave with snacks for the rest of the trip.

Silver Grass On The Oreum

Jeju’s small volcanic cones turn silver from mid October into early to mid November. Saebyeol Oreum in Aewol is the easy classic: about 100 metres of climbing, 20 to 30 minutes to the top, with free entry and parking. The eastern path is gentler for families; the western one is steep. Go late afternoon so the low sun turns the grass gold.

Late November: Bangeo Season

Moseulpo Port in the far southwest usually holds its Choenamdan Bangeo Festival, celebrating winter yellowtail, in late November or early December. In 2024 it ran 28 Nov to 1 Dec with hand catching, tastings and fireworks. The 2026 dates were not announced when I checked on 5 October, so watch my what’s on calendar.

Getting There And Around

Option	Best For	Cost	Time	My Take
Fly Gimpo to Jeju	Everyone starting in Seoul	Varies by date; book early for festival week	About 1 hour 15 minutes in the air	My pick: around 100 flights a day
Airport bus from Jeju Airport	Solo travellers heading to Seogwipo or Jungmun	Check the bus board at the airport	Check Kakao Map	Limousine 600 and the 800 series serve the south
Express buses 111, 151, 182	Seongsan, Moseulpo and Seogwipo without a car	Bus fare	Varies	Jeju added runs on these from February 2026
Rental car	Families and oreum hoppers	Daily rate plus fuel	Freedom	Worth it for the west coast and oreum

Gimpo Airport sits on Line 5 (purple), Line 9 (gold) and AREX (blue), so it is an easy subway ride from most Seoul hotels. On the island, Jeju added buses on 18 routes from February 2026 (in Korean), including the 600 and 801 airport limousines and expresses 111 (airport to Seongsan), 151 (to Moseulpo) and 182 (Jeju City to Seogwipo). For the trailheads, a taxi at dawn is the realistic option. Kakao Map handles Jeju buses well; my travel apps guide shows how to set it up. If Jeju is your first stop from abroad, the e-Arrival Card rules still apply.

[AFFILIATE: Gimpo to Jeju flights]

What Locals Know

Hallasan’s “peak” is measured at Eorimok. The KMA calls the start when about 20 percent of the slope from the top down has turned and the peak at about 80 percent, observed around Eorimok. The Forest Service uses 50 percent. That is why two forecasts can disagree by a week and both be right.

Koreans book Hallasan like concert tickets. The opening minute at 9am on the first working day is a known scramble for weekend dates. Weekdays are far easier, so if you can hike on a Tuesday, do.

Tangerine stalls are a road trip ritual. In November, roadside stands and markets sell gyul by the box or the kilo. Carry some cash for the small ones.

Jeju’s tourism is now foreign led. Foreign visitor spending on Jeju jumped 44.4 percent in the first half of 2026 while domestic spending dipped, Korea JoongAng Daily reported. Expect more English menus than a few years ago, and busier Seogwipo hotels.

Pick Your Version

If It’s Your First Time

Give Jeju three nights, not a day trip. I’d split them: one night near the airport for the oreum and the west coast, two in Seogwipo for tangerines, the Citrus Expo and the south.

If You’re Bringing Kids

Tangerine picking and Saebyeol Oreum’s eastern path are the two I’d build a family day around; both take about an hour and both end in a snack or a view. Leave Hallasan’s summit for another trip. My guide to Seoul with kids in winter handles the Seoul end of your holiday.

If You’re Travelling Solo

The Olle festival is the best solo event on this page if you got a place; if not, I’d walk Route 19 on your own on a weekday. More ideas in my solo travel guide to Seoul.

If You’re Here For A Reset

November Jeju is a walking holiday in disguise. I’d pick one Olle route a day, no summit, and finish with tangerines and an early night. For the city side of slowing down, see the Reset hub.

Sunbae’s Picks

My pick for one perfect November day: Saebyeol Oreum in the late afternoon light, then dinner in Aewol. Low effort, big payoff.

If I only had a weekend, I’d skip the summit, walk the Yeongsil trail in the morning (in by noon), then pick tangerines near Seogwipo in the afternoon.

I’d skip trying to see the whole island. Jeju is bigger than it looks on your phone screen, so pick the west or the south and go slowly.

My timing pick: 6 to 13 Nov for foliage, or 19 to 23 Nov if you want the Citrus Expo and sweeter tangerines.

[SUNBAE FIELD TEST: walk the Yeongsil trail in the second week of November and note the colour, the noon cut off at the gate and the car park situation]

Offers Worth Knowing

Every Olle route is free to walk year round. Hallasan reservations are free. Youth and groups of 20 or more paid 25,000 won rather than 30,000 won for the Olle festival, and many tangerine farms let toddlers in free.

What’s Changing In 2026

Foliage keeps running late. Hallasan’s colour arrived late two years running, and this year’s forecasts again sit after the 28 Oct average. For you, early to mid November sits right in the window rather than at the tail end.

The Olle festival is changing shape. From 2027, organisers plan a 25 day festival walking all 23 courses in sequence, spreading walkers out to ease the strain on individual routes and villages. If you want the classic three day crowd, 2026 is it.

More visitors are skipping Seoul’s airports. Foreign arrivals through regional airports, Jeju among them, rose 42.5 percent in June 2026, The Korea Times reports. My read: book festival week flights and Seogwipo rooms early.

[AFFILIATE: Agoda hotels in Seogwipo]

Word Of The Stop

귤 (gyul), “tangerine”. You will see it on roadside stalls all over the island in November. “Gyul juseyo” gets you a bag.

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Map And Directions

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jeju Worth Visiting In November?

Yes. November brings mild days around 16°C, the start of tangerine season, silver grass on the oreum, Hallasan foliage forecast for 6 to 13 Nov, the Olle Walking Festival from 5 to 7 Nov and the Citrus Expo from 19 to 23 Nov. The trade off is wind and cooler evenings.

What Is The Weather Like In Jeju In November?

Based on 1991 to 2020 averages, highs are about 16.4°C and lows about 10.4°C, with around 70 mm of rain over roughly 10 days. It is often windy on the coast and colder on Hallasan.

Do I Need To Book Hallasan?

Only to reach the summit, via Seongpanak above Jindallaebat or Gwaneumsa above Samgakbong. Booking is free. Yeongsil and Eorimok need no booking, but from 1 October the last entry is noon.

When Is Tangerine Picking Season In Jeju?

Farms usually run picking from October or November into December or January. For the sweetest fruit, aim for late November to late December.

Can Foreigners Join The Jeju Olle Walking Festival?

Yes, through the Olle Pass app, but 2026 pre-registration closed on 9 Oct. Check the app for any remaining places, or walk Routes 19 and 20 on your own for free.

Next Stop

• Korea In November 2026: Weather, Events And What To Pack: fit Jeju into the rest of your month.
• Seoraksan In Autumn: A Day Trip Or Overnight From Seoul: the mainland’s earlier foliage peak.
• What To Wear In Korea From October To December: the layers Jeju’s wind demands.

Resources

• Hallasan reservation site (visithalla.jeju.go.kr): free summit bookings and trail closures.
• Jeju Olle Trail official site and the Olle Pass app: route maps and festival registration.
• Visit Jeju: official tourism site; Jeju tourist information line 064 740 6000.
• 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: dial 1330 (or +82-2-1330 from abroad) for English help, 24 hours.
• Kakao Map or Naver Map: Jeju bus routes and live arrivals; search 성판악, 영실, 새별오름.
• jicexpo.com: Jeju Citrus Expo programme, 19 to 23 Nov 2026.

How I Checked This

On 5 October 2026 I re-checked the Hallasan winter hours against Headline Jeju’s report of the park office notice, the foliage forecasts against the Korea Forest Service figures and Hankyung, the Citrus Expo dates against Headline Jeju and Agrinet, the Olle festival details against Seoul Shinmun and Headline Jeju, and Jeju bus changes against Media Jeju, and read Korean hiker blogs for the booking window. The Hallasan booking site would not load for me, so the window comes from hikers’ reports. The Bangeo Festival dates and any late Olle places are unconfirmed; tangerine farm prices come from 2023 to 2025 listings.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Jeju City climate table, KMA normals 1991 to 2020
• Headline Jeju: Hallasan winter hours from 1 Oct 2026 (Korean)
• Hankyung: Hallasan foliage forecasts and last year’s late peak (Korean)
• Seoul Shinmun: Korea Forest Service 2026 foliage forecast (Korean)
• Asia Economy: Hallasan 1100 Road, Gyorae and arboretum forecasts (Korean)
• Kyunghyang Shinmun: Hallasan reservation change from May 2025 (Korean)
• Seoul Shinmun: 2026 Jeju Olle Walking Festival fees and format (Korean)
• Headline Jeju: Olle festival registration to 9 Oct, last in this form (Korean)
• Jnuri: 2026 Olle Walking Festival routes (Korean)
• Jeju Olle Trail (official)
• Headline Jeju: 2026 Jeju Citrus Expo, 19 to 23 Nov (Korean)
• Agrinet: Citrus Expo D-100 and programme (Korean)
• Media Jeju: Jeju bus increases from February 2026 (Korean)
• Korea JoongAng Daily: foreign spending on Jeju up 44.4 percent
• The Korea Times: regional airport arrivals and 2026 tourism figures
• Discover Jeju: tangerine picking price
• Tourtoctoc: nine Jeju tangerine farms and prices, Dec 2023 (Korean)
• Newsfreezone: 2024 Choenamdan Bangeo Festival (Korean)
• Lacha: Hallasan reservation guide for foreigners
• Telltrip: Saebyeol Oreum silver grass guide (Korean)
• Visit Jeju (official)
• FlightsFrom: Gimpo to Jeju schedules

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Written by your sunbae. 24 years living in Seoul, former Korean TV and radio presenter, university professor, and two decades behind the decks in the city’s clubs. Every fact here is checked against official sources and, wherever possible, on the ground.

Beep Check: verified 5 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and dates change; confirm with the official source before you travel.