Busan
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Busan, South Korea’s second largest city, is located on the south eastern part of the Korean peninsula. Many people flock here during warmer months to enjoy the city’s beaches and natural seaside beauty, as well as the laidback vibe offered. As a coastal city, it is also known for its fresh seafood, like fish cakes and crab.
Travel tip #1: Spending a few days in Busan is best as some of the more popular destinations are quite spread out.
Places of Interest
Gukje Market: “Gukje” means international in the Korean language, which was given to the market because it started as a diverse trading space many years ago. It’s Busan’s largest market, conveniently nearby Jagalchi Station and BIFF Square.
Amidong Monument Culture Village: If you choose to walk to Gamcheon Culture Village, along the way you may pass this space filled with various statues, murals, and sculptures. Although not a popular spot for tourists, it’s cool to see the different pieces that reflect aspects of Korean culture.
Gamcheon Culture Village: This used to be a poor neighborhood in Busan, but the government gradually turned it into an artsy tourist destination. The homes and buildings are painted in vibrant colors with murals and paintings along the alleys and walls. Click here to read my blog [“Tips for Visiting Busan’s Gamcheon Culture Village”] for access information, famous photo spots, and more!
Shinsegae Centum City: The Shinsegae Centum City Department Store is registered in the Guinness World Records as the largest shopping complex in the world! There are tons of stores, a spa, and entertainment spots in the shopping center to enjoy.
Spa Land: Korean spas, or “jjimjilbang”, are wonderful places to bathe and relax. Located in Shinsegae on the first floor, Spa Land includes baths, saunas, massage places, and restaurants. There are gender-separated bathing facilities in addition to shared, clothing-mandatory spaces that can be enjoyed with friends. On weekends, a four-hour stay is only 18,000KRW (~$16 USD), but additional services are not included in this price.
Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Square: Known as BIFF Square, the 428 meter-long street stretches from Buyeong Theater to the Chungmu-dong overpass. This area was made into a tourist attraction after the first Busan International Film Festival and has a multitude of stores, shops, and restaurants which attract floods of tourists from around the world.
Haeundae Beach: Haeundae Beach is often considered one of South Korea’s most famous and beautiful beaches. Both South Koreans and international tourists travel to Haeundae Beach from late spring through summer to enjoy the sand, sea, and relaxing atmosphere.
Travel tip #2: Taejongdae Park has magnificent cliffs that face the ocean. Although I didn’t go here, it’s a popular place for tourists due to its natural beauty.
Food
BIFF Square: Not only a great place for shopping, BIFF Square has lots of food vendors and street food to sample while in Busan. You can either buy food and walk around or hover around the carts as you eat.
Gwangbokdong Food Street: Located in Gwangbokdong, this street is one of the most popular places in Busan. The area between Gukje Market and Nampo-dong has more than 20 restaurants and features a variety of inexpensive street foods.
Ssiat Hotteok: Seed stuffed pancakes—a Busan speciality. Similar to other pancakes like these, a regular cake is cut from the side about half-way down and filled with a cinnamon-sugar syrup mixture. Then, it’s generously stuffed with a spoonful of pine nuts, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds. Definitely a must-try street food while in Busan!
Fish cakes: Fish cakes, “emouk” in Korean, can be found throughout the country. They’re known as a street snack and are also added to a variety of dishes. Fish cakes are commonly served on long skewers and cooked in warm broth with cheese being a popular filling, as well as different vegetables. Hwan Gong Fish Bakery in Busan Station is a great place to sample fish cakes, as you select the ones you like and place them on a tray.
Choco Pie House: Choco Pie House is launched in December 2018. Their speciality pies are made with exceptional ingredients. Until recently, you could only get them at the Hyundai Department store in Pangyo. Now, they’re available at various department stores and malls in Korea, as well as in Busan Station.
Miro Miro: A cute little coffee window near the entrance of Gamcheon Culture Village serving up tasty drinks. I really enjoyed their iced latte due to the rich coffee flavor and creamy cheese-foam topping.
Prince’s Milk: Another little cafe in Gamcheon Culture Village that serves small tea and coffee beverages in super cute glass bottles. They have a green tea + milk, coffee + milk, plus a few more flavors. It’s located near the Little Prince Statue Observatory area.
Travel tip #3: Busan has historically relied on seafood, which is one of the reasons why Busan fish cake is known as the best in South Korea. They tend to be a little thicker and more fishy-tasting, too!
Transportation & Accommodation
Busan Station is the central hub for many people visiting the city. You can find plenty of food and restaurants in the station, as well as information booths for tourists. The KTX Train (Korea’s high-speed rail) connects Seoul Station and Busan Station. One-way between these two major cities costs approximately 60,000KRW (~$55 USD).
The subway and buses are the best forms of public transportation for getting around Busan. The subway/metro connects most major tourist areas and allows for easy travel throughout the city for a very low cost. You can purchase paper tickets from the machines outside the station gates and pay with cash. If you already have a T-money Card from Seoul, you can use it in Busan. However, if you are planning to be in Busan for several days and do not have a T-money card, you can get a Cashbee Card at a convenience store or metro ticket vending machines. For those only visiting Busan for a day, you can buy one-day metro tickets from the ticket vending machines inside metro stations for up to 20 rides on the same day for a single price.
Although I did not stay overnight in Busan, Seomyon and Haeundae are typically good areas to stay in. Seomyon is known for shopping while Haeundae has nice beaches. Depending on the season, accommodation may be more or less expensive.
Travel tip #4: If you choose to use a taxi, know that most taxi drivers do not speak English. It will be helpful if you show the driver the name of the destination in Korean. Generally, taxis are fairly inexpensive, with a 10 minute cab ride costing about 6,000KRW (~$5.50 USD).
Climate
Busan’s hot, humid summers make for good beach weather with May through August being the warmest time of the year. However, the monsoonal climate causes summer to also be the rainiest season. From June to August, more than 27.5 inches of rain falls. July is the worst month to visit due to the high precipitation levels and lack of sunshine. Typhoons are possible September through October, but the rain decreases near mid-autumn. Winter is very cold and dry, but sees plenty of sunshine and rarely any snow. Like most parts of Asia, spring is mild and temperate.
