Best Things to Do in Busan, South Korea
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Busan, But Make It Cinematic: Beaches, Bites, and Big City Bling
Busan is South Korea’s colorful coastal city, known for beaches, seafood markets, hillside villages, temples, and dramatic ocean views. This Busan travel guide covers the best places to visit, including Haeundae Beach, Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi Market, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, and some of my favorite photography spots.
We took the train to Busan—yes, that train—fully prepared to outrun zombies and/or our step counts. Good news: no undead, just unbelievable views and enough stairs to qualify as character development. Busan is sprawling, ocean-kissed, and way too photogenic to fit in one memory card. Korea’s second city has a first-rate knack for mixing beach days with skyline nights, and a metro so easy you can tap in with the same card you used up in Seoul. Survival tip #1: embrace public transit like the hero you are.
(Highrise towers above the beautiful Busan Harbor at Songdo Bay Station)
(Towering skyscrapers at sunset from the Suyeongman Bay Yachting Center)
Day 1: “We’re Fine. It’s Just a Little Coastal Walk.”
View of rocky Oryukdo Islets from the Igidae coastal trail. My son and I started out “adventure” really early in the morning (transportation provided by cheap Uber ride). It’s only a few kilometers, right? Actually, it was over 5km (about 3 miles).
We opened with the Igidae Coastal Walk, aiming for “breezy cliff stroll,” landing squarely on “sweaty montage.” The payoff? Pine-framed vistas of the Oryukdo Islets—rocky, dramatic, and absolutely worth pretending you didn’t just ration your last drops of water like a post-apocalyptic protagonist. Bring more water than you think you need. Trust us.
Rocco (being fashionably overdressed) drank all of his water and mine after an hour or so. We were stuck walking the trails w/o enough water. Exhausting. We did make a few shortcuts since the trail is a lot of up and down (walking alongside the road that runs parallel to coast).
This is a visual you do not need to know, but I was SO hot, that literally- sweat was dripping from my shorts. I looked like I had run stood in the pouring rain for twenty minutes.
You go through clothes fast in August in Korea. You have been warned. After surviving our walk, we returned to our hotel via Uber (sorry for stinking up your car!) for showers and a well deserved afternoon break.
We finished the evening walking the bay near Suyeongman Bay Yachting Center where we were treated to a beautiful sunset. For dinner we splurged on chicken nuggets (schmancy, right?) at a local fast food joint. We were tired and didn’t feel like walking much more- it was nearby.
(Haedong Yonggungsa Temple at sunrise- arrive early)
Original painting and fine art prints available HERE
Sunrise at a Seaside Temple (a.k.a. Main-Character Energy)
Set the alarm for pre-dawn, grab a taxi, and catch first light at Haedong Yonggungsa—one of Korea’s most beloved temples and an instant favorite for anyone who likes their shrines cliffside with waves for a soundtrack. Show up early; the sun and sea coordinate their cues for you.
I will be painting a full-sheet watercolor batik of this scene very soon (I was that inspired by the location, memories, and architecture).
24×38″ watercolor batik on Japanese rice paper. Fine art prints and original available HERE
(view of city from atop Gamcheon Hill)
Gamcheon Cultural Village: Cute, Colorful, Checked Off
Gamcheon is pastel, pretty, and perched. We walked up (not recommended unless you’re collecting calf raises), admired the maze of alleys and murals, took the photos, and decided one visit was enough. It’s lovely—but so is saving your energy for beach time.
(Buildings rising above Songdo Beach)
Sky Lines vs. Skyline: Choose Both
When your quads beg for mercy, swap stairs for air: float over Songdo Bay in the Marine Cable Car, where glass towers pop out of the harbor like they’re auditioning for a sci-fi sequel. Later, take in the city glow from Busan Tower—the sunset here does cinematic lighting better than your favorite filter.
We finished the evening with a nice sunset at Busan Tower (near our hotel).
City Life: Markets, Neon, and Impulse Art Supplies
Base yourself near Busan Tower and you’ll step into evening streets where signs blink, markets buzz, and dinner decisions spiral (in a good way). We also discovered that art stores here are dangerously affordable—30 tubes of watercolor later, I regret nothing except my luggage allowance- there was no space for watercolor paper. :(
(evening hustle and bustle on streets outside our hotel near Busan Tower)
Final Verdict: Busan is a big, noisy, beachy beauty with a heart of neon and salt air. We came for the Train-to-Busan jokes, stayed for the skyline sunsets, and left plotting our sequel. If Korea is a trilogy, Busan is the summer blockbuster.
P.S. We visited in August. Pack extra shirts. And patience for humidity. You’ve been warned.
South Korea Travel Guide: Photography, Itineraries & Watercolor Inspiration
- Seoul
- Gyeongju
- Gamcheon
- Haedong Yonggungsa
- Gyeongbokgung Palace
- Bukchon Hanok Village
- N Seoul Tower
- Korean Food
- Korea Watercolor Paintings
- Korea Print Collection
- Korea YouTube Videos
References:
Hotel
Other Hotels:
A nice choice too:
Coffee
Unfortunately, most bakeries and coffee shops in don’t open until 7:30 a.m. For photographers chasing summer sunrises, that means being up hours before your first shot of caffeine—an impossible situation. I was convinced I’d die of coffee deprivation before then. My advice: stock up the day before on supermarket iced coffees and drink just enough to survive until the cafés open (a strategy I tested and can confirm works).
My son and I arrived in mid-morning so we did not have to deal with this problem.
Tours
Find things to do in – day trips (museums and public transport), and more:
https://expedia.com/affiliates/expedia-home.h5p5bhV
Travel Guides
Here is the recently published Lonely Planet Guide. This is what I used to plan the trip (in conjunction with the all-beloved internet):
Another travel guide available for :
Flights:
Busan has an international airport:
Trains:
The KTX between Seoul and Busan is fast, smooth, and comparatively zombie-free.
https://www.koreantrain.com/train-seoul-busan
Metro & Buses:
Your Seoul transit card works in Busan—tap and go.
Rideshares/Taxi:
Handy for pre-dawn temple runs and after you “accidentally” hike 5+ km without enough water. I used Uber
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Ryan Fox Painting
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