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So, you’re heading on your first trip to Busan? Amazing! Get ready! “Attache ta tuque” as we say in Québec, you are about to head to one of our favorite cities in South Korea. Situated in the South of Korea (yes, the South of South Korea) Busan or Pusan, is the second most populated city in the country, after Seoul. It’s quite popular with tourists and locals alike because some of the best beaches in Korea are here. It’s modern, it’s clean and it’s a whole lot of fun! There’s a ton of things to do in Busan, even more places to visit, so hopefully, our guide will help make your first time in Busan an amazing one!

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What to do in Busan on your first trip

There are quite a few awesome things to do in Busan. It can sometimes be overwhelming if this is your first time in Busan. One of our favorite things to do was just hanging out on the beach. This is one of the few cities in Korea that offer such pristine beaches, so if you can, take the time and just chill! But if you are in the party mood, you can do that too. There’s something for everyone here!

Check out the best beaches in Busan

There are two main beaches in Busan, each unique in their own way: Haeundae & Gwangilli.

1. Haeundae Beach, the perfect getaway for your first trip to Busan

Haeundae Beach is the most famous beach in Busan and probably all of Korea. With beautiful white sand, clear and calm waters, it’s perfect for swimming and sunbathing. It’s also famous for various cultural events and festivals that take place throughout the year, like the Busan International film festival. If you’re wondering what to do in Busan on a nice sunny day, the beach is what to do!

The 1.5 km long coastline is visited by both foreigners and locals, but the latter will be covered from head to toe, and barely put their toes in the water. For most Asians, dark skin is a symbol of the working class who has to toil in the fields. That’s why most prefer to have pearly white skin. You will notice that most of their beauty products even offer to whiten skin, something we can’t imagine in America, as tan skin is the ultimate goal!

The Haeundae Beach area is where we stayed during our time here, so we loved the beach. Derek especially loved the 2 statues that were out on the water on the beach – made him feel like he was in a fantasy movie. Yes! I know, I married a total nerd!

A little tip for you when you’re at Haeundae beach on your first time in Busan. There is a great little market on the main walking street to get to the beach. Grab some cheap and delicious food, and go enjoy it on the water. Our favorites were the kimchi pancakes and the fried chicken. Also, the Sea Life Aquarium and other tourist attractions are by this beach so you could spend a whole day here!

Getting here: Simply take the subway to Haeundae Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 5, 7. and follow the warm call of the beach, straight-ahead (about 500m away)

2. Gwangalli Beach, the party beach in Busan

Gwangalli Beach is the second most famous Busan beach. It stretches 1.4 km long and is also renowned for its fine sand. In recent years, the whole area has undergone a water cleaning program, making its pristine waters, even more, inviting for tourists. But that’s not all, the whole Gwangalli area is lined with restaurants and cafes, as well as fashion and k-beauty stores. It’s your one-stop-shop for everything you could need. It’s well worth a visit at night as well when the Gwangandaegyo Bridge gets lit up.

Getting here: Get off Geumryeon Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 1 or 3. There will be stickers on the floor pointing you toward the beach, but essentially, make a u-turn and turn on the first street toward the beach.

Visit the best temples in Busan

There are some beautiful and iconic temples in Busan that are worth a visit. These are the main ones we saw, and for your first trip, they’re the best places to visit in Busan.

3. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, a beautiful coastal temple in Busan

The Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is one of the rare temples located on the coast of the north-east part of Busan. Most of the temples in Korea are built on mountains, so this one really stands out. This lovely temple was built back in 1376 and is an awesome place to watch the sunrise. But the view comes at a price. You will have to scale 108 steps to see the sunrise on the coast.

Getting here: You have to get to Haeundae Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 7. From there, take Bus 181 and get off at Yonggungsa Temple Bus Stop. You’ll have to walk a little to get to the entrance, about 5-10 minutes, but it’s quite straight-forward once you’re there.

4. Beomeosa Temple, a colorful temple in Busan

This was probably one of our favorite temples in Busan, and one of the best places to visit just outside the city. Mainly because we went expecting nothing and ended up having an amazing day there. Beomeosa Temple is on the eastern edge of Geumjeongsan Mountain. It was built in 678 by monk Ui Sang. It’s one of the three most famous temples in the Yeongnam region, along with Haeinsa Temple and Tongdosa Temple. At least we got to see one of the top 3 temples! If you want to take your visit further, you can do a temple stay at this temple and live with the monks to learn more about the Buddhist culture and discover yourself.

Getting here: Get off Beomeosa Station (Busan Subway Line No.1), Exit 5 or 7. Then, walk along the main road for about 5 minutes to arrive at Samsin Transportation Bus Stop, a stop just along the road there. Take Bus No. 90 and get off at Beomeosa Ticket Office Bus Stop.

5. Hike Geumjeoungsan mountain, a great hike in Busan

This is the main reason we loved Beomeosa Temple so much. We climbed up Geumjeongsan mountain not thinking much about it. In fact, we knew there was a 2-km hike around Beomeosa Temple and we knew we wanted to hike it. That was pretty much it. We were not ready for what was waiting for us. But you can find out more about our trek here.

This hike was super impressive as you had to scale up the mountain alongside the old fortress walls that protected the city and the whole country way back when. Geumjeongsanseong Fortress is the nation’s largest fortress and leads you to Godangbong Peak, rising a mere 801.5 meters above sea level. Once you’re up there, you have an amazing view of the mountains, the cities around and you get to meet some awesome cats!

The hike starts at Beomeosa so just follow the signs there. Note that this is not a 2-km hike up to the summit. Bring snacks and water. We learned this the hard way!

6. Visit Busan’s Centum City mall on rainy days

Centrum City is something to behold and one of Busan’s top attractions. We’re not big shoppers, but this was a fun place to visit in Busan on a rainy day. The Shinsegae Centum City Department Store is registered in the Guinness World Records as the largest shopping complex in the world. If you’re looking for something, from clothes, k-beauty, electronics, books, you’ll likely find it here! It also features some crazy entertainment facilities like a spa and an ice rink.

Getting here: Getting there is a cinch. Just take the subway to Centum City Station (Busan Subway Line 2). The station is directly below the mall.

7. Explore Gamcheon cultural village, one of Busan’s best attractions

This was probably one of our favorite places to visit in Busan. The Gamcheon Culture Villiage is made up of cute colorful houses built in staircase-fashion on the foothills of a coastal mountain. It’s no wonder they call this place the “Santorini” or “Machu Picchu” of Korea. This village got a makeover way back in 2009 by local artists and students who worked together to brighten up the community that was made up of refugees from the Korean War. The village is decorated with tons of sculptures, works of art, artist studios, coffee shops, and small museums.

You can get a map at the information center at the entrance of the village. They will encourage you to collect stamps all around the village and will let you know where the works of art. You can get this map to guide you, in case you get lost, but our best advice will be to get lost while you are there. This village is so bright and beautiful that you will want to just wander the alleyways and streets and discover all the secret places.

It’s important to note that although Gamcheon cultural village is one of Busan’s best attractions, it’s also home to residents, so be sure to respect their home and their privacy.

Getting here: Take the subway to Toseong Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 6. From that exit, walk straight and turn right. You’ll see a small bus station board in front of the Pusan National University Hospital building (Block C, Cancer Centre, aka the PNU Cancer Centre). Hop on the local bus en route to Gamcheon Culture Village.

8. Go crazy at a karaoke bar

Did you actually think you were going to Korea and not going to a karaoke bar!? Ha! No. When you find yourself wondering what to do in Busan one night, you’ll know the answer! Grab a drink or two before you head there (in case you need some liquid courage) and go have a blast. There are tons of karaoke bars all around the city, mainly around the beach areas. Grab some friends and head out to have a blast!

9. If you are in Busan in October, go to BIFF

2020 will mark the 25th year of the Busan International Film Festival. This year, BIFF will take place from October 7 to 16, 2020.

We were lucky enough to experience this festival, almost by accident, in 2017. During the 10 days of this cultural festival, the city is taken over by famous celebrities, directors and avid movie-goers. People come in from all parts of the world to check out these masterpieces on screen.

We recommend staying in the vibrant and tourist-friendly Haeundae beach area of Busan because it’s home to the BIFF headquarters. It’s also really close to all the movie screenings. Most of the screenings take place at the Busan Cinema Center which is located in Centum City, next to Shinsegae Centum City.

If you want to check out some more festivals in Korea, make sure you check out our article here.

10. Eat at the Busan Haeundae Traditional Market

No trip to Busan would be complete without going to the Busan Haeundae Traditional Market. This market is located in the popular Haeundae area of Busan, and right by the beach as well. You will find stall upon stall serving some of the best food in the country. From traditional Korean dishes to more local delicacies, you will find it all here, including some of the freshest seafood, if that’s what you’re looking to eat.

Our tip here would be to get yourself a meal and go enjoy it at the beach. To be more eco-friendly, bring your own container and cutlery with you.

How to get to Busan

There are a ton of ways to get to Busan. If you are in Seoul, you can get on a flight to reach the city in a jiffy. Check local providers like Jeju Air, Air Busan, and Korean Air, they will get you there in less than an hour. You may even find the flight tickets are cheaper than taking the train. A few little tips for you here – weekday flights are cheaper than on weekends, and sometimes, you can fly even cheaper to Ulsan and take the bus to Busan from there (about 30 min).

Your other option, which is more eco-friendly, is taking the KTX, or Korean bullet train. This is the fastest of the trains (but the most expensive too) and will take you about three hours to get there. We didn’t take this option, but if it’s anything like the Shinkansen in Japan, it’s one hell of a ride! It’s a great way to see the country too. There are slower trains available, and they will take you four hours (ITX) or five hours (Mugunghwa train) and will only cost half of the KTX ticket. Tickets for the trains are available online.

Finally, you have the bus. This is actually what we took to get to Busan, but only because we weren’t in Seoul. We had gone to see the Mask Festival in Andong first. The bus was cheap, safe and efficient. From Seoul, it should take about four hours, depending on traffic. You can get your tickets online or at the Seoul Gyeongbu bus terminal.

How to get around Busan

Busan is a super organized city, and it’s quite easy to get around. And, you’re in luck, because this makes it easier to get to where you’re going. It’s important to note that Google Maps doesn’t work in Korea – something about Koreans not wanting to share their grids with Google. So if you need ground navigation, we recommend MapsMe or Naver. The latter is what Koreans use to get around. It’s all in Korean, but if you have the geographical location with old school Latitude and Longitude or even the phone number of the place, you’ll get by just fine.

A great way to figure out how to get around is also checking the Visit Korea website. They will often offer general directions on how to get to main places. It’s a great site to get some background and directions all in one place!

A super easy and convenient way to get around is to take the Busan subway. It’s clean, efficient and because instructions are available in English, it’s really easy to get from A to B. The grid is pretty extensive so it’s really easy to get around. Prices are fairly reasonable too. You will only pay for the distance you will be covering.

Finally, there is the bus to take you around too. Some places are more convenient and shorter to get to by bus, so make sure you give this a try too. Either option is safe, clean, and efficient. What more could you ask for!

Where to stay in Busan on your first trip

There are plenty of places to stay in and around Busan. We stayed in the Haeundae Beach area because we’re Canadian and any reason to be close to the best beach in Busan is a good one for us.

The area is full restaurants, bars, markets, the beach and so much more! Also, our hotel was tucked away so it didn’t feel like we were in an overly touristic area of the city. We highly recommend staying in the Haeundae area if this is your first trip to Busan. It makes getting around fun and easy!

Where to eat in Busan

To tell you the truth, we found that the food was pretty awesome everywhere we ate in Busan. The trick is to find a restaurant or a stall that has a lot of turnover. That means they are popular and the food is fresh.

Busan Haeundae Traditional Market: You will find it all here. Fresh fish, restaurants, pancakes, gimbap, bibimbap, dumplings, etc. Whatever you are in the mood for, you’ll find it here. We had our same 2-3 restaurants and stalls we would often go back to. Why? Being vegetarian, when you find a winning formula, you hold onto it. You can’t really go wrong with much here. Everything we had was delicious!

Punjab Indian Restaurant: Indian food is constantly our savior when we travel to meat-heavy diet countries like Korea. Luckily, we found this place on our first night and went back a few times. The portions are well-sized, and the food is tasty, although the prices are a little high. The paneer masala is delish, as are the samosas.

What to eat for your first time in Busan

Korea was probably one of the hardest countries to be vegetarian in. Most of their food is meat or fish heavy. They use animal by-products in their broths too, making the soups hard to eat as well. We found a few vegetarian-friendly dishes, so we stuck to those! If you are looking for other delicious things to eat, try:

• Gimbap: A roll made of rice and various combinations of ham, crab, pickled radish, egg, spinach, cucumber, etc. You can often ask restaurants to make this without the ham and crab, making it a great vegetarian meal to eat in a country short of options. Though some places refused to make it without meat, probably because the rolls were already made.

• Bibimbap: The literal translation for which is mixed rice, this dish consists of a bowl with rice, sautéed and seasoned veggies, chili pepper paste, soy sauce and either a fried egg or sliced beef. Obviously, we skipped the beef and loved it!

• Kimchi: Did you actually go to Korea if you didn’t have kimchi? No. The answer is no! Kimchi is usually made of fermented cabbage with tons of spicy pepper paste. But in Korea, they ferment pretty much anything, so there is a wide variety of kimchi. Be sure to try the crunchy cucumber kimchi. It’s also delish! Just be careful because sometimes they use fish extract for the fermenting.

• Ddukbokki: A typical Korean meal, also spelled tteokbokki, is a mix of cylindrical rice cakes, triangular fish cake, vegetables, and sweet red chili sauce. Derek loved having this sweet and spicy soup when it started getting a little colder.

• Pajeon: This is the market pancake we were talking about! Pajeon is cheap and delicious, coming in a variety of fillings. It’s a pancake-like Korean dish made predominantly with green onions, egg batter, wheat flour, and rice flour. Common fillings were kimchi, sweet potato, peppers, and fish.

If you’re looking for more vegan or vegetarian meals to eat while in South Korea, make sure you check out our article here.

How many days to spend in Busan on your first trip

We spent 10 days in Busan, but we had an unlimited supply of time. We spent half the day lounging at the beach, and the other half exploring the city and around it. We don’t expect everyone to have this much time.

Instead, we recommend spending at least three or four days here. There is enough to see and do, while still giving you enough time to chill out and enjoy the beaches.

The best time to visit Busan on your first trip

Busan has very distinct seasons, so if this is your first trip to Busan, make sure you go with the season and temperatures you love the most. From hot summers at the beach to snowy winters, the coastal city of Busan has a lot to offer.

If you’re looking for the very warm weather to visit Busan, the hottest months are August, July, and September. The warmest time of year is generally early August. We were there in October and the weather was still quite warm and lovely. Nights were cooler and very nice.

The spring, from March through May, is when the season is more moderate with good levels of humidity and temperatures. The rain isn’t too bad either, so you may see more people around these months. The summer, from June to August, is warmer, but temperatures are still comfortable. There is slightly more rain during the summer in Busan.

During the fall, from September through November, the temperatures range from 81.2°F (27.3°C) to 56.5°F (13.6°C). It’s still comfortable given the humidity and wind. It rains or snows a significant amount during this season, three to five days per month. Tourism is the slowest during these months due to the weather, so hotels may be affordably priced.

And finally, in the winter, from December through February, expect winter weather. Temperatures range between 53.7°F (12.1°C) and 44.5°F (6.9°C). On average, it doesn’t rain or snow that much.

In terms of tourism, the busiest month in Busan is January, followed by May and April. Expect to pay higher prices for hotels and flights, though you can save if you purchase well in advance. Tourists are unlikely to visit Busan in December, so you’ll find it to be the least expensive month.

Busan in October

We spent 10 days in Busan in early October. The weather was perfect. It was warm enough during the day, that we could walk around in shorts, t-shirts, and dresses, while it cooled down a little in the nighttime. During the day, the weather was hot enough that we could hang out at the beach in our bathing suits, even if we couldn’t technically swim (they shut the beach down for swimming at the end of September). We didn’t see a lot of rainfall either, though there were a few rainy days. The showers didn’t last very long.

In terms of tourism, we didn’t find the sights were crowded at all. In fact, most places we went to, even in the midst of the Busan Internation Film Festival, were not that busy. We would highly recommend visiting Busan in October!

How to be eco-friendly in Busan

As always, we want to be sure everyone travels in the most eco-friendly way possible! That’s why we want to share these few little tips with you to make your stay in Busan as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible.

1. Bring reusable water bottles: Tap water in Korea and Busan is safe to drink, although most Koreans won’t drink it unless they boil or filter it first. You can safely refill your reusable water bottle from the tap, or instead, you can opt for a Lifestraw Go that filters any freshwater. Either way, don’t buy plastic water bottles!
2. Eat as local and vegan as you can: The food in Korea is delicious, so eat as much of it as possible, and especially, eat all the vegan options you can! It’s a delicious and easy way to reduce your environmental footprint.
3. Pick up trash and speak out: Unfortunately, littering is still alive in Busan, although it’s not that bad. But sadly, it is more prevalent on beaches where people forget to take their trash home with them. When you can, bring yourself an adventure bag and pick up the trash you see. And when you see people littering, don’t be shy to nicely tell them to pick up after themselves.
4. Bring your own bags and refuse plastic bags: Like most places, they still offer plastic bags in grocery stores, and at various shops. So bring your own bag and do your little step to save our beautiful planet!
5. Walk around or take public transportation: Haeundae and Busan are both highly walkable. And if you want to get from one part of Busan to the next, they have an awesome public transportation system that is cheap to use, convenient and efficient. So when you can, walk around. If not, take the bus or subway.
6. Wear reef-safe sunscreen: There are a ton of beautiful beaches in Busan, which is why this tip is important. Make sure you always wear reef-safe sunscreen, whether you’re sunbathing or out to swim. It’s much better for the health of our oceans!

The 10 best things to do in Busan in October

To recap, here are the 10 best things to do in Busan if you are there in October:

1. Go to Haeundae Beach
2. Check out Gwangalli Beach
3. Visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
4. Go to Beomeosa Temple
5. Hike Geumjeoungsan mountain
6. Visit Centum City mall on rainy days
7. Explore Gamcheon cultural village
8. Go crazy at a karaoke bar
9. See a movie at the Busan International Film Festival
10. Eat at Busan Haeundae Traditional Market

We loved our time in Busan. We extended our stay there because we had such a great time. This city really has something for everyone. It’s still a very large modern city, but without feeling too crowded.

Hopefully, our guide will help make your first trip to Busan as awesome as ours was! Let us know in the comments if there are still questions you have that we can help answer!

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