I needed to go to Busan for work reasons a few days ago. Although the main tourist spots in South Korea are still Seoul and Jeju, Busan has begun to open many new tourist attractions in recent years. For example, Blue Line Park, Lotte World Busan, Huinnyeoul Culture Village, etc. It has been a newly added attraction in the last three years. This time we have also designed a 5-day itinerary, which I believe will be helpful to you who plan to go to South Korea.
Busan’s harbor style attracts more people planning to travel to Busan. This Busan guide records the five-day trip to Busan and includes information on Busan accommodation, transportation, attractions, food, shopping, and other information.
What you need to travel to Busan:
First time traveling to Korea? Here is a complete travel guide!
VISIT BUSAN PASS
VISIT BUSAN PASS (24H/48H/Big3/Big5) Busan City Pass
This pass offers 24H / 48H time, Big 3 / Big 5 choices. Visit Busan’s famous tourist attractions for free and enjoy the benefits of transportation, shopping, and performances.
With one pass, anyone can freely use more than 40 paid tourist facilities in Busan, and get discounts at more than 160 restaurants, shopping, activities, accommodation, and other tourist facilities. Even more, the physical card provided through the rechargeable transportation card is designed with the beautiful characteristics of Busan. It has sufficient value as a souvenir as it holds the beauty of Busan.
Weather: The peak tourist season is the flowering period from March to April when the weather is comfortable, and cherry blossoms can be viewed in many spots. From September to November, the weather is mild, and tourists come to enjoy maple leaves and ginkgo trees.
More information in Google Mymap
Day 1
On the first day of arriving in Busan, going to the Nampo-dong area in the south is recommended. You can first get to know the local Korean culture here, and then slowly explore the city in depth.
Yongdusan Park
After entering the park, you will see the citizen clock and flower clock. The citizen clock was made with donations from Busan citizens, and a bell-ringing event is held every year to welcome the new year. The Flower Clock is the most attractive spot for tourists to take photos in Yongdusan Park.
Then walk a little further up and you will see a statue. This is the famous Korean general Yi Sun-sin. He used the Turtle ship he invented near Busan to fight against the Japanese army under Kanpaku-Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Going further up, you will see the landmark building of Busan: Busan Tower. If you want to see Busan’s famous attractions from high above, then go to Busan Tower. Of course, you must take a Busan Tower check-in photo before entering. Busan Tower was built even before Namsan Seoul Tower.
BIFF Square + Nampo-dong Shopping Street
Around the two subway stations of Jagalchi Station and Nampo Station, there are many Busan attractions for shopping, eating, drinking, and entertainment. The streets of BIFF Square retain the handprints of many celebrities and directors who participated in the Korean Film Festival and are surrounded by snack stalls, among which the most recommended snack is the brown sugar rice cake.
This area is very similar to Myeongdong in Seoul and is connected by roads and underground shopping streets, forming a lively tourist area. You can experience the weekend pastime of Busan locals here.
Yeongdo Bridge
Yeongdo Bridge is a bridge connecting Busan City and Yeongdo Bridge. The reason why it has become an important tourist attraction in Busan is because the bridge opens and closes on time for 15 minutes at two o’clock every afternoon, presenting an almost 80-degree angle bridge deck. The nine flying seagulls have become the signature scenery of Busan, attracting many tourists to visit when the time comes.
In addition, next to Yeongdo Bridge, the Sky Garden of Lotte Department Store Gwangbok AQUA MALL is quite large, and the scenery from the observation deck is very charming. If you don’t want to buy a ticket to go up to Busan Tower, I think this is also a good place to enjoy the night view of Busan.
Bupyeong Kkangtong Market
As a market with a wide variety of food, one side of the aisle is filled with various food trucks, and both sides are lined with shops. Round tables and square plastic chairs are neatly arranged along the long market alley. Snacks are plentiful, residents sit around eating and chatting, and laughter fills the entire market.
At 7 pm, you will see mini food trucks queuing up like a train to enter the market. Bupyeong Kkangtong Market turns into a night market in an instant. When the lights of the arcade light up the ceiling of the market like a chandelier, you can taste more colorful food. A variety of snacks, Korean and Western food are available until early in the morning, so you can enjoy your meal until late at night before returning to the hotel.
Day 2
Huinnyeoul Culture Village
Huinnyeoul Culture Village used to be an area where refugees had no place to live, so they gathered. Under the planning of the Busan government, this area has now become a concentration of many sea-view cafes and trinket shops. Going deeper along the road, on the left are the renovated specialty shops, including snacks, cafés, souvenir shops, etc. On the right are the beautiful sea views, as if you are in Santorini.
You can choose a Café with a sea view, order a cup of coffee, and enjoy the view leisurely. From time to time, you can also watch the kittens playing on the roadside and spend an afternoon relaxing. The end of the road connects to the Jeoryeong Coastal Trail once again and reunites with travelers who walked between the cliffs and the lands below.
Address: 1043 Yeongseon-dong 4(sa)-ga, Yeongdo-gu, Busan
Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge
Songdo Suspension Bridge, which had been destroyed by the typhoon before, was rebuilt as the Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge 18 years later. The bridge connects Amnam Park to the uninhabited “Dongseom Island” on the other side. It measures 127.1m long and 2m wide. You can visit the Yonggung Suspension Bridge by riding the Busan Air Cruise.
The Songdo Sea Cable Car cuts across the sky like a vision in the middle of the blue sea of Songdo. If you want to enjoy the beautiful scenery harmonized with the blue sea from the highest point, the Songdo Sea Cable Car is the right choice. Songdo Sea Cable Car, which even locals living in Busan choose without hesitation when they want to enjoy the trip, runs 1.62km across the sea from Songnim Park (Songdo Base Station) on the east side of Songdo Beach to Amnam Park (Songdo Sky Park) on the west side.
Special attention should be paid to the fact that food and water must be temporarily placed in the storage area. Although this trail is a tourist attraction that can be completed quickly, some people think this spot is boring. However, you can see the sea and Busan from a different perspective. The coastline is also good. And when the weather is good, you can see Tsushima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan across the way.
Day 3
Haeundae Blueline Park Sky Capsule
The Blue Line Park in Haeundae is 4.8 kilometers long. It uses old railways to connect the previously abandoned Mipo, Cheongsapo, and Songjeong stations and becomes a tourist attraction. The beach train was first operated in October 2020, and the Sky Capsule was operated in February 2021. It is currently one of the most popular attractions, with about 100,000 people riding it a month.
Due to the large number of passengers, it is impossible to buy tickets on-site. If you want to get the ideal time slot, it is recommended to buy your tickets two weeks in advance.
Sky Capsule is divided into two-seaters (KRW$35,000), three-seaters (KRW$45,000), and four-seaters (KRW$500,00). The above are one-way fares; and the “Beach Train” converted from a tram, the one-way fare is KWR The fare is one-way (KRW$7,000), round-trip (KRW$12,000). It is recommended to take the Sky Capsule on the way out and switch to the Beach Train when returning to Mipo from Songjeong. It is fun to experience different trains. The journey time is about 30 minutes. The train walks slowly along the track, and the coastline scenery along the way is breathtaking.
Blue Line Mipo station
Address: 13 Dalmaji-gil 62beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan
Opening hours: 9:30 – 19:00
Cheongsapo Slam Dunk Location
After taking the capsule and getting off at Cheongsapo Station, you will see the legendary “Busan version of Slam Dunk Location”. Everyone is waiting on the sidewalk for the Beach Train to pass, just to take a picture of the train meeting the ocean.
Haeundae Beach
After returning to Mipo, you can walk to Haeundae Beach. Many seagulls are gathering here. It is a romantic spot that cannot be missed when visiting Haeundae in Busan. If you want close contact with seagulls, buy shrimp-flavored biscuits at a convenience store. If you want to take pictures, remember to set the shutter speed as fast as possible to capture the moment the birds spread their wings.
Dongbaek Park
Walk along Haeundae Beach deep in thought while looking out at the open sea to reach the cozy Dongbaek Island located at the end. Formerly an island, the coastal trail is now connected to the land through years of sedimentation. The people of Busan, however, still refer to the place as Dongbaek Island.
Walk a bit longer past the first observatory deck to see a lone rock statue – The Mermaid Statue. The coastal trail connects to a white lighthouse and a wide observatory, where you can look out into the ocean to see the Nurimaru APEC House and Gwangandaegyo Bridge. Turn your gaze a bit to the left to see the Oryukdo Islets. This is a great spot to view the sea of Busan all at once.
The Nurimaru APEC House hosted the Busan APEC Summit in 2005. At the main meeting room, the circular formation of the chairs of Asian and Pacific leaders who attended the summit is on display alongside the meals and gifts provided during the event. The modern exterior perfectly harmonizes with the magnificent view of Haeundae, making the venue a unique international meeting place.
Address: 99 Dongbaek-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan
Day 4
Cafe Coralani
Cafe Coralani is located near Lotte World. It has a raw concrete design and has a total of four floors. The most popular terrace-style sofa seating area has a panoramic view of the blue sea. After opening at 10 a.m., you can go here to have a cup of coffee and breakfast and enjoy the sea view of Busan before setting off for Lotte World.
Address: 32 Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-gun, Busan
Opening hours: 10:00 – 22:00
@cafecoralani//Instagram
Lotte World Busan – the Magic Forest
The latest launch in 2022 “Busan Lotte World” is the largest theme park in Busan, 4 to 5 times larger than Seoul Lotte. It has six theme parks: Joyful Meadows, Royal Garden, Wonder Woods, Rainbow Springs, Tinker Falls, and Underland. There are also parent-child facilities, performances, and parades suitable for children. It can be said to be the Korean version of Disneyland. You can also rent Korean school uniforms at the castle and take photos of the beautiful scenery throughout the park.
Address: 42 Dongbusangwangwang-ro, Gijang-gun, Busan
Opening hours: 10:00 – 19:00 / 20:00 (Weekend)
Lotte Outlet Busan
For tourists who love shopping, in addition to visiting Nampo-dong, there is also Lotte Outlet Busan. It is also a shopping hotspot not to be missed. The overall building of the mall is designed in the style of Santorini. It also has landmarks such as the lighthouse observatory on the top floor, the sky garden, and the Santorini Fountain Square. You can enjoy the scenery while shopping. There is also a carousel and a mini pirate ship in the square (additional fees apply), or you can ride on a retro-style electric train and shuttle between outlet malls, which is very pleasant.
Address: 147 Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-gun, Busan
Day 5
Gamcheon Culture Village
While the village’s beautiful landscape gave it the nickname of the Machu Picchu of Korea, the town was a part of the painful history of Busan. Refugees settled in Gamcheon Village during the Korean War and cultivated the mountainous region to make a living. In 2009, students, artists, and residents decorated the village as a part of the Village Art Project, and the town has grown into a leading tourist attraction in Busan since then.
I think this is the Korean version of Cinque Terre in Italy. Artworks and mural paintings turn the backward alley of Gamcheon into an animated village, attracting people’s attention along with various souvenir shops and workshops where you can stop by to attend the experience programs and create your souvenir.
The photo zone where the little prince and the desert fox look over the village is the highlight of the alley trip. Despite the long queue, wearing a beautiful hanbok to take a great picture is worth it. If you want to take a picture against the village backdrop, try the photo zone by the lighthouse.
In fact, Gamcheon Culture Village is located near the attractions on the first day. It was only placed on the last day because the first day’s itinerary was too busy. If you still have time, you can also go to the Nampo-dong Area again.
Address: 203 Gamnae 2-ro, Saha-gu, Busan
Gyeongju near Busan is also suitable for a one-day tour to visit the ruins of the ancient Silla Kingdom in Korea. I will also make a travel guide for Gyeongju when in the future, so stay tuned.
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