Seogwipo tea house and bookshop: tea ceremony and reading at Egatot

When you travel around Jeju chasing famous cafés and sights, the day flies by, right? This trip was a little different. A summer hotel staycation and plenty of rest is lovely, but this time I wanted to spend some quieter, more special time with my other half. I went looking for a place for reflection and rest, somewhere to read over a cup of tea, and that's how I found Egatot Library in Andeok, Seogwipo. Let me show you around.

Where do you park at Egatot Library?

The parking lot at Egatot Library is ridiculously huge, and I was shocked as soon as we arrived. Parking in the second lot is a bit closer, but wherever you park, the walk in is so lovely.

Once you park and slowly walk the forest path to Egatot Library, the healing starts right there. Green trees fill both sides and pretty flowers bloom here and there. The more you walk, the more the fresh scent of grass drifts past your nose, and with birds chirping it feels like a stroll through the woods. My mind calmed down before I even reached Egatot Library.

Egatot Library tea ceremony: booking and price

I booked the Egatot Library tea ceremony through Naver, and we chose 11 a.m. The 2-person tea ceremony experience costs ₩25,000 per person and lasts about 1 hour 50 minutes.

What is the atmosphere inside Egatot Library like?

The moment we stepped through the entrance of Egatot Library, the warm wood-tone interior and the green scenery filling the big windows hit us at once.

I couldn't help but go "wow~~~!" Strangely, my mind settled the second I walked in. Rather than a café, "a dreamy Jeju bookstore tea house" fits this place much better.

Egatot merchandise is displayed on one side, so arriving a little before our reservation time was fun for browsing.

The quiet, cozy mood inside was really nice. Comfortable chairs, soft lighting, and the Jeju forest view coming through the huge windows. The space is arranged so that wherever you sit you can read while looking at nature, which made me want to stay a long time.

Is Egatot Library fine to visit alone?

Plenty of people had come on their own to Egatot Library, and single-person seats are well provided, so spending time alone didn't feel awkward at all. If anything, I thought it's a really good place to come alone.

What do you learn in the Egatot Library tea class?

In the tea class at Egatot Library, the owner explains everything step by step, from how to brew the tea to the time spent waiting for it. He's good-looking too, but what got me was his calm voice; it sank right in, and just listening made me feel at ease.

• How to brew tea
• Water temperature
• How to smell the tea leaves
• The time spent waiting patiently for the tea

For someone like me, who usually dunks a tea bag and drinks it in a hurry, this was a brand-new experience.

After the tea experience, we could choose any tea we wanted, and I picked hojicha (roasted green tea).

I loved how calmly and clearly he explained everything.

Hojicha tea time after the tea class

Once the tea class is over, you sit down and the tea you chose is brought to your seat along with a tea set.

Brewing the hojicha slowly the way I'd learned, savoring the aroma, and drinking the warm tea was such a lovely time.

What books does Egatot Library have?

The shelves at Egatot Library hold books curated around themes like body, mind, relationships and learning, and there are picture books too. I wandered around choosing something to read, and the picture books were such a welcome sight. It reminded me of reading them to my kids every day when they were little, and getting more excited than they did.

I also read a picture book about how "a child lives inside every adult," and realized there's still a child alive inside me too, so I couldn't put the book down for a long while. Leaning back in a comfy chair, slowly sipping hojicha and reading. When you look up, a green forest spreads out beyond the big windows, and when you open the book again, another world opens up. So this is what it feels like to read in the middle of a forest.

Verdict: the most memorable place of our Jeju trip

If I had to pick just one place that stayed with me most on this Jeju trip, I'd choose Egatot Library in Andeok, Seogwipo.

Trips spent rushing around sights are great, but I was reminded that sometimes the time you spend doing nothing, with just a cup of tea and a book, stays in your memory longer.

I confidently recommend it to anyone looking for a Jeju bookstore tea house, couples planning a dreamy Seogwipo bookstore date, and solo travelers searching for a quiet Jeju indie bookstore tea room. If you want to rest at your own pace in Jeju, come meet the warmest kind of healing with a cup of tea at Egatot Library.