Olle Trail Course 10 (Sanbangsan–Songaksan)

Course 10 covers roughly 15.6km of Jeju’s southwest coast between two of the island’s most distinctive volcanic landmarks — Sanbangsan, a steep lava dome visible from much of the surrounding area, and Songaksan, a lower volcanic cone near Moseulpo with its own crater walk. Of the Olle Trail’s 26 routes, this is one of the better choices for visitors who want varied scenery — mountain, coast, and volcanic crater — rather than a single dominant landscape type.

The route

Starting near Sanbangsan, the trail moves along the coast with the mountain’s steep silhouette as a backdrop for the first stretch — a genuinely striking start compared to more understated beginnings on other courses. The path continues through farmland and coastal scrub, passing small settlements and fishing harbors typical of the Olle Trail network, before reaching the area around Yongmeori Coast, known for its layered sedimentary cliffs. The trail continues toward Songaksan, a volcanic cone near the island’s southwestern tip, where a separate short crater-rim walk (outside the main Olle route but a common add-on) offers views over the coast and, on clear days, toward Marado, Korea’s southernmost inhabited island.

Difficulty and terrain

The trail is mostly coastal and low-elevation in keeping with the broader Olle Trail profile, but Course 10 has a few sections with uneven volcanic rock and modest elevation changes near Sanbangsan and Songaksan that make it slightly more varied underfoot than a purely flat coastal walk. None of this amounts to technical difficulty, but the 15.6km distance combined with some exposed, shade-free stretches makes it a genuine full day’s effort rather than a casual stroll.

Combining with a Sanbangsan summit

Sanbangsan has its own separate hiking trail to a viewing platform partway up its steep slope (the true summit isn’t publicly accessible), distinct from the coastal Olle Trail route that passes at its base. Many visitors combine the two — climbing Sanbangsan’s short trail (roughly 1-1.5 hours round trip) before or after walking Course 10 — since both starting points are close together. See the Sanbangsan guide for details on that separate climb.

Best time to walk

Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable temperatures for the full distance; the exposed coastal sections get genuinely hot with limited shade in summer. Clear days are worth prioritizing here more than on some other Olle courses, since Sanbangsan’s silhouette and the long coastal sightlines toward Marado are a meaningful part of the route’s appeal — cloud cover and haze noticeably reduce the visual payoff. See the Jeju month-by-month guide for seasonal planning.

Getting to the trailheads

Sanbangsan is reachable by bus from both Seogwipo and west Jeju towns, though schedules run less frequently than routes closer to Jeju City or Seogwipo’s center. The Songaksan/Moseulpo end has similarly limited but workable bus service. A rental car simplifies logistics if you’re planning to walk the route in one direction and need transport back to your starting point, or if you’re combining the walk with other nearby stops such as Yongmeori Coast.

What to bring

Sturdy shoes with good grip matter on the rockier volcanic sections near both landmarks. Sun protection is essential given the exposed coastal stretches. Carry water and snacks for the full 5-6 hour walk, since services are sparse between the small settlements along the route. See the Jeju hiking gear and safety guide for a complete packing list.

How Course 10 compares to other routes

Compared to Course 7 near Seogwipo, Course 10 trades some of that route’s easier bus access and Seogwipo proximity for more varied scenery — mountain, cliff, and volcanic crater in a single walk. Both are commonly recommended entry points into the wider Olle Trail network for visitors deciding where to start. The Olle Trail overview covers the full 26-route system if you’re planning to walk more than one course during your trip.

Songaksan’s wartime history

Beyond its natural scenery, Songaksan carries a layer of 20th-century history that adds context to the walk: the area has visible remnants of Japanese military fortifications from the World War II era, including tunnels and gun emplacements built as part of Japan’s coastal defense preparations near the end of the war. These structures are a somber counterpoint to the area’s otherwise scenic, relaxed hiking reputation, and worth a moment’s attention if you notice them along the crater-area walk near the trail’s end — a reminder that Jeju’s landscape carries real historical weight beyond its volcanic geology and coastal beauty.

Views toward Marado

On clear days, the vantage points near Songaksan offer sightlines toward Marado, Korea’s southernmost inhabited island, visible as a low silhouette on the horizon. This is one of the better mainland-accessible views of Marado without actually taking the ferry out to the island itself, and it’s worth timing your walk for clearer weather if seeing that specific view matters to you — haze and cloud frequently obscure the more distant sightlines even when nearer scenery remains visible.

Food and services along Course 10

The route passes through smaller settlements than Course 7’s Seogwipo-adjacent path, so food and drink options are more sparse — plan to carry more of your own supplies rather than counting on shops appearing regularly along the way. The Moseulpo area at the trail’s southern end has a proper selection of restaurants and services, making it a sensible place to plan a meal once you’ve finished walking rather than expecting much along the route itself.

Passport stamps and trail markers

Like other Olle Trail courses, Course 10 has official stamp stations at each end for passport-carrying walkers, and the trail follows the standard blue-and-orange ribbon marking system used across the network. Markings are generally clear along this route, though the more rural, less trafficked sections near the midpoint benefit from carrying a current route map rather than relying purely on marker-spotting.

Seasonal conditions on Course 10

Spring brings mild temperatures and, near Sanbangsan’s base, occasional wildflower bloom along the farmland edges of the route. Summer heat is a genuine concern given the exposed, largely shade-free coastal stretches — an early start well before midday is worth prioritizing from June through August. Typhoon season in late August and September carries the same coastal cancellation risk as elsewhere on the island’s shoreline routes. Autumn is generally the most comfortable season for the full distance, with clearer air improving the long sightlines toward Marado that are part of this route’s specific appeal. Winter remains walkable, with far fewer people sharing the trail, though wind off the water near Songaksan can be more biting than the general Jeju winter forecast suggests, given how exposed the coastal cone’s slopes are.

Yongmeori Coast along the route

The stretch near Yongmeori Coast, partway through Course 10, deserves specific attention for its layered sedimentary cliff formations — a visibly different geological texture from the columnar basalt seen elsewhere on Jeju’s coastline, formed through a distinct depositional process rather than lava-flow cooling. This section is sometimes affected by tidal conditions, since parts of the coastal path here can be impassable or reduced at high tide; checking tide times before your walk is a reasonable precaution if seeing this specific section fully matters to your plan. It’s a worthwhile slow-down point regardless of the tide situation, distinct enough from the rest of the route’s volcanic scenery to merit real attention rather than a quick pass-through.

Comparing Course 10 to a Sanbangsan-only visit

Some visitors specifically interested in Sanbangsan choose to visit the mountain independently — via car or taxi directly to its base — rather than walking the full Course 10 route to reach it. This is a reasonable choice if the Olle Trail walking itself doesn’t appeal and Sanbangsan’s own short summit trail is the real draw, but it means missing the broader coastal scenery, Yongmeori Coast, and the walk toward Songaksan that make Course 10 worthwhile as a complete experience rather than just a means of reaching one landmark.

Practical tips for a smoother walk

Because Course 10 covers more rural ground than Seogwipo-adjacent routes, cell service can occasionally be patchier in the middle stretches — not unreliable, but worth downloading an offline map before setting out rather than depending entirely on live data. Public restrooms are sparser here than on more urban-adjacent Olle Trail sections, so plan around the facilities available near Sanbangsan and in the Moseulpo area at either end rather than expecting frequent stops along the way.

Accommodation options near Course 10

Because this route runs through smaller settlements than Seogwipo-adjacent courses, accommodation options directly on the trail are more limited — expect to base yourself in nearby Seogwipo or one of the west Jeju coastal towns and drive or bus to the trailhead rather than finding lodging immediately at either end. A small number of guesthouses in the Moseulpo area cater specifically to Olle Trail walkers and offer a genuine option for visitors planning to walk this and neighboring courses over consecutive days.

Traffic and crowd patterns on Course 10

Course 10 generally sees less foot traffic than Seogwipo’s Course 7, given its more rural setting and the extra travel required to reach either trailhead without staying locally. This makes it a genuinely quieter option for visitors specifically seeking a less crowded Olle Trail experience while still getting dramatic, varied scenery. Sanbangsan’s own short summit trail, being a separate and more heavily visited attraction in its own right, does see more visitors than the coastal Olle route passing at its base — worth knowing if solitude specifically matters to your plans for that portion of the day.

Extending your visit toward Marado

Given the views toward Marado from points along Course 10, some visitors extend their day with an actual ferry trip out to the island itself, departing from nearby Moseulpo — a natural extension for anyone who found the distant silhouette compelling enough to want a closer look. This isn’t part of the Olle Trail course itself but pairs naturally with a Course 10 day given the geographic proximity and thematic connection between the mainland viewpoint and the island it looks toward.

A realistic time-of-day plan

Starting by 8-9am gives enough daylight to complete the full 15.6km route with time for photo stops at Sanbangsan, Yongmeori Coast, and Songaksan, plus a reasonable buffer before evening. If you’re also planning to climb Sanbangsan’s separate summit trail, budget an additional 1-1.5 hours on top of the Olle Trail walk itself, and consider whether that combination fits comfortably within your available daylight, particularly outside summer’s longer days.

Final practical notes

Course 10’s combination of mountain, coast, and volcanic crater scenery makes it one of the more visually varied single routes in the entire Olle Trail network, a genuine reason to prioritize it even among 26 options. Pack more self-sufficiently than you might for Seogwipo-adjacent routes, given the more rural setting and sparser services along the way, and treat the walk as a genuine day commitment rather than a quick add-on to other sightseeing plans in the area.

Connecting Course 10 to a broader southwest exploration

The southwest corner of Jeju that Course 10 traverses holds several other worthwhile stops beyond the trail itself — Sanbangsan’s cave temple partway up its slope, the Yongmeori Coast’s sedimentary formations, and Songaksan’s wartime remnants all sit within or very near the route. Visitors spending several days in this part of the island often treat Course 10 as a backbone connecting these individual sights into a single, coherent day rather than visiting each as a separate, disconnected stop requiring its own trip out from Seogwipo or elsewhere.

A note on solitude and pacing

Because Course 10 sees less foot traffic than some of the network’s more famous routes, it rewards a genuinely unhurried pace in a way that busier courses sometimes don’t allow as comfortably — fewer other walkers means more freedom to stop, sit, and simply take in the scenery at Sanbangsan’s base or along the Yongmeori Coast cliffs without feeling like you’re holding up a crowded trail behind you. This quieter character is one of Course 10’s most consistently mentioned advantages among repeat Olle Trail walkers.

A note on what to prioritize if you’re short on time

If you can’t walk the full 15.6km, the stretch from Sanbangsan through Yongmeori Coast captures the route’s most visually distinctive scenery — the mountain silhouette and the layered sedimentary cliffs — while the later approach toward Songaksan, though worthwhile for the crater walk and wartime history, is a reasonable section to skip if time is genuinely limited and you’d rather visit Songaksan separately by car on another day.

If Course 10 doesn’t fit your schedule

For a comparably strong but more infrastructure-adjacent alternative, Course 7 near Seogwipo offers dramatic cliffs with easier logistics. If a full-day walk doesn’t fit at all, the best oreums guide and a standalone visit to Sanbangsan let you sample this area’s volcanic scenery in a shorter block of time.

A closing thought on pacing this route

Resist the temptation to rush through the farmland stretches between Sanbangsan, Yongmeori Coast, and Songaksan simply because they’re less dramatic than the three headline landmarks — these connecting sections offer a genuine, unfiltered look at working Jeju agricultural land that’s just as much a part of the island’s character as its more photographed volcanic features, and they’re worth walking at the same attentive pace as the rest of the route.

The bottom line

Course 10’s combination of a distinctive volcanic mountain, layered coastal cliffs, and a lower-traffic setting than some of the network’s more famous routes makes it a genuinely strong choice for visitors who want varied scenery and a quieter walking experience, provided you’re prepared for the more limited services and slightly longer transport logistics that come with its rural southwest setting.

Frequently asked questions about Olle Trail Course 10

Where does Course 10 start and end?

It starts near Sanbangsan mountain and ends near Songaksan and the Moseulpo area, tracing the island’s southwest coast between the two volcanic landmarks.

What makes Course 10 distinctive?

The combination of Sanbangsan’s dramatic lava-dome silhouette, coastal cliffs, and Songaksan’s volcanic crater at the far end — more varied scenery in one route than most other Olle courses offer.

Is Course 10 difficult?

Moderate — the trail itself is mostly coastal and low-elevation, but there are some uneven rocky sections and the full distance (15.6km) makes it a genuine day’s walk.

How long does Course 10 take?

Around 5-6 hours for the full route at a moderate pace, including stops for photos at Sanbangsan and Songaksan.

Can I combine Course 10 with visiting Sanbangsan itself?

Yes — Sanbangsan has its own short summit trail separate from the Olle Trail route, and many walkers climb it before or after walking Course 10, adding roughly 1-1.5 hours.

Is Course 10 accessible by public transport?

Yes, both Sanbangsan and the Moseulpo/Songaksan end are reachable by bus, though schedules are less frequent than in Seogwipo or Jeju City.