Guided Tour vs Taxi Tour – in Jeju Island
It is exciting to plan your trip, but it is also a cumbersome task to prepare a lot of things in advance. When you visit Jeju Island, you can think of several options that way of traveling such as guided tour, taxi tour or even do it as independent travel. Of course, every option has advantages and disadvantages. So which way is best for you?
Guided Tours and Independent Travel
Guided tours certainly have their place in the world of traveling – if you’re short on time, guided tours mean that you can cram in plenty of adventure and culture in just a few days. SIC(Seat-in-coach) type of tours is also a great way to meet other travelers and to spend your time with them.
Independent travel on the other hand can be significantly cheaper, so if you have plenty of time but not much money this might be the better choice for you. Most long-term backpackers are advocates of independent travel but it’s important to note that many backpacker veterans actually started their trips with guided tours, to develop a good foundation to the world of backpacking.
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Jeju Island Taxi Tour
Learn about Taxi tours
Taxi tours are probably in the middle of these two ways. Taxi tours are as convenient as guided tours but are relatively inexpensive and can be considered the same way if you only look at transportation.
If you take a look at some good reviews of the Jeju Island Taxi Tour, which is posted on TripAdvisor, the world’s best travel community site, you can experience the advantages of taxi tours indirectly.
Tripadvisor Reviews about Taxi Tour
★★★★★ An awesome two-day tour of Jeju
We (a party of six from Hong Kong) had a terrific time touring the eastern and western regions of Jeju Island. We were blessed with beautiful weather on the first day, despite a less than promising forecast, and on the second day we even had snow, a happy surprise and real bonus for us who had come from a warm place.We booked a mini-van from Hi Jeju Taxi Tour. Our driver was Mr. Kim Young-ho. He is an excellent driver and apparently also an experienced guide. We gave him a list of the places we wanted to visit, and he worked out an itinerary that would cover the greatest number of attractions in the available time and weather conditions.
Mr. Kim took good care of us along the way, gave clear instructions on distance and time, showed us places for simple Korean style lunches, and took beautiful pictures for us. Mr. Kim is polite and friendly, and can communicate effectively in Mandarin, which he said he had taught himself. It was a truly awesome trip. Thank you Mr. Kim.
★★★★★ One fine day in Jeju
We only have wonderful memory in one day trip with Mr,Jang. If you want to enjoy Jeju to the fullest, don’t hesitate to book Jang Taxi. Mr.Jang pick us from our guest house at 9 a.m sharp.We were not so sure of where we want to go other than 4 places (Sangumburi crater, seongsan ilchulbong, jeongbang water fall and teddy bear museum) and Mr.Jang kindly take us to another 3 places (Jusangjeolli cliff, hallasan mountain and mysterious road) since we’ve still have some times left.
Mr Jang is also friendly with good photography skills, he carefully choose a photo spot and look into it through the camera first before taking photos for us, to make sure we will have only good photos. He also took us to a good noodle place with wonderful kimchi for lunch. Even though he only speak basic english, he tries his best to communicate with us. We have an unforgettable memories thanks to the service of Mr.Jang.
Disadvantages of the Jeju taxi tour
So, what are the disadvantages of the Jeju taxi tour?
One of the biggest disadvantages is the limitation of language ability. Because taxi drivers literally drive taxis, it is hard to compare them on the same line as a tour guide who has a legitimate license with professional tour performance.
To qualify for a tour guide in Korea, you must pass the first foreign language test, the second written exam (four subjects), and the third interview. It is not easy enough to pick up a certificate that takes more than two years on average.
Considering that the taxi tours usually take place in accordance with a predetermined itinerary, and the most of tours in Jeju Island would be operated as a sightseeing type, the role of the tour guide may not be bigger than expected.
However, this communication issue can be an important variable when something unexpected happens or in case you want to change some of the schedules during the tour.
Jeju Island Private Tour
What’s Best For Me?
Choosing between a guided tour and a taxi tour
Choosing between a guided tour and a taxi tour is a very personal choice, so it is a good idea to ask yourself these questions:
- Do you want to save your budget at the same time as it is convenient when traveling?
- Do you feel you need a lot of help from a tour guide?
- Is there something you want to see which is only possible with a guided tour?
If you’re a first-time visitor, consider signing up for a short guided tour followed by a taxi tour afterward. Being on a guided tour will give you the confidence and know-how you need to properly explore an area by yourself once the tour has ended.
Source: TripAdvisor, Backpacker Travel
