Busan, Busan, Busan. The best-known city near the beach in South Korea. For some of us also known as the hometown of Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook. The weather in October is still warm, yet there are fewer tourists. So basically, a great time to visit. Plus, as one of Korea’s main destinations, it is a very well-connected city. No reason not to go, right?
We went to Busan with some friends for a weekend. We booked our train tickets through letskorail.com. From Seoul, the KTX or fast train takes about 3 hours and costs about 55.000 KRW. Bus tickets cost about 26.000 KRW and the ride takes about 4 hours.
To be completely honest with you, we did not really have a clear plan of what to visit and where to go, so we most likely missed out on some spots. I’ll try to capture the essence of our trip so that you will be at least one step further than I was.
After settling in our hotel, we took a bus to go and see Haeundae Beach. It’s the most popular one, with the Blueline Park – those little sky capsule train thingies that you might have seen on your feed – and the three high-rising buildings. The sea is so gorgeous. It’s actually blue!? (Something the Belgian sea is not *sob sob*). The Haeundae area has plenty to do and enjoy such as cute shops, delicious restaurants, the Busan Aquarium, and beautiful coastal walks.
The next attraction we did, was the Busan Air Cruise. It reminded me of a ski lift, but above the water. Take your time to stroll around different areas, cause there’s always something to see in Busan since it has a thriving art scene.
Something that definitely is on everyone’s bucket list is the colorful village of Gamcheon. The Gamcheon Culture Village is Busan’s most colorful and artistic neighborhood and one of the most Instagrammable spots in Korea. Built into the mountainside, the winding and twisting alleyways are fun to explore and get lost in. Here, you will also find a mural of the two Busan boys I mentioned earlier and the most artistic souvenirs. No trip to Busan is complete without popping in to visit this lovely part of the city.
Another beach is Gwangalli Beach, with its signature bridge above the water. Every Saturday there’s a different drone show at the beach that you can attend for free. Show times are 8 PM and 10 PM for April-September, 7 PM and 9 PM during October-December. I was there the weekend of Hangeul Day (celebrating the Korean alphabet) and a week before the BTS Yet To Come concert, so the drone show was about the alphabet, and multiple city highlights were lighting up in purple at night.
We also visited Busan Tower, which we could see from our hotel room. It’s nothing overwhelming, but rather cute, and apparently also very unknown lol. I guess it’s a less popular spot, but still nice to visit! You’ll have a great view of the city.
Haedong Yonggungsa, the Water Temple, must be Busan’s most popular attraction, and understandably justified. This stunning and expansive temple lies right on the coast and overlooks the sea. It can get very crowded though, so I recommend arriving there as soon as possible in the morning.
Other recommended places (that I did not get to see for myself):
- Learn how to surf and hit some waves in South Korea! Visit Songjeong Beach and take your pick at any one of the surf schools along the beach. You can pay to rent all the gear for a fairly reasonable price – usually about 30,000 KRW and if you’d like a lesson, you can pay extra.
- Of course, being located on the sea, Busan is home to the freshest and most traditional Korean seafood. Stop by the famous Jalgalchi Fish Market to see the vendors selling their catch of the day. You can enjoy the fresh seafood yourself at any one of the restaurant stalls at the market.
- Another pretty coastal walk to enjoy, Igidae is a great way to escape the city. On one end of the trail, visitors can relax and check out the epic city views before heading away from the city to the Oryukdo Skywalk. The entire walk is about 4 km and takes about 2 hours.
- Pamper yourself, after a walk, to a modern bathhouse at Busan’s Spa Land.
What are your recommendations? I would love to hear more about your experiences, so please share your thoughts and wisdom! Is anyone planning their next trip yet?
See you later besties!
Lara
itsyourfriendlara.com 
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