Somaemuldo Lighthouse Islet Day Trip: Ferries & Tides

The short answer: you may not reach the lighthouse islet right now

Somaemuldo is a small island southeast of Tongyeong Port. The sea cliffs between Somaemuldo and Deungdaeseom (the lighthouse islet) are counted among Tongyeong's three finest views, and at low tide a path appears so you can walk between the two islands.

However, the Tongyeong city tourism site says part of the lighthouse trail (the section down to Yeolmokgae) has been closed since 3 October 2025 until further notice, so you may not be able to reach the lighthouse islet (checked 5 October 2026). Before you look at ferries, check whether the closure has been lifted on the city tourism site (utour.go.kr) or with Tongyeong tourist information (055-650-0580).

We have a separate 2-day route covering the town, the cable car and Hansando. Add at least one more day for islands such as Hansando, Somaemuldo or Yokjido. This post is about spending that extra day on Somaemuldo.

• Where: a small island southeast of Tongyeong Port
• The view: the sea cliffs between Somaemuldo and the lighthouse islet (one of Tongyeong's three finest views)
• The crossing: a path appears between the two islands at low tide
• Note: part of the lighthouse trail closed (since 3 October 2025 until further notice)

• Tongyeong travel guide →
• Tongyeong in 2 days: cable car and islands →

Ferries: three weekday sailings from Tongyeong Port

Tongyeong City's sea transport guide lists ferries to Somaemuldo from Tongyeong Port via Bijindo and Daemaemuldo. Bijindo and Maemuldo are islands in the Tongyeong district of Hallyeohaesang National Park, designated Korea's first marine national park in 1968.

Weekday departures are at 06:50, 10:50 and 14:30. Weekend and holiday times need to be checked with the operator. Check fares, journey time and return sailings from Somaemuldo with the ferry company or terminal.

With only three departures a day, it makes sense to fix your return boat first and then pick the outbound sailing. Your time on the island is whatever lies between the two.

• From: Tongyeong Port
• Via: Bijindo and Daemaemuldo
• Weekday departures: 06:50, 10:50, 14:30
• Weekend and holiday times, fares, return boats: check with the operator

Crossing to the lighthouse islet: tides and the closed section

The path between Somaemuldo and the lighthouse islet only appears when the tide goes out, so when you can cross depends on that day's tides. Check the tide times for your date with official information.

Part of the lighthouse trail (the section down to Yeolmokgae) has been closed since 3 October 2025 until further notice. This was checked on the city tourism site on 5 October 2026. To find out whether it has reopened, ask again on the city tourism site or at tourist information the day before and on the day.

• The crossing: appears at low tide
• Tide times: check official information
• Closed section: the trail down to Yeolmokgae (since 3 October 2025 until further notice)
• Where to check: utour.go.kr, tourist information 055-650-0580, tourist helpline 1330

Planning the day: start with the return boat

From Tongyeong Bus Terminal, city buses heading into town (Nos. 100, 200, 300, 401, 500, 600) take about 15 minutes to the Buksin Market stop. For the bus number from the terminal or town to the ferry terminal, ask tourist information (055-650-0580).

City buses cost KRW 1,650 by transit card or KRW 1,700 cash. With a card you get one free transfer to a different route number within 30 minutes of getting off.

Try this order for the day: take the ferry from Tongyeong Port via Bijindo and Daemaemuldo to Somaemuldo, walk the island around the tides and the closure, and come back to Tongyeong Port on the boat you have confirmed. If you have time left, add town sights you can walk to, such as Gangguan and Jungang Market.

• The day before: check the trail closure, weekend and holiday sailings, and tides
• Morning: depart Tongyeong Port (weekdays 06:50, 10:50, 14:30)
• On the island: walk around the tides
• Afternoon: return boat to Tongyeong Port; Gangguan and Jungang Market if time allows

What to bring: card, boat times, food, phone numbers

Shops, restaurants and other facilities on Somaemuldo are worth checking in advance. Check with tourist information before you go what, if anything, you can buy on the island.

Chungmu gimbap, Tongyeong's signature dish, is rice rolled in laver with no filling, so it keeps fresh for a long time. Chungmu gimbap restaurants cluster along the streets around the ferry terminal in Seoho-dong.

Free city bus transfers only work with a transit card. Cash rides and the same route number don't count, so tap your card when you get off.

• A transit card (for free city bus transfers)
• Your confirmed departure and return boat times
• The latest notice on the lighthouse trail closure
• Chungmu gimbap (around the Seoho-dong ferry terminal)
• Phone numbers: tourist information 055-650-0580, tourist helpline 1330

Weather and cancellations: the day's sailings come first

Island ferry sailings change with the weather. Check sailings, including your return boat, with the ferry company or terminal before you set out. Ask the operator about cancellation rules and refunds too.

The figures below are Korea Meteorological Administration normals for 1991–2020 at Tongyeong station. They come from the city station, so the weather on an island such as Somaemuldo can be different.

From June to September monthly rainfall is about 177–289 mm, above the yearly monthly average of about 128 mm, and of those months July (about 289 mm) is also the wettest of the year. October and November get about 76 mm and about 49 mm, below the monthly average. Normals are not this year's weather, so check the forecast and sailings again the day before and on the day.

• July: high about 28°C / low about 22°C / about 289 mm
• September: high about 27°C / low about 19°C / about 177 mm
• October: high about 22°C / low about 14°C / about 76 mm
• November: high about 16°C / low about 7°C / about 49 mm

If you can't reach the lighthouse islet

If the closure continues or the Somaemuldo ferry isn't running, look at ferries from Tongyeong Port to other islands. Hansando has Jeseungdang (free entry), and boats to Yokjido run via Yeonhwado and Udo. Yeonhwado is about 2 hours from Tongyeong Port by boat. Sailings to these islands also change with the weather.

On a day without boats, link the town sights on foot. Dongpirang is about a 10-minute walk from Samdo Sugun Tongjeyeong (Sebyeonggwan), and Jungang Market faces Gangguan. The Mireuksan cable car closes on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month (the next day if that is a public holiday) and can stop in bad weather. For month-by-month normals, see our separate post.

• Jeseungdang on Hansando: free entry
• Yokjido: ferry Tongyeong Port–Yeonhwado–Udo–Yokjido
• Town: about a 10-minute walk from Sebyeonggwan to Dongpirang
• Cable car: closed on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month

• Which month is best for Tongyeong? →
• Full Tongyeong travel guide →

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