Most people who come to Busan either come for a day trip, stay for 2 Days/1 Night or 3 Days/2 Nights. Instead of creating an itinerary for only one of these, I have created 3 separate itineraries, each tailored to the amount of time you have in Busan. This allows a more detailed and suited itinerary based on your travel time. If you are not sure where to stay while you’re in Busan, check out my in-depth post about the best areas to stay in Busan.
If you plan on traveling by KTX in Korea, you may want to check out the Korea Rail Pass (KR Pass) to save money.
Here is my Busan Day Trip Itinerary which gives you a great plan to take in a lot of what Busan has to offer in the short amount of time you have.
Staying longer than just one day? If you only have 1 night and 2 days in Busan, please click here to see where I recommend you spend you time.
Staying 3 days and 2 nights in Busan? I have detailed what I believe to be the most enjoyable and convenient itinerary here.
If you are still not sure whether to visit Seoul or Busan, I have a detailed post comparing Seoul and Busan.
If you are looking for a reliable tour in Busan this Busan tour by Klook is well planned out.
To make it easier for you to plan your trip in Busan, I have marked all the best places on the map above into the different districts/areas of Busan. Seomyeon (Purple), Gwangalli Beach (Yellow), Haeundae Beach (Green), Nampo-dong (Blue), Gijang (Maroon) and PNU/Dongnae (Black)
BUSAN DAY TRIP (1 Day)
– Places visited in this Itinerary –
Taejongdae | Nampo-dong | Jagalchi Fish Market | Haeundae Beach | Gwangalli Beach
09 : 15 AM – Arrive by KTX / BUS / AIRPLANE (Gimhae International Airport) at Busan Station 부산역.
09 : 30 AM – Take Bus 88 or 101 and get off at Taejongdae (태종대).
10 : 30 AM – Arrive at at Taejongdae (태종대) and enjoy this scenic coastal attraction. Details of my travel to Taejongdae can be seen here. You can either walk around the entire way around or you can purchase tickets and ride the small train which stops off at various points along the way (recommended).
1 : 00 PM – Depart Taejongdae by catching the bus (8, 30 or 88B) to Nampo-dong Station.
2 : 00 PM – Arrive at Nampo-dong! Take your time to enjoy what Nampo-dong has to offer, Busan’s #1 tourist attraction including Korean street food, Yongdusan ‘Mt. Yongdu’ Park (take the escalator), Busan Observation Tower and of coarse the endless amounts of shopping (From High-End brands to Imported Goods to Street Clothes).
3 : 00 PM – After your finished here, literally walk across the street to Jagalchi Fish Market which is arguably Korea’s best seafood market. A large variety of seafood can be seen here and is definitely worth a look! (I have allocated only 30 mins here which for a quick look should be plenty. If you enjoy it a lot or want to eat something here then you may want to take an hour). Also be sure to take a look at the inside area which houses a load of small shops selling seafood.
3 : 30 PM – Take subway Line 1 towards Seomyeon Station which should take about 15 minutes, then transfer at Seomyeon Station and take Line 2 towards Haeundae Beach Station 해운대역 which will take about 30 minutes.
4 : 30 PM – Arrive at Haeundae Beach, the most famous Beach in Korea. Once here, you will want to make your way to the beach front and check out the main attraction…. the BEACH! Hopefully the weather is nice and depending on what season you go, you should get some sunshine and be able to take a walk around.
Dongbaek Island is a great short walk which loops back around to where you started. You can get more info HERE. The walk should take between 25-45 minutes depending on how fast you walk. After your walk, you should head to the Haeundae Market area (basically 1 small street which has loads of small shops selling Korean food ranging from Mandu (dumplings), bibimbap, gimbap, dok bokki, fish and much more. Busan is famous for it’s Pork Rice Soup 돼지국밥 so I would recommend having that if you can’t decide or are looking for a recommendation.
6 : 00 PM – Depart Haeundae Beach by taking subway Line 2 from Haeundae Station 해운대역 to Gwangan Station 광안역.
6 : 15 PM – Arrive at Gwangan Station 광안역 and make your way to Exit 3 or 5. You will need to walk 10 minutes to reach Gwangalli Beach.
6 : 30 PM – Once you reach Gwangalli Beach, I would recommend having a stroll along the main beach front and have a look at some of the beach side restaurants and cafes. If you like eating raw fish 회, then I would definitely recommend going to the Millennium Hoetjip (밀레니엄횟집) which is close by (5-10 minutes walk) and choosing what seafood you would like to eat. They will put your chosen seafood into a bag to which you can then take to a small group of tents nearby to eat ( I have provided both of these locations on the Google Map below for your convenience 🙂 ).
If you’re not big of seafood, there are more than enough choices in Gwangalli Beach for places to eat, so take your time and choose one which suits your tastes / mood at the time.
7 : 30 PM – By now you will be either eating at the small tents I recommended 🙂 or dining in one of the restaurants along/close to the beach. One of the reasons of coming to Gwangalli Beach is to see the Famous Gwangan Bridge lit up at night and you can do exactly that at 8 PM. If you finish dinner early, I would suggest walking down on the sand and waiting for the bridge to light-up. If you are at a restaurant or cafe along the beach front you may want to stay inside and enjoy the views while you finish off your meal/coffee.
8 : 00 PM – So now the bridge will light-up and once you are ready, walk down on the sand (if you are not there already) and enjoy the famous bridge lit-up ( take lots of photos 🙂 ). Depending on how many photos you take etc, I would think 20 minutes is sufficient 🙂
8 : 20 PM – Unfortunately its time to leave 🙁 so you will need to make your way back to Gwangan Station 광안역 where you can take subway Line 2 towards Seomyeon Station which should take about 15 minutes, then transfer at Seomyeon Station and take Line 1 towards Busan Station 부산역 which should take about 10 minutes. OR you can also catch bus 1001 from 대남교차로 which goes directly to Busan Station 부산역 which should take about 25 minutes.
IF you are returning/going to Seoul (or other places in Korea) please give yourself enough time to get back to Busan Station so you don’t miss the KTX, Bus or your flight.
9 : 00 PM – You should have arrived at Busan Station 부산역 and are now ready to leave Busan 🙁 behind. You can check what time the KTX departs Busan here.
BUSAN 2 DAY ITINERARY (2 Days/1 Night)
– Places visited in this Itinerary –
Gamcheon Cultural Village | Nampo-dong | Jagalchi Fish Market | Taejongdae | Seomyeon |
Haedong Yunggungsa Temple | Gijang Lotte Outlet Mall | Haeundae Beach | Shinsegae Centum City | Gwangalli Beach
DAY 1 – Busan Travel Itinerary
09 : 15 AM – Arrive by KTX / BUS / AIRPLANE (Gimhae International Airport) at Busan Station 부산역.
09 : 20 AM – Take bus 87 to 양성슈퍼 OR bus 134 to 아미치안센터 and then walk to Gamcheon Culture Village 부산 감천문화마을.
10 : 00 AM – Which ever route you take should be about 35 minutes. Once arrived, take your time strolling around this great little village and checking out all of the artwork. Check out my trip here which has lots of photos and hopefully should convince you of why this place is so popular.
12 :00 AM – I would think about 2 hours here would be enough. This makes sure you don’t rush and can enjoy your time here. So its time to head to Nampo-dong, one of Busan’s most visited tourist attraction.
12 : 30 PM – Arrive at Nampo-dong! Take your time to enjoy what Nampo-dong has to offer, Busan’s #1 tourist attraction including Korean street food, Yongdusan ‘Mt. Yongdu’ Park (take the escalator), Busan Observation Tower and of coarse the endless amounts of shopping (From High-End brands to Imported Goods to Street Clothes).
1 : 30 PM – After your finished here, literally walk across the street to Jagalchi Fish Market which is arguably Korea’s best seafood market. A large variety of seafood can be seen here and is definitely worth a look! (I have allocated only 30 mins here which for a quick look should be plenty. If you enjoy it a lot or want to eat something here then you may want to take an hour). Also be sure to take a look at the inside area which houses a load of small shops selling seafood.
02 : 00 PM – Take bus 30 from Jalgalchi stop 신동아시장 to Taejongdae (태종대).
3 : 00 PM – Arrive at at Taejongdae (태종대) and enjoy this scenic coastal attraction. Details of my travel to Taejongdae can be seen here. You can either walk around the entire way around or you can purchase tickets and ride the small train which stops off at various points along the way (recommended).
5 : 30 PM – Depart Taejongdae by catching the bus 88B to Seomyeon Station which will take 1.5 hours.
7 : 00 PM – Once you arrive in Seomyeon, I would suggest getting something to eat! Seomyeon Station has a very wide range of things to eat so take a look around until you find a place that looks good. If you are not sure what to eat, try taking a look at my post on KOREAN FOOD which provides both the Korean and English names along with a photo. BTW… Hopefully your not too tired and want to keep on visiting more places 🙂
8 : 30 PM – By this time you should be finished your meal and if you still can walk haha, I would recommend going shopping underground at Seomyeon Station where there are endless amounts of things to buy (clothes, shoes, beauty products etc). If your still not satisfied after shopping there, simply walk but up and enjoy the department stores and street stores selling all kinds of stuff.
10 : 00 PM – By this time, you will probably want to head back to your Hotel/Guesthouse/Hostel and sleep or recharge and head out. If you decide to head out for the night, I would recommend the following locations: Gwangalli Beach, Seomyeon, Haeundae Beach, PNU (Busan University), Kyungsung University or for something different Dongnae Station Area.
DAY 2 – Busan Travel Itinerary
8 : 30 AM / 9 : 15 AM – Depending on where you’re staying, you will need to make your way to Haeundae Station 해운대역. If you are staying in Seomyeon, take Line 2 to Haeundae Station. Once at Haeundae Station 해운대역, take bus 100 to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (One of, if not the best temple in Busan).
Please note: To arrive at 10AM, you will need to leave at 8:30AM from Seomyeon or if you are coming from Haeundae Beach, you can depart from Haeundae Station at 9:15AM. If you are coming another location like Gwangalli or Nampodong, please check what time you have to leave to arrive at Haedong Yonggungsa Temple by 10AM.
10 : 00 AM – Once arrived at Haedong Yunggungsa Temple, enter the temple grounds and take your time looking around.
11 : 00 AM – I think 1 hour is ample time to look around and take it all in ( with any of my itineraries, if you think you will need more time or when you’re there, decide you want to stay longer, don’t be afraid to bump the times back a bit so you don’t rush yourself 🙂 ).
12 : 20 AM – Once ready to leave, walk back to where the bus dropped you off and you should of already noticed that there is an Outlet Shopping Mall right next it.
12: 45 PM – That is the recently opened Gijang Busan Lotte Outlet Mall. Here is a great place to do some shopping and take a look around. I would probably think about 1.5 hours would be enough. Once satisfied, head back to the same bus stop and catch bus 100 to Haeundae Station.
01 : 15 PM – After arriving at Haeundae Station, it’s only a short walk to Haeundae Beach, the most famous Beach in Korea. Once here, you will want to make your way to the beach front and check out the main attraction…. the BEACH! Hopefully the weather is nice and depending on what season you go, you should get some sunshine and be able to take a walk around.
Dongbaek Island is a great short walk which loops back around to where you started. You can get more info HERE. The walk should take between 25-45 minutes depending on how fast you walk. After your walk, you should head to the Haeundae Market area (basically 1 small street which has loads of small shops selling Korean food ranging from Mandu (dumplings), bibimbap, gimbap, dok bokki, fish and much more. Busan is famous for it’s Pork Rice Soup 돼지국밥 so I would recommend having that if you can’t decide or are looking for a recommendation.
3 : 30 PM – After walking around Dongbaek Island and having something to eat. It is now time to visit the world’s largest Department Store, SHINSEGAE Centum City. A short 10 minute subway ride on Line 2 will get you there.
3 : 45 PM – If you’re in need of some shopping or were too tired to shop last night, you’re in luck as Centum City has literally everything you need. Not only does it have limitless amount of stores, it also have a movie theater, Spa/Sauna (Jjimjilbang), ice rink and much more. Even if you are not a big shopper, there is still enough to keep you busy for at least a few hours.
5 : 45 PM – Next, get back on subway Line 2 and continue on to Gwangalli Beach.
6 : 15 PM – Arrive at Gwangan Station 광안역 and make your way to Exit 3 or 5. You will need to walk 10 minutes to reach Gwangalli Beach.
6 : 30 PM – Once you reach Gwangalli Beach, I would recommend having a stroll along the main beach front and have a look at some of the beach side restaurants and cafes. If you like eating raw fish 회, then I would definitely recommend going to the Millennium Hoetjip (밀레니엄횟집) which is close by (5-10 minutes walk) and choosing what seafood you would like to eat. They will put your chosen seafood into a bag to which you can then take to a small group of tents nearby to eat ( I have provided both of these locations on the Google Map below for your convenience 🙂 ).
If you’re not big of seafood, there are more than enough choices in Gwangalli Beach for places to eat, so take your time and choose one which suits your tastes / mood at the time.
7 : 30 PM – By now you will be either eating at the small tents I recommended 🙂 or dining in one of the restaurants along/close to the beach. One of the reasons of coming to Gwangalli Beach is to see the Famous Gwangan Bridge lit up at night and you can do exactly that at 8 PM. If you finish dinner early, I would suggest walking down on the sand and waiting for the bridge to light-up. If you are at a restaurant or cafe along the beach front you may want to stay inside and enjoy the views while you finish off your meal/coffee.
8 : 00 PM – So now the bridge will light-up and once you are ready, walk down on the sand (if you are not there already) and enjoy the famous bridge lit-up ( take lots of photos 🙂 ). Depending on how many photos you take etc, I would think 20 minutes is sufficient 🙂
8 : 20 PM – Unfortunately its time to leave 🙁 so you will need to make your way back to Gwangan Station 광안역 where you can take subway Line 2 towards Seomyeon Station which should take about 15 minutes, then transfer at Seomyeon Station and take Line 1 towards Busan Station 부산역 which should take about 10 minutes. OR you can also catch bus 1001 from 대남교차로 which goes directly to Busan Station 부산역 which should take about 25 minutes. You can check what time the KTX departs Busan here.
3 Days in Busan (3 Days/2 Nights)
– Places visited in this Itinerary –
Gamcheon Cultural Village | Nampo-dong | Jagalchi Fish Market | Taejongdae | Seomyeon |
Haedong Yunggungsa Temple | Gijang Lotte Outlet Mall | Haeundae Beach | Shinsegae Centum City |
Gwangalli Beach | Igidae Park | Beomeosa Temple | Dongnae Station Area | PNU (Busan National University)
DAY 1 – Busan Travel Itinerary
09 : 15 AM – Arrive by KTX / BUS / AIRPLANE (Gimhae International Airport) at Busan Station 부산역.
09 : 20 AM – Take bus 87 to 양성슈퍼 OR bus 134 to 아미치안센터 and then walk to Gamcheon Culture Village 부산 감천문화마을.
10 : 00 AM – Which ever route you take should be about 35 minutes. Once arrived, take your time strolling around this great little village and checking out all of the artwork. Check out my trip here which has lots of photos and hopefully should convince you of why this place is so popular.
12 :00 AM – I would think about 2 hours here would be enough. This makes sure you don’t rush and can enjoy your time here. So its time to head to Nampo-dong, one of Busan’s most visited tourist attraction.
12 : 30 PM – Arrive at Nampo-dong! Take your time to enjoy what Nampo-dong has to offer, Busan’s #1 tourist attraction including Korean street food, Yongdusan ‘Mt. Yongdu’ Park (take the escalator), Busan Observation Tower and of coarse the endless amounts of shopping (From High-End brands to Imported Goods to Street Clothes).
1 : 30 PM – After your finished here, literally walk across the street to Jagalchi Fish Market which is arguably Korea’s best seafood market. A large variety of seafood can be seen here and is definitely worth a look! (I have allocated only 30 mins here which for a quick look should be plenty. If you enjoy it a lot or want to eat something here then you may want to take an hour). Also be sure to take a look at the inside area which houses a load of small shops selling seafood.
02 : 00 PM – Take bus 30 from Jalgalchi stop 신동아시장 to Taejongdae (태종대).
3 : 00 PM – Arrive at at Taejongdae (태종대) and enjoy this scenic coastal attraction. Details of my travel to Taejongdae can be seen here. You can either walk around the entire way around or you can purchase tickets and ride the small train which stops off at various points along the way (recommended).
5 : 30 PM – Depart Taejongdae by catching the bus 88B to Seomyeon Station which will take 1.5 hours.
7 : 00 PM – Once you arrive in Seomyeon, I would suggest getting something to eat! Seomyeon Station has a very wide range of things to eat so take a look around until you find a place that looks good. If you are not sure what to eat, try taking a look at my post on KOREAN FOOD which provides both the Korean and English names along with a photo. BTW… Hopefully your not too tired and want to keep on visiting more places 🙂
8 : 30 PM – By this time you should be finished your meal and if you still can walk haha, I would recommend going shopping underground at Seomyeon Station where there are endless amounts of things to buy (clothes, shoes, beauty products etc). If your still not satisfied after shopping there, simply walk but up and enjoy the department stores and street stores selling all kinds of stuff.
10 : 00 PM – By this time, you will probably want to head back to your Hotel/Guesthouse/Hostel and sleep or recharge and head out. If you decide to head out for the night, I would recommend the following locations: Gwangalli Beach, Seomyeon, Haeundae Beach, PNU (Busan University), Kyungsung University or for something different Dongnae Station Area.
DAY 2 – Busan Travel Itinerary
8 : 30 AM / 9 : 15 AM – Depending on where you’re staying, you will need to make your way to Haeundae Station 해운대역. If you are staying in Seomyeon, take Line 2 to Haeundae Station. Once at Haeundae Station 해운대역, take bus 100 to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (One of, if not the best temple in Busan).
Please note: To arrive at 10AM, you will need to leave at 8:30AM from Seomyeon or if you are coming from Haeundae Beach, you can depart from Haeundae Station at 9:15AM. If you are coming another location like Gwangalli or Nampodong, please check what time you have to leave to arrive at Haedong Yonggungsa Temple by 10AM.
10 : 00 AM – Once arrived at Haedong Yunggungsa Temple, enter the temple grounds and take your time looking around.
11 : 00 AM – I think 1 hour is ample time to look around and take it all in ( with any of my itineraries, if you think you will need more time or when you’re there, decide you want to stay longer, don’t be afraid to bump the times back a bit so you don’t rush yourself 🙂 ).
12 : 20 AM – Once ready to leave, walk back to where the bus dropped you off and you should of already noticed that there is an Outlet Shopping Mall right next it.
12: 45 PM – That is the recently opened Gijang Busan Lotte Outlet Mall. Here is a great place to do some shopping and take a look around. I would probably think about 1.5 hours would be enough.
01 : 15 PM – Next, we are off to one of my favourite places in Busan, the Gijang Crab Market! Take bus 181 ( this link will help 🙂 ) from the temple side of the Outlet Mall and you should arrive in about 40 minutes.
2 : 00 PM – When you arrive at the market you will see all sorts of seafood, particular a large range of Crabs. I have written about my experience here which includes heaps of photos 🙂 If you can, be sure to try some Crab as it is some of the best I’ve ever had. I would probably think 1 hour is enough here (you may need a bit longer depending on your interests). Getting back to Haeundae Station couldn’t be easier as both buses 39 and 1003 go DIRECTLY there in just 40 minutes.
03 : 45 PM – After arriving at Haeundae Station, it’s only a short walk to Haeundae Beach, the most famous Beach in Korea. Once here, you will want to make your way to the beach front and check out the main attraction…. the BEACH! Hopefully the weather is nice and depending on what season you go, you should get some sunshine and be able to take a walk around.
Dongbaek Island is a great short walk which loops back around to where you started. You can get more info HERE. The walk should take between 25-45 minutes depending on how fast you walk. After your walk, you should head to the Haeundae Market area (basically 1 small street which has loads of small shops selling Korean food ranging from Mandu (dumplings), bibimbap, gimbap, dok bokki, fish and much more. Busan is famous for it’s Pork Rice Soup 돼지국밥 so I would recommend having that if you can’t decide or are looking for a recommendation.
5 : 45 PM – After walking around Dongbaek Island and having something to eat. It is now time to visit the world’s largest Department Store, SHINSEGAE Centum City. A short 10 minute subway ride on Line 2 will get you there.
6 : 00 PM – If you’re in need of some shopping or were too tired to shop last night, you’re in luck as Centum City has literally everything you need. Not only does it have limitless amount of stores, it also have a movie theater, Spa/Sauna (Jjimjilbang), ice rink and much more. Even if you are not a big shopper, there is still enough to keep you busy for at least a few hours.
7 : 45 PM – Next, get back on subway Line 2 and continue on to Gwangalli Beach.
8 : 10 PM – Arrive at Gwangan Station 광안역 and make your way to Exit 3 or 5. You will need to walk 10 minutes to reach Gwangalli Beach.
8 : 20 PM – Once you reach Gwangalli Beach, I would recommend having a stroll along the main beach front and have a look at some of the beach side restaurants and cafes. If you like eating raw fish 회, then I would definitely recommend going to the Millennium Hoetjip (밀레니엄횟집) which is close by (5-10 minutes walk) and choosing what seafood you would like to eat. They will put your chosen seafood into a bag to which you can then take to a small group of tents nearby to eat ( I have provided both of these locations on the Google Map below for your convenience 🙂 ).
If you’re not big of seafood, there are more than enough choices in Gwangalli Beach for places to eat, so take your time and choose one which suits your tastes / mood at the time.
9 : 15 PM – By now you will be either eating at the small tents I recommended 🙂 or dining in one of the restaurants along/close to the beach. One of the reasons of coming to Gwangalli Beach is to see the Famous Gwangan Bridge lit up at night and you can do exactly that. So when you finish your meal, I would suggest walking down on the sand and see the bridge lit-up. If you are at a restaurant or cafe along the beach front you may want to stay inside and enjoy the views while you finish off your meal/coffee.
9 : 40 PM – Depending on how many photos you take etc, I would think 30 minutes is sufficient 🙂
10 : 00 PM – At 10PM there is a lights show, so you might want to stay and view that 😉
10 : 15 PM – Depending on what you want to do now, you can either go to a nearby noraebang (Karoake) and sing your heart out or visit one of the places I recommended previously for a few drinks, dessert or to party-on (Seomyeon, Haeundae Beach, PNU (Busan University), Kyungsung University or Dongnae). The reason I am leaving this decision up to you is that each person/group has different interests so it really does depend on what you enjoy doing 🙂
DAY 3 – Busan Travel Itinerary
9 : 00 AM – First, we are off to Igidae Park. This is a nice coastal walk, and is a great way to kick off the morning. Try to aim to get there by 10AM. If you are leaving from Seomyeon, you should take bus 24 (click here for the directions on google maps) to Igidae Park. If you are leaving from Haeundae Beach, take bus 39 (click here for the directions on google maps). Where ever you are staying, there should be a bus that will easily get you there as it is quite close to the city.
10 : 00 AM – On arrival, have a quick look at the Igidae Park map which should be visible at the starting location. This will give you a good idea about the course and the things you can see along the way. I have detailed my trip here. If you need more information, here is a good start.
12 : 00 AM – I think 2 hours here is adequate and should easily be enough time to enjoy yourself and walk around. Next, we are going to head off to PNU (Busan National University)… why? Because there is a load of street shopping, tons of restaurants and also an abundant amount of people walking around which makes it very vibrant. Take bus 131 from Igidae Park (directions here).
1 : 30 PM – Even though it takes just over an hour to get here, the next few places are very close, so you’re not just travelling here for the Uni 🙂 On arrival, I would suggest walking around the streets here, heading on up towards the university which you will notice there are plenty of stores, places to eat and of coarse, places to shop etc. I would recommend eating lunch here, grabbing a coffee and/or dessert. I think 2 hours would give you enough time to eat and look around depending on what you want to do.
3 : 30 PM – When you’re ready to leave, next stop if one of Busan’s best temples, Beomeosa. From PNU Station 부산대역 take subway Line 1 to Beomeosa Station 범어사역 and then take bus 90 up to the top entrance of Beomeosa (directions here).
4 : 15 PM – Once you have finally arrived at Beomeosa Temple take your time to enjoy the tranquility and to walk around the grounds. It really is one of the nicest temples in Busan and I would definitely recommend it to all types of travelers. 1.5 hours should allow you to see everything while not rushing.
5 : 45 PM – Next up is the Dongnae Station area, which is personally one of my favourite places in Busan to get something to eat and drink. There are a wide range of restaurants in Dongnae, but while you are here, I would recommend eating pajeon (pancake). Dongnae pajeon is famous and more info can be found on wikipedia here. If you are not hungry just yet, I would suggest walking around this area (my Dongnae post gives you a good insight) until you’re hungry enough to eat.
7 : 00 PM – Depending on how you feel (done enough over the last 3 days that you’re happy to relax? then simply enjoy your time in Dongnae. Still have plenty of energy and want to check out another area of Busan? As you will most likely be heading back to Busan Station to catch the KTX, Bus or a Plane – I would recommend revisiting Seomyeon or Nampodong as they are super convenient to get to.
8 : 30 PM – Unfortunately its time to leave 🙁 so you will need to make your way back to Busan Station 부산역 which should take about 20 minutes from Seomyeon and Nampodong, and 30 minutes from Dongnae. You can check what time the KTX departs Busan here.
I hope you have enjoyed the Busan Travel Itineraries I have written and it helps you enjoy your time while you are in Busan. Remember, if you are having trouble deciding where to stay in Busan, I have written a detailed post about what are the best areas in Busan to stay at which includes hotel suggestions.
Not sure what to eat in Busan, then check out my 10 must eat restaurants in Busan.
Additionally, if you have some extra time in Busan or are coming back to Korea and want some new places to explore, these Day Trips from Busan are an excellent choice. It includes a detailed Gyeongju Travel Itinerary which I used when my family came to visit.
Other Guides for South Korea
Still deciding whether to base yourself in Seoul or Busan? You may want to check out my article (Seoul vs Busan) which compares the difference between Korea’s two largest cities.
If you are looking for other places in Korea then you might like relaxing on Jeju Island. Here is my detailed Jeju Island Travel Itinerary which was recommended to me by my brother-in-law who is a Jeju local.
The most important thing (for me at least) is the food. What should I eat in Korea? Here are the Korean foods I crave the most when someone mentions Korean food.
Attending a wedding in Korea? Or maybe you are planning a wedding in Korea? If so, you can see my guide about Getting Married in Korea for a lot of useful tips and information.
As usual should you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to answer it 🙂
Hi, thank you for your blog. I find it very interesting and informative. Would you mind to recommend me some itinery. I will spend 5 Days in Busan & will head back on the 7th Day early in the morning. I would like to explore most attraction on Busan and would like to take own sweet time at each place. Would like to have a relaxing holiday instead of a rushing one. Also, if you are able to also advise if i should move from one hotel to another in few places like Seomyeon, Gwangalli, Nampo-dong I absolutely don’t mind. It depends on how convenient it is and the 5 days of itinery being arrange.
Thank you so much.
Hi Susanna, thanks for the comment 🙂
I have created a simple/relaxing Itinerary for you.
I would suggest saying in Nampodong 2 nights and visiting the following places:
Day 1 – Nampodong / Jagalchi Fish Market / Taejongdae / Nampodong (Dinner)
Day 2 – PNU (Busan National University) / Beomeosa Temple / Dongnae Station Area (Dinner) / Seomyeon (Drinks + Late night)
I would then stay in Gwangalli Beach for 3 Nights:
Day 3 – Haeundae Beach / Dongbaek Island Walk / Igidae Coastal Walk / Gwangalli Beach (at night to see the Bridge lit up + Dinner)
Day 4 – Haedong Yunggungsa Temple / Gijang Lotte Outlet Mall / Gijang Crab Market / Kyungsung University Area (Dinner)
Day 5 – Shinsegae Department Store (Jjim Jjil Bang Spa + Shopping + Movies) / Gamcheon Cultural Village / Gwangalli Beach (Dinner)
In terms of recommending you some accommodation, I’m not too sure of your budget so I will recommend a couple of hotels for both Nampodong and Gwangalli.
Nampodong:
Elysee Motel
Aventree Hotel Busan
Popcorn Hostel Nampodong
Terra Guesthouse
Gwangalli Beach:
Guesthouse Mate
Homers Hotel
Dawn Beach Hotel
I hope that helps 🙂
I am sure you will have a great time. Safe Travels.
OMG! Can’t believe this! Thank you for taking up time to reply. Appreciate this a lot!
Not a problem 🙂
What about Seomyeon? is it good if I stay in Nampodong for 2 nights and Seomyeon for 3 nights>?
As you will be in Busan for a decent amount of time, I don’t think it matters too much which one you choose. If you like shopping and nightlife, I would probably go for Seomyeon. In saying that Gwangalli Beach is a great spot to spend a few nights and has loads of restaurants close to the waterfront. By the way, when you are in Haeundae Beach make sure to check out Dalmaji-gil Road. Also, you can check out my recommendations for all the areas to stay in Busan.
Hi there. Great list/itinerary you have. Thanks!
What area would you suggest in staying in – Seo myeon or Haeundae? My wife and I are visiting Busan for 5 nights in mid July. This is our five visit to Korea but first to Busan. Both areas seem good and offer what we like – places to wander, eat, drink, relax, do a little shopping. I’m just as happy hanging out on a beach front area taking in the atmosphere as I am on a downtown street bustling with people. Living in Asia for 18 years, I still like the buzz of big cities.
We don’t really want to move hotels so will pick one place and stay the 5 nights. One friend who lived in Busan years ago suggested Seo myeon but also knows I like chilling near the beach late afternoon/early evening.
Thanks in advance.
Kev
Hi Kev,
Since you are staying 5 nights, it shouldn’t matter a great deal as you will have ample time to take in most, if not all of what Busan has to offer. Since you mentioned you like chilling near the beach, have you considered Gwangalli Beach? I prefer it over Haeundae (still love Haeundae btw) but definitely worth considering as I would recommend Gwangalli over Haeundae. Then again it really comes down to personal choice.
Seomyeon is great in that it is centrally located which makes visiting the different attractions within Busan a little easier. As you have 5 nights, it should matter too much. Seomyeon also has loads of restaurants and shopping (above and below ground) which is another reason you may consider Seomyeon over Haeundae or Gwangalli. If you think you will want to relax/chill near the beach most afternoons/nights, I probably choose Haeundae or Gwangalli.
Another point on Gwangalli is that it is 5 stops closer to Seomyeon and other attractions + it has a lot more beach-facing restaurants/bars.
Make sure to visit Nampodong while you are in Busan, lots of good street food, shopping and Jagalchi Fish Market is just across the road.
I hope I have pointed you in the right directions 🙂
If you have anymore questions please feel free to ask!
Appreciate your informative and interesting post on touring Busan. You did not mention Gyeongju heritage site, is this worth visiting?
In addition I am looking for a private English speaking guide to take us to highlights. We are arriving by cruise ship on April 9.
Thanks in advance for input.
Hi Grannyfranny,
Gyeongju is very nice however it is not located in Busan. It takes about an hour by bus/car from Busan. Since it seems you are only here for one day (April 9?) I wouldn’t recommend going there as you would waste too much time travelling there.
Unfortunately I can’t recommend any English guides sorry 🙁
I hope you enjoy your trip 🙂
Hi Kev,
If I have 13 days in Korea, how many days you think I should stay in Busan.
I’m flying in from Seoul planning on following then two week itinerary from Lonely Planet, visiting Seoul, DMZ, Chuncheon, Sokcho, Ganneung, Jeondongjin, Samcheok, AHwanseonhul& Dageumgul, Haesindang Park, Hahoe Folk Village, Gyeogju, Seokguram, Busan, and Jeji-do.
would you recommend self drive or public transportation?
Hi Lee,
My name is Mark by the way, not Kev 🙂
Your itinerary seems very rushed for 13 days. If you are set on visiting all of those places, I think you would only have time for 1 night in Busan.
Based on that, I would recommend looking at my 2 Days 1 Night Itinierary. If you are planning to visit Jeju-do after Busan, you can actually take a ferry there (although flying is obviously quicker).
If you have driven in Korea before then that would potentially be easier, and considering your schedule, driving would be best but if you don’t feel comfortable doing that, I would try to catch public transport.
For where to stay in Busan, please click here. For my top 10 places in Busan, please click here
Should you have any more questions, please feel free to ask 🙂
Hello(:
I would like to ask if viewing the sunrise at Yongungsa Temple would be possible? I am going to be staying near Busan station.
Hi Pamela,
You sure can. The opening hours for Haedong Yunggungsa Temple are from 5:00am until Sunset. Currently in Busan, the sunrise is at about 5:20am, so you shouldn’t have a problem.
You can see the opening hours mentioned here (Scroll to the bottom) 🙂
Hi Mark,
You certainly have a great list of itinerary and all are very informative! 🙂
I will be heading to Korea in Sept and to Busan for 3D2N. Could you probably suggest some shopping/gourmet itinerary for me? What would be more of a centralize place to stay as I will be taking the KTX on the early morning on the 3rd day to Seoul.
A big thank you in advance! 🙂
Hi Ben,
Thanks, glad you found it helpful 🙂
I think the answer you are looking for is either Seomyeon or Nampodong. Reason being, if you look at the Subway Map for Busan, you will notice both Seomyeon and Nampodong on the same line. Seomyeon is 5 stops away, Nampodong only 2. Seomyeon is the more central place of the two (closer to the main sights in Busan (Gwangalli Beach, Haeundae Beach, Shinsegae Deparment Store, Beomeosa Temple etc). Nampodong is closer to Jagalchi Fish Market (literally 1 minute walk), Taejongdae and Gamcheon Cultural Village. So maybe have a think which sites you are wanting to visit.
If you plan on visiting all of those or even half of each, an extra 3 stops more to Seomyeon (instead of Nampodong) is worth it. Seomyeon Station has access to both Subway Lines 1 & 2, which means you don’t have to switch trains at all 🙂 (for all the major attractions).
Hopefully that helps you decide on what area to stay. If you really aren’t set on Seomyeon for what ever reason, another place I could recommend is Gwangalli Beach, as it is still relatively close to everything, however it would require you to switch trains going to Busan Station (for the KTX) and is less centralized than Seomyeon.
In terms of what food to try while in Busan, please check out my post on Korean food (both Korean and English names are listed for your convenience).
Some Busan specialties to try: Dwaeji Gukbap (돼지국밥) – Pork Rice Soup & Dongnae Haemul Pajeon (동래할매파전) – Dongnae Seafood Pancake.
As Busan is a port city and having one of Korea’s best Fish Markets (Jagalchi), I would also definitely recommend eating raw fish (회), essentially sashimi, at Jagalchi Fish Market (very fresh).
Jangeo (장어) – Eel & Ggom Jangeo (꼼장어) – Hagfish are also worth trying.
Hope that answers both questions 🙂
Omgg. It’s really very informative! Really a big thank you to you!
I would definitely be trying out the food that you have recommended! As well as the Busan specialties! 🙂
No worries Ben. Glad I could be of some assistance 🙂
I hope you enjoy your trip.
Hi, I am from Hong Kong. I just googled “Busan itinerary” and discover this amazing site! I have only visited Seoul for Korea and planning to visit Busan for the first time this summer (for beaches and sunshine!).
I would have 5D4N, but I am not going to really go shopping so won’t go any outlet mall, and I plan to go to the Lotte Gimhae Water Park as well.
In that case, would you suggest me to stay all over Busan or spending 1 or 2 days to have a revisit in Seoul (In that I would buy an open jaw air tickets), or any other city you would suggest me to have a 1-day trip?
Hi Chung,
So you are visiting Korea for 4 nights? and planning on visiting Busan? 🙂 Also, are you flying into Busan (Gimhae) or Seoul (Incheon)?
As you have been to Seoul already, maybe spend 3 nights in Busan and 1 night in Gyeongju (wiki page + my posts on Gyeongju).
Yes 4 nights in Korea. I have yet to buy the airtickets, so any of (1) In: Gimhae Out: Incheon (2) In: Incheon Out: Gimhae (3) In&Out: Gimhae can be fine for me
Thanks for the suggestion, I will read about Gyeongju 😉
Ok, great. Yeh, if you’re not too fussed about visiting Seoul again, I would do Busan and Gyeongju 🙂
Hi Mark,
We are 2 Singaporeans who will be visiting Korea very soon and are looking into travelling outside of Seoul. We have a very long list of questions below – we will appreciate a lot if you can help us in the planning of our trip.
Your blog has been of great help to us. We are planning for a 2D1N trip in Busan. We are planning to visit some attractions that are not in your list for the 2D1N itinerary such as Igidae park, Oryukdo Skywalk. We are also interested in interesting streets listed in the Visit Korea website such as Bosu-dong book street and Choryang Ibagu-gil Road & Sanbok-doro Road. What do you think of these places? Are they worth the go?
Also, considering the fact that we will not be doing any shopping in Busan, do you think it is possible to visit all the places listed in your 2D1N itinerary (excluding shopping) and visiting the additional places we listed above in the short span of 2D1N? Which route do you suggest us to take (like from which attraction go to which attraction) to make full use of our time? We are not familiar with Busan and am quite confused about how to fit the places into a nice itinerary as we do not know which attractions are closer to each other.
We are also looking at other cities but sadly, we can only make time for at most 2 cities due to our tight schedule (we will only be in Korea for about13 and half days). For now, we are looking at popular destination Jeju and the not as popular cities – Gunsan and Boryeong. We are looking at cities that are rich in culture and heritage unique to Korea.
However, we have problems trying to locate Gunsan station in the mrt map. Also, considering that Busan is a must go city, which city do you recommend for us to visit to make our trip more convenient (less travelling time)? Also, which city do you recommend out of the 3 cities?
Other than the 3 cities, do you have other cities in mind that may make life easier for us and will also satisfy our appetite?
Thank you very much in advance! (:
Hi Jia,
As you indicated you would not be doing any shopping, you can skip both Gijang Lotte Outlet Mall and Shinsegae Department Store on the second day of that itinerary (fits in well because Igidae is really close to Gwangalli – the next place on that itinerary at 5.45PM). This should give you enough time to visit Igidae Coastal Walk and Oryukdo Skywalk (they are pretty much next to each other – Oryukdo Skywalk is at the end of the Igidae Trail).
As to the other places you mentioned (Bosu-dong book street, Choryang Ibagu-gil, & Sanbok-doro Road – I haven’t been to those but I would probably leave them to the end if you have time – Choryang Ibagu-gil is near Busan Station so you might want to fit it in if you are at Busan Station – coming/leaving via KTX).
If you are looking for cities that are rich in culture and heritage, have you considered Gyeongju? (It was the capital of the 1,000-year-old Silla dynasty and is famous for its extensive historical sites). It has places such as Anapji, Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Daereungwon Tomb Complex and much more. It is only 1 hour by Bus from Busan, so in terms of travel time, it is very convenient.
I haven’t been to Gunsan and Boryeong yet, although I would like to at some point. If you haven’t been to Jeju, I would probably recommend that as there is a lot to do and its a great place for all kinds of travelers.
If you haven’t booked your accomodation yet, be sure to check out my post on the Best Areas to Stay in Busan.
I hope that steers you in the right direction 🙂
Hi Mark, your travel blog is jinjja the best – thanks so much for all the information and tips – very helpful!
Do you think a one-day Gyeongju tour is sufficient to see the highlights?
And do you happen to know which bus from Busan to Gyeongju? Departing from Busan bus terminal (assuming there’s one)? Can we book return bus tickets online (in case bus tickets run out on actual day?)?
Many thanks!
Ivy
Hi Ivy,
To go to Gyeongju, (you can buy bus tickets to Gyeongju at the Busan Central Bus Terminal, which is next to Nopodong Subway station – one more stop after Beomeosa Temple).
Schedule can be found here.
Busan to Gyeongju – intercity buses run frequently (about every 15-20 minutes during the day, there is no need to book in advance). Kumho have many buses.
2 Days 1 Night would be good, but if you don’t have time, 1 Full day will allow you to see all the best sights (Anapji, Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Daereungwon Tombs etc).
Hi Mark,
I intend to visit Busan on Oct for the fireworks festival and to catch the autumn colors. Can you recommend places in Busan famous for the autumn foliage? Great website!
Hi SG,
For autumn colours, I would recommend Beomeosa Temple, Taejongdae and Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.
If you are keen to see more, I would also recommend a hike up Mt Geumjeongsan (금정산). More info here.
Hopefully that helps 🙂
Hi Mark,
I will be heading to Busan for 5D4N from 26th Dec. Could you probably suggest some itinerary for me? Arriving in early am on 26th and leaving early as well on the 5th day
A big thank you in advance! 🙂
Hi HuiMiN,
I would suggest doing my 3 Day Itinerary and then doing a day trip to Gyeongju.
To go to Gyeongju, (you can buy bus tickets to Gyeongju at the Busan Central Bus Terminal, which is next to Nopodong Subway station – one more stop after Beomeosa Temple).
Schedule can be found here.
Busan to Gyeongju – intercity buses run frequently (about every 15-20 minutes during the day, there is no need to book in advance). Kumho have many buses.
2 Days 1 Night would be good, but if you don’t have time, 1 Full day will allow you to see all the best sights (Anapji, Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Daereungwon Tombs etc).
For where to stay in Busan, check out my post on the best areas to stay in Busan.
Hi Mark!
Thanks for this blog it really help me to plan my trip in Busan. If u dont mind I would like to ask about my visit to Gyeongju. Is that possible for me to visit these recommended places by you i. e Anapji, Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Daereungwon Tomb Complex in 1 day trip and back to Busan or should I stay overnight there? Hope you could help. Thank you in advance Sir!
Hi Ddari,
You can definitely do that in day. Bulguksa temple and Seokbulsa are very close and I would do those first. Then head to the tomb complex after that. Anapji is best seen at night so do that last. Then get a late bus back to Busan or drive back if you plan to hire a car 🙂 you could even fit in the museum there if you have time!
Hi Mark,
Thank you very much for your blog! It really helps us in polishing our itinerary for our upcoming Busan trip. 🙂
By the way, I have some questions. Actually, we’ll be in Busan during the BIFF Festival. Do you think the traffic is heavy during that time? Also, do you have an idea if the BIFF outdoor greeting is open to the public? We’ll be in Busan around October 5-7, which falls on weekdays. Is it also crowded during the BIFF season even on weekdays?
Sorry for my lotsa questions. But looking forward to hear your thoughts <3
Hi Nikita, it is really busy during that time. Normally Haeundae/Gwangalli/Shinsegae Department Store are a lot busier when BIFF is happening. Nampo-dong as well. I don’t know too much about what is open to the public but you should be able to see (providing you can find standing space) some actors etc on the red carpet (if you are prepared to get there early etc).
Sorry couldn’t be of more help 🙁
Hi Mark
Very informative blog your have here, great help to our planning! We’ll be in Busan for 3 days and is considering driving (for convenience and to save time) instead of taking the bus to Taejongdae, Gamcheon Culture Village, Haedong Yunggunsa Temple, Gijang Crab Market and Gyeongju. How practical is it to drive in terms of traffic and parking? We don’t speak/understand Korean but will be self driving in Jeju before we get to Busan, not sure if the GPS will be similar to those provided in Jeju where we were told you just need to input the telephone numbers? Thanks for your help in advance!
Cheers
Giselle
Hi Giselle,
If you are a confident driver and after doing some driving in Jeju you should be fine. Driving and parking are perfectly fine. Just keep in mind at peaks times traffic can be very heavy. Every time I have been to the places you have mentioned we have never had an issue parking. Not too sure with regards to the GPS but I would say it is sufficient. I would suggest looking up the places on google maps the night before just so you have some idea of where the places are (I like to do that then some things feel familiar).
Busan is known for their crazy/non obedient drivers so don’t worry/stress too much when you’re there.
I hope you have a great time 🙂
Hi Mark,
Just wanna say thanks a lot for all the info on Busan! Very informative and helpful in my planning for my upcoming Busan trip ^^
Hi Janice,
You are most welcome. I hope you have a great time and please let me know how your trip goes 🙂
hi Mark, just want to know if u have any idea or suggestion for 4N 5D tour Seoul or where can i find information about transportation / how to get to all the attraction from my hotel. i’m palning to stay near Myeongdong
Hi Go,
for suggestions on where to go in Seoul, I can definitely recommend allocating 1 day doing a DMZ tour (make sure it includes the JSA area). I have a few pics of my time there here and you can also find more info on the tour here (Tour 2 and Tour 3 include the JSA area). Sundays and Mondays they don’t run so keep that in mind.
For the 4 other days you have in Seoul it really depends on what you want to do. Do you like shopping? sightseeing? do you want a mixture of both?
For shopping, Myeongdong is an obvious choice, the other is Dongdaemun which has a lot of wholesale items and leather goods and you can shop almost every hour of the day.
Nearby places:
Other places I would go: Hongdae (loads of restaurants, cafes, bars). Shinchon (loads of restaurants, cafes, bars – don’t confuse this area with ‘Sinchon’). Gangnam (Apgujeong rodeo street, Bongeunsa Temple, Garosu-gil, Coex Mall). I would also go to Insadong (tourist place for souvenirs).
The subway is fantastic in Seoul so I would just find the places you really want to see and catch the subway everywhere. I would get a T-Money card to make your life easier. more info about that here.
Hi,
I was searching for Busan and found your amazing page. I will be visiting Busan for one day. I will try to take the earliest ktx from seoul to busan and check in at my place next to gaya station. I want to visit Gamcheon Culture Village, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Taejong Dae, Haeundae Beach, Dongbaek Island, and Gwangalli Beach. Do you think I can still make it? and if so I would really appreciate it if you can show me the reasonable itineraries and how to travel between those places and how much time it would take. Thanks a bunch!
Hi Tien,
Just to clarify, you are coming to Busan for 1 night? What time the next day are you planning on returning to Seoul?
Thanks
Hi there! Your blog was very helpful ! I lived in Busan for 1 year and now that I live in Seoul, I’m planning t visit Busan with a friend. Even though I lived there, your blog was really helpful!!
I am also writing a blog about traveling and life in Korea at g2gkorea.wordpress.com
Thanks for the solid advice~
Hi Rachel,
Glad you found my blog helpful. I am currently in Busan atm 🙂 Is there anywhere in Busan you really enjoyed?
I had a look at your blog, looks nice 🙂 I hope you’re enjoying your time in Seoul.
Hi Mark,
I am arriving Seoul on 8th Nov early morning and planning take KTX upon arrived to Busan directly. My plan is only Busan and Seoul for this trip and I will leaving seoul n back to my country on 17th Nov. What is your suggest itinerary?i will travel with my Husband and 14mths baby.
thanks
Hi Chye,
As you have 9 nights, you should be able to spread out your itinerary in both Seoul and Busan. I would recommend spending about 4 nights in Busan and 5 nights in Seoul. For my recommendations on where to stay in Seoul, you can check out my detailed post here. You might want to do a day-trip to the DMZ which I would recommend. Here are a few ideas on what to do in Seoul.
For Busan, I would recommend checking out my detail post on the Best Areas to Stay in Busan. I would then suggest to do the 3 Days / 2 Nights itinerary + take a visit to Songdo Beach which is very close to Nampodong.
The reason I suggested having 4 nights in Busan is so you can take a day trip to Gyeongju (A lot of historical sights located here eg: Anapji Pond, Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto and Daereungwon Tomb Complex). You could always spend the night there if you feel a bit rushed.
Depending on what your travel budget is, it might be more convenient to take taxis for some of the journeys (since you have a baby with you – taxis are pretty cheap in Korea) however if catching public transport isn’t an issue then it is still very convenient.
I hope that helps 🙂
Hi Mark,
We (with young kids+ elderly folks) will be travelling to Busan for a 4D3N in November. Staying at Seomyeon.
Day 1: Seoul to Busan via KTX in morning, Gamcheon Cultural Village, Seomyeon shopping
Day 2: Yonggungsa Temple, Gijiang Crab Market, Lotte Outlet Mall
Day 3: Taejongdae, Nampo-dong, Jagalchi Fish Market, Gwanglli Beach
Day 4: Morning KTX back to Seoul
Our day 2 & 3 seem to be too free. Would appreciate if you could provide any suggestion to them esp the Gwanglli Beach (visit at night) seem to break apart from the day programmes. Thank you!
Hi Ling,
Your itinerary looks good. Just keep in mind Gamcheon Cultural Village has quite a few steep stairs so the elderly folks might have some trouble. Other then that plenty to do there.
Haeundae Beach isn’t listed on your schedule and that is on the way to Haedong Yonggungsa so I would go there either at the start or at the end of day 2.
For Day 3, you could visit Igidae Park and/or the Oryukdo Skywalk
That should keep you busy enough. If you do find yourself with free time, here are few more places to visit while in Busan: Beomeosa Temple, Shinsegae Department Store, Songdo Beach and Dongnae Station Area which is great for Korean restaurants.
Also, if you are looking for areas to stay/visit in Seoul, here is a detailed post on the Best Areas to Stay in Seoul.
I hope you enjoy your trip 🙂
Hi Mark,
Your blog is awesome and your travel itinerary for Busan has been very useful!
I will be in Busan for 3D2N from 16 Oct to 18 Oct, but i will be heading to Seoul on the 18th afternoon (1pm). I will only have the morning available to visit either Igidae or Beomeosa Temple, but not both. Which will be a better choice to visit.
Secondly, do you have any recommendation for club/party on Sunday/Monday night? Due to some planning error, 2 of us will only be in Busan on Sunday morning, and i just found out Club Fix has closed down.
Thank you so much.
Hi Clarence,
Beomeosa Temple is probably a better choice if you are limited on time as Igidae is more of a nice coastal walk.
As for where to go on a Sunday/Monday Night. Thursday Party would be my first choice to kicks things off (Mainly locals but also a good chance you will find other like-minded travelers).
Club Ghetto (Hip Hop) and Grid in Seomyeon (House and Electro) are decent.
I would try a bar on the waterfront in Haeundae or Gwangalli on the Monday night to be honest. Fuzzy Navel in Haeundae would be a good place to start.
Hope that helps 🙂
Thank a lot for the advise! It has been a great help. 🙂
No worries Clarence I hope you enjoy your trip.
Hi Mark! I stumbled upon your blog site and I must say that this is sooooo helpful aside from it’s also informative. Thank you so much! You are doing a great job writing about your trips. Keep it up.
Thanks Joy, glad you found it informative. Any questions please ask 🙂
Hi Mark,
Thank you very much for this, I really enjoyed reading it. It’s giving me thoughts about our upcoming trip to Busan. Me and my friend wants to maximise our time and cover as much as possible all the best places in Busan since it’s our first time.
Can I please ask for your recommended itineraries. We are arriving to Gimhae Airport at around 9pm Nov 18 (Friday) (we are from Philippines btw) and planning to stay to Dong-gu since its near to Busan station (planning to get the 2 pm train to Seoul on Nov 21 – Monday). We know Busan has a lot to offer and we really want to cover all of it as much as possible given our time of stay.
Thank you so much in advance.
Hi Maria,
I would do the day trip itinerary I have written. As you staying the night, depending on what you like to do, I would either stay in Gwangalli and have coffee along the beach front at one of the Cafe’s or if you want to drink I would head into Seomyeon and enjoy the nightlife there.
If you feel up to it, on the day you leave for Seoul (2pm), I would catch an early bus to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple and come back in time for your trip up to Seoul.
On the night you arrive, if you feel like doing something, consider Seomyeon and Nampodong for eating/drinking (both have a large amount of shopping, restaurants and bars).
Hello Mark,
I’m trying to create an itenerary for a 7 days for Busan and Jeju preferably on last week of April, can you please take a look at this and comment:
NOTE: I’m planning to stay in Haeundae Beach
Day1: walk to Dalmaji-gil Road for cherry blossom viewing, go pass sonjeong beach and finish the walk to Haedong Yonggunssa Temple. Go to Gijang market for lunch then Suyeonsajeok park for more walk towards Gwanggalli Beach for the night light show
Day2: Go to Gamcheon Cultural Market then go to Jagalchi Market for lunch(would it be possible to walk here?) walk around the nampodong food street, BIFF then Busan tower, finish the day in Bupyeong Kkatong Market for the night Market
Day3: Go to Nurimaru APEC House, Sealife Aquarium then have a lunch in Haeundae Market, then leave that night to Jeju(Soegwipo City)
Day 4: Start the tour in Jeju in Cheonjiyeon Falls, Oedelgo Rock then have a lunch in the market then go to Jeongbal Falls
Day 5: Go to Jungmun area for the museums, Botanical garden and Cheonjeyoen Falls
Day 6: Udo island if the weather is good or go around Bijarim forest, maze land, daheeyeon garden, jeju stone park and sarabong park which are all at the north-east part of jeju
Day 7: Citrus Museum, Sosessokk Estuary then go back to Gimhae Airport in the afternoon for the flight going back
Hi Michael that seems OK (the Busan itinerary). Other places to consider are Taejongdae, Seomyeon and Beomeosa Temple. You could walk from Gamcheon to Jagalchi but if you are short on time I would catch a bus.
I would skip APEC and Aquarium in favor for places like Taejongdae, Beomeosa Temple, Igidae or Oryukdo Skywalk.
I hope that helps a bit 🙂
Hi Mark,
I probably should post this in the correct section under itinerary.
Sorry for my earlier post in the accommodation section.
There has been some changes to my plan since.
I may only have 2 full days in Busan, arriving on a Fri afternoon and leaving on Sun afternoon, staying near Haeundae beach. Hence, I can’t do Jinhae or Gyeongju anymore. What a pity!
Below is a draft of my itinerary:
Day 1:
Dalmaji-gil cafes + art galleries (late lunch)
Busan Art Museum near BEXCO
Shinsegae Centum City
Gwangalli beach (dinner + light up)
Day 2:
Gamcheon Cultural Village (stamp tour)
Yongdusan Park + Busan Tower
Nampo-dong street food (lunch)
Seomyeon (shopping + dinner at food alley)
Haeundae beach (night view)
Day 3:
Beomeosa Temple
PNU + Dongnae (shopping + lunch)
Is there anything that I should be fine-tuning/add-on?
Appreciate if you can help. Thanks!
TT
Hi TT,
A few suggestions.
Hi Mark, many thanks for your recommendation!
Not too sure how far are these attractions from the rest of my itinerary, how will you fit in Haedong Yonggungsa Temple &/or Taejongdae if I am to take out Art Museum & PNU/Dongnae on Day 1 & Day 3?
Where will you suggest after my visit to Beomeosa Temple before I leave busan?
Or will Beomeosa Temple take up a lot of time since it is very far up north that I won’t have time for another attraction?
Hi,
Can i please ask is there a direct bus from Taejongdae to haeundae? If not which is the fastest way to travel.
Thank u and looking forward to your advice soon.
Hi Vv Foo,
I would recommend catching a bus (#30) from Taejongdae to Nampodong then catch the subway (you will need to change lines at Seomyeon) to Haeundae.
Hi Mark,
I’m impressed on your site! Thanks much for all the informative discussions here. Can you please suggest itinerary for my family of 3 (we are from the Philippines). We have a booking for Busan from October 13-18, 2017. Can we still have time to go to Seoul or Nami Island aside from Busan? Say, 2 days in Busan then 2 days in Seoul/Nami island? I really love to visit those places, need your suggestions please.
Hi Elelyn,
If you only have 5 nights in Korea, I would spend 3 nights in Seoul and 2 Nights in Busan. Not sure how long nami island takes to do but if you only have 5 nights I would make sure to do the DMZ tour in Seoul.
HI Mark,
So happy when I found your blog while I am headache about my itinerary in Busan during winter.
May I seek your help to suggest the itineraries for 2 Adults + 1 child (11years boy)?
Below my itinerary for your reference.
27DEC HKG/Busan Departure 0235 Arrival 0645
01JAN or 2Jan Busan/HKG Departure 0800 Arrival 1045
Sightseeing with less shopping will be good for us.
Food is most important to us. Not expensive but yummy…haha.
Am interested to the Crab market and fishmarket
Hotel – clean and budget, Airbnb also acceptable.
Please help and thanks.
RC
Hi RC,
For accomodation, I would recommend the Angel Hotel as the reviews are very good and it is in a very good location. This is by far one of the most popular hotels in Seomyeon.
I would do my 3 Days / 2 Nights itinerary with a day trip to Gyeong-ju OR simply take your time with my 3 Days / 2 Nights itinerary.
Fish Market is called Jagalchi (right next to Nampodong). Crab Market is in Gijang which should be visited at the same time as the water temple (Haedong Yonggungsa Temple).
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Mark,
I need some advice from you as I have a list of places to go in Busan for a half-day trip but not too sure if I am getting them in the correct direction.
* Oryukdo Skywalk
* Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
* Jukseong Dream Church
* Gijang Traditional Market
Are they all within an area or all spread out? Which should I omit out if I would like to do it within say 5hours?
Thanks in advance!!!
Kind regards,
Shirley
Hi Shirley,
If you only have 5 hours in Busan I would go to Nampodong, Jagalchi Fish Market, Gwangalli Beach and Haeundae Beach.
You would be wasting your time going to Gijang Crab Market as it is too far (if you only have 5 hours).
Hope that helps 🙂
Dear Mark,
I plan for December Busan trip with 2 adults and 2 kids, 5 days 4 nights, the 5th day early morning have to rush to Busan airport, any suggestion whether i have time to go to Seol? Actually my kids would like to enjoy the snow at Busan, is it not necessary have snow? Any place to go to enjoy the skiing? May i have itinerary if go to Seol? Any budget hotel or home stay to recommend?
Appreciated your help.
Hi JJ,
Normally is doesn’t snow in Busan. The closest ski resort would be: Deogyusan Ski Resort (무주덕유산리조트 스키장).
For where to stay in Seoul and hotel recommendations, please see this detailed post.
If you have 4 nights in Korea I would only pick either Seoul or Busan not both 🙂
Hi Mark,
I need your advise and help, i am going to Busan on 6 – 11 January 2017 ( Winter), im bring along my mother and my kids.
Could you advise me the suitable iternary for me and i am planing to Visit Juju Island or Nami island would that be possible. I should be arriving Busan early in the morning from Kuala Lumpur on the 6 Jan. Your advise is appreciated.
Hi Rika,
I would advise you to do my 3 Days / 2 Nights itinerary and stretching it out over 4 days. On the other days I would advise going to Gyeongju for a night (take a bus from Nopo Station – end of Subway Line 1).
I believe Nami Island is in Seoul, not Busan.
Hope that helps.
Hi Mark,
My partner and I are intending to visit Busan for 7 days from 21-28 Dec. Could you advise on a suitable itinerary?
We will be bringing our heavy luggages along so do you think changing hotels is a feasible idea? We are on a tight budget so we would appreciate if you could suggest some lower range motels/guesthouses!
What activities will be good for winter? Also, are there any small islands that we can take day trips to or any interesting places/activities you would suggest for the 2 of us (since we have a lot of time)? We went to Jeju already so don’t think we will be going there again.
Sorry for the many questions and thanks a lot!
Best,
Apple
Hi Apple,
For accommodation, I would recommend the Angel Hotel in Seomyeon as the reviews are very good and it is in a very good location. This is by far one of the most popular hotels in Seomyeon. Seomyeon being the most centrally located area. If you are coming from the airport catch the Limousine Bus or if you are arriving via KTX from Seoul, simply catch subway line 1 to Seomyeon.
I would do my 3 Days / 2 Nights itinerary (stretch it out over 4 days – taking your time at each place) with an overnight trip to Gyeong-ju (very historical city, used to be the capital of the Shilla Dynasty a long time ago). You can see some of the posts I have done about it here. A bus can be taken from Nopo Station (end of line 1) – about a 1 hour bus ride.
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Mark,
Planning a trip with my family ( 5 adults including my 80yr old granny and 2 year old boy) to busan for 2 nights in April. Would it be advisable to drive there? Roads and traffic conditions? Are most of the attractions suggested in your 2 day itinerary easily accessible with the exception of Haedong Yonggungsa Temple?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Lee,
Wouldn’t recommend driving as Busan is pretty chaotic plus known for bad drivers. Yep, pretty much everything is accessible by Subway or Buses. You might want to take a city tour as your grandmother will have trouble riding any buses (unless you have a seat it will be very difficult for her to stand).
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Mark
6 of us from Malaysia have booked to visit Busan on the 2nd week of March 2017 for 10 days staying in Nampo-Dong area for the whole duration as our base flying into Busan and hopefully to spend a few days in Jeju. Our aim is mainly sightseeing and food maybe a bit of market street shopping not the high end department store. Could you advise on an itinerary that is not too strenous as we have one 73 year old in our group. All suggestions are greatly welcome from you.
Thank you so much
Hi Doris, I would recommend doing the “3 Days in Busan ( 3 Days / 2 Nights )” itinerary however doing it over 5 days as you have lots of time. If you find yourself looking for things to do I would suggest Songdo Beach which is easily accessible by bus from Nampdong Station (only 15 minutes). You may want to consider a day trip or an overnight trip to Gyeongju (numerous famous historical sights). Check here for my posts.
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Mark,
Your travel itinerary is awesome. I will visit Busan from 14/12- 18/12 with my husband and children (4 & 7 years old). We will stay 2 nights in Seomyeon and 2 nights in Nampo Dong. This is the first free & easy trip for us. I find it very stressful to plan the itinerary as I have been reading too much information online. Traveling with young kids can be challenging, because they probably can’t walk as much as adult. Below is my plan and I hope that you will give me some advices.
Our flight will arrive at 6:10am, and the hotel check in time is 3pm. Guess what we can do is to drop our luggage in concierge and start our first day exploring Seomyeon area. Any city tour like double decker bus that can show us around?
I plan to focus our first 2 days along subway line 2. It should cover Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Lotte Mall Dong Busan, Shinsegae Department Store and Gwangeli Bridge.
3rd day to Gamcheon Culture Village and Jagachi Market. Last day to Yeongdusan Park, Busan Tower and places nearby.
There is a Dadaepo Sunset Fountain of Dream. Do you know where it locates and how can we got there?
The trip is just 2 day away and I am still straggling here. 🙁
Hi Ivy,
Sorry I didn’t get to your comment in time. How was your trip to Busan?
Mark 🙂
Hello
Thanks for all the recommendations! It is fantastic!! I saw your post for Gyeong-ju but an overnight trip to Gyeong-ju is also a great idea. Can you help to elaborate more? perhaps with hotel, shopping etc.
Sorry to trouble you. 🙂 looking forward to your recommendations.
For hotels, I would recommend something close to the main areas like Chacharang Guesthouse or the GG Hotel.
Not much shopping in Gyeongju. You should spend most of your time looking at the sites (save the shopping for Seoul or Busan).
Hi Mark
I am planning a trip to Busan for 4 nights in mid March with 4 adults and 11 month old baby. I will be staying in Seomyeon area. Which itinerary would you think is suitable for us? Thought of going slow like morning sightseeing and shopping in the afternoon.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Gina, I would recommend doing the “3 Days in Busan ( 3 Days / 2 Nights )” itinerary however doing it over 4/5 days as you have lots of time. If you find yourself looking for things to do I would suggest Songdo Beach which is easily accessible by bus from Nampdong Station (only 15 minutes).
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Mark,
I’m Helen here. I will be traveling to Busan with my buddy on this coming 11/1-15/1.
Reaching Busan on 11/1 morning 6am, and leaving on 15/1 morning.
This is the first time for both of us ladies to be here in Busan. I’m just wondering what kind of itinerary is convenient and not too rush for us? 😜😜 and also will want to include some shopping time as well…..
Are all the tourist spots are easily reach by public transport? Really appreciate for the kind suggestions on the itinerary. By the way, we will be staying in Busanjin-gu, which the owner said is just 5 minutes away from the Seomyeon Station.
Thanks loads ya.
Regards,
Helen
Hi Helen,
Busanjin is fairly close to Seomyeon, 4 subway stops away to be exact. I would recommend doing the 3 Days/2 Nights itinerary and taking your time. Public transport is super easy and convenient.
For shopping time, I would recommend Shinsegae Department Store in Centum City (Subway Line 2 – Centum City Station). If you prefer something more local like leather goods, I would suggest heading to Nampodong (Gukje Market).
I love your blog! My mom and I are planning to go this february. We’re gonna stay at seomyeon for 2 nights and last night in nampodong. I have noted all your recommendations! I’m so excited!
Thank you so much for your informative blog!
Hi Janny,
That is great to hear. Glad I could be of some help.
Hope you have a great time here in Busan.
Your blog is fantastic! I am visiting Korea in April and your site is proving a big help.
Do you know if any of the coastal walks in Busan allow rollerskating? Also, do you know of any nice areas in Seoul that would allow rollerskating (eg along the han river)?
I am planning to pack my skates and do some recreational skating – not park skating/tricks but just rolling along and enjoying the scenery.
In terms of coastal walks I would recommend Dongbaek Island (able to roller skate there – check out my Haeundae Beach Post), Haeundae Beach on the paved foot path along the waterfront and Gwangalli Beach waterfront are the obvious ones.
For Seoul, I would recommend Yeouido Park and Yeouido Hangang Park.
Hope that helps 🙂
Your blog is fantastic! I am visiting Korea in April and your site is proving a big help.
Do you know if any of the coastal walks in Busan allow rollerskating? Also, do you know of any nice areas in Seoul that would allow rollerskating (eg along the han river)?
I am planning to pack my skates and do some recreational skating – not park skating/tricks but just rolling along and enjoying the scenery.
Hi Mark,
Your blog and depth of knowledge is amazing. We are in Busan for ‘1 day’ arriving on a cruise. 9.30 arrival, need to be back in ship by 5.00 , can you suggest an itinerary .We may consider hiring a taxi for the day if that saves time. How many adults(small to average) will be accommodated in a taxi. do you think that ‘ll save time. Also we would do the Taejongdae beach circuit in the ‘train’ to save time. We like temples, crab market, fish market, other markets. shops, scenery, some walking. do we need much local(cash) currency? ( 2 or 3 adults),are credit cards useful? I think there is currency exchange at the port. do taxis accept credit cards?
Best regards,
ranjith
Hi Ranjith,
Do you know what port you are arriving at? (I’m gonna take a guess and say Jungang). Taejongdae is good as it is close and yes the train will save you some time 🙂 I would also suggest after Taejongdae that you go to Jagalchi Fish Market/Nampodong Area (right next to each other) and then to Gwangalli Beach.
I think this would be the most sensible itinerary as it isn’t too rushed and you still get to see the main areas/sights in Busan.
The main temples in Busan are Haedong Yonggungsa Temple and Beomeosa Temple however they are located quite far away from the port and it would waste too much time traveling there in my opinion.
Taxis and almost all restaurants accept credit cards however if you do see a money exchange I would definitely recommend exchanging some cash (always good to have a back plan if for some reason your card or their CC machine isn’t working).
Taxis hold 4 people comfortable. An average meal would cost about 8,000 – 13,000 won per person (depending on what you buy).
I hope that helps with your day trip 🙂
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your great blog. I have read through your posts and it is really helpful. I will be travelling to Busan for s days in April with 4 of my girl friends. My accommodation is at Seomyeon. My flight will alight at busan airport about 7am .
Appreciate if you can give your advice on my planned itinerary and see which is more feasible? Thanks alot.
1st day
– travel to seomyeon to put luggage
– Taejong park
– Nampodong – jalgachi market/ yongdusan park/ busan tower
– night at haeundae beach
2nd Day
– Haedong yonggunsa temple
– Gamcheon village
– Shopping at seomyeon or kyungsung university
– Evening Night at Gwangali beach
——————————————
1st Day
– Travel to seomyeon to put luggage
– Gamcheon village
– Nampodong – jalgachi market/ yongdusan park/ busan tower
– Taejong park
– night at haeundae beach
2nd day
– Haedong yonggunsa temple
– Shopping at seomyeon or kyungsung university
– Evening Night at Gwangali beach
Hi Alley,
I would do your second itinerary with a slight change:
1st Day
– Travel to seomyeon to put luggage
– Gamcheon village
– Nampodong – jalgachi market/ yongdusan park/ busan tower
– Taejongdae park
– Evening Night at Gwangalli beach (closer to Taejongdae than Haeundae Beach)
2nd day
– Haedong Yonggungsa temple
– Lunch at kyungsung university area (I wouldn’t advise shopping in Seomyeon here as you would waste time travelling back to Seomyeon and then back to Haeundae Beach).
– night at Haeundae Beach
I made a few changes in bold 🙂
Also, if you want to do some shopping near Kyungsung Uni Area, Shinsegae Department Store is very close.
Thanks Mark,
You really are a star to reply and give value info in double quick time. I took lot time searching for the port. Ours is a big ship Cunard QM2 and assume(not sure) it docks at Yengdo-gu is it the same as jungang. I assume there is a free shuttle to Nampdong. Do I need a taxi to do your suggested itinerary ? Is it not doable by subway. Is it worth getting a t money card per person? is there a non ref deposit for that? We are visiting Incheon (cruise port)/Seoul for a day as well. I may skip gwangili beach if there is difficulty with timing. how do I get to taejongdae from cruise port? is it the park or the resort?
best regards,
Ranjith
Hi Ranjith,
Yengdo-gu seems to be the same area as Nampodong so you shouldn’t have any worries there. You don’t need a taxi for what I have suggested however if there is a group of 3 or 4 (the price won’t be that much different). As you are visiting Seoul as well a T-Money card would be best.
From Nampodong Station go out of Exit#6 and you can catch the following buses: 30, 8, 88 or 30 (the route is shown here: http://dmaps.kr/3rbzm).
I hope you enjoy your trip 🙂
Thanks Mark.
I will let you know how we got on when we return. It is actually 2 of us doing the holiday now. If I have any more querries re Busan I know where to come!!. Thanks again and keep up the good work for the benefit of many a tourist.
best regards,
Ranjith
No worries Ranjith, I’m glad I could be of some help 🙂
This is very helpful! Thank you! We only have 1 day and a half to tour Busan. What temple do you suggest we visit? Yonggungsa or Beomeosa Temple? Thanks!
Hi Steph,
Glad you found my content helpful 🙂
I would recommend Haedong Yonggungsa Temple over Boemeosa Temple if you can only visit one of them.
Hi Boundforbusan,
Nice itinerary, I would like to inquiry about any bus english app (iphone) in Korea (can used in Seoul and Busan)?
Please advise.
Thanks
Randy
Hi Randy,
Google maps shows buses and trains in Korea. I have used it before without any issues.
Cheers
Hi Mark,
We will be visiting Busan from 15/12 to 22/12. Any recommended places to visit & stay? We will be coming as a group of 4 adults & 3 kids.
Or is the duration too long? Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Hi Philip,
7 nights in Busan seems slightly too long if I’m honest. You could include a short trip to Jeju within that time (4 nights Busan / 3 Nights Jeju) as it is only a 50 minute flight. Air Busan, Jeju Air, Korean Air and Asiana all do that route (see here). OR you could stay 2 nights in Gyeongju which was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (some photos from my time there can be found here) and spend the other 5 in Busan.
Make sure to try the following Busan specialties:
I have recommended some restaurants in my post about Where to Eat in Busan, so that is probably a good place to start (by the way I try to update it whenever I have free time so should be some more entries coming soon). Also for more ideas about what you can eat while in Korea check out my other post about Korean Food. You can always check out my instagram (@boundforbusan) for my recent eats 🙂
Hope that points you in the right direction 🙂
thanks for the advice. Will be a 5 day Busan, 2 day Gyeongju trip. going to stay at Seomyeon.
Any places recommended to stay in Gyeongju? or can i squeeze Gyeongju in 1 day?
on transportation, if we were to take metro + bus, what type of ticket will be the most economical?
Hi Philip,
I think staying 1 night would be good if you have time.
I can recommend these 2 places: Gyeongju Happy Village Syeobul and GG Hotel.
I think buying a T-Money card is best (especially if you are travelling to Seoul as well) as you can just top it up as you need it. You can buy these at most convenience stores (GS25, 7 Eleven etc). To use it, simply tap when you get on/off the bus/subway. You can check the balance at most subway stations.
I hope that answers your questions 🙂
I enjoyed ur blog.will have 1.5 day in busan on 9 march.if i visit haedong yonggungsa temple on my 2nd day in the morning.can i slot in oryukdo skywalk.i am doing the first day as per ur reply to alley on feb 19
Gamcheon
Napomdong
Taejondae
Gwangalli beach
I have to leave busan ny 2pm on 11march
Would appreciate ur promt reply
Hi Linda,
You could do it if you wake up early and go straight to Haedong Yonggungsa in the morning. Then catch public transport back to Oryukdo. I think you can skip Oryukdo if you are going to Taejongdae already.
Stopping off at Haeundae Beach on the way back would be a more sensible option in my opinion (if you have the time).
Hope that helps you 🙂
Hi Mark,
We will be visiting Busan on 23-24 March. Will only arrive in Busan around 12 noon after taking the 9:07am KTX train from Incheon to Busan. For the first day we are expecting to go light. Pls advise me on my planning and any other way to improve it/additional places to visit! Thanks!
Plans for Day 1 would be:
-Check into hotel(beside Busan Station)
-head to Shinsegae Centum City mall
-BIFF square in the evening for dinner
Day 2
– Head to Taejongdae in the morning
-Lunch at Jagalchi Market
– After lunch would be going to Gamcheon Cultural Village
-Dinner and shopping at Lotte Shopping Complex at Nampo-dong
Day 3 morning will be heading back to Seoul!
Hi Daren,
On Day 1, I would skip BIFF for dinner and would recommend getting dinner somewhere near Gwangalli Beach (as then you can enjoy Gwangan Bridge lit up at night – one of the best sights in Busan). Gwangalli is also very close to Centum City so its very convenient as well. If you feel up to it you could also squeeze in Haeundae Beach (after or before Centum City) as it is very close to Centum City.
Day 2 seems fine. I would get dinner at one of the many restaurants on the street in Nampodong compared to Lotte Shopping Complex (less expensive and restaurants inside shopping centers seem to be not as good as ones on the street). I would recommend eating somewhere near here: https://goo.gl/maps/kPxcXWLmHzu
Hopefully that helps you 🙂
Hi Mark!
WOW, you are GREAT! Better than guide books! I won’t bore you with similar, tedious questions! I’ll read the recommendations you left for several people! Just wanted to show my appreciation! Thank you for your detailed, greatly planned itineraries!
Hi Anna,
You are most welcome. If you do have any questions (no matter how small) please feel free to ask them 🙂
Hi Mark,
I’m in Busan right now! Still jetlagged and waking up randomly throughout the night lol! Anyway, we were in jagalchi fish market on our first day and I think we got ripped off! 2 fish and 2 octopus for 90,000 won! Does that sound correct to you?! Then additional 17,000 won upstairs! I feel so horrible because that seems so high for Korean standards! I didn’t think I could get ripped off since I was born here and speak fluent Korean! Anyway, unless seafood here is relatively high! Any insight would be appreciated!
Hi Anna,
That seems a little high. Was the fish served raw (회)? As usually the price should be about 20,000 – 30,000 won per fish (served raw 회). Not sure about the price of octopus though. I do know some restaurants give raw octopus (산낙지) as service (free) when ordering some fish/eel. I would advise to ask the price in the future as then you will know what price you can expect. I think maybe you got unlucky as every time I go there the price is pretty much the same.
Did you eat in the large building with many small restaurants inside? or did you eat along the main small road where stalls are selling seafood? I find that some of the restaurants actually have menus with prices on them, therefore eliminating the chance of getting ripped off. For example you often see Raw Fish (회) and Hagfish (꼼장어) on the menu with a price like THIS photo I took in Jagalchi Fish Market.
This restaurant is outlined in this post I did on Where to Eat in Busan.
I hope you are having a nice time exploring Busan and feel free to ask any other questions while you’re here 🙂
Hi Mark,
You mentioned buses 39 and 1003 from Gijang Crab Market to Haeundae station. But where is the bus stop at Gijang to take these buses? And also, I notice there’s a Gijang Station next to Gijang Middle School – is that an operational subway station? Is taking subway from Gijang Station preferable to taking a bus? Thanks.
Hi Ivy,
Here is a link in Daum maps showing the bus stop for bus 1003 HERE. That is a train station for the busan to pohang line. I believe it has been operational since dec 2016 however have never taken it.
Hi Mark,
Thanks very much for the map of the bus stop!
You are most welcome 🙂
Hi Mark,
We will be visiting Busan and Seul on 1.10-8.10. We are a Family of 4, 2 Adults and 2 Kids 13, 11 years old. We will arrive Busan 1.10 22:05 h. We would like to do you Itinerary 3 days in Busan. At 4.10 night we would like to go to Seul but I don´t really know how to by the train tikets. We will stay in Seul until the 8.10. Our flight departur ist at 9:20 am. from Seul. Do you have any recomendation for the 3 days in Seul. Do you thinks so it will be ok or you have a better idea. Sorry, my englisch ist not the best. I onderstand better than I write. You have a really gut homepage. It helps a lot. Thank you!
Hi Jasive,
You can buy train tickets at the following website: http://www.letskorail.com/ebizbf/EbizBfTicketSearch.do
For Seoul, you can check out my review on The Best Areas to Stay in Seoul. It lists what attractions are close to each area.
Some general sights to see are:
That should get you started on what to see in Seoul 🙂
Hi Mark,
I’ve read on your proposed itineraries and have improvised on the following two. We are travelling with 5 adults (including my 85 year old granny) and 2 year old boy. We will be travelling from Jeju on 18 April, reaching Busan airport around 12pm, think by the time we reach our hotel, near Busan Train Station, it may well be around 2pm. Staying for 2 nights, heading to Seoul via KTX on 20 April. So here is my improvised itineraries, please let me know if they are viable?
Day 1
– After check in, head to Gamcheon Village- Nampodong – Jagalchi Fish Mkt- Seomyeon Station
Day 2
-Taejongdae – Haedong Yonggungsa Temple – Lotte Outlet mall – Centum City (Will this be too tiring with too much travelling?)
OR
– Haedong Yonggungsa Temple – Lotte Outlet mall – Centum City
(Shift Taeongdae to Day 3 early morning at 9am, then back to Busan station for KTX train to Seoul?)
Thanks in advance for your help.
Your website has provided me with lots of valuable info!
Lee
Hi Lee,
I would probably go with your last option as it doesn’t seem as rushed to be honest.
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple – Lotte Outlet mall – Centum City
(Shift Taeongdae to Day 3 early morning at 9am, then back to Busan station for KTX train to Seoul)
Glad you found my blog helpful.
Hello Mark,
I’ll be in Busan on 17th until 20th May, arrive at 7am and will be stay in Nampo area for 2nights & Haeundae for 1 night. Need your advice on my planned itinerary. Do you think this feasible or can you suggest any? Thank you for your time&help…
Day 1
– drop bag at K-Guesthouse
– Gamcheon Cultural Village
– Taejong Resort Park
– 40-step Culture & Tourism Theme Street
– Gwanggali Beach
Day 2
– Igidae Park or Oryukdo Skywalk
– Nampo-dong
– Dadaepo Sunset Fountain of Dreams
– PNU/Seomyeon
Day 3
– Heading to Haeundae Guesthouse, drop bag
– Haedong Yonggungsa Tample
– Gijang Market
– Dongbaek Island
– Shinsegae Department Store(Busan Cinema Center)
– Dalmaji-gil
Day 4
– ??
– Heading to Daegu at 12noon
Thanks,
Farah
Hi Farah,
Your itinerary looks pretty good. Im assuming you will allow for some time at Haeundae Beach. Also Beomeosa Temple is really nice so you might want to add that to Day 2 as it is near PNU. I would also recommend a visit to Jagalchi Fish Market (next to Nampodong). On Day 3 there is a Lotte Outlet Mall right next Haedong Yonggunga Temple if you have time.
Hope u enjoy your trip 🙂
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for this goldmine. Me and my Mom (she’s 61 years old) are planning to go on a day trip to Busan on 1 November 2017, and a bit confused in organizing our itinerary;
* Catching the 5:15 AM or 6 AM KTX Seoul to Busan
** Planning on leaving the same day with the 7 PM/8.10 PM OR the next day with the 5:45 AM/6:10 AM KTX Busan to Seoul
Places we want to go:
1. Gamcheon Culture Village
2. Oryukdo Skywalk
3. Taejongdae
4. Nampo-Dong
5. Jagalchi Fish Market (for lunch or early dinner)
Do you think this is plausible? could you recommend the itinerary to encompass all these places?
Thank you,
Mela
Hi Mela,
I would recommend the following:
1. Gamcheon Culture Village
2. Taejongdae
3. Nampo-Dong
4. Jagalchi Fish Market
5. Gwangalli (Gwangan Bridge at night is one of beat beat views in Busan).
If possible I would stay the night as then it allows you to take your time a bit. I removed the skywalk from your itinerary as it would be too rushed otherwise.
Hope that helps!
Hi Mark
I need a little help here. I’ll be staying at gwangalli and plan to head over to gamcheon village, nampodong, yongdusan, jagalchi, taejongdae and back to gwangalli all in a day. Do you think its possible? And do you think the sequence of the location are in a mess or is it ok?
Thank you in advance for your assistance!
Cheers
Nadishi
Hi Nadishi,
I think it is possible.
First I would go to:
1. Taejongdae (arrive by 9am to maximise your time)
2. Gamcheon (take a taxi if you can – should only be about 10 000 won). If you cant, simply catch a bus.
3. Nampodong, Yongdusan (Busan Tower) and Jagalchi
4. Back to Gwangalli
Should be fairly easy 🙂
Hello again Mark
Thank YOU!
Regards
Nadishi
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!!! So glad I stumbled upon your blog 🙂 I am visiting Korea in a few months and TRYING to plan a one day trip to Busan. Would love it if you can help with my itinerary and how to get from one place to another. I’ve been overwhelmed the past few days trying to figure this out 🙁 I plan on taking an early KTX train ride from Seoul Station…hoping to get to Busan by 930am – 10ish. Would like to do the following if possible in a day:
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Oryukdo Skywalk
Seomyeon
Jalgachi Fish Market
Possibly Haeundae Beach
Gwangalli Beach and Bridge
Any assistance is much appreciated! 😀
Hi Amy,
Glad you like my blog 🙂
You might be a little stretched for time to be honest. However will try to assist:
Hope that helps 🙂
Hey Mark,
Came across your website bound for Busan while i was searching for Busan itinerary. I’m glad i found it because it’s a very informative read. Will read in more detail when i get a chance, and sort out our itinerary with it. My family and i, are planning to visit South Korea for two weeks, may/june. Planning to spend 4 nights in Seoul, then another 4 nights in Jeju Island, and lastly 4 nights in Busan. Been reading your blogs about Seoul and Busan, and they’re really great. And now we might change our itinerary the other way around, Busan, Jeju and Seoul. Only because Seoul seems to have good shopping, and wouldn’t want to be carrying too much stuff around our trip. Haven’t really decided yet. Do you have any tips for Jeju? Also, despite your obvious love for Busan, for a first timer like us, should we spend more days in Seoul? Any input from you would be great. Thank you.
Btw it’s going to be my husband and i, plus out 18 months old bub, so our travels might be a bit more limited. So we are planning to take it easy.
Really looking forward to your reply.
Thanks again!
Cheers!
Diana
Hi Diana,
I generally advise people travelling to Korea who want to visit both Seoul and Busan to stay something like 5 nights is Seoul and 3 in Busan. It obviously depends if you have other places you would like to visit then those places are included. So I would probably bump an extra night onto Seoul and 1 less from Busan.
Make sure to get a T-Money card for public transportation (as this one can be used in both Busan and Seoul).
In terms of Jeju, there are a wealth of other blogs out there that give a detailed itinerary so just have a quick google search 🙂
You can catch a ferry between Busan and Jeju if you think that would be a more convenient way of travelling.
Any other questions please feel free to ask.
Thank you so much for taking time in answering my questions. Will definitely get T-Money card, and spend more time in Seoul. Looking forward to reading more of your blog.
Hope you have a great weekend!! Thanks again! 😊
You’re welcome 🙂
Hi Mark,
I’m planning to do 2D1N in Busan, visiting the following places:
1. Taejongdae Park (태종대) and Gamcheon Culture Village 부산 감천문화마을 – Day 1
2. Jinhae – Day 2
Would like to have advice from you on the following:
How best to travel from Busan –> Taejongdae Park –> Gamcheon Culture Village 부산 감천문화마을 –> Busan?
How best to travel from Busan –> Jinhae –> Seoul?
Is staying around Haeundae-gu a strategic place?
Appreciate your advice. Thank you in advance.
Hi Tracy,
How best to travel from Busan –> Taejongdae Park –> Gamcheon Culture Village 부산 감천문화마을 –> Busan?
Just so you know know both Taejongdae and Gamcheon are both in Busan. So not sure where you starting point would be? Do you mean Busan Station to Taejondae?
From Nampo Station:
Bus 88A from Nampodong Sation (Exit #6).
Here is a link to where to catch the bus from Nampodong Station (exit #6): http://naver.me/xG5h1U0d
Here is a link to the bus timetable: http://naver.me/xmGZX9J3
Seems like the buses start pretty early (just before 5am). 첫차 (first Bus) 04:46, 막차 (last Bus) 22:00.
How best to travel from Busan –> Jinhae –> Seoul?
To get to Jinhae from Busan, take the subway to Sasang station and take exit 5 towards Seobu Bus Terminal. Upon exiting, turn left and you should see a Macdonalds. Walk straight and the Bus Terminal should be in sight. It should be the place where most people are heading to. Purchase bus tickets to Jinhae from here. Its a one way ticket without timing restriction, so just board any bus that departs.
Jinhae to Seoul:
I would recommend a Taxi from Jinhae to Masan (16,000 won). You could take a bus but if you have 3-4 people a taxi is worth it. KTX from Masan to Seoul.
Hope that helps 🙂
Wow! This is such a great resource for traveling to Busan. It makes me realize how much can fit into three days if you’re really motivated to make the most of your time. Eating raw fish in tents sounds like such a cool experience. I’m excited about the Jagalchi Fish Market too… haha can you tell I’m a foodie? I’ll definitely be checking out your post about Korean food next. Thanks for this info and advice — it’s great!
Thanks Sean, Korea has loads of great food so I’m sure you will have an awesome time 🙂
Busan specialties are:
So make you try these. Gom Jangeo – Grilled Hagfish – 꼼장어 can be tried everywhere, however in Jagalchi it is quite good.
Hi!
I will follow your wonderful itinerary.
Do you know any jil-jibang in Busan which is close to gimhae airport? My flight is a10 pm so I was planning to go to a sauna to rest for a bit before my flight back to PH.
Thank you
Hi Joanna,
I’m not sure sure to be honest however you may find one listed here. Good luck.
Hi again, can you help us which part to squeeze in the gamcheon cultural village in your one day itinerary?
Thankssss
Hi Joanna,
I would squeeze Gamcheon in before or after Taejongdae. If you will be pressed for time, you could always make an early start at Gamcheon. Hope that helps 🙂
[A Survey on the FAM tour to Busan]
Hi, Mark!
I’m so much impressed by your wonderful posting on the Busan.
And I am very glad that I found your homepage.
Every year, Busan Metropolitan City Government has conducted a familiarization (FAM) tour named ‘A Meeting with Power Bloggers who Love Busan’ by inviting domestic bloggers, to promote the city brand and tourism resources of Busan.
Especially this year, in order to diversify the program, it is planned to invite around 10 foreign SNS users residing in Korea with over 300 followers of their own SNS under the theme of marine leisure and tourism in Buan this coming July in 2017.
In this regard, a brief survey on the FAM tour programs for foreign SNS users has been designed to provide a high quality program for the participants. It would be very much appreciated if you could fill out the survey below for the better FAM tour program by May 28, 2pm (14:00) since you are among the most highly qualified candidates.
Thank you very much for your kind attention and cooperation in advance!
★ Please click on the address below. ↓↓↓
https://goo.gl/forms/qz40ouCX8FV95NSb2
Hi Lynn,
Thank you for the suggestion. I have filled out the form 🙂
Hello.
I want to go to Gamcheon Culture Village, Nampo Dong and Taejongdae then back to Seoul by KTX
Do you know which bus should we take from Gamcheon Culture Village to Nampo Dong?
And Nampo Dong to Taejongdae?
Thanks a lot.
Hi Lidwina,
You can simply put the places in English into google maps and find your way around:
Hi Mark,
Your itinerary is really detailed and helpful, as such I am changing my itinerary based on your recommendations. By the way can I check:
1) What is the difference between Yangdong Village and Gyonchon Village?
2) From my research Yangdong Village seems more difficult to go to, would you recommend it over Gyonchon?
3) Is it advisable to take the Gyeongju City Tour? I read that the narration is in Korean only.
4) Can we buy KTX train tickets to Seoul with Credit Card?
Thank you and hope you can give my friend and I some guidance.
AngieH
Hi Angie,
1) What is the difference between Yangdong Village and Gyonchon Village?
I have only been to Gyonchon Village and I thought it was really nice. Its looks to be a lit bit larger than Yangdong Village. Yangdong village also seems quite far away (closer to Pohang).
2) From my research Yangdong Village seems more difficult to go to, would you recommend it over Gyonchon?
I would probably visit Gyonchon Village and all the other top sites first, and if you have time then maybe think about it
3) Is it advisable to take the Gyeongju City Tour? I read that the narration is in Korean only.
I believe there are some English guided tours in Gyeongju if you are interested. Korean tours are generally cheaper and go to the best sites, so thats an option. A lot of the attractions have signs in English explaining what the site/attraction is about anyways.
4) Can we buy KTX train tickets to Seoul with Credit Card?
Yes, you can. http://www.letskorail.com/ebizbf/EbizBfTicketSearch.do
I hope that answers your questions!
Hi! I will spend 5d4n at Busan in mid of Dec’17, would like to take your 3d2n itinerary, by the way, any recommendation about the place have snow? may i know the transport to go there as well?
Hi Jen,
Eden Valley SKi Resort is about an hour away, details here: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=658160
Hi, thank you for your post. I find it very informative. Would you mind to recommend me some itinerary. I will spend 2 days 3 nights in Busan. Nights more than days because I will reach Busan Station at around 8pm plus and planning to take our dinner at Seomyeon(you can suggest location) before heading to our place to sleep. Then will spend 2 days 2 nights in Busan & will head to Gyeongju next day early in the morning. I would like to explore most attraction on Busan and would like to have a fun relaxing holiday. Would appreciate if you are able to also advise which place to stay in Busan like Air bnb budget private room for my 3 nights. Could you arrange of my 2 days 3 nights itinerary in Busan? Do help me to get as much place as possible in my itinerary.
Thank you so much.
Hi Mark, from my first comment, i also miss out this. I am travelling with my boyfriend, only two of us. Your blog is really awesome. It’s so details and I love it! 🙂
Could you please re-arrange my 2 days 3 nights itinerary in Busan below? Please tell me as well on how to get from one place to another(include time if can). And, also which one to go first.
Do suggest and recommend to me which guesthouse or private budget room(Near to station) to stay for three nights?
13 August:
Reach Busan Station at 7.50pm.
– Walk around Seomyeon (dinner)
14 August:
– Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
– Taejongdae
– Jagalchi Fish Market/Nampodong Area
– Gijang Crab Market
– Haeundae Beach
– Haeundae Market
– SHINSEGAE Centum City
– Gwangalli Beach (dinner)
15 August:
– Igidae Park
– PNU (Busan National University)
– Beomeosa Temple
– Dongnae Station area (dinner)
Thank you in advance.
Hi Stephanie,
Glad you found my blog helpful 🙂
I would re-arrange your itinerary with the following.
13 August:
Reach Busan Station at 7.50pm.
– Walk around Seomyeon (dinner)
14 August:
– Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (arrive 9am)
– Gijang Crab Market (arrive 11am)
– Haeundae Beach AND Haeundae Market (arrive 1pm)
– SHINSEGAE Centum City (arrive 3pm)
– Gwangalli Beach (dinner – arrive 7pm)
– KSU area (if you feel like drinking/staying out late)
15 August:
– Taejongdae (arrive 9am)
– Jagalchi Fish Market/Nampodong Area (arrive 11:30am)
– Igidae Park (this is kind of out of the way but possible – would do only if you have lots of time) – maybe replace this with Gamcheon Cultural Village)
– Beomeosa Temple (arrive 2:30pm)
– PNU (Busan National University) (arrive 4pm)
– Dongnae Station area (dinner) (arrive 6-7pm)
Almost all of these places can be reached by subway. For the places that can’t be reached by subway, you can simply catch a bus. Google maps will tell you which buses to catch (or you can look at my previous posts such as Taejongdae, Haedong Yongungsa Temple and Gijang Crab Market.)
As to what accommodation I could recommend, Seomyeon seems like the best spot as you will be travelling to various parts of Busan. Seomyeon is conveniently located on both Subway Line 1 and Subway Line 2. As per my post, Best Areas to Stay in Busan, I would recommend the following places to stay in Seomyeon:
Budget
Mid-Range
High-end
My Recommendations
I hope that helps you with preparing for your holiday to Busan 🙂
You are so awesome! It’s very nice of you. Thank you so much.. Looking forward for more of your posting on your blog. 🙂
Hi Mark, i’m so happy that i found your blog!!
can i please ask for your recommended itineraries..
we are arriving at Gimhae Airport around 10am (19 oct 2017) and back to Seoul by train 21 Oct in the morning..
places that we want to visit:
– Taejongdae
– Jagalchi
– Gamcheon
– Nampodong
– Haedong Yonggusa
– Haeundae
– Gwangalli Beach (want to try the calm with cheese)
– Shinsegae
and where is the best area to stay ?
looking forward to your reply…thank you so much!
Hi Khery,
I would stay in Seomyeon, you can find my recommendations in this post.
In terms of making an itinerary I would do:
19 Oct: Haedong Yonggungsa – Haeundae Beach – Shinsegae – Gwangalli Beach (at night)
20 Oct: Taejongdae (arrive 9am) – Gamcheon – Nampodong – Jagalchi
21 Oct: depart Busan Station for Seoul.
19 October might be a little rushed. If you find yourself struggling for time, I would skip Shinsegae.
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Mark
Am really enjoying looking at your blog (but this it is just giving me too many ideas)!
Will be travelling to Busan at the end of this month with my mother who is a sprightly 73 year old (but will still have limitations on how much we can cram into a day). Therefore I am trying to juggle making the most out of the day but also ensuring that we are not constantly on the go so that it is not too tiring for my mother. Will be taking the KTX and planning to arrive just before 2pm. Will be staying in Seomyeon for 4 nights before heading back to Seoul in the morning. We will therefore have 3 and a half days in Busan. I love Korean food and seafood as well, so looking forward to trying everything!
So far I have this:
Day 1 – Arrive in Busan – go to hotel to drop off bags. Should we just explore the area in Seomyeon or is that spending too much time there? Where else would you suggest we go?
Day 2 – Taejongdae Park (have lunch on the beach) – Nampo-Dong – BIFF Square – Jagalchi (for dinner)
Day 3 – I wanted to do a day trip to Gyeongju but based on the time we have in Busan (and is it too tiring to go there with mother in tow) should I give it a miss this time ? If so what do you suggest we do on this day?
Day 4 – Haedong Yonggungsa Temple – Haeundae Beach – Centrim City
Day 5 – Head back to Seoul in the morning
Many thanks
Hi Camelia,
Day 1 – Arrive in Busan – go to hotel to drop off bags. Should we just explore the area in Seomyeon or is that spending too much time there?
Where else would you suggest we go?
I would advise doing some underground shopping in Seomyeon – simply go down into the subway and there are loads of stores. Go towards exit number 2, can’t miss them. At night I would head on over to Gwangalli Beach for Dinner
Day 2 – Taejongdae Park (have lunch on the beach) – Nampo-Dong – BIFF Square – Jagalchi (for dinner).
This seems fairly good as you have your elderly mother with you.
Day 3 – I wanted to do a day trip to Gyeongju but based on the time we have in Busan (and is it too tiring to go there with mother in tow) should I give it a miss this time ? If so what do you suggest we do on this day?
Might be a bit too much for your mother. You could check out the new Songdo beach cable car that has just opened up. See this post on how to get to Songdo Beach. You could also add a trip to Gwangbok Department Store (skypark on level 11 is worth it as it has great views!).
Day 4 – Haedong Yonggungsa Temple – Haeundae Beach – Centum City
This would be enough with your mother I think. quite a few stairs at Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.
Day 5 – Head back to Seoul in the morning
Any other questions please let me know.
Extremely helpful! Preparing my itinerary for my 6D/5N travel to Busan with my mom. Thank you so much!! 🙂
Glad you found the information helpful Ross 🙂
Thanks Ross. This has been very helpful.
Will take your advice.
I have some final questions in regards to getting to Busan. it looks like it will be cheaper to buy the Korail saver flexible 2 day pass to get from Seoul/Busan and then back again as it is only KRW 91,000 per person rather than getting two single tickets either way. The only draw back which I can see is that you cannot pre-book tickets until you are in Korea and the pass has been collected.
Will there be sufficient tickets available if I turn up on on Tuesday morning (29th August) to book my tickets for the same morning? Am thinking of getting either the 10am or 11am train. I will also need to get return tickets for Saturday but am assuming I can sort this out once I am in Seoul. Will this be in short supply since it is a weekend? Or should I just pre-book my tickets rather than buying the rail pass?
Thanks again!
Sorry meant to say “Thanks Mark” in the post above!
Hi Mark,
Me and my wife will be visiting Busan in December. I have seen your 3 days trip and was a great help in our planning. Could you please advise the following. The itinerary mentioned in your trip, is it suitable for visit in December too? If not suitable, what are the places we could skip and replace with another location. ? Any issues to take note for visiting in December, weather? Thank you.
Hi Yobo,
December is a great time to visit actually as there are less crowds, minimal rain and normally no waiting in lines for anything. The itinerary I provided is definitely suitable for December so you shouldn’t have any issues there. Just bring some warm jackets as the temperature can get to about 0 degrees around that time which is not freezing but you still need to dress accordingly. You should get some nice views of the trees changing colours (btw if you are into hiking I would recommend doing this in December – Seokbulsa Temple – as you will see some nice colours). Sondo Beach has recently installed a Cable Car which provides some great views which is worth checking out if you hadn’t considered it already (see here).
Any others questions please let me know 🙂
Hi Mark
Thank you for the great advice and recommendations.
Hi Mark,
Do you think it’s okay to go to Taejongdae first before Nampodong then Gwangalli?
I’m kinda scared that we might take a lot of time exploring Nampodong and end up not going to Taejongdae.
Here’s how our itinerary for Sept. 17, 2017:
8-11 AM: Gamcheon Culture Village
11 AM-2PM: Taejongdae
2 -6 PM: Nampodong
6-10 PM: Gwangalli Beach
Hi Let,
I would go to Taejongdae first thing in the morning (try to arrive at 9am) to maximise your time (less crowds that time as well).
So your itinerary would look like:
9.00AM – 11.30 AM: Taejongdae
11.30 AM – 12.30PM: Take bus to Gamcheon
12.30 AM-2PM: Gamcheon Cultural Village (1.5 hours at Gamcheon is easily enough)
2PM – 2.30PM: Take bus/train to Nampodong
2PM – 6 PM: Nampodong (make sure to see Gukje Market + Jagalchi Fish Market + Busan Tower)
6PM – 7PM: Train to Gwangalli
7PM – 10PM: Gwangalli Beach
Hope that helps 🙂
Wow! Makes so much sense. Thanks Mark, you just made our lives easier. Till next time 🙂
Thank you for your very informative post on Busan! I am Farah from the Philippines.
I will be going to SK in November and my first stop will be Busan. I only have 2 days in Busan as I would like to travel to Gangwondo as well. May I ask for your help in arranging my Busan itinerary? I have a lot of places I want to go to and I really want to make the most out of this trip.
I will be arriving in Incheon at 10pm on Sunday and I’m thinking if I should still book a hostel in Seoul or just stay in Incheon as I will be travelling to Busan early next day. What do you think?
Here are some places I wish to visit:
1. Igidae Park
2. Oryukdo Skywalk
3. Bosudong book street
4. Choryang ibagu-gil road
5. Gamcheon Village
6. Taejongdae
7. Dalmaji gil Road
8. Tongyeong???
I also like to stay overnight at a spa. Is Vesta Spa in Dalmaji gil a great place to stay?
Hoping for your kind reply. Thanks in advance for all the help!
Blessings to you,
Farah
Hi Farah,
As you have 2 days, I would recommend:
Day 1 – Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Dalmaji Road (coffee shops/unique cafes), Haeundae Beach, Dongbaek Island, Gwangalli Beach at Night.
Day 2 – what time do you leave Busan? If it is late, I would visit Taejongdae first thing in the morning (9am), Songdo Beach Cable Car, Nampodong/Jagalchi Area
Some comments about the places you want to visit:
1. Igidae Park (Near Gwangalli so you could include it however as you only have 2 days I would skip this).
2. Oryukdo Skywalk (End of Igidae Walk so you could include it however as you only have 2 days I would skip this).
3. Bosudong book street (You can visit here when you visit Nampo area).
4. Choryang ibagu-gil road (not sure about this place sorry).
5. Gamcheon Village (if you have time you can do this after Songdo Beach).
6. Taejongdae (included above in my suggestions).
7. Dalmaji gil Road (included above in my suggestions).
8. Tongyeong??? (this isn’t in Busan, at least 1.5 hours away).
I hope that helps you 🙂
Thank you Mark for your reply! We will leave Busan the following day. We have two full days to visit Busan!
An additional request, any suggestions on where we will eat? Thanks in advance!
Farah
Hi,
This is absolutely amazing. I am just worried because my bff will be coming to visit me in the winter and I am so thankful that I live just an hour away from Busan, but am I able to still show him all this during the winter? Especially the beach and Taejongdae, because that’s an Island right? I have done all this stuff mentioned, but with a travel group 2 years ago, but I will now be solely responsible to show him all this and I don’t know if it’ll be enjoyable because winter gets crazy cold.
I live in Yangsan, so I can do day trips, but any idea if the water attractions would still be ok to tour during January season.
Hi Semeerah,
I believe I answered this question through Instagram 🙂
Hi…
I will be going to Korea next week. Could you please give advise on my itinerary.
Day 1
1. Arrive Gimhae Airport at 8.00am
2. Gamcheon Culture Village
3. Jagalchi Market, Gikje, BIFF, Busan Tower, Yongdusan Park
4. Leave to Seoul (last mugunghwa train)
Day 2 – Day 3 – Seoul
Day 4
1. Arrive Busan Station at 4.00 am
2. Taejongdae
3. Hyeundae, Dongbaek Island, Gijang Crab Market
4. Dalmaji Road
5. Shinsegae Centrum City
6. Gwangalli Beach
7. Seomyeon Underground shopping center
Day 5
1. Igidae Park & Oryokdo Skywalk
2. PNU
3. Busan Mosque Dusil
4. Need suggestion
5. Need suggestion
Day 6 – Leave Busan
Appreciate your advice. Thank you in advance.
Hi Wanie Zack,
I would recommend the following changes to your itinerary:
Day 1
1. Arrive Gimhae Airport at 8.00am
2. Gamcheon Culture Village
3. Jagalchi Market, Gukje Market, BIFF, Busan Tower, Yongdusan Park
4. Leave to Seoul (last mugunghwa train)
Day 2 – Day 3 – Seoul
Day 4
1. Arrive Busan Station at 4.00 am
2. Haeundae, Dongbaek Island, Dalmaji Road
3. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
4. Gijang Crab Market
5. Shinsegae Centum City
6. Gwangalli Beach
Day 5
1. Taejongdae
2. Songdo Beach Cable Car
3. Igidae Park & Oryokdo Skywalk
4. PNU (I would skip this as it is quite far from everything else on this day)
5. Busan Mosque Dusil
6. Seomyeon Underground shopping center
7. Seomyeon Are for Dinner
Day 6 – Leave Busan
I hope that helps 🙂
Thank you very much for the great advice and recommendations. I really appreciate it.
Hi,
May i check if you do know the bus intervals from Jeonju to Busan?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Danny,
The buses seem to leave every hour and 10 mins from Jeonju to Busan. (eg. 2pm, 3.10pm, 4.20pm etc). Link to timetable
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi, I will be traveling with a Friend to Busan from 29 October to 1 nov.
1) We will be taking the KTX from Seoul to Busan and back. Should we buy the 2 day
flexible pass or the 3 days consecutive pass? Should we book in advance?
2) we r planning to visit Gyeongju on 30 October. Where can we book a day tour and how much will it cost?
3) what can we do on our first and last day in Busan?
Thanks.
Hi Betty,
1) I would just book your tickets (don’t get the consecutive day pass) in advance through the korail website.
2) A day tour can be booked here through Viator visiting all the major sites. It’s about 62 USD.
3) Plenty to do on your first and last day. This itinerary has loads of ideas. Additionally you can check out my favourite things to do in Busan post here.
I hope that helps 🙂
Hi,
I Hv 4 days n 3 nights in Busan thereafter will proceed to Seoul . Could u advise what to do n see in Busan ? By the way where to stay Busan ? Isn’t advisable to do self drive in Busan or taking public transport? Thank you
Hi Susan,
I replied to your other comment 🙂
Thank you very much for your prompt reply.
Booked our KTX train and Gyeongju day tour!
Will check out the link later.
Hi,
I Hv 4 days n 3 nights in Busan in November thereafter will proceed to Seoul . Could u advise what to do n see in Busan ? By the way where to stay Busan ? Isn’t advisable to do self drive in Busan or taking public transport? This is my 1st time in Busan. Thank you. Still awaiting for ur reply.
Hi Susan,
For what to do in Busan you can easily follow this the 3D2N (3 Days 2 Nights) itinerary and simply add a few other places such as: Songdo Beach Cable Car. You could even take a day trip to Gyeongju if you feel like you have a spare day. Day Trip tour HERE.
As to Where to Stay in Busan, you can check out my detailed post about the best areas to stay in Busan. It gives you an overview of each of the main areas.
Everything can be reached easily by public transport so you definitely don’t need to hire a car.
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi,
I will be visiting Busan solo this Dec and I will be arriving in the morning on Dec 08 at about 07:10 and leaving on Dec 13 morning flight 10:00. My hotel base is Seomyeon Mumum Residence for 5 nights. I will check in my luggage with the hotel first before exploring. Can you suggest a 5 day itinerary as I would like to explore most attraction in Busan and probably by subway? A bit worry if travel by bus.
Is Gyeongju or Geojedo Island worth a visit?
As for transportation card, I will be using subways and buses, Tmoney card and Cashbee card, are they the same? Is there any pass for 1 day or 5 days unlimited rides for both subway and bus?
Thanks a lots.
Hi CK,
I would do my 3 Day itinerary as suggested and then add a day trip to Gyeongju if you haven’t been before. It is easy to take a bus to Gyeongju from Nopo Station (Orange Subway Line). Either the Cashbee or T-Money card are fine (both are just a transport card). You can recharge them at subway stations very easily.
Hope that helps 🙂
Thank you Mark for your reply! Your blog really helps.
Hi Mark,
I’m Crystal from Malaysia. I’ll be travelling to Seoul this week and bought a 1 day KTX pass from Seoul to Busan.
I’ve intend to visit Gamcheon Culture Village, Songdo Walk, Songdo Cable Car and Taejongdae. Is it possible to do it all in 1 day? I’m worried it’s a bit rush as this is my first time there. Quite worried about the transport. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks!
Hi Crystal,
You should be OK for time.
I would get to Taejondae at 9am then Songdo Beach then Gamcheon 🙂
Thanks for your reply. So you would suggest Gamcheon be the last?
Hi, thank you for your blog. I find it very interesting and informative. Would you mind to recommend me some itinery. I will spend 5 Days in Busan (**my flight has book @ arrive and depart also from Busan@ Gimhae Airport)& will head back on the 6th day early in the morning. I would like to explore most attraction on Busan and Jeju. I’m would like to take own sweet time at each place and we would like to have a relaxing holiday instead of a rushing one. Also, I may not like to move from one hotel to another, and I’m have book my hotel in Haeundae instead. It depends on how convenient it is and the 5 days of itinery being arrange.In additional, if I’m would like to spend my day at Busan for 3 days and Jeju for 2 days, don’t you think is possible?
Hi Calfnix,
What kinds of places do you like to visit? beaches? temples? If you are looking for more of a relaxed style holiday I would probably book Jeju for 3 days and Busan for 2 days.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the reply.
I’m prefer to visit temple and beaches too.
If my place to visit like below,dun you think ok?
For 1st day;
Gamcheon Cultural Village@부산 감천문화마을 (2hrs)| Nampo-dong | 자갈치市場@ Jagalchi Fish Market |
太宗臺 @ Taejongdae@
태종대 | Seomyeon
2nd day;
Haedong Yunggungsa Temple | Gijang Lotte Outlet Mall | Haeundae Beach | Shinsegae Centum City
For Jeju ,no comments. Any idea from you?
Thanks.
Calfnix
Those plans seem fine however going to Gwangalli Beach at night is a MUST! so do that on the 2nd night 🙂 I would stay a minimum of 2 nights on Jeju as otherwise you will just be wasting time travelling. You can even get an overnight ferry to Jeju from Busan if that interests you, if not plenty of airlines (jejuair, airbusan, jinair etc) fly there and its cheap.
Hi Mark,
I am going to Busan with my family during mid Dec for 8D/7N. as we have plenty of time to spare. kindly advise on arrangement of locations to visit best? any other locations that i might missed out? this would be our 1st trip to Busan. we will be staying at Seomyeon station area.
gamcheon culture village
gukje market + BIFF square
nampodong.
jagalchi market
taejongdae
haedong yonggungsa temple
Gijang Crab Market
Haeundae Beach AND Haeundae Market
Beomeosa Temple
SHINSEGAE Centum City
Gwangalli Beach
gyeongju day trip
what else i can squeeze in?
Hi Philip,
I would do the following:
Day 1
taejongdae
**Songdo Beach – Cable car and boardwalk are nice**
gamcheon culture village
**Seomyeon Underground Shopping – heaps of stores when exiting underground in Seomyeon station towards exits 2/4**
Dinner in Seomyeon
Day 2
Nampo-dong Area (gukje market – take your time here + BIFF square + jagalchi market + Busan Tower + Nampo Gwangbok Lotte Mall – exit 8 from Nampo station)
Shinsegae Department Store
Dinner and Walk around at Gwangalli Beach
Day 3
haedong yonggungsa temple
**Gijang Lotte Outlet Mall (Shopping)**
Gijang Crab Market
Haeundae Beach AND Haeundae Market (quite small but ok for about 20 mins)
Dinner at Haeundae Beach
Day 4
Beomeosa Temple
**Seokbulsa Temple (if you like hiking)**
**FREE TIME**
**Busan University Area PNU** at night for dinner.
Day 5
gyeongju day trip
Day 6
Geoje Island
Day 7
Yeosu or Suncheon day trip
Hope that helps you 🙂
mark, for nampodong area, which you recommend to visit 1st? also from seomyeon to haedong yonggunsa via bus? as i’m planning to bring strollers, is the bus stroller friendly? is there any place to put luggage/stroller?
Doesn’t really matter to be honest but this seems logical:
I would take the new subway line as shown here in Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/rBF5JLR8Ubu
Just take your stroller on the bus as you would in other countries 🙂 No place to put it however you should be fine (as I see strollers on buses quite often).
Hi Mark, made it here in one piece. We plan to go to seoul and return via ktx. Planning to take the last ktx from seoul to busan. However we will arrive at 1.30 am. Any late night bus from busan station to seomyeon? Or do we take a taxi? There are 6 of us
Hi Philip, I would take 2 taxi’s. Just be sure to print out the hotel address in Korean (larger the better). Or just grab a business card from the hotel to show the taxi driver. It shouldn’t cost more than 6000 won per taxi.
Hi Mark,
Will be going to Busan from 14/2-19/2/2018 (6D/5N) – 4 Adults and staying in Seomyeon station area. Wonder if you can help to recommend/suggest some places to visit for this duration using the subway/bus system. Would like to get the most of Busan in these 5 days and will be leaving Busan early morning on the 6th day. Hope it is a good time to visit and the weather is not too cold for outdoors activities/sightseeing. This will be our first time in Busan/Korea.
Appreciate your help. Thanks.
Hi Albert,
Transportation system here is excellent. I would do the following:
Day 1
taejongdae
**Songdo Beach – Cable car and boardwalk are nice**
gamcheon culture village
**Seomyeon Underground Shopping – heaps of stores when exiting underground in Seomyeon station towards exits 2/4**
Dinner in Seomyeon
Day 2
Nampo-dong Area (gukje market – take your time here + BIFF square + jagalchi market + Busan Tower + Nampo Gwangbok Lotte Mall – exit 8 from Nampo station)
Shinsegae Department Store
Dinner and Walk around at Gwangalli Beach
Day 3
haedong yonggungsa temple
**Gijang Lotte Outlet Mall (Shopping)**
Gijang Crab Market
Haeundae Beach AND Haeundae Market (quite small but ok for about 20 mins)
Dinner at Haeundae Beach
Day 4
Beomeosa Temple
**Seokbulsa Temple (if you like hiking)**
**FREE TIME**
**Busan University Area PNU** at night for dinner.
Day 5 – a day trip (choices below)
gyeongju day trip / Geoje Island / Yeosu or Suncheon day trip
Hope that helps you 🙂
Hi Mark
I will visiting Busan next week and staying at Seomyeon area. I intend to take 2 half day land tours and do my own exploration after that.
Land tour 1
Songdo Beach, Skywalk & Air Cruise
Jeonggeo Wal Painting Village
Drop off at Gamcheon Culture Village around 12.30pm
Proceed on my own:
Nampo-Dong
Jagalchi Fish Market
Taejongdae
Seomyeo
Land Tour 2
Oryukdo Islands & Skywalk
Gwangan Bridge
Haedong Yonggunsa Temple
Jukseong Dream Church
Drop off at Lotte Premium Outlet at around 12.30pm
On my own:
Haeundae Beach
Gwangan Beach
Are the above itinerary too rush or anything I should change to make it easier for me?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Kelvin,
The itinerary seems OK. I would probably switch nampodong and taejongdae as it gives you more time in Nampodong rather than rushing to see Taejongdae late in the afternoon. If you like Temples I would also try to fit in Beomeosa Temple. Also Dalmaji Road is a nice walk which is very close to Haeundae Beach. Hope that helps.
Hi Mark,
Could u pls advise which bus no to take from Taejongdae park to Gamcheon Culture Village. Isnt direct bus? Where to take at Taejongdae park? Where to alight at Gamcheon ? How long is the journey?
Tks a lot a lot
Hi, I am going busan in June. Reaching 2nd June, plan to leave on 8th night or 9th morning. So I will have total 7days.
Plan to visit busan and neighbouring areas, or go to Seoul.
Can you suggest a trip plan for me for the 7days? I have yet to book tickets, so not sure to return from busan or incheon.
Thank you.
Hi Cindy,
Without knowing your interests it’s quite difficult to recommend you a 7 day itinerary… Do you like shopping? temples? beaches? seafood? etc. You may want to look into doing a day or overnight trip from Busan such as: Yeosu, Suncheon, Geoje or Gyeongju.
Hi Mark! thank you so much for this great post.
I’m planning of visiting Busan for 1 day and planning to visit only Gamcheon Village, Nampo-dong and Jagalgi Market.
I’ll be using the itinerary you’ve created above. however, I would like to know what bus to take from Gamcheon to Nampo-dong as it’s not indicated in the itinerary above. And what bus to take from Jagalgi Market going to Busan Station to take the KTX train to Seoul. thank you!
Hi Judessa, you can take a few buses like bus 87 or 134( http://naver.me/FbGgJAtO ). Jagalchi Station to Busan Station is very easily done by subway.
Hi Mark,
My family of 4 (two teenager) are going to Korea on 21/6 to 30/6/18, This is our 2nd visit to Korea, 1st visit went to Seoul and Jeju Island with tour package, this is our 1st free & easy trip.
Pls help to check is my itinerary workable:
21/6 – reach Seoul late night, stay near Hongkit University station for 6 nights
22/6 to 26/6
Day trip Nami island,
1 day DMZ/JSA tour,
day trip Mt Seorak,
2 days at Seoul (Gyeongbokgung Palace , Myengdong, Namsan Tower, Nandaemun…)
27/6 Morning to Busan by train, stay near Seomyeon area. (Busan ????)
28/6 Busan ???
29/6 (Busan ??? ) Busan to Jeonju at 3pm , stay at Jeonju
30/6 Jeonju day trip (Hanok village, Nambu Market,Jaman Mural Village)
From Jeonju (5pm) to Seoul. Dinner at Seoul, 9.30pm to Airport
1) I would like to visit Gamcheon Cultural Village / Nampo-dong /Jagalchi Fish Market /Taejongdae / Oryukdo Skywalk/ Haedong Yonggungsa Temple/ Outlet shopping/ Haeundae beach/ Dongbaek Island,/Gwangalli Beach. How should I plan for my Busan trip? (27.6 2pm to 29/6 2pm)
2) Should I buy Korail Pass? What is the best way to travel between Busan to Jeonju and Jeonju to Seoul? Or is it convenience to take bus between Busan to Jeonju and Jeonju to Seoul?
Thanks
Ashley
Hey Ashley,
I would go to Taejongdae, Gamcheon Cultural Village /Jagalchi Fish Market and Nampodong for dinner on the first day you arrive. Then the next day Haedong Yonggungsa Temple/ Outlet shopping/ Haeundae beach/ Dongbaek Island,/Gwangalli Beach. I would skip Oryukdo Skywalk or only do ot if you have time.
Buses to Jeonju can be accessed from Sasang Bus/Train Station. Should be multiple buses every day.
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi, Mr Mark
Thanks for your prompt reply.
I will start my program around 2pm on the first day, Will it be enough time?
How about third day? I have free time till 2pm.
Thanks
Ashley
Oh 2pm.. I would go to gamcheon, Jagalchi and then eat dinner in Nampo-dong. Keep the 2nd day the same. On your last day I would go to Taejongdae early in the morning (arrive there by 9am). Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Mark, I’m looking for a Busan Day Trip and found your post, it’s so informative!
Anyway, as I’m going for a day trip to Busan, some places I’d like to visit are Gamcheon, Nampo-dong, Oryukdo Skywalk, Haeundae and Gwangili Beach. Is it okay to visit them in order like that? Or can you give a recommendation on the itinerary? Thanks a lot!
Hi Nina,
I would suggest Taejongdae, Nampodong (Gukje Market), Jagalchi Fish Market, Haeundae Beach , Dalmaji Hill (cafe street) and finish at Gwangalli for dinner (see the Gwangan Bridge at night). Try to get to Taejongdae by 10am at the latest. Oryukdo is a bit overrated in my opinion. If you really want to visit Gamcheon just add it in after Jagalchi or Nampodong. Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Mark, thank you for your blog. I’ve been reading it over and over again along with other blogs. Would you mind to commenting on the itinerary I have so far. I will spend 3 full days or 3.5 Days in Busan & will fly out early morning on my 5th day. I would like to explore most attractions in Busan. I’m willing to start early (I am an early riser) and l don’t mind a packed full day which I’m used to while travelling in Japan. I’m game to leave my hotel between 5:30A-6:00A. I’m also willing to take a mixture of Subway, Bus and Taxi to get to places. I am staying at a hotel in Seomyeon near Lotte Hotel so that will be my start/end. Also will be doing this trip Solo.
Day 1 Fri: Arrive PUS 9PM, taxi to hotel in Seomyeon; food alley for pork soup; if any shops are still open, i’ll do some shopping
Day 2: early start to Taejongdae (willing to hike/walk to Observatory and down to Lighthouse area); to Huinnyeoul Culture Village; to Songdo Beach/Amnam Park area; to Dadaepo Beach for sunset; to Bupyeong Kkangtong Night Market for late dinner
Day 3: early start to Haedong Yonggungsa; to Cheongsapo Daridol Skywalk; walk railroad tracks towards Dalmaji Hill then to Haeundae Beach; Dongbaek Island; then either to Oryukdo Skywalk and do the Igidae coastal hike towards Gwangalli Beach OR skip Oryukdo and go to Igidae Park and do partial hike; then end up i Gwangalli Beach for night view of bridge and dinner
Day 4: start at Gamcheon Cultural Village; to Jagalchi/Nampo area for roof top viewings, markets, BIFF, Yongdusan Park, Tower and shopping; drop off stuff at hotel; to Beomeosa Temple; maybe Dongnae Station area or anywhere; some time to do last minute shopping
Day 5: depart hotel for PUS around 6A for 8:30A flight
I did mention 3 or 3.5 days. I’m still debating if I should pay the change fee for my flight to an earlier departure out of KIX. Originally was to arrive 5 hrs prior for the night departure but my original flight was cancelled. Only option is now to arrive the day before because other option is a no go since I won’t get in time for my Busan flight. Changing to an earlier flight will give me an extra 8 hrs (arrive just before 1:00P instead of origina 9:00P). Not sure if it’s worth to pay the “extra 15,000 yen” change fee for an additional 8 hrs or not since I now have to get a hotel in Osaka for the night. If I do change, I might space out my itinerary or add places. Or you can suggest what to do if I add the extra 8hrs so that may help me decide if I should or not. I don’t think I will be returning to Busan anytime. Busan is my only Korean stop as it was a quick decision to book at the time out of KIX. Next time I get a chance to go to Korea, it would be going to Seoul area and elsewhere.
Hi Anna, that itinerary looks perfectly fine. I probably wouldn’t change your flight if you have to pay that much. You have included the most essential Busan sights in your itinerary which is good to see. I would focus on what to eat while in Busan, as food in Korea is some of the best in the world (IMHO).
Eating outside of Bupyeong Market 부평시장 is a good idea, something like Jokbal or Gopchang-jeongol (곱창전골) is the best.
Safe travels 🙂
Thank you, Mark. This helps a lot knowing that my itinerary is fine as is. But I am still debating if it’s worth it to pay the change fee for more time. Weighing the cost of the fee vs a day of shopping in Osaka. It just might equal out. Haha. If it will prevent me from shopping in Osaka and space out my itinerary in Busan (plus less usage of Taxi so no need to rush to save time), I just might drop the money for it.
I am now looking at food to eat since I’m done with the main itinerary. From what I’m reading/seeing, some meals might be too much for me as a solo diner. So far I’ve got Dwaeji Gukbap, Milmyeon, Eomuk, Ssiat Hotteok, and fried chicken as a must to eat and drink Makgeolli. After googling Gopchang-jeongol…I’m adding it to my list. Jokbal sounds and looks good but do they serve small servings for 1 cause all I’m seeing are big share plates. I’m going over your Korean Food page and Where to Eat in Busan during my lunch break here at work.
By the way, this trip is for the end of May (arrive on the 24th). Do you know of any events going on during this time? I’m trying to verify when the Sand Festival will happen at Haeundae Beach. Some sites list it during the weekend I’m there. The VisitKorea website currently has no date so not sure if other sites are correct. I’m a little disappointed that I’ll miss out on the Samgwangsa Temple Lantern Festival.
I would suggest joining the ‘Expats in Busan’ facebook group as there is loads of useful info about food, travel and a chance to ask other foreigners if they want to meet up for dinner if you want some company or just a chat. A lot of the food is to share as you may be aware so sometimes can be difficult to eat by yourself. I’m not entirely sure when that is but if you asked it on the facebook group I’m sure someone can.
Thank you for the suggestion! Will check the FB page out.
Hi Mark,
is it difficult to do daytrip on your own to Tongyeong from Busan? Am thinking should I book a day trip or do it f&e.
Am interested in Hallyeosudo ropeway/ skyline luge etc. Thanks in advance.
You could do a day trip however probably worth staying overnight if you REALLY want to see it. I would rather go to Yeosu or Suncheon for an overnight trip. See my posts of my trip there, well worth it.
Thanks for the suggestion. But I think I would probably have to give it a miss. Seems that not much time for this trip. Can you help me to take a look at my itinerary and see if I can reduce my travelling time?
Day 1: Reach Busan at 9.40am. Haeundae beach, market, Dalmaji-Gil, Dongbaek Park, Gwangili beach
Day 2: Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Gijang Crab Market, Oryukdo Skywalk, Igidae Coastal Walk, Seomyeon shopping
Day 3: Jinhae half day Cherry Blossom trip, Beomeosa Temple, PNU (Busan National University) stn. shopping
Day 4: Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi/Nampo area, Taejongdae, take train back to Seoul.
And approximately which timing should I be able to complete the last day itinerary as I am going to make a seat reservation back to Seoul. Thanks in advance.
For day 2 I would leave really early (arrive by 8-9am) as it takes a while to go out to gijang crab market (can go by train now) and back. For the last day I would book a train about 6pm-8pm, that should be enough time.
all the other places seem fine. Hope you enjoy your trip 🙂
Really thanks so much for your help.
Hi Mark
I have 2 days in Busan. Can I get some input if this is a doable itinerary. I will be staying somewhere near Haeundae Beach. I looked at google maps and the travel time from destination to destination all seem to be an hour long. Does that look right? Also, is there any place I miss that I should consider going?
Day 1:
Haeundae beach -> GAMCHEON CULTURAL VILLAGE (1hr 30 min) Gamcheon.) →
TAEJONGDAE PARK (1hr 30 min) →
JAGALCHI SEAFOOD MARKET (m15in) →
NAMPODONG NEIGHBORHOOD →
YONGDUSAN PARK
Day 2:
Haeundae Beach -> Haedong Youggung Temple then Lotte Mall Busan temple, Shinsegae Centum City (30 minutes), ENJOY THE NIGHTVIEW OF GWANGALLI SEA
Should I also go to IGIDAE COASTAL WALK or BFF Square?
Hi Eric,
I would probably do Taejongdae first (try to arrive by 9am), get lunch in Nampodong/Jagalchi, look around Gukje Market and Busan Tower (not much there besides the tower) then do Gamcheon in the afternoon that way you miss the heat during the day and breaks up your trips into shorter distances.
1 hour – Haeundae to Taejongdae
40 mins – Taejongdae to Nampodong
23 mins – Nampodong to Gamcheon
Have you thought about Songdo Beach Cable Car as it is very close to Nampodong and provides a fantastic view (I prefer it to Gamcheon to be honest).
BFF isn’t all that great in my opinion. Igidae is a nice walk/stroll however a walk around Dongbaek Island (right next to Haeundae Beach – behind the Westin Chosun Hotel) is arguably a better choice.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.
Hi Mark, Thanks for your comprehensive blogs and photos. It really helps to get a good idea of whether an attraction is worth a visit. My family of 5 (adults) is travelling to Korea from Australia in December for 11 nights and are currently booked in Seoul for 5 nights, then Gyeongju for 2 nights. After this I had thought of 2 nights in Busan and the 2 nights on JeJu before flying out.
Now I am wondering about whether it is best to do 4 nights in Busan and do Gyeongju as a day trip from Busan. I know the days will be much shorter in December but still hoping to do lots of walking and sightseeing despite the cold.
One of the main things we want to do in Busan is visit the United Nations Memorial Cemetery which I haven’t looked into too closely yet.
Appreciate your advice as to whether to stay 4 days in Busan.
Hi Jenny, always good to hear from a fellow Aussie. 11 nights is a good amount of time to spend in Korea and I would probably divide the time up with 5 nights in Seoul, 4 nights in Busan (with a day trip to Gyeongju) and 2 nights in Jeju. You can see all the main sights in Gyeongju within a day so I would advise not staying there for 2 nights (unless you want to see everything in great detail). The United Nations Memorial Cemetery 유엔기념공원 is located just south of Gwangalli Beach and very close to where I used to work, it’s easily accessible by public transport (just south of Daeyeon Station 대연역).
If you are going to hire a car, Jeju would be great for 2 nights/3 days as there is a lot to explore. Maybe check out what I did in Jeju there and see if that interests you. In my opinion Jeju has a lot more to do than Gyeongju.
Gyeongju is only 55 minutes from Busan (Nopo Bus Terminal near Nopo Station) and all the sights in Gyeongju can be reached by public transport. You can find a detailed Gyeongju Itinerary which includes bus routes, food and restaurant recommendations here.
I would probably stay in Gwangalli Beach or Seomyeon as they are both well located and provide something different. Here are some recommendations on Hotels if you haven’t already booked.
If you have any other questions please let me know.