Y'all Look Up Rental Cars First? I Just Walk the Whole Thing

When people plan a Yeosu trip, the first thing they do is look up rental cars. Odongdo, Hyangiram, Dolsan Park — they're all scattered around, so everyone figures you need a car to get around comfortably. But if you take the KTX down to Yeosu Expo Station and want to spend just one day exploring on foot, it turns out you can put together a surprisingly solid route without a car at all. There's a walking path that runs straight from the station, past Odongdo, all the way to the cable car. And most of that stretch is close to flat, so as long as your bags aren't too heavy, it's not much of a workout. I'm the sea otter who's been playing around Yeosu's waters for fifty years, and I'm going to walk you through a route that can fill up a whole day — even if you only came by train.

Yeosu Expo Station: The Sea Is Right There From the Start

Yeosu Expo Station is the last stop on the KTX line. Whether you're leaving from Seoul or Yongsan, you can ride a single train all the way down to Yeosu without transferring. But the real reason this station is great is its location. Instead of sitting in the middle of downtown Yeosu, it's right in front of the site where the Yeosu World Expo was held. Step outside and the sea view opens up right in front of you, and Expo-site facilities like Aquaplanet Yeosu are within walking distance. You're not tied down by a rental car or a bus schedule — you can just start walking the moment you get off the train. That's a real perk for travelers going car-free. No need to drag a suitcase around, either — just drop your bags at your accommodation and start the day light on your feet.

Odongdo: One Bridge Away From an Island

The first stop on the walk from Expo Station is Odongdo. As the name suggests, Odongdo is an island, but it's connected to the mainland by a breakwater path, so you can walk right in without needing a boat. Standing at the entrance, you'll see sea on your left and sea on your right, stretching out along the path ahead — and just walking that stretch already feels like a scene straight out of a Yeosu trip. Odongdo is especially famous for its camellias; the trees planted all across the island burst into deep red blooms along the paths from winter into early spring. Even outside that season, the evergreen forest itself is lush enough to make for a fine walk any time of year. If circling the whole island on foot feels like too much, there's also the Camellia Train, a small train that carries you from the entrance to near the lookout point deeper in the island, so you can walk one way and ride the other. My tip: walk in to catch the sea breeze, then ride the train back out for an easy finish. From the lookout at the end of the trail, the sea off Yeosu opens up in front of you — and looking in that same direction, you can already spot the next stop, the cable car station.

Save the Cable Car for Sunset

Right next to Odongdo, over in Jasan Park, you'll find the boarding station for the Yeosu Cable Car. Known as Korea's first cable car to cross open water, it runs a round trip from Jasan Park across the sea to the far side. With blue water stretched out right beneath your feet, it feels less like a mode of transport and more like a floating observation deck. It's great during the day, but the time most people swear by is around sunset — that's when the sky, the sea, and the lights of downtown Yeosu all turn color together, making it the best window for both photos and just soaking it in. There's a scenic park and photo spots around the boarding station too, which is perfect for killing time while you wait your turn. Taking it round-trip, the view feels completely different going and coming back — heading out you get the full sweep of Odongdo, and on the return you catch downtown Yeosu lit up in the sunset. Looking down at Odongdo from the cable car, the island you were just walking around looks small enough to fit in your palm, and there's something oddly satisfying about that — seeing from the sky the very path you just walked with your own two feet.

A Full Day, Even Without a Car

The real charm of this route is that you never have to think about transportation. From the moment you step off at Yeosu Expo Station, through walking Odongdo, to boarding the cable car at Jasan Park — it's all one continuous walk. No hunting for parking, no checking bus schedules. All you have to do is show up light and move at the train's pace. It's especially perfect for solo travelers or anyone getting around by public transit alone. Even catching a morning KTX from Seoul, you can fill your afternoon with Odongdo and the cable car and still make it back on an evening train — that's how short and satisfying this route is. That said, since it's all on foot, you do need to think about your shoes and your stamina. Just circling Odongdo adds up to a fair bit of walking, and the distance to and from the cable car station isn't short either. Taking a break at a café or lookout point along the way always works. If you're carrying a lot of luggage, I'd recommend dropping it off at the station or your accommodation beforehand so you can head out light. Grab a backpack and go — start your trip the moment you step off at Yeosu Expo Station.

🦦 Real Photos, via Sudal