Busan is a beautiful seaside city in South Korea and the second largest city in the country (after Seoul), with over 3.5 million people. It has such a lovely combination of bustling city streets, scenic coastal cliffs and beaches. I visited Busan for a 3 day weekend in May and it was my first time back to the mainland since jetting off to Jeju Island.
In my experience, you could see many of the major sites in Busan in a jam packed day or a more leisurely weekend. In this blog post I crafted an itinerary for you based on my experiences in Busan. This itinerary breaks down all of my favorite things to do in Busan and walks you through them geographically so you can make the most out of your time to this sea-side city.
Where to stay
I would highly recommend staying in Seomyeon, because it felt like all roads led there. This is one of the main areas for nightlife, restaurants and shopping and seemed to be the center of the city as far as the metro system was set up. Even if you aren’t interested in nightlife, Seomyeon is such a convenient place to stay and would give you a central hub to base yourself.
Gamcheon Culture Village
Start your morning off with historic pastel colored houses on a hillside. Gamcheon Culture Village is also known as the “Santorini of the East” and you can absolutely appreciate that comparison from the pictures. I would absolutely do this at the beginning of the day because it gets increasingly crowded as the day goes on.
Before you venture into the village itself, make a quick pit stop to Avant Garde cafe which is right outside the main entrance. Step out onto the terrace and take in the panoramic views of the entire village, with only a handful of other travelers. With this exclusive view, you can snap incredible photos without having to wait your turn. One of my friends stumbled upon this cafe and it was such a gem and the perfect place to start the morning.
Once you’ve gotten your caffeine and Instagram fix, head down to the streets of the village where all the action is happening. If you really want to embrace the past, you can rent some hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) for the experience.
Traipse down the main drag which is full of souvenir shops, art galleries, photo opportunities and sweet treats. Many of the streets and houses are painted creating endless Instagrammable places in the village (if you are into that sort of thing). Some of my favorites are the Harry Potter stairs and The Little Prince statue. I in the early afternoon and at that point you had to stand in line for the photos because it was so crowded, another reason to wake up early and have the place to yourself.
There are also plenty of sweet treats to indulge in including giant animal shaped cotton candy, macaroon ice cream sandwiches, and more.
Don’t just stay on the main drag though. You aren’t really experiencing the cultural village unless you go off the beaten path and get lost in some of the alleyways. I would recommend taking the Harry Potter stairs upwards and just wandering from there. You get a much more authentic feel of the city doing this and will break off from the crowds.
Jagalchi Fish Market
Next, take the metro a few stops over to Jagalchi Fish Market for some lunch. This is a truly unique tank to table experience. At this old school market, you get to hand pick whichever marine life you want to eat and have it cooked up right before your eyes.
Wander down the market stalls and marvel at the size and smells of the crabs, octopus, squid, eel, and every other kind of fish you can imagine. Once you’ve found what strikes your fancy, purchase your fish and then head upstairs to the 2nd floor seating area where they will fry it up and serve you. There is service charge of ₩4000 per person (on top of the price of the fish) which, IMO is totally worth it for the authentic experience.
Gwangalli Beach
After lunch it is time for some fun in the sun at Gwangalli beach. This is a beautiful slice of sand right on the edge of the city with a perfect view of the iconic Gwangandaegyo Bridge. This beach is more of a “locals” beach and is not as busy as Haeundae Beach, which makes for a more fun and relaxing experience.
Post up under one of the many free beach umbrellas lining the water and enjoy the view and the people watching or take a walk along the white, powdery sand. If you are feeling more restless or adventurous there are plenty of water sports/ activities ongoing at this part of the beach. While I was there I witnessed people partaking in stand up paddle boarding, surfing lessons, jet skiing and water skiing. Just behind the beach there is a main drag lined with bars and restaurants with awesome patios and ocean front views.
Depending on your time frame, you could stay at the beach and watch the sunset, it is supposed to be a magnificent sunset over the water. The Gwangandaegyo Bridge is also very impressive when it is all lit up at night.
Jeonpo Cafe Street
Whenever you are ready for an evening pick me up, hop on the metro back towards the Seomeyon area to explore cafe street. This area is composed of two main streets, taking up several city blocks, lined with the most aesthetically pleasing cafe’s I’ve ever seen. Koreans really know what they are doing in the interior decorating department.
You can do a lap and then pick your favorite cafe, or if you are feeling indecisive then why not hop from one cafe to the next picking up a new treat at each location.
Here are some ideas for a DIY cafe crawl. Grab a coffee drink and some pictures at Lovesome, the entirely pink cafe. at the pink cafe. Indulge in some waffles on the rooftop of Cafe Cozy Container, then grab a beer and sit on the balcony of FM Coffee Street. This overlooks one of the main drags of the bustling cafe street making for some primo people watching opportunities.
Seomyeon Dinner and Nightlife
Once you’ve had your fix of the Korean cafe scene, walk a few blocks over to the lit up streets of Seomyeon for some dinner and late night fun. One of the most popular options in Seomyeon is fried chicken and you really can’t go wrong with any restaurant offering that Korean delicacy. Sit down for a delicious meal of fried chicken and spice it up with a little So-mek (soju + beer) to drink.
When you are fed for the night, you can choose your nightlife adventure in Seomeyon based on whatever you are in the mood for. The options are quite literally endless.
You can find an arcade and play some midnight DDR or virtual reality games, test your mind in an escape room, dance the night away in a club or sing your heart out in a Noraebang. If you are looking to own the night, why not do them all? Many places in Busan are open until the wee hours and it is very common for people to stay out until the sun comes up.
*One of the most popular places not included in this itinerary is the seaside temple, Haedong Yonggung. I did not personally visit this during my time in Busan, but it is considered one of the main tourist attractions in the city. Check out this well written blog post for a more detailed guide on the temple and to see if it is something you want to do.
And there you have it, a perfect day in Busan. Try this itinerary out and send me your comments and reflections on how it went!
Have you ever been to Busan? Is there anything I missed in the itinerary that you would recommend? Comment below and share your thoughts.
