South Korea’s second city is a port city with beaches, extraordinary seafood, and a completely different energy from Seoul. Busan surprises people.
They arrive expecting a smaller Seoul and find something completely different: a hilly port city built across ridges and valleys running down to the sea, with beaches, a vast fish market, hillside villages painted in vivid colours, Buddhist temples on coastal rocks, and a food culture built entirely around what came out of the water that morning.
Two to three days are enough to cover Busan properly. It is also worth including as part of a broader trip to Korea; see the 2-week Korea itinerary for the full route.
Getting to Busan
- From Seoul by KTX: 2 hours 15 to 40 minutes. Around 59,800 won the standard option. See the Seoul-to-Busan guide for full details on KTX vs. bus.
- From Seoul by express bus: 4-5 hours. Around 28,000 to 34,000 won. Cheaper but significantly slower.
- By plane: Around 1 hour from Seoul Gimpo to Busan Gimhae Airport. Comparable to KTX in total door-to-door time and usually more expensive.
Arrive at Busan Station (KTX) or Nopo Terminal (bus). Both are on the subway, and your T-money card works identically in Seoul from the moment you tap in.
Getting Around Busan
Busan’s subway has 4 main lines that cover all major areas. The same T-money card you used in Seoul works everywhere. See the T-money card guide if you need to set one up. Taxis are plentiful and affordable for areas the subway does not reach directly.
What to Do in Busan
Jagalchi Fish Market
Korea’s largest seafood market sits on the waterfront in downtown Busan and has been running since the Korean War. The first floor is live seafood tanks of crab, eel, octopus, and sea squirt. The second floor is restaurants where vendors prepare what you bought below. The outdoor stalls on the harbour side sell fresh oysters, raw sea urchin, and grilled shellfish from 7 am onwards one of the best food experiences in Korea.
Gamcheon Culture Village
A hillside neighbourhood of brightly painted houses spilling down a ridge south of central Busan, nicknamed the Machu Picchu of Busan and the Santorini of the South Sea. What started as a religious community of refugees has become one of Korea’s most photographed spots, with steep alleys, murals painted on every surface, small galleries, and cafes in converted homes. Go on a weekday morning to have it mostly to yourself.
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
A Buddhist temple built directly on coastal rocks above the East Sea, 30 minutes from central Busan by bus. Most Korean Buddhist temples are in mountain forests. This one faces the ocean, and the combination of the temple architecture, the crashing waves below, and the coastal cliff views is unlike anything else in Korea. Best visited at sunrise when it is quiet.
Haeundae Beach
Korea’s most famous beach is 1.5 kilometres of sand in a bay backed by the Haeundae district’s tower hotels. In July and August, it is extremely crowded (over a million visitors on peak weekends). In September and October, it is beautiful and quiet, and it is the best time to visit. The Gwangalli Beach area nearby is smaller, faces the illuminated Gwangan Bridge, and has a better evening atmosphere.
Beomeosa Temple
One of Korea’s most important Buddhist temples, set in a pine forest on the slopes of Geumjeongsan Mountain north of central Busan. Far less visited than Haedong Yonggungsa, Beomeosa is a serious working temple with a more contemplative atmosphere. The mountain trails above it are excellent for hiking. Around 40 minutes from central Busan by subway and bus.
Gukje Market and BIFF Square
Gukje Market is Busan’s main traditional market for clothing, street food, household goods, and fabric, spread across dozens of alleyways. BIFF Square next door (named for the Busan International Film Festival) is lined with snack stalls selling odeng (fish cake soup), hotteok (sweet pancakes), and ssiat hotteok (filled with seeds and brown sugar) one of the best cheap eating areas in Korea.
What to Eat in Busan
- Milmyeon: Busan’s own cold noodle dish, flat wheat noodles in an icy broth a local institution, especially in summer.
- Dwaeji Gukbap: Pork and rice soup, served with kimchi and rice on the side. Busan’s definitive comfort food is available at dedicated restaurants open early in the morning.
- Seafood: Fresh at Jagalchi or grilled at the outdoor harbour stalls. Oysters, sea urchin, abalone, and raw octopus are all excellent and significantly cheaper than in Seoul.
- Ssiat Hotteok: A Busan variation of the classic sweet pancake, filled with seeds and brown sugar rather than just sugar. Queue for it at BIFF Square.
Where to Stay in Busan
- Haeundae: Best for beach access and upscale accommodation. Higher prices, further from the historic city sights.
- Nampo-dong or Seomyeon: Best central location. Walking distance to Jagalchi Market, Gukje Market, and BIFF Square. Better value than Haeundae.
- Near Busan Station: Convenient for KTX arrivals and easy access to the subway.
