Busan is a large port city on the southeast of South Korea and the second most visited city the country. The city is full of amazing sites and attractions that I would argue are more interesting and beautiful to see for tourists than those in Seoul. So if you’re looking for some ideas to fill an exciting and relaxing itinerary, here are some of the best things to do in Busan.
Go to the beach
As someone who lives in Europe, where you have to lie on a bed of jagged rocks or pay €40 for a lounger, the beaches in Busan are enviable. If it hadn’t been for the fact that we visited in early November, I would have spent the entire trip wasting away on their soft sandy shores. Busan has many beaches along the coast, but the most popular ones to visit are Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli Beach, and Songdo Beach, in that order.
Haeundae Beach
Haeundae Beach is the most famous in the entire country, and home to several attractions like the Haeundae Sky Capsule, making it a convenient home base. The beach is 1.5 km long and when the sun goes down on the day’s beachgoers, buskers come out to perform along the beach. Near the beach, you’ll find a traditional market and a large boulevard full of restaurants and bars that comes alive at night.
Gwangalli Beach
Not too far west of Haeundae, you’ll find Gwangalli Beach, which is equally large with dozens of bars and restaurants facing the water. The Gwandgan Bridge stretches out over the horizon and lights up at night. It’s so bright that people still sit in the sand late into the evening to watch the bridge’s light show or the Saturday drone show. Gwangalli is quite youthful and trendy. You’re likely to see young people hanging out in hip hop clubs or dining at Millac The Market, an old fish market warehouse that’s now a huge foodie cultural center.
Songdo Beach
The third most popular beach in Busan is Songdo Beach, which also happens to be Korea’s first public beach. It also has a vast stretch of sandy beach which you can enjoy from above on the Songdo Cable Car. In the summer, the city holds various festivals and sports competitions there. The beach is close to Amnam Park, which is great for hiking along the cliffs like you’re in Jurassic Park… literally, there’s a small dinosaur themed park there.
Explore Haeundae Blue Line Park
Most people who visit Haeundae Blue Line Park go there to ride the Sky Capsule, and while they are super cute, the whole point of Blue Line Park is to enjoy the dramatic views of the coast, which are best enjoyed on foot. Nonetheless, there are two modes of transportation at Blue Line Park that can help you get from Mipo Station all the way down the coast: the Beach Train and the Sky Capsule. The Beach Train travels the farthest, from Mipo Station to Songjeong Station. The Sky Capsule takes you halfway to Cheongsapo Station. The route is exactly the same, the Sky Capsule track just hovers above the Beach train tracks.
The Haeundae Beach Train
One good thing about the Beach Train is that it stops along the way, so you can get off to see things like the Haewol Observation Deck, which has absolutely stunning views and should not be missed. You also don’t need to prebook tickets for the train. You can usually just get a ticket for the next available train. The bad thing about the Beach Train is that it’s constantly packed, especially in the stretch between Cheongsapo and Mipo, so you’ll be uncomfortable and you won’t be able to see anything. Another downside is that you have to pay every time you board, so if you make any stops along the way, you have to buy another ticket.
The Haeundae Sky Capsule
The Sky Capsule is an adorable way to see part of the coast, and you book an individual capsule for a maximum of 4 people, so the experience is a lot more pleasant and intimate. The downside is that you have prebook tickets in advance as they often sell out. You can do so here. If you try to go on the day of, you might not be able to get a ticket at all or not for many hours. Another way you might score a ticket is to try to get it from Cheongsapo instead of Mipo.
Additional tip: If you book tickets on your phone, I recommend using Chrome and not Safari. You won’t be able to access your QR ticket on Safari, and it was not emailed to me.
Busan Green Railway
The Busan Green Railway runs parallel to the Beach Train railway, so you can see it pass while you walk along the coast. It runs the entire 4.8 km stretch of the railway, so you don’t have to miss a thing and you can do it at your own leisure.
If you want to experience a little bit of everything, I recommend booking tickets to the Sky Capsule at least a few days in advance and taking that from Mipo to Cheongsapo. Then taking the Beach Train from Cheongsapo to Songjeong, which is the section least likely to be crowded. Then from Songjeong, you can walk all the way back to Mipo on the Busan Green Railway and stop at all the sites along the way.
Visit Haudong Younggungsa Temple
Haudong Younggungsa Temple is a little far from city center, so it’s best visited by taxi. But it’s one of the most beautiful temples I’ve ever seen, so you won’t regret the trek. The 14th century temple is set into the cliffs on the seaside and honors the Great Goddess Buddha. The temple grounds are fiarly large and worth exploring carefully to see all the intricate sculptures and temple sanctuaries. It feels like every nook has a more beautiful view than the last. You can exit through a small row of shops where you can get souvenirs and Korean street food.
And while you’re in the area, if you’re so inclined, you can spend the rest of the day at the theme park Lotte World Adventure Busan, which is just 5 minutes away from the temple by car.
Take the Songdo Cable Car and hike Amnam Park
Now officially called the Busan Air Cruise, the Songdo Cable Car takes you from Songdo Bay up to Songdo Sky Park. There are two cable car options, one with a solid floor and one with a glass floor, which is a little more expensive… and kind of terrifying if you’re not a fan of heights. If it gets crowded, you’ll have to share the 15-minute cable car ride with other groups.
Songdo Sky Park is in Amnam Park, a lush forest park where you can actually spend quite a bit of time hiking. Up at the park, there’s a small attraction with animatronic dinosaurs and other characters, which is great for kids and the young-at-heart. From there you can walk down to the Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge, which requires an additional ticket. You can also do some hiking around the park that can take you to several viewpoints like the Dudo Observatory, where you can see the sea crashing into the jagged rocks of on the shore. Some of the trails are in the dense forest, and some of the trails are along the coast.
After you’ve done your round-trip ride in the cable car, you can also walk around the Songdo Cloud Trails, a series of walkways on the waterfront which give you good views the beach, the lighthouse, and the cable cars gliding above you.
Go to Spa Land
One of the things at the top of my to-do list in Busan was to visit Spa Land, and I highly recommend you do the same. We spent 5 hours luxuriating in the traditional Korean jjimjilbang, enjoying everything from body scrubs, pedicures, and the variety of saunas and relaxation rooms. But my favorite part was the natural baths, which left my skin feeling soft and smooth. The only caveat is that the baths are all nude, so it might require a little bravery on your part. But they’re gendered so you don’t have to worry about creepy dudes ogling you. They have a café and a restaurant, so you don’t have to worry about going hungry.
To learn more about the Spa Land experience, check out my detailed guide.
Get lost in Gamcheon Culture Village
Gamcheon Culture Village is one of the must-see areas of Busan. The colorful hillside village is like something out of a children’s storybook. It’s much bigger than you would expect, so you can dedicate several hours to getting lost in its labyrinth of colorful homes, shops, and restaurants.
The area was restored by artists and art students in the last 15 years or so, turning the entire thing into a magical neighborhood covered in mosaics, graffiti, and sculptures. The Little Prince is notably featured in many works around the village. Though there are plenty of street foods, I would be remiss in not recommending Gamcheon Sagol Gomtang as a place to have lunch. This solid 5-star restaurant has friendly service and incredible soups and dumplings.
Wine and dine in Seomyeon
Seomyeon is one of the hippest areas of town, though it’s not as close to the beaches or tourist attractions. However, it does have plenty of great dining and nightlife. You can start your culinary exploration street at Jeonpo Café Street, which is several blocks of cute cafes and restaurants. Seomyeon is also notable for Pojangmacha Street, which are the rows of traditional tented pop-up restaurants that line the exterior of the Lotte Department Store. If you’ve ever watched K-dramas, you’ve seen the actors drink and eat at these casual tents.
The area is also home to excellent sushi and Korean barbecue. In our entire time in Korea, Soban was the first BBQ place where we were allowed to do our own grilling. Of course, a night out is not complete without a drink, and Seomyeon has plenty of watering holes like Bar_Buveur and Wood Side Bar where you can have a nice cocktail and enjoy the romantic atmosphere.
With so many unique things to do, Busan is truly a captivating destination for culture, nature, and fun.
