Best Things to See and Do in Busan
A captivating mix where metropolitan city and towering skyscrapers meet cultural villages and historic temples, Busan is truly a city that has it all.
Shop its bustling street markets (not forgetting a pit stop at Jagalchi, which is South Korea’s largest seafood market), wander around the many amazing museums and art galleries and take in the skyline from various points of the city before heading on a cultural journey to explore the Gamcheon Cultural Village and legendary coastal temple, Haedong Yonggungsa.
If you’re looking to add some colour to your South Korea holiday itinerary beyond Seoul - I highly recommend taking a few days to discover what Busan has to offer - it’s an underrated gem that’s not to be missed!
Travelling to South Korea
Before you book your South Korea holiday, make sure to familiarise yourself with the South Korea Travel Requirements.
Note: From 25 July 2022, you will need to take an on-arrival PCR test within one day of your arrival in South Korea. You can book that test and take it right at Gimhae International Airport here.
How to go to Busan
There are two main ways to travel to Busan:
- If you are travelling straight to Busan from Singapore, you can book a direct flight from Singapore to Busan’s Gimhae International Airport via Jeju Air.
- If you are travelling to Busan from Seoul, you can take a 3 hour ride on the KTX high-speed rail from Seoul Station to Busan Station.
- For fuss-free travels from city to city, you can get a Korea Rail Pass, an economical train ticket only available for tourists.
The Korea Rail Pass allows you to:
- Get unlimited rides via high-speed rail transit and travel to over 600 stations and 80 different routes
- Choose from different types of Korail Pass to suit your travel needs: Consecutive 3/5 days or Flexible 2/4 days
- Redeem your voucher at any metro station in South Korea, then enjoy unlimited train ticket reservations and up to 2 seat reservations per day
If you are opting to drive from Seoul to Busan or looking to drive within Busan, you can also get fuss-free car rental on Klook with free cancellations. You can also toggle the option to pick up and drop the car off your vehicle at different places for your convenience.
Prefer private car charter for your travels around Busan? We’ve got you covered too! For those travelling in a bigger group or with kids in tow, enjoy the convenience of your own private car as well as a guide, who will share with you more on the various attractions of your choosing.
Mix and match the itinerary to suit your needs and wants, sit back and enjoy your ride!
South Korea Travel Essentials
South Korea SIM Card
For my trip to Busan, I used an e-SIM which allows you the convenience of staying connected on your travels without having to purchase a physical sim card. All you need to do is to activate it via a QR code sent to your mobile phone!
Travel Insurance
While travel insurance is no longer compulsory, it is still recommended that you get it for peace of mind. You can get your travel insurance on Klook, which includes Covid-19 coverage.
Now that you are all prepped for your trip, here’s what to add to your itinerary!
1. Explore Gorgeous Beaches like Haeundae Beach, Songjeong Beach and Gwangalli Beach
As one of South Korea’s hottest coastal cities, Busan is where you’ll find golden sandy beaches perfect for a balmy day out all year round. Haeundae Beach is a top favourite for swimming while Gwangalli Beach is a great place to chill out especially in the evening as it has great night-time views of the surrounds.
Catch the sunset followed by a dazzling light show from the Gwangandaegyo or Diamond Bridge that’s just across the beach!
⏱️ Diamond Bridge Light Show:
November to April: Weekdays, sunset to 12am / Weekends, sunset to 2am
May to June & September to October: Weekdays, sunset to 1am / Weekends, sunset to 2am
July to August: Daily, sunset to 2am
Love sightseeing at night? Enjoy a three-hour Busan Night Tour to Busan's popular viewing spots to see the city's brilliant lights and illuminated landmarks including Songdo Cable Car, The Bay 101, Gwangalli Beach, and Yeongdo Seaside Park! Trust us, it’s a whole new world when the sun sets!
If you are looking for a pinch of adrenaline - why not try surfing? Songjeong Beach is exceptionally popular among the locals for surfing. Surf Holic is a surfing school for beginners and advanced surfers alike. Grab your board and catch some waves before winding down with a hot beverage and tasty pastry at their cafe after!
📍711-5, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
⏱️ Daily, 7 am to 11pm
🏄 1 day lesson price: 65,000KRW (~S$69)
2. Haeundae Blue Line Park Train and Capsule
Besides frolicking in the sea and enjoying the sun, the Haeundae Beach area also boasts two very unique attractions that opened fairly recently in late 2020, which are the Haeundae Beach Train and Haeundae Sky Capsule.
These are fun and unique ways to explore the coastline without walking. We got to go on a ride on the beach train from Songjeong to Mipo Station and were treated to plenty of pretty coastal sights along the way.
For those who want a bird’s eye view, get tickets to the Haeundae Sky Capsule, which are just the most adorable colourful little mini train-like cabins that allow you to take in the coastal scenery from 10m up high!
3. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
The legendary Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is definitely a Busan must-visit! This temple is a rare find - temples in Korea are usually found up in the mountains, but the Haedong Yonggungsa is located by the coast instead. In fact, it is the only seaside Buddhist temple in South Korea and truly one of the most picturesque as well, with its colourful grand facade against the rugged, rocky coastline and sparkling sea.
Another special thing about this temple? It’s said that if you offer sincere, heartfelt prayers, at least one of your wishes will be fulfilled ✨
While we weren’t able to visit that early in the morning, we heard that this place is an amazing spot to catch the sunrise! And if you can’t, we still recommend coming as early as possible as it can get quite crowded in the afternoon.
📍86 Yonggung-gil, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea
4. Gamcheon Cultural Village
Another one of Busan’s iconic sights is the Gamcheon Cultural Village, one of Busan’s most Instagrammable places that’s filled with both historic and artistic significance. This village comprises colourful houses stacked in rows that are built up against the mountain, earning its nickname, “Machu Picchu of Busan”.
After taking your quintessential #ootd, don’t forget to take some time to explore the village itself. Spend your day snacking on delicious street food, snapping pictures and browsing the many local shops for cute trinkets and more! There are so many beautiful murals painted by the residents themselves. BTS fans, you may want to check out this mural of your idols!
Another famous photo spot is with the Little Prince statue (be prepared to queue for this one!).
📍200 Gamnae 1(il)-ro, Saha-gu, Busan, South Korea
5. Jagalchi Market
Welcome to another of Busan’s pride and joys - Jagalchi Market, which is also the biggest seafood market in South Korea! Here you will find plenty of vendors displaying their freshest catch - from fish to prawns, crabs as well as octopus too!
If you want to have a seafood feast, you can actually choose your seafood and bring it up to the second floor, where you can pay a table charge and get the chefs to cook it up. Alternatively, you can also take your pick from the many seafood restaurants around the market’s vicinity.
📍52 Jagalchihaean-ro, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
⏱️ Daily, 10.30am to 8pm
Besides Jagalchi Market itself, you will also find various street markets around the area that’s bustling with street food vendors hawking everything from hotteok (Korean sweet pancakes filled with nuts) to fried chicken and roasted squid! Simply walk over to places like Gukje Market and BIFF Square.
6. Visit Museum Dah (Museum 1)
Art lover or not, Museum 1 is a must-do on your Busan itinerary! This media art gallery is not your usual museum, but has a fascinating mix of interactive installations, thought-provoking art pieces and photo-worthy exhibits all housed under one roof.
Spend your afternoon wandering around the building and exploring various galleries that invite you to take a closer look into the artist’s POV, chill out at one of the many lounges filled with bean bags or just sit back in a corner and enjoy the dynamic and vibrant media art displays in its full glory. This place is an Instagram heaven for sure so get ready to snap away!
📍20 Centumseo-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
⏱️Daily, 10am to 7pm (Closes at 8pm on weekends)
7. Cabinet de Poisson
Situated in the swanky Ananti Cove, a luxury seaside resort in Busan, Cabinet de Poisson is a hidden gem that even the locals don’t know about! Enjoy afternoon tea at the sprawling cafe with a gorgeous sea view before stepping into the media gallery that brims with digital media and light installations, perfect for more #ootds (think Japan’s teamLab vibes).
The cafe and media art gallery is open to the public so don’t worry if you are not staying at Ananti. There’s also the ocean-front bookstore and cafes to wander around and explore too!
Looking to treat yourself while on holiday? Ananti Hilton Busan is one of the best of the best. Enjoy signature 5-star luxury at this seafront hotel, which has amenities including the largest infinity pool by the ocean in South Korea, Water House (seafront hot spring) and Da Moim, the largest hotel buffet restaurant in South Korea.
8. Savour the city sights from various perspectives
One of my favourite parts about my trip to Busan is getting to experience the city sights and sounds in so many fun ways. If you love sweeping panoramic views from up high, you are in for a treat! Here are some places for fantastic city views:
Busan Air Cruise Cable Car
Hop onto the cable car for an air cruise across Songdo Beach and the surroundings.
For an extra special experience, we recommend opting for a crystal cabin, which features a cable car with a glass-bottom floor (you’ll get to see the sea beneath your feet!).
#KlooktTip: Visit the Songdo Sky Park (3rd floor of the Songdo Cable Car Base Station) before you hop on your cable car ride. There are tons of cute photo ops including many adorable The Little Prince statues you can pose with!
📍171 Songdohaebyeon-ro, Amnam-dong, Seo-gu, Busan, South Korea
⏱️ Daily, 9am to 9pm
Instead of doing a round trip, we opted to hop off the cable car at Amnam Park and took a short stroll to the newly-opened Songdo Yonggung Cloud Bridge for more sensational sea views.
Busan X the Sky
At 410m high and going up to 100 levels, Busan X the Sky just so happens to be the second tallest tower in all of South Korea so you know you’re definitely going to get amazing panoramic views here. There’s also a restaurant, coffee kiosk and a Starbucks where you can grab exclusive merch.
#KlookFact: The toilet cubicles in Busan X the Sky have glass walls so you get to enjoy a view from in there too!
📍 LCT Landmark Tower 1-2F, 98-100F, 30, Dalmaji-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan
⏱️ Daily, 10am to 9pm
Busan Diamond Tower
While it is not as tall as Busan X the Sky, the Busan Diamond Tower is still a great observatory worth visiting. We went there at night for a different experience, and were not disappointed! You’ll get to see the city in a whole new perspective - almost glowing in twinkling lights.
Besides the viewing gallery, there are also fun and interactive displays such as a photobooth as well as a multi-media installation which is great for photos!
📍37-30 Yongdusan-gil, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
⏱️ Daily, 10am to 10pm
Haeundae River Cruise
Here’s another way to explore Busan - via a river cruise! All aboard the Haeundae River Cruise, which takes you across the waters of the iconic Suyeong River to see Haeundae and its surrounds from a different vantage point.
Spot Gwangandaegyo or Diamond Bridge (did you know that the popular Marvel film The Black Panther car chase scene was filmed on this very bridge?) and Bay 101 and enjoy the breeze as you go along.
#KlookTip: Don’t stay downstairs - climb up to the rooftop deck for the best view sans windows!
📍33-1, Dalmaji-gil 62beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan
⏱️ Monday to Thursday, 1pm to 9pm
Friday to Sunday, 10am to 9pm
9. Enjoy Retail Therapy at Lotte Mart and Busan Premium Outlet
Image Credit: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SHP/SH_EN_7_2.jsp?cid=2593878
Every Singaporean loves some retail therapy. So where to go for a shopping spree you ask? Make a beeline for the Busan Premium Outlet Mall, a paradisiacal maze of shops where you can find all your favourite brands at a discount such as high end luxury brands like Coach and Michael Kors to street and sportswear including Nike, Adidas and New Balance.
📍147 Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea
⏱️Daily, 10.30am to 9pm
Snacks-wise, we recommend heading to the adjacent Lotte Mart where you can find all your beloved goodies such as various Samyang Hot Noodle flavours, packets of Korean seaweed, honey butter chips and other tasty treats.
#KlookTip: If you like mochi, there’s also chocolate chip cookies with mochi filling that we picked up to try - and it was super good!
📍147 Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea
⏱️Daily, 10.30am to 10pm
10. Enjoy local cuisine
They say that the best way to enjoy a country is to indulge in local cuisine, and we could not agree more! Besides stuffing yourself with the usual Korean favourites like bibimbap and tteokbokki, do save some stomach space for Busan specialties like Busan pork soup, which features slices of boiled pork served beside a bowl of nourishing pork soup and rice.
Another must-try in Busan is having a meal at F1963 Boksoondoga, where you can sample award-winning and locally-brewed makgeolli (Korean rice wine) creatively paired with korean-western fusion dishes like Korean kimchi mozzarella pajeon (pancake) and hummus with squid ink noodles and feta cheese.
📍20, Gurak-ro 123beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan 48212 South Korea
⏱️Weekdays: 11.30am to 3pm, 5pm to 8.30pm
Weekends: 11.30am to 3.30pm, 5pm to 8.30pm
11. Busan cooking class
Wanna get a more in-depth experience on Busan cuisine? There’s no better way than with a cooking class! We got to cook up a storm with Chef Hee Young from Busan Cooking Class, and had a fun and educational experience learning more about the different ingredients used in Korean cooking and the characteristics of Busan cuisine.
Chef Hee Young guided us to prep and cook two delicious traditional Busan dishes, Dongnae-style pajeon (Korean seafood pancake) and nakji-bokkeum (Korean stir-fried octopus). It was definitely a great way to experience local cuisine and I highly recommend it!
📍2F, 15, Gudeok-ro 186beon-gil, Seo-gu, Busan, South Korea 49224
12. Lotte World Adventure Busan
For a fun afternoon out, head to Lotte World Adventure Busan, which just opened in April 2022!
Expect six themed zones with rides for all ages. While there are dedicated kid zones, there’s also a few thrilling rides perfect for the adrenaline junkie such as the Giant Dagger which is a roller coaster with multiple loops and turns (my personal favourite) and the Giant Swing (sort of like the pirate ship ride on steroids).
There’s of course the theme park quintessential parade at 2pm every day - don’t miss it!
#KlookTip: Don’t miss out on getting your hands on some Lotte World merch and the gift shop, get them when you first enter the park, they make for a cute photo prop throughout the day!
📍42, Dongbusangwangwang-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan
⏱️ Daily, 10am to 9pm
BONUS: Discover other unique attractions
And if you think that’s all to Busan - there’s more! Here are some other cool attractions to add to your itinerary:
Poo Poo Land Busan
Yes…it’s exactly what you think it is - a theme park dedicated to poo poo! Make your way through the stomach and intestines on your quest to learn more about the digestive system with fun and interactive exhibits and even cute photo spots too!
📍672 Jungang-daero, Busanjin-gu, Busan
⏱️Daily, 11am to 8pm
Running Man Thematic Experience Centre
Step into the world of one of South Korea’s most beloved reality TV shows, Running Man, at the Running Man Thematic Experience Centre. Attempt the challenges done by your favourite stars, and race to get as many coins as possible within 60 minutes. It’s your time to shine!
P/S: It’s located in the same place as Poo Poo Land so you can enjoy two attractions in one day!
📍672 Jungang-daero, Busanjin-gu, Busan
⏱️Daily, 11am to 8pm
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