SINDO, SIDO AND MODO ISLANDS NEAR INCHEON [FULL GUIDE]

WHAT TO SEE IN SINDO, SIDO AND MODO ISLANDS? IS IT WORTH VISITING?

Sindo (신도), Sido (시도) and Modo (모도) islands are the perfect gateway from the busy city life of Seoul. Located off the coast of Incheon, these 3 islands are easily accessible by ferry. All 3 islands are connected by a bridge which makes it easy to visit them all within a day.

Sindo, Sido and Modo islands are the perfect gateway from Seoul

Why Visit these 3 islands?

• For their proximity to Seoul and easy access
• Beautiful Sandy Beaches
• Relaxing coastal vibe
• The fun activities on the island

For more ideas on best day trips from Seoul, check out this post here.

In this post we will share all you need to know for preparing a trip to Sindo, Sido and Modo Islands. Enjoy your trip 🙂

How to get to Sindo, Sido and Modo Islands?

Taking the ferry is the only possible way to access the islands. The ferry will stop at Sindo Island. From there you can start your exploration of all 3 islands as they are connected by a bridge.

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How to get to the Ferry terminal

To get to the islands you need to first go to Sammok Ferry Terminal (삼목여객터미널). The ferry terminal is located on Yeongjongdo Island. This is where Incheon Airport is located. The ferry terminal is located on the north coast of Yeongjongdo.

• Address: 63 Yeongjong haeanbuk-ro, 847 beon-gil, Jung-gu, Incheon (인천 중구 영종해안북로847번길 63 삼목여객터미널)
• By Public transport: take the airport railroad and stop at Unseo Station. From there you can take a small green bus #17. You can also reach the terminal directly from the airport. At terminal 2, take the bus 307 all the way to Sammok Ferry Terminal.

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How to take the ferry

The Ferry departs every 20 to 40min depending on the time of the day. See timetable below. The last ferry leaves at 7:30pm from Sindo. Be on time, otherwise you might have to spend a night on the island.

Actually, the day we went to visit the 3 islands, there were so many cars already queueing up at 6pm. The ferry company had to run many ferries, pretty much every 20min to get everyone back.

The ferry will drop you off at Sindo Island. It only takes about 10min to cross from Incheon to Sindo Island. On the ferry, if you buy some crackers and throw them in the air, you will be followed by an army of seagulls. It’s a popular thing to do for Koreans. The scenes are fun to watch!

To buy your ticket, show your ID at the ticket counter, located in a small building before the pier. If you decide to bring your car onboard the ferry, your driving license will also be required.

Price: Adults: W2,000; Children: W1,500; Cars: W10,000

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How to get around the islands?

There are a few options to go around and visit the islands.

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By Car

Since we owned a car in Seoul, we decided to get there with our vehicle. So we took the ferry with our car, which was well organized and very convenient (Korean “Bali-Bali” style). This is probably the easiest way to visit the island. Although the roads are a bit narrow, it was very pleasant to drive. The scenery from the cars was absolutely gorgeous.

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By Scooter

As soon as you arrive on Sindo, you can find a few shops which rent out scooters. This is another great and fun way to visit the island provided that the weather is nice. They have a scooter for 1-2 persons and a family scooter which can fit 3-4 persons. The price starts at W15,000 per hour.

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By Bicycle

This is probably the most popular way to visit Sindo, Sido and Modo islands. You can either rent a bicycle directly on the island or bring your own on the ferry. It might take you a full day to visit the 3 islands by bicycle, so rather come early morning. There are a few hills to climb but nothing too hard.

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ON foot

Some people go hiking around the island. This could be a very good option if you decide to stay overnight, either by spending the night in a pension or going camping with your own gear. Otherwise, we wouldn’t recommend it if you just plan a day trip…

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By Bus

We also saw some buses driving around the island. We have no idea about the timing, but the bus stops were pretty much everywhere on the islands and the bus seemed to run quite frequently. So you may also consider taking the bus to visit the island.

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What to do on Sindo Island?

The name of the island (“Sindo” means “confidence” in Korean) comes from the fact that the inhabitants of the island are hardworking and trustworthy. The island is also known as “Jineom” (which means “real salt” in Korean) because the island is known for its high-quality salt.

Although relatively small in size, the island has a diversity of geographic features. Along its southwest coast lies a wide bay, while the northern and southern regions are more mountainous. Large plots of flooded lands surround the entire island and provide habitat for rare birds such as the Chinese Egret and Black-tailed Gull, which also inhabit the nearby islands of Sido and Modo.

The inhabitants of Sindo make a living from fishing and farming. They catch gobies and shellfish off the coast and grow rice in the fields. Villages on the island, such as Pyeongchon in the east, Gonam-ri and Guroji in the southwest, are important fishing spots for locals.

From the top of Gubongsan Mountain, the highest peak, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Yellow Sea Islands (including Yeongjongdo Island). Visitors to Sindo can also easily reach neighboring Sido Island by crossing the Yeondogyo Bridge, 579 meters long and built in 1992.

Drive around the island and eat local dishes

We arrived to Sindo island just before lunch time and started to drive around to explore a bit. There aren’t many roads, so we first took the main roads and then tried to go around the island by taking the coastal drive. As it was spring, all cherry trees were in full bloom. It was so stunning.

After 1 hour or so, we decided to stop for a lunch break and eat our favorite dish in Korea: Kalguksu. A Korean soup with seafood and homemade noodles. The restaurant was facing the sea and the weather was warm, so we decided to eat outside. It was the perfect spot to enjoy our lunch. The name of the place is Seom Maeul Dari Restaurant (Address: 인천 옹진군 북도면 신도로 254 섬마을다리집). Here is the location on Naver.

After a delicious meal, it was time to visit the next island: Sido

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What to do on Sido Island?

Sido is the second biggest island located in-between Sindo and Modo. There is a small bridge connecting Sindo to Sido, right beside the restaurant where we had our lunch. The main attraction on Sido Island is Sugi Beach located at the very north side of the island.

Sugi is a fine sandy beach surrounded by nature. We actually really loved this place and were definitely thinking to go back over the summer. It seemed to be an awesome spot to hang out when it’s really hot in Korea.

If you come with kids, make sure to stop at Sugi Beach, as it’s a great spot for them to play in the sand. Right by the beach there is a small restaurant and cafe, as well as CU. So you can easily get food, snacks and drink at the beach.

Sugi Beach is also where we recommend you to spend the night if you stay overnight. There is a pension called Moon Palace which is facing the sea. The facility are fairly modern and very clean. It is also a family friendly pension, where you can also enjoy some bbq. Hence it’s the perfect spot amid the 3 islands. You can book here.

Sido is the best island for beach seeker. If you drive around the island you can find a few great and quiet beach spots. It is also popular for campers or “glampers”.

For other awesome beaches in South Korea, check out our top 25 beaches here.

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What to do on Modo Island?

Modo island is the smallest of the 3 islands. However, among the 3 islands, Modo is probably the most famous one in Korea.

This is thanks to Baemikkumi Sculpture Park located on the southern part of the island, and the highlight of Modo Island. Lee Il-Ho, a famous Korean modern sculptor, installed his artworks on Modo island, in a place facing the sea and surrounded by nature. Baemikkumi Sculpture Park became popular as it was featured in the Korean movie “Time”, by the famous director Kim Ki-Duk.

If you visited other sculpture parks in Korea, like in Pocheon Art Valley (more info here), you may already know that sometimes it can be a bit weird and quite oriented to sexual exhibition. We never really understood this concept, especially because it is supposed to be a family-friendly area. But anyway, everyone has it’s own taste, no judgment here… We really liked some of the sculptures still, especially that tree which becomes flooded by water during high tide.

If you want to take a break during your visit of Modo island, Baemikkumi Sculpture Park is also the perfect spot as there is a coffee shop facing the sea. There is a small entrance fee to enter the park, we paid about W2,000 / person.

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Where to stay on Sindo, Sido and Modo Island?

If you decide to stay overnight on one of the islands, we recommend staying at Sugi Beach on Sido Island. First of all the beach is really nice and also there is a small convenient store and coffee shop serving simple food as well. So it makes it very convenient.

There are a few pensions near Sugi beach, however, we recommend staying at Moon Palace Pension. The rooms are spacious and very clean. There is also the option to do a barbecue while facing the sea. You can book here.

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Other things to do near Incheon?

1. Wolmido island

Wolmido Island (월미도) is located in Incheon and it’s a perfect place to escape the busy Seoul. Many people go there during the weekend because of its proximity to Seoul and its easy access. Many cafes and seafood restaurants can be found along the coast. There are approximately 50 seafood restaurants in the same street.

Among the many points of interest in Incheon, the island of Wolmido is our favorite sight to enjoy the fresh air from the ocean, delicious seafood restaurants but also go on a beautiful cruise during sunset. There are many other things to do in Wolmido, which we invite you to discover in our blog below.

READ: Full post about Wolmido here

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2. Check out other islands and beaches

There are many great islands easily reachable near Incheon.

Muuido Island is perfect for a day out. Head to Hanagae Beach, the largest shore on Muuido Island, with a kilometer-long sandy beach. From Muuido you can also walk to Silmido during low tide and So-Muuido in the south via a walking bridge. Check out our full post here here.

Seonjaedo is another beautiful island located southwest of Seoul. If you head there at low tide around 10am, the water will reveal a path which will lead you to Mokseom Island. Mokseom island is a tiny island, only accessible at low tide. 

We also enjoy driving to Ganghwado, a very unique island with dolmens from thousands of years ago, fortresses, and a beautiful temple. Check out the fill guide here.

Not far from Incheon International Airport, Eurwangni Beach is one of the most representative beaches on the West Coast. In addition to its magnificent view and white sand, the shallow waters of the beach allow children to swim safely. 

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3. Go Sailing

Recently Incheon opened a new private harbour, where you go on sailing trip around Incheon. It is called Hyeondae Yacht Incheon, located near Eurwangni Beach.

We joined a private sailing tour during sunset with drinks and food provided. It was absolutely gorgeous. You can check out our YouTube video above.

For more information check out the Korea Travel Easy website here.

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In conclusion – Are Sido, Sindo and Modo island worth a visit?

Sindo, Sido and Modo are great places to spend a relaxing weekend near Seoul. We enjoyed the good vibes from the islands. If the weather is nice, we recommend visiting the 3 islands by bicycle or scooter to add more fun to your trip.

We especially enjoyed Sugi Beach on Sido Island. The fine sands, blue and transparent sea, and nature all around make this place very special and probably one of the most beautiful beaches near Seoul.

If you want to discover more places around Seoul, check out our post on another great gateway, here.

We lived in Seoul for 3 years and loved exploring all these beautiful places in Korea. There are many posts about Korea in this blog, you can find them all here.

HAPPY TRAVELING!

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