When Is Tangerine Picking Season in Jeju?

Picking season on Jeju opens in October and runs into January. The earliest farms start taking visitors in the first half of October, and most are open by the middle of the month. A few that grow fruit over reflective ground sheets open as early as late September.

Timing changes what you see. October fruit is the extra-early type, called geukjosaeng, and the skin still carries patches of green. It tastes fine, but the trees look half-finished. The main early harvest, josaeng, runs from mid-November to the end of December, and that is when the orchards turn the deep orange you have seen in photos. If the picture matters to you, plan for mid-November or later.

You are reading this at the turning point. In the second week of November the trees are colouring fast, and the next six weeks are the peak. Late December is still good, though some farms close early once their trees are picked clean. By mid-January most open-field orchards have finished.

One date to note: the 2026 Jeju Citrus Expo will run from November 19 to 23 at the Jeju Agricultural Ecology Garden on the grounds of the Seogwipo Agricultural Technology Center, according to the organizing committee. It leans toward the industry side, with smart-farming and processing exhibits, but there will also be a direct-sales market, cultural performances and family programs. Check the Expo's official site for opening hours and admission before you go. November on Jeju is mild by day and windy by the sea, so our November weather and packing guide is worth a look before you pack.

Why the Orchards Cluster Around Seogwipo

Tangerines grow all over Jeju, but the south side is where the island's citrus belt is thickest. The reason is geography. Seogwipo sits on the southern slope of Hallasan, and the mountain blocks the cold northwesterly wind that hits Jeju City in winter. The south gets more sun, milder winters and fewer hard frosts, which is exactly what citrus needs.

Drive east from downtown Seogwipo toward Hyodon, Hahyo, Namwon and Wimi and the landscape becomes one long orchard. You will notice two things. Black basalt walls run around every plot, built from the stones farmers cleared from the fields. Behind them stand tall rows of cedar planted as windbreaks. On a clear day the orange fruit, the dark stone and the green hedges make some of the most photogenic farmland in Korea.

That density is also practical for visitors. Picking farms in this stretch are close together, so if one is closed or crowded the next is often a few minutes down the road. The Seogwipo Citrus Museum is in Hyodon too. Last season it ran its own picking program in its orchards from early November to late December, at about 5,000 won for roughly 1 kg of fruit. Check the museum's notice for this season's dates.

How a Picking Session Works

The format is simple and the same almost everywhere. You pay at the farm stand and get a basket or bag and a pair of small clippers. Then you walk into the orchard and pick until you reach your allowance. Most sessions take 30 minutes to an hour.

Allowances and fees vary farm by farm. A typical session costs roughly 5,000 to 20,000 won per person, and the take-home amount is usually 1 to 3 kg. One kilogram is about a dozen medium tangerines. Many farms let you eat as many as you like while you pick. Others sell an orchard-tasting ticket without a basket, and fruit over your limit is charged by weight. Some farms inside larger parks also charge park admission on top of the picking fee. So compare the kilograms, not just the price.

Staff will show you how to cut, and it is worth listening. Snip the stem once, leaving a short stub, then snip again flush with the fruit. A long stem pokes holes in the other tangerines in your basket. Do not twist or pull the fruit off the branch. For the sweetest picks, growers tend to point you to small-to-medium fruit with deep colour and thin, tight skin, often on the sunny side of the tree.

Wear shoes you do not mind getting muddy and sleeves that cover your arms, because the branches are dense. Most farms close by 4 or 5 p.m., and last entry can be earlier.

Noji Gamgyul, Hallabong and Cheonhyehyang

The fruit you pick in November is noji gamgyul, the open-field tangerine. It is a satsuma-type mandarin with loose, easy-peel skin, few or no seeds and a bright sweet-tart balance. It is the everyday tangerine of Korea, and Jeju grows most of it.

The premium citrus you see in gift boxes comes later, and most of it grows in greenhouses. Hwanggeumhyang appears around November and December. Redhyang, with its reddish skin, comes in from about December to February. Hallabong, named after Hallasan for the knob on its top, is harvested through winter and is at its best from January to March. Cheonhyehyang, the most fragrant of the group with a very thin skin, follows from about January to March.

You will also see farms advertising Tyvek tangerines. Tyvek is not a variety but a growing method. White reflective sheets on the orchard floor keep rain off the roots and bounce sunlight back into the trees, which tends to make sweeter fruit. Farms usually charge a little more for it.

If you are coming outside the main season, the options shrink. Open-field picking ends in January. A handful of farms run greenhouse picking for hallabong or cheonhyehyang in late winter and spring, and greenhouse tangerines reach markets from early summer. In late summer, small green tangerines called putgyul are sold for making citrus syrup.

Booking, Rainy Days and a Seogwipo Day Plan

Most picking farms take walk-ins. Some ask you to book by phone or online, especially for weekends in late November and for groups. Weekday mornings are the easiest, as the orchards are quiet and the fruit is cool. Before you drive out, check the farm's latest post for opening days, because family-run farms close for rain, private events or a picked-out orchard.

Rain is the main risk. Outdoor picking is often cancelled in heavy rain, and the Citrus Museum did not run its picking program in rain last season. On a wet day, look for a farm with greenhouse rows, or spend the hours at the museum's exhibition halls and glasshouses. Seogwipo also has plenty of orchard cafes, set among the trees with tangerine drinks and desserts on the menu. Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market is under a roof, with tangerine juice, chocolates and snacks to take home.

For a dry day, here is an easy plan. Pick in the morning around Hyodon or Namwon. Have lunch nearby, then walk part of Jeju Olle Route 6, which runs along the coast from Soesokkak into downtown Seogwipo. Finish at the market in the evening. Route 5, from Namwon to Soesokkak, and Route 7, west from Seogwipo past Oedolgae, work just as well. Our Jeju autumn hiking guide covers Hallasan, oreum and Olle if you want to add a walking day.

A rental car gives you the most freedom, since farms sit on small roads between the main towns. Without one, Airport Limousine 600 runs from Jeju International Airport to Seogwipo, and local buses run along the coastal road through the orchard villages. Check routes and real-time arrivals in a Korean map app. Our guide to Naver Map and KakaoMap explains how to use them. Taxis are easy to find in Seogwipo but scarce in the villages, so arrange your return ride before you start picking.