Planning a quick trip to Busan as part of a South Korea vacation?
We’d always recommend spending as much time as possible in Busan, South Korea’s second biggest city, however you can see a LOT of the best neighborhoods and surrounding areas with our 3 day Busan itinerary.
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From day-time activities like the Haeundae Blueline park, beautiful Busan beaches and a spot of shopping, we also include a few food recommendations and best markets in Busan.
We also suggest some beautiful Busan at night activities like the free drone show at Gwangalli Beach or our favorite Busan craft beer bars.
From big nights out in Seomyeon to colourful Gamcheon Cultural Village here is our 3 day Busan itinerary with photos.
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Why visit Busan?
There are lots of buzzing neighborhoods in Busan, from beachside hotels to hipster hang-outs.
First time travelers to Busan are also in for such a treat – friendly locals, incredible food, shopping mall heaven and coastal attractions overlooking the sea are the norm.
And Busan’s beaches are really something – we love Songdo, Gwangalli, Songjeong and Haeundae; read about our favourite beaches in Busan here >
It is also an easy flight from Seoul (or even a cheap but long bus) plus it can easily be combined with stops such as Jeonju and Gyeongju (which are both located between Busan and Seoul).
As Busan is so spread out along the coast, deciding where to stay in Busan can be challenging (especially if you are on a tight budget or short on time).
And if you want longer than three days in Busan, we have our guide to over 80+ things to do in Busan >
3 day busan itinerary Transport
Public transport in Busan (and across South Korea) is simple to use, but it is even easier (and sometimes cheaper) with a T-Money card (used nationwide).
In Korea, T-Money cards are widely used plus there are several other transport card options including the Korea Tour Card and the Visit Busan Pass.
The main ways to get around Busan are by subway, bus, train or taxi / driving – T-Money cards are prepaid cards that can be used on most public transport and you tap on / tap off as you use them.
Read our guide on how to buy and top up a T-Money card and Climate Card >
Be sure to download all the necessary Korea transport apps – here are our 30 most recommended South Korea travel, transport, translation and useful apps >
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Busan Accommodation
We have a guide to the best Busan neighborhoods and accommodation here >
In Busan, we usually stay in Seomyeon for the night-life, food and inexpensive hotels or for a beach break, we stay at Haeundae or Gwangalli but beach hotels are usually a little more expensive than the city.
Highly Rated Busan accommodation and hotels include:
Lotte Hotel Busan
Luxury hotel located a 5 minute walk from the metro in Seomyeon. Facilities include an on-site duty-free store, department store, movie theatre, indoor and outdoor pool, sauna, fitness centre and restaurants. Check out prices and availability for Lotte Hotel on agoda | expedia | booking.com | hotels.com
Kent Hotel Gwangalli by Kensington
Highly rated hotel located on the shore of Gwangalli Beach. Rooms are modern with city views or sea views. Check out prices and availability for Kent Hotel Gwangalli by Kensington on agoda | expedia | booking.com | hotels.com
Mipo Oceanside Hotel
Highly rated hotel offering both Western and Korean-style rooms. Some rooms have sea views. Check out prices and availability for Mipo Oceanside Hotel on agoda | expedia | booking.com | hotels.com
Signiel Busan
Luxury hotel located between the 3rd and 19th floors of the LCT Tower. Rooms have panoramic views and facilities include an infinity pool, luxury spa, kids outdoor activity garden and dim sum restaurant. Check out prices and availability for Signiel Busan on agoda | expedia | booking.com | hotels.com
Hotel Kyungsung
Highly rated minimalist style hotel located 700 metres from Seomyeon Medical Street. Selected rooms feature a terrace Check out prices and availability for Hotel Kyungsung on agoda | expedia | booking.com | hotels.com
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Visit Busan Pass
If you plan to stay in Busan for a few days, you might want to consider saving money on Busan attractions with the Visit Busan Pass!
Newly launched and very similar to the highly successful Discover Seoul Pass, the Visit Busan pass provides ‘free’ access to a selection of 40 tourism attractions in Busan for 24/48 hours. It also offers discounts on another 160 other attractions and restaurants.
Busan tourist attractions included on the pass include Lotte World Busan, Busan Tower, Blueline park beach train, Busan X the Sky, Songdo Cable Car and free hanbok rental.
Incredibly good value for money, read our guide to using the Visit Busan Pass >
Busan 3 day itinerary – Day 1
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple – 9am
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is described as the ‘most beautiful temple in Korea’ with stunning panoramic views of the sea and surrounding coastline.
Incredibly popular (especially with coach groups – hence we say get here early), the original Haedong Yonggungsa temple was built in the 14th century but later destroyed by bombing and rebuilt in the 1930s.
During celebrations and religious festivals like Buddha’s birthday, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is adorned with lots of bright lanterns across all its paths and roofs making it even more beautiful.
Note – you need to get a bus or taxi to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.
Haeundae – 11am
Jump on the bus to Haeundae (unless you fancy a long but lovely coastal walk).
Easily one of Busan’s best beaches and one of South Korea’s most colourful coastal getaways, Haeundae Beach has a whole lot going on.
From beachside bars to charming coastal walks, sand festivals to sublime panoramic views, there are a lot of things to do in Haeundae Beach, Busan, South Korea (it even has the world’s highest Starbucks).
We’d suggest spending half a day as there is so much to do. Haeundae highlights include:
Haeundae Beach
With its vast ocean views, sprawling sandy beach and towering skyscrapers immediately behind, Haeundae Beach is world-class (it reminds us of the skyscraper sea coast-line in Gold Coast, Australia).
Haeundae Blue Line Park (Beach Train and Sky Capsule)
Experience one of the world’s greatest (and most Instagrammable) ocean facing railway journeys. Read more in our Haeundae Blue Line Park guide and book your tickets with Klook.
BUSAN X the SKY
For the best panoramic views of Haeundae Beach and the Busan coastline, head up to the 100th floor of Busan X the Sky, a newly constructed mixed use skyscraper that at over 400 metres high, is the tallest building in Busan and the second largest tower in South Korea (after the Lotte World Tower in Seoul).
It is included as part of the Visit Busan Pass and be sure to have some brews with views in the world’s tallest Starbucks on the 99th floor.
Haeundae Food Alley / Haeundae Traditional Market
For a great lunch, head to Haeundae Traditional Market, a couple of blocks back from Haeundae Beach.
From tteokbokki to tempura, squid to mandu, you’ll find lots of fine South Korean street food, plus given there are so many restaurants who all want your custom, prices at Haeundae Traditional Market are very reasonable.
Read more in our guide to Busan’s Haeundae Traditional Market >
Day 1 Evening
Gwangalli Beach
From Haeundae, take the bus or subway to Gwangalli (or you can even do a long coastal walk between the two).
From traditional temples to waterside parks, fantastic festivals to weekly aerial drone shows there are a lot of things to do in Gwangalli Beach, and of course it is great for sunbathing or a sunset stroll.
Even if you aren’t a fan of beach fun and frolics, Gwangalli Beach is still worth a visit, especially at night – there are dozens of cool coffee shops and beachside bars with ocean views; the locals in Gwangalli Beach really know how to have a good sunset session. It also has lots of Busan craft beer bars.
Gwangalli highlights include:
Gwangalli M Drone Show (Free)
Busan’s Gwangalli Beach is the place to be every Saturday night with the weekly Gwangalli M Drone display over the night sky.
Millac The Market
Overlooking the harbor at Gwangalli Beach with huge bay windows facing towards the ocean and Millak Port, Millac the Market is a popular Gwangalli food market and contemporary cultural space.
Gwangandaegyo Bridge / Diamond Bridge
This is one ‘lit’ bridge – literally, Gwangandaegyo Bridge (AKA Gwangan Bridge) has the world’s largest set of LED lights and sound equipment; it shines so bright it has been nicknamed Busan’s Diamond Bridge.
Craft beer
Grab a beer at Gwangalli’s craft beer bars like Gorilla Brewing Gwangalli.
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Day 2 – Busan
For the second day of our 3 day Busan Korea itinerary, we’re visiting Busan’s most colourful neighborhood, getting very ‘fishy’, plus finishing the day with a big blow-out in Busan’s Seomyeon district.
Gamcheon Cultural Village – 10am
If you are only going to do a handful of things in Busan, make sure you visit Gamcheon Cultural Village – it is easily one of the most visited places in Busan, and probably the most Instagrammed place in Busan too given how colourful it is.
Brightly painted terraced dwellings, labyrinth alley-ways and maze-like backstreets are all part of the charm.
Not to mention cute coffee shops galore, several of which have incredible rooftops that provide postcard perfect panoramic views of Gamcheon Culture Village and Busan Port.
Formerly a mundane mountainside area where refugees settled after the Korean war, houseproud tenants initially painted their roofs and walls in bright colours and others followed suit.
We’d recommend at least a couple of hours here – read our full guide to Gamcheon Cultural Village including the best viewpoints, which buses to take, plus lots of photo points like The Little Prince and the BTS murals.
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1pm Jagalchi Fish Market
Take the bus from Gamcheon to Busan’s Jagalchi Fish Market, South Korea’s biggest seafood market. Unlike other fish markets, the stalls and counters are just inside the complex.
There are dozens of stalls outside all with their own seating areas, vying for your attention and custom – and we are talking seriously fresh (so fresh, you can eat dishes like octopus whilst the tentacles are still wriggling).
Although predominantly a day-time activity, many of the interior stalls and restaurants within Jagalchi Fish Market are open until early evening.
Jagalchi Fish Market also allows you to purchase your own fresh fish on the ground floor (or via the stalls outside) and then have it cooked by one of the restaurants on the upper levels. From here, walk on over to BIFF Square.
Tip – there is a roof terrace at Jagalchi Fish Market that is free to visit and offers views of Busan port and the hillside towns and villages.
2pm BIFF Square and Nampo District
Busan is world famous for its annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held every October. BIFF Square in Nampo-dong has become the epicenter of this cinematic celebration and this is one of the most popular things to do in Busan.
We like BIFF Square for its food market, plus famous Korean chain stores like Olive Young and Artbox – there are also a lot of gaming arcades and Korean photo booths to enjoy here.
We have a guide to BIFF Square and Nampo District which includes Busan’s best hotteok, the famous Goraesa Fishcake Eomuk shop and several markets.
Evening – 5pm onwards
Seomyeon
For the evening on day 2 of our Busan 3 day itinerary, we’re heading to Busan’s heart and soul, Seomyeon and Jeonpo.
From the epicenter of coffee culture and cute cafes in Busan through to superior shopping and many night delights, Seomyeon is one of the coolest neighborhoods in Busan.
Offering Busan’s best craft beer bars to BTS photo spots, colourful cake shops to beautiful bakeries, Seomyeon and Jeonpo is THE place to hang out in Busan. It is also very popular with students and teens (especially along ‘Seomyeon Young Street’).
We often stay in Seomyeon because there is so much to do (and eat) at night.
Seomyeon and Jeonpo highlights include:
Seomyeon Pojangmacha Street / Pojangmacha stalls
Head to the night-life district of Seomyeon in Busan at night to enjoy an epicurean experience in these street-tents, open until the wee small hours.
Jeonpo Cafe Street
Packed with cute coffee shops, pretty patisseries and blissful bakeries, Seonmyeon’s Jeonpo Cafe Street is in fact several small streets with dozens of aesthetically awesome artisan cafes, popular with students and young couples (you’ll see lots of selfie snaps going on).
Seomyeon Young Street
The main outdoor shopping area in Seomyeon, this is where all the cool kids hang out day and night.
Seomyeon Nightlife
Seomyeon is the mecca for late night entertainment in Busan, a hustling and bustling area packed full of clubs, street performers, craft beer bars and restaurants that stay open until very late – you can also find late night shopping here too.
Seomyeon Food Alley
Hidden behind Seomyeon Metro Station, you find lots of Korean restaurants offering a variety of South Korean foods, including knife-cut noodles and Jokbal, a speciality Busan dish of braised pig trotters. There is even a dedicated area in Seomyeon called Jokbal Alley.
There are loads of bars in Seomyeon for a drink after, but two of our favourite Busan craft beer bars are here including Wildcat Brewing Co and Beer Shop (the latter is run by expats).
Day 3 in Busan
Songdo Beach – 10am
So if you’ve followed our 3 day Busan itinerary, you’ve done the best known Busan beaches Haeundae and Gwangalli so today, we’re heading to Songdo.
The first public beach in South Korea, Songdo Beach doesn’t often get that many visits from overseas visitors, as it isn’t close to any Metro/subway stations and requires a bus to get here.
The beach itself is OK but there are lots of fun beach attractions at Songdo. Perfect for sunbathing, Songdo Beach is also surrounded by cute coffee shops, restaurants and bars all which look toward the ocean (although not many are directly on the beach).
Songdo Beach things to do and highlights:
Songdo Marine Cable Car / Busan Air Cruise
Around 40 cabins run over the ocean from Songdo Beach (Songrim Park) to Amnam Park with lots of themed attractions. Book your discounted Busan Air Cruise tickets here >
This is also part of the Visit Busan Pass.
Songdo Gureum Cloudwalk
A 350+ meter walkway that allows you to get up close to the ocean. It is the longest skywalk in Korea plus also the very first curve shaped walkway in the country.
Geobukseon Island (Turtle Island)
A man-made walkway with huge statues including a turtle egg and romantic couple. A very nic(h)e walk in Busan and also free to visit.
Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge
This is a 120 metre metal suspension bridge (don’t worry – it doesn’t sway) that bridges the sky and the ocean, allowing you to walk around the uninhabited “Dongseom Island” – another activity on the Visit Busan Pass.
Afternoon
After all that walking around and high-up activities in Songdo, time to unwind in Busan’s biggest spa or take the kids to Lotte Adventure World Busan.
Given Busan’s coastline and geography, the journey from Songdo to the spa is around 90 minutes by bus and slightly longer to Lotte World so you may want to consider a taxi.
Option 1 SPA LAND Centum City & Museum One
Relax and unwind in Busan’s biggest public bathhouse and spa, Spa Land Centum in Haeundae Beach (known as a “jimjil-bang” in Korea).
Located in the Shinsegae Department Store Centum City, this is an authentic South Korean spa and sauna experience which stays open in the evening. Spa Land Centum uses hot spring water full of sodium bicarbonate, which is pulled up from underground wells.
There are almost 20 different hot springs and 13 theme spas to choose from including the Ice Room and Pyramid Steam Room. You can also grab in the rather nice ramyeon cafe here or there are food places too.
SPA LAND Centum is open daily from 9am to 10pm – last entry is usually an hour before closing.
Book your discounted Busan LAND Centum tickets here >
We visited as part of the Visit Busan Pass.
Museum One
Located a short walk from Centum Spa and the BEXCO exhibition centre, Museum One is a newly established mixed media arts space in Busan that is well known for its immersive exhibitions.
We’ve been to a few ‘immersive spaces’ in our time (many of which are not so good) but Museum One has an incredible centerpiece – a huge exhibition hall with wall-to-wall LED screens, mirrors and lights that creates incredible sight and soundscapes.
A combination of permanent artworks and pop-up exhibits, Museum One is an epic experience and popular with younger groups in Busan. Note that big bags have to be left at reception.
Option 2 – Lotte Adventure World Busan
Possibly a better option for families, Busan’s biggest and newest theme park, Lotte World Busan opened in 2022. It is actually about a fifth bigger than the Seoul Lotte Adventure World.
Lotte World Busan features several special themed zones (including Joyful Meadows and Rainbow Springs), with 17 rides and attractions including the Giant Digger rollercoaster with three 360 degree loops (maybe have lunch after you ride!).
As well as rides for all ages, there are daily parades and shows at Lotte World Busan including the Lotus Magic Forest Parade and the Magic Fairy Band.
Book your discounted Lotte World Busan tickets via Klook >
This is also the highest value attraction include on the Visit Busan Pass.
Read more in our guide to Lotte World Busan >
Busan Day 3 – Evening
For the final night of our 3 day Busan itinerary, we have a few evening activity suggestions for you (or just head out to the bars and restaurants again of Seomyeon, Gwangalli, Nampo or Haeundae).
Some of our favourite Busan at night activities include:
Busan Premium Yacht Tour and Sunset Cruise
Enjoy Busan from a different perspective at night on a luxury yacht – soak up sunkist views of Gwangalli and Haeundae Beach whilst enjoying complimentary beer or soft drinks.
The yacht crew are also on hand to look after you and take photos as a lasting memory of your visit to Busan at night.
Check out this yacht tours:
- Sunset Busan premium yacht tour
- Busan night yacht tour with Gwangalli drone light show
- Night viewpoints with evening cruise and fireworks
Go to a Busan Baseball Game
Baseball is a BIG hitter in Busan – it is in fact South Korea’s most popular sport! Better yet, did you know baseball is in fact one of the cheapest things to do in Busan at night?!
Busan baseball tickets at Sajik Stadium can be bought for as little as 13,000 Korean Won (around £8 / $10 USD) at the box office on the night of the game.
Sajik Stadium is home to the Lotte Giants and baseball games are often played several nights a week in Busan during the South Korean / KBO baseball season (usually April to September).
The stadium is easy to get to via Sajik station on Busan Metro Line 3.
You might like – Our guide to going to a Seoul baseball game + how to buy tickets >
Busan Night Tours
If you are limited on time and what to do a lot of things in Busan at night in a short space, there are several Busan night tours available:
Busan night small group photo tour >
Busan night tour: Korea drama location >
For more Busan evening activities, check out our 30+ things to do in Busan at night guide >
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