Muuido and the Incheon islands
Muuido, also known as Muui Island, is an island in Incheon, South Korea.
It is a small island located south of Yongyu Island, which was joined with Yeongjong Island through land reclamation when Incheon International Airport was built.
Getting to Muuido and the Incheon islands
From Incheon International Airport's Departure terminal (3rd floor), exit at gate 5 and board bus 222 (a T-money card will work for this bus). Bus 306 also takes you to the port, but it is a 10-minute walk from this bus stop to the ferry. The 222 route is a shuttle (back and forth), so it is simple to reach the Jamjinnaru ferry terminal.
Worth seeing
- 01Hanagae Beach
A large sandy beach on the southwest coast of Muuido Island, famous for its gentle waves, tidal flats at low tide, and sunsets over the Yellow Sea.
- 02Silmi Beach
A secluded beach in the north of Hanagae, a natural atmosphere.
- 03Silmi Island
An uninhabited island seen from the northwestern coast of Muuido Island.
- 04Guksa-bong
Things to do
Down on Hanaggae Beach past the gates, there are sometimes horses to ride for ₩10,000 to the left, and ATV rentals to the right or on Silmi: ₩25,000 for 30 minutes. Further up from the water there is a small cluster of buildings resembling a shanty town, with signs boasting more seafood restaurants, and even a noraebang.
- 01Ganghwa Leports Park
Where to eat
You will be hard-pressed to find anything but seafood on the island. Restaurants can be more expensive than in the city, and serve the usual Korean staples of squid, shellfish, and even shrimp and starfish. Once summer has passed, many restaurants remain closed or vacant.
Getting around Muuido and the Incheon islands the local way
Muuido used to be a boat trip: you drove to Jamjin dock on Yeongjong island, queued with the cars and crossed to Keunmuri pier in about seven minutes. That ended on 30 April 2019 when the 1.6 km Muui Bridge opened, and within fifty days 130,000 vehicles had used it. The island is now reached entirely by road, and the one public way in is the Muui 1 village bus, which starts at exit 7 on the third floor of Incheon Airport Terminal 1, runs down through Yongyu, over the bridge, past Keunmuri pier and the community centre to Hanagae beach and on to the car park at Gwangmyeong harbour, every 45 to 60 minutes from 06:30 to 20:00 for a flat 1,500 won with a card. There is no route 222 in Incheon's current route list. From the mainland the useful long bus is the 306 seat service from Dongincheon through the airport to Muuido-ipgu, and from Seoul the chain is AREX to Terminal 1 and then the village bus; AREX also meets Incheon Subway Line 1 at Gyeyang and Line 2 at Geomam. On the island the tide is the timetable: the sand road from the Silmi beach to Silmido opens twice a day at low water and the coastguard pulls people off it when they misjudge it. The bigger island ferries are a separate world, sailing from Yeonan Pier on the Incheon mainland to Jawol, Deokjeok, Daecheong, Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong. Those need a photo ID in your name, not a transport card, and they stop whenever the fog comes in.
- 01Muui Bridge replaced the Jamjin dock ferryservice status
Jamjindo on Yeongjong island to Keunmuri on Muuido
- Where
- Look for the bridge, not a ticket window. The car ferry from Jamjin dock to Keunmuri pier took about seven minutes and is gone; the 1.6 km, 8 to 12 m wide Muui Bridge opened for temporary use on 30 April 2019, with full opening pushed to the end of that July while the car parks at each end were finished. Traffic averaged 2,660 vehicles a weekday and 4,300 at weekends in the first fifty days, and weekday visitor numbers rose more than ninefold. The island roads did not grow to match: there is an 86-space public car park beside the bridge, built in 2023, but the sign for it only appears once you are already past the Muui junction, so drivers overshoot.
- When
- Open continuously
- Fare
- No toll on the bridge; parking charges at the Muui Bridge public car park were not confirmed
- Takes
- A couple of minutes to cross
- Season
- Year-round; peak congestion at weekends and through the summer holidays
- Booking
- None
Sources: hankookilbo.com (2019-04) · yna.co.kr (2019-06) · yeongjong.co.kr (2026-07) · confidence high
- 02Muui 1 village bus (무의1)bus
Incheon Airport Terminal 1 - Hyatt Hotel - Yongyu station - Muuido-ipgu - Geojampo - Jamjindo - Keunmuri pier - Silmi junction - Muuido community centre - Hanagae junction - Hanagae Beach - Sasimijae - Gwangmyeong harbour - Muui public car park
- Where
- It leaves from the bus stop at exit 7 on the third floor of Terminal 1, the departures level, and is signed 무의1 rather than with a three-digit number. Forty-three stops each way; it is the only bus that crosses the bridge, and it is also the Hanagae beach shuttle, running into the beach itself and back out past the footbridge stop. Coming back, the last departure from the Muui end is around 21:00, so do not plan on a late swim.
- When
- Every 45 to 60 minutes, weekdays, Saturdays and holidays alike
- Fare (2026)
- 1,500 won by transport card, 1,600 won cash; it is charged at Incheon's trunk-bus rate, not a village-bus rate, with the usual distance additions on transfers
- Takes
- About 50 minutes end to end
- Season
- Year-round
- Booking
- None; tap on
Sources: bus.incheon.go.kr (2026-09) · bus.incheon.go.kr (2026-09) · confidence high
- 03306 seat bus from Dongincheon and the other airport routesbus
Sipjeong-dong depot - Dongincheon station - Incheon Airport Terminal 1 - Muuido-ipgu - Eurwangni beach - Wangsan
- Where
- Catch it at Dongincheon station on Metropolitan Line 1 if you are starting from central Incheon; it takes about an hour and a half of city streets before it reaches the airport road. It stops at Muuido-ipgu, on the Yongyu side of the turn-off, where you change to the Muui 1 for the bridge; it does not cross to Muuido itself. The 111 and 307 also serve Yeongjong, and the 202 and 203 circulate inside the island, but only the Muui 1 goes over the water.
- When
- Every 18 to 21 minutes on weekdays, 24 to 26 on Saturdays, 25 to 30 on holidays; first 04:40, last 20:40
- Fare (2026)
- 1,900 won by card, 2,600 won cash on Yeongjong-bound seat buses; the cheaper 1,500 won local Yeongjong fare applies only on routes 111, 117, 307 and 320
- Takes
- About 1h 30m Dongincheon to the airport
- Season
- Year-round
- Booking
- None; tap on
Sources: bus.incheon.go.kr (2026-09) · bus.incheon.go.kr (2026-09) · confidence high
- 04AREX from Seoul, and where it meets the Incheon subwaytrain
Seoul Station - Gimpo Airport - Gyeyang - Geomam - Cheongna - Yeongjong - Unseo - Incheon Airport Terminal 1 - Terminal 2
- Where
- Take the all-stop commuter train rather than the non-stop express: it is on the metropolitan fare system, so one card covers the train and the bus afterwards. Get off at Terminal 1 for the Muui 1 bus, not at Unseo, which is the Airport Town Square stop and has no bus over the bridge. Coming from inside Incheon, AREX meets Incheon Subway Line 1 at Gyeyang, 20 minutes from the airport, and Incheon Subway Line 2 at Geomam, 16 minutes out.
- When
- Turn-up-and-go all day
- Fare (2025)
- Metropolitan base fare rose to 1,550 won on 28 June 2025 and is charged by distance on top; the exact Seoul-to-airport through fare was not confirmed here
- Takes
- Roughly an hour Seoul Station to Terminal 1 on the all-stop train, then about 50 minutes on the village bus
- Season
- Year-round
- Booking
- None for the commuter train; tap a T-money or credit card
Sources: hani.co.kr (2025-06) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-07) · confidence medium
- 05The Silmido tidal causewaywalking trail
Silmi beach on the west side of Muuido across the flats to Silmido
- Where
- Walk it from the Silmi resort beach, which charges admission and whose staff sweep the sand; the crossing itself is free once you are through. At low water the gap fills in completely with firm sand and you walk over. Islanders set out boundary stones and a safety rope before the spring season. There is no bridge and no boat: if you are late back you are stuck, and Incheon coastguard has taken people off, including sixteen at once on 4 March 2023. Check the tide table before you set out rather than asking on the beach.
- When
- The sand road opens twice a day, around each low tide
- Fare
- Admission is charged at the Silmi beach resort you cross from; the amount could not be confirmed
- Takes
- 15 to 20 minutes on foot each way
- Season
- Year-round, but the window shifts with the tide every day and is shortest around neaps
- Booking
- None
Sources: incheonin.com (2023-03) · kmib.co.kr (2023-03) · khoa.go.kr (2026-09) · confidence medium
- 06The mudflats fill faster than people expectservice status
Hanagae beach and the flats on the west of Muuido
- Where
- The flats off Hanagae run out to the horizon at low water and hundreds of people walk on them, many barefoot, some digging for shellfish at night. The channels refill first and cut you off from the beach behind you. On 27 September 2026, over the Chuseok holiday, a man in his thirties was caught in a gully near Hanagae with the water up to his chest and had to take off his waders to call for help; an Incheon coastguard hovercraft took him off. Their standing advice is to check the tide before going out and to carry a light and a phone.
- When
- Twice a day, every day
- Fare
- No charge; the beach itself is a paying resort
- Takes
- n/a
- Season
- Worst in the summer season and on holiday weekends, when the crowds are largest
- Booking
- n/a
Sources: incheonilbo.com (2026-09) · confidence high
- 07Yeonan Pier ferries to Jawol, Deokjeok, Daecheong and Baengnyeongferry
Incheon Coastal Passenger Terminal (인천항 연안여객터미널, 70 Yeonanbudu-ro, Jung-gu) to the Ongjin islands
- Where
- This is on the mainland, not on Yeongjong, and it is a different trip from Muuido: fifteen routes and nineteen vessels sail from here. Book through the national coastal ferry portal at island.theksa.co.kr, which lists every port and pairs them into routes. Bring a photo ID in your own name: since 2 December 2021 a mobile ID counts as well as a physical one, but a ticket is issued against a named person and a transport card will not get you aboard. Minors without an ID are vouched for by a guardian. Terminal use was at a record 1,061,367 passengers on ordinary routes in 2025, so book ahead for summer weekends.
- When
- Varies by island, from several a day to Deokjeok to a small number to Baengnyeong
- Fare
- Fares are set per route by the operators and were not confirmed here; visiting relatives of soldiers on the five island townships get 70 per cent of the ticket paid
- Takes
- About four hours Incheon to Baengnyeong on the fast ships
- Season
- Year-round, with far more sailings in summer
- Booking
- island.theksa.co.kr, or at the terminal; ID required at both purchase and boarding
Sources: island.theksa.co.kr (2026-09) · fnnews.com (2021-12) · incheontoday.com (2026-03) · confidence medium
- 08Fog stops the island ferriesservice status
All Yeonan Pier routes, worst on the long Baengnyeong and Daecheong run
- Where
- The rule that governs it is old and blunt: a 1972 regulation restricting departures when visibility is under 1 km, still in force despite every ship carrying satellite navigation and automatic identification. When sea fog sets in, sailings are held rather than cancelled outright, and you wait in the terminal with no alternative. On 14 February 2026, the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the 08:30 and 09:00 Baengnyeong sailings were held and about a thousand people waited; departures resumed from noon and all fifteen Incheon routes ran normally by the afternoon. It repeated on 28 and 29 March 2026.
- When
- Recurring through the spring and early summer fog season
- Fare
- No charge; you wait
- Takes
- Hours, occasionally a whole day
- Season
- Sea fog is worst from spring into early summer; wind warnings stop sailings in winter
- Booking
- Check the terminal or the booking portal on the morning of travel
Sources: yna.co.kr (2026-02) · incheontoday.com (2026-03) · confidence high
- 09Sindo Peace Bridge replaced the Sammok ferry tooservice status
Yeongjong island to Sindo, Sido and Modo
- Where
- If a guide tells you to take the boat from Sammok pier to Sindo, it is out of date. The 3.26 km, two-lane Sindo Peace Bridge opened at 14:00 on 14 July 2026 after a ceremony that morning, and it carries pedestrians and bicycles as well as cars, so the three islands of Sin, Si and Mo are now road-connected. Bus service lagged the bridge by about two months; the route that now runs to Sindo Bada station is the 2251 from the Yeongjong public bus depot, 05:00 to 23:30.
- When
- Open continuously; the 2251 bus runs 05:00 to 23:30
- Fare
- No toll on the bridge
- Takes
- About ten minutes by bicycle from the Yeongjong side
- Season
- Year-round; heavy congestion in the opening months
- Booking
- None
Sources: khan.co.kr (2026-07) · bus.incheon.go.kr (2026-09) · confidence high
Not yet confirmed: The brief said to look for the Jamjin dock ferry and whether a bridge had replaced it. It has: the Muui Bridge opened on 30 April 2019 and the car ferry from Jamjin dock to Keunmuri stopped. Wikivoyage's Yeongjong article still tells readers to take bus 222 to Jamjindo and then a ferry, and that is wrong on both counts.; The brief named bus routes 222 and 306. Route 222 does not exist in Incheon's live route list of 364 routes, and no route number containing 222 appears at all; the Muuido service is the 무의1 village bus. Route 306 exists and runs Dongincheon to Wangsan via the airport and Muuido-ipgu, but does not cross to Muuido.; The brief placed Muuido in Jung-gu. Incheon redrew its districts on 1 July 2026 and Yeongjong island, Muuido included, is now Yeongjong-gu. Signage on Somuuido still said Jung-gu two months later, so older addresses will persist for a while.; The brief asked whether T-money works on the ferries. It does not, and the reason is not the payment system: a coastal ferry ticket is issued against a named passenger and a photo ID is checked at purchase and again at boarding. T-money does work on the Muui 1 and 306 buses and on AREX.; Fares on the Yeonan Pier routes to Jawol, Deokjeok and Baengnyeong could not be confirmed. The official portal, island.theksa.co.kr, serves its port list through /booking/selectPortList but the priced schedule sits behind a form POST to /page/booking that did not return results without a session. Search the route on that portal directly, or ask at the terminal at 70 Yeonanbudu-ro, Jung-gu.; No admission price could be confirmed for Hanagae beach or the Silmi resort, nor a parking tariff for the Muui Bridge public car park. The operators' own sites, hanagae.co.kr and mudo.co.kr, and the district site junggu.incheon.kr, all refused the connection from this network. Ask Yeongjong-gu district office, or Incheon's transport line on 032-120.; AREX's own passenger site no longer publishes fares where it used to: arex.or.kr now serves only corporate pages and its fare and timetable paths return errors, so the Seoul-to-airport through fare here is given as the metropolitan base fare plus distance rather than a quoted number..
The field note on Muuido and the Incheon islands reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.