What to buy in Busan? — Top +25 souvenirs, gifts & best things to buy in Busan

Perhaps for many people from the moment they arrived in Busan, they discovered an early love for this beautiful port city. Beautiful beaches, bustling nightlife, fresh seafood flavors make you crave to bring all those wonderful things with you when return home. To be able to preserve some of the beautiful memories in this dream city, you can bring back some unique souvenirs when choosing what to buy in Busan. So, what is famous in Busan, what to buy in Busan (Busan what to buy) and where to buy souvenirs in Busan? Let’s check out our Busan shopping guide (guide to best shopping Busan) with the suggested of +25 top Busan souvenirs, gifts including must buy in Busan, best things to buy in Busan and where to find them to find out the answer!

With lyrical natural landscapes, outstanding architecture and many delicious dishes, Busan is gradually becoming one of the famous destinations of the land of kimchi that many tourists come to visit. In particular, the port city of Busan is also considered a shopping paradise with countless unique and cool gifts that you can freely choose to buy.

The coastal city of Busan is known as the summer capital of Korea, so there’s no reason to refuse this beautiful city in the brilliant summer. Busan not only has beautiful scenery, but it is also known to tourists as one of the busiest shopping places in Korea.

What to buy in Busan: Ginseng, Lingzhi Mushroom

Referring to Korea without mentioning ginseng would be a big omission. With a largest quantity and excellent quality in the world, Korea is undeniably the land of ginseng. Local people have a habit of using ginseng as a valuable medicine and nutritious food. Thanks to the favorable natural characteristics of geography, climate and soil, it is extremely suitable for growing ginseng and producing top-class, excellent quality ginseng roots in the world. With a total output of up to tens of thousands of tons of ginseng per year, so it is no exaggeration that for a long time, Korea has been known under the name of “the land of ginseng”.

Ginseng in Busan is one of the best ginseng. Currently, ginseng is often sold in fresh, dried or a wide range of ginseng products such as ginseng tea, ginseng wine, ginseng soaked in honey… You have many choices of quality such as ginseng from 2 to 6 years old. In which, the most popular and selected is 4-year-old ginseng. The older the type of ginseng, the bigger the tubers, the higher its value will be.

Korean ginseng is one of the valuable gift products that many people appreciate for its use and quality.

Ginseng is a product with very high nutritional value, is a precious medicinal food, with many uses to nourish, enhance and improve health, resistance of the body… is one of the extremely valuable gifts in Korea.

Where to buy: Bujeon Ginseng Market (Address: 573 Bujeon-dong, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea/Hours: 9AM–6PM; Sunday: Closed) is one of the famous ginseng markets across South Korea selling mainly three types of ginseng: fresh ginseng, red ginseng and white ginseng products. The longer fresh ginseng has a long life, the more expensive the price will be, the price can be up to thousands of dollars. Red ginseng and white ginseng are cheaper than fresh ginseng, but they still have good medicinal properties for human health.

As for Lingzhi (reishi), also known as the “mushroom of immortality”, it is also extremely diverse. Moreover, visitors can choose to buy dried reishi mushrooms, or sliced into pieces, concentrated Lingzhi or Cao Lingzhi tea, used for the elderly every morning, which is very good for blood pressure and heart health, provides a lot of micronutrients for the body…

There are many type of products from Ginseng and Lingzhi that are bought as gifts such as: Lingzhi tea, tablets, Fresh Ginseng, Red Ginseng, Cao Ginseng, Cordyceps, Ginseng candy… These are common gifts which are extremely suitable for the elderly, grandparents, parents… and children can also suck on delicious ginseng candy.

What to buy in Busan: Raspberry wine

A short distance out of Busan, head to a place called Gimhae Nakdonggang River Railway Park. The area is famous for its delicious ripe black raspberries, thanks to its mild climate and fertile soil.

One of the Busan-style gift products that you cannot ignore is raspberry wine. This wine is uniquely processed, they are brewed with the traditional recipe, so it has the characteristic red color of raspberries, has an aromatic flavor, is easy to drink and has an alcohol content of only 14% which suitable for everyone of all ages. Guaranteed if you drink just one sip of this raspberry wine, your lips will get a beautiful new lip color. Especially, this wine also has medicinal uses, so it is very popular with people here and tourists around the world as it cleans the blood, circulates blood, has a good effect on anemia. In addition, they also help to beautify the skin, prevent gray hair, benefit the liver, nourish the lungs, brighten the eyes, generate vitality and increase vitality.

Where to buy: To get your hands on this drink, you need to leave the center of Busan a bit to the Gimhae Nakdonggang River Rail Park. Favorable natural terrain with mild climate and fertile soil make the black raspberry plant here extremely lush. You can taste the ripe and sweet berries picked right from the plants. Surely, those are the most delicious fruits you will ever eat.

Besides the specialty of fresh fruit boxes, there are equally delicious bottles of Bokbunja-ju. This is the perfect choice for you to gift your loved ones after your trip. More specifically, in the area’s wine cellar, you have the opportunity to sample different wines before choosing to buy and take home.

Must buy in Busan: Hanji Paper Lamps

What to buy in Busan as a gift? Hanji is a traditional gift of Korean culture. It is a type of paper made from the bark of the mulberry tree, which has been around for a long time. Hanji paper is durable, tough but equally soft, used to make wallpapers, floors, door frames and even decorative items.

In Busan, hanji paper is often used to make into colorful lamps, each usually costing from 35,000 won to 70,000 won, depending on the size, color, and design of the lamp made from Hanji paper, the price varies.

Where to buy: To buy lamps made from Hanji paper, you can go to local markets such as Bupyeong Kkangtong Market, Gukje Market, Haeundae Market in Busan to find and buy this unique gift for your friends.

Korean fish cake Eomuk (Odeng)

If you love Korean cuisine, fish skewers are certainly no stranger to you. In this country, you can find food carts with this dish everywhere. In other words, people all over Korea love eomuk. Busan is famous as the largest seaport in Korea, so the seafood source here is also extremely rich. If you don’t know, what should you buy when traveling to Busan? Fish cake is also one of the dishes that many tourists choose to buy as gifts.

Busan fish cake is even rated as having the special taste of all fish cakes in Korea, so much so that when people say “Busan fish cake” they are simply referring to the best fish cake in Korea.

Fish cake is one of the most popular street foods in Korea. However, compared to other places, Busan fish cakes are somewhat more special, they become one of the dishes that cannot be missed when traveling to Busan, Korea. Fish cakes come in many different shapes, then skewered on small sticks, when eaten, they are dropped in a very special fish cake soup. In addition, you can also enjoy fish cakes by cutting them into small pieces and then cooking them with spicy tteokbokki, enjoying this dish on cold days is really great.

Where to buy: You can buy eomuk across Busan city but one of the oldest fish cake shops that you should visit and buy from is Samjin (Address: 36 Taejong-ro 99beon-gil, Yeongdo-gu, Busan, South Korea/Hours: 9AM–8PM). To be more precise, Samjin is the oldest store in the region. You can choose from more than 50 different varieties at the main store located on the second floor of Busan Station. Each package of frozen fish cakes usually costs from 50,000 won – 80,000 won/ 1kg.

Going to Busan, if you want to enjoy delicious fish cakes, you can visit Samjin Fish Cake, this is a famous and long-standing fish cake producer in Busan that sells a variety of fish cakes for you to enjoy. After satisfy your stomach, don’t forget to buy some as a gift for your loved ones. You can choose from or buy all over 50 different types of fish cakes at the main store on the second floor of Busan Station.

In addition, to find and buy delectable frozen fish cakes eomuk, you should go to the famous seafood markets in Busan, one of which must be the Bujeon Market (Address: 23 Jungang-daero 783beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea/Hours: 6AM–7PM).

In addition to frozen fish cakes, at Bujeon Market you can order very cheap fresh seafood to bring home as gifts for your family such as blue crabs, squids, lobsters, jellyfish, etc. These foods often have to be consigned when traveling by air, so you should buy and remember to order more consignment volume.

Must buy in Busan: Korean traditional tableware

Ceramic tableware originating from Busan is often unique items in the southern region of Korea because they possess decorative patterns different from the ceramics of other regions. Historically, Busan has been more influenced by Japanese culture than other regions, and this is quite clearly reflected in the area’s ceramic art.

There are quite a few tea shops selling locally crafted tea sets and pottery, or you can visit and find a unique piece of pottery at the Meet Antique Items store (Address: 66, Bupyeong 2-gil, Jung-gu, Busan/Phone: +82-51-253-6602).

Korean Tea

The culture of enjoying tea in Korea is extremely rich and interesting. If you’re thinking of tea as just a drink made from the tea plant, you’ll be even more surprised.

Coming to the land of kimchi in general and Busan in particular, you will certainly have many opportunities to enjoy a variety of teas. If you don’t like the bitter, acrid taste of green tea, we have Yuja-cha fruit tea and light sweet daechu-cha cereal tea. Besides, don’t forget to try Omija too! This is a tea made from yellow apricots with a sweet and sour taste that is easy to drink.

Buying tea as a gift is not a bad choice, right? You can choose from tea flavors with compact packaging, easy to transport via plane.

What to buy in Busan: Clothes

Busan is also known as Korea’s top shopping paradise, so this city has shopping places that can satisfy all the needs of shopaholics. Therefore, when coming to Busan, fashionistas will easily see a lot of fashion stores from affordable to high-end fashion items of famous brands. Coming to this place, you will be overwhelmed by countless fashionable clothes for men, women to children with many different styles, colors and prices. One of the most visited places is Lotte Duty, Shinsegae Centum Mall, Gwangbok-dong Market and Nampo-dong Market, this is the most famous shopping street in Busan, packed with trendy shops. World leading site with latest designs and best quality.

Best Busan souvenirs: Hanbok for kids

If you have children or grandchildren but do not know what to give, this is a perfect suggestion that you can refer to. Small-sized Hanbok for children in Busan, sewn with airy materials, bright colors, different designs with cheerful colors, is one of the lovely items visitors find in the market. Hanbok costumes with simple but delicate stitches, are clearly divided into separate costumes for boy and girl as well.

Hanbok is a traditional Korean costume, it is sewn from traditional Korean fabrics with cool materials and bright colors, so the Hanbok sets for children always attract the interest of parents with young children.

The price of Hanok sets for children in Busan is also quite affordable, depending on the model and fabric, the size, the price will vary, averaging about 150,000 won to 250,000 won.

Best things to buy in Busan: Socks

Coming to Busan, you will be able to buy a beautiful, unique, durable and modern socks with a style that is both compact, lightweight, dynamic and trendy. The socks made in Busan city have diverse designs, full colors and unique designs with many funny shapes and different shapes that will satisfy the choice of many different personalities. You can find unique socks with patterns printed with funny cartoon characters, noodle brands, Korean flags and even idols. All are printed on the sock to create super cute and adorable socks. This is the ideal souvenir that can’t be cuter for you as a gift for children and for women.

Fashion accessories

The designs of the accessories here are considered to be beautiful, both luxurious but equally lovely. Visitors can easily find accessories from earrings, necklaces, bracelets, glasses, bags to expensive jewelry. These unique accessories ensure the perfect fit for fashionistas in pursuit of their own unique style. You can easily find these items at major department stores or market stalls in Busan. Especially the items in Busan have many diverse and rich designs for you to choose from. In addition, there are well-known brands in the field of leading fashion accessories in Korea that will be a plus point for you to easily buy as gifts for yourself and your loved ones.

Korea is one of the leading countries in the fashion industry, so it is also a plus point for you to easily choose to buy gifts for your lover or the women in your family.

Best Busan souvenirs: Soju

This is one of the gifts that any tourist must bring back in his luggage when visiting the land of kimchi. Soju is the typical traditional liquor of the Korean people with aroma, moderate concentration with 20% alcohol content, if you drink a moderate amount, you can feel the aroma of sticky rice and the sweetness of the yeast. You can enjoy the rice wine in green bottle-shaped, which is popular at supermarkets, and can also be bought at the airport. The price of Soju in Busan is only about 2,800 to 3,500 won/bottle, you can buy a box of soju as a gift to make the trip more meaningful.

Soju has many different types, based on the type of fruit that is fermented, usually popular fruits such as oranges, pomegranates, green grapes, peaches, blueberries, etc.

Best things to buy in Busan: Handicrafts

In Busan, there are many shops selling handicrafts with many unique items. Busan is the only place in the southern region of Korea that produces and sells ceramics imbued with Japanese culture, much different from other pottery villages in Korea. You can visit craft shops and choose to buy yourself unique items as gifts for relatives and friends. A glass cup or a tabletop planter… imbued with Korean and Japanese culture will surely make loved ones at home very excited. Among many famous pottery shops in Korea, Meet Antique Items is one of the most popular souvenir and pottery shops as mentioned above.

Do you want to find typical Busan cultural products? Handicraft shops are exactly what you need to find. With lovely souvenirs that are widely available such as key chains, nail clippers or Hanbok dolls… visitors can easily find them at local markets, or street souvenir stalls selling.

Best Busan souvenirs: Honey

Busan honey is also a very expensive product, but it is of very good quality with a strong and distinctive taste. Honey is quite rich in vitamins and is a very high antioxidant food. What could be better than traveling to Busan and bringing this healthy honey bottle as a gift for your loved ones.

Best things to buy in Busan: Seaweed

Koreans love seaweed very much. The greasy, cool and nutritious taste is the reason why people here use this food in every daily meal. Therefore, buying dried seaweed or seaweed-flavored foods is a reasonable gift for you to choose. Carefully packed pieces of dried seaweed bring a Korean flavor to your meals. The seaweed-flavored snacks are sure to appeal to everyone. This selection of goods is still very light, so you can buy a little more to give to everyone.

Seaweed is sold a lot in Busan, visitors can choose to buy dried seaweed packages. No one will refuse the delicious taste of seaweed, right? Whether seaweed is used to make soups, rolls colorful kimbap or is eaten with rice, or enjoyed as a snack, Korean seaweed is extremely delicious and nutritious. You can buy seaweed at stores, supermarkets, markets…

Best shopping Busan: Makgeolli

Located on Mount Geumjeongsan is Geumjeongsanseong Fortress – the most famous rice water factory in the region with a history of nearly 500 years. Geumjeongsanseong Makgeolli is an alcoholic beverage, brewed using a unique traditional technique, the yeast is wrapped in hemp cloth and crushed and trampled by barefoot workers.

In addition to soju, there is also a fairly popular alcohol that is makgeolli. This is a special rice wine, produced at the Margeolli brewery in Geumjeong, Busan. Makgeolli has a distinctive flavor that is completely different from other rice wines in Korea.

To make delicious batches of rice wine, winemakers have a unique traditional method. The brewers cover the yeast with hemp cloth and use strong bare feet to mix the yeast. They call it “the foot-stepping method”. What’s more, you also have the opportunity to do it yourself and bring home your own bottles.

Where to buy: When visiting and traveling to Geumjeongsanseong Fortress at Geumjeong Mountain in Busan, do not miss this opportunity.

What is famous in Busan: Cosmetics

If you want to buy gifts for your mother, girlfriend, Korean cosmetics is one of the great gifts that you should choose. Korean cosmetics are considered as the cradle of aesthetics as well as beauty, because it possesses new innovative formulas, beautiful packaging and reliable effects, so the cosmetics here is always loved by many people around the world. Coming to the port city of Busan, you will easily find many famous cosmetic brands from popular to high-end for both women and men. Among them are outstanding such as Innisfree, Laneige, The Face shop, Skinfood, OHUI, Etude House, … with a variety of products from masks, BB Creams, makeup removers and lotions that are guaranteed to suit your budget.

Korea is famous as the country with the most developed facial and beauty services in Asia, where it is a cosmetic paradise with hundreds of different types of cosmetics. In Busan, you can go to famous shopping malls to choose authentic Korean skin care products.

High-end brands such as: O’Hui, Missha, Laneige, Hera… are all famous cosmetic brands belonging to large corporations. The products of the above brands are usually of extremely good quality, with natural ingredients playing a key role and especially benign, however, due to the high-end consumer segment, the prices of these brands are expensive. cosmetics above will be somewhat higher.

There are other popular brand cosmetic products: Innisfree, The Face Shop, Nature Republic, Apieu, Etude House… These brands have prices ranging from only 50,000 – 500,000 won depending on each cosmetic that you choose. In addition, there are some quite attractive cosmetic brands like Pony, or YG’s Moonshot that are loved by many people because they are promoted by famous faces.

Best shopping Busan: Kitchenware

Another option for those who love cooking, unique kitchen tools and utensils will be the perfect souvenirs. Visitors can choose to buy at Busanjin Market (Address: 24 Jinsijang-ro, Dong-gu, Busan, South Korea/Hours: 9AM–6:30PM/Sunday: closed), which is considered the paradise of shopping for the most famous kitchen utensils in the port city of Korea. Here you will easily find kitchenware such as kettles, bowls, metal chopsticks with different designs and models, and also thin, bright kettles that help you cook at an affordable price. There is also a special Korean stone bowl that you can use to make bibimbap.

Confectionery

Confectionery is the simple but practical gift you are looking for if you don’t know what to buy in Busan. Confectionery is loved by many tourists because of its delicious taste but there are many types for you to choose from.

Koreans not only love spicy food, but also sweet foods like confectionery. Sponges, cakes, snacks, chocolate almonds… are always sold a lot in supermarkets and convenience stores.

The wide variety of confectionery means that their prices also vary from high-end to cheap. You should go to reputable supermarkets to buy and choose packages of cakes and sweets for your family.

What is famous in Busan: Snacks

When traveling to Busan, you will definitely find a lot of snacks to take home as food gifts after your trip. It can be a pack of kimchi or a pack of dry goods such as dried seaweed, sauces, candies, jelly, chocolate and chocolate brownies that taste great, this will be the ideal choice for you. Visitors can easily choose from a variety of snacks at shopping centers and supermarkets such as green tea jam, crispy rice cakes, fish cakes, Tteokbokki rice cakes and even honey.

Korean chili powder

Korean chili powder is probably an indispensable spice in every Korean kitchen, so buying a bag of chili powder from Busan is the most unique gift you can buy for your loved ones especially for those who love cooking.

Korean chili powder is ground from dried fresh chili peppers, going through many process stages to produce a product with a characteristic red color, its attractive aroma in dishes always stimulates all diners.

It is easy for you to buy chili powder at traditional markets, or at supermarkets, which are also sold a lot with prices ranging from 15,000 won to 30,000 won for you to choose from.

Books at Bosu-dong Book Street

Bosu-dong Book Street is considered a book lover’s paradise. Since the Korean independence period, this neighborhood has become an area (formerly the old Gukje market) selling Japanese books. During the Korean War, Busan was the temporary capital of South Korea, and refugees brought books here to sell in exchange for money to buy food.

Then, in the 1960s and 70s, the street here gradually became a center for students and professors to buy and sell books. From then on, the street became increasingly crowded with bookstores and coffee shops springing up like mushrooms. Spend an afternoon walking around, burying your nose in old books and picking up your own favorite book as a way of remembering interesting Korean memories and the tumultuous history of the culturally rich country.

In modern times, the Bosu-dong book district has grown a lot. Now, huge bookstores have been erected along with the appearance of bustling coffee shops. This is a place that attracts tourists and locals to visit and shop. You can spend the whole afternoon walking leisurely on this street, looking for interesting books to keep as souvenirs.

What is famous in Busan: Traditional ceramics

In Busan, you will find extremely unique ceramics. It is the material and design that can not be found anywhere in Korea. Historically, the designs in the ceramic style of the Busan region have had a significant influence from Japanese culture, which is most evident in the designs of vases and jars. You can choose for yourself and your loved ones dishes or tea sets from shops in the area.

Traditional paper fan

In traditional Korean culture, a paper fan is an indispensable item. You will know this item as buchae. Colorful paper fans are mascots in traditional dances at festivals and worshiping ceremonies.

Coming to Busan, you can find a number of shops selling these fans while the artisan is still working on them. All the patterns on the fan are drawn by their talented hands.

Must buy in Busan: GIF Photo Store

At Gamcheon-dong Cultural Village, you can find a unique photography shop. This place is famous for its GIF photo store.

You can take pictures by yourself in different poses. Then, these pictures are printed on each page of the mini photo book. As you turn each page, it creates a lovely animated frame that only you can have.

A GIF notebook is definitely a very unique way for you to save good memories in Korea. These books have an extremely eye-catching outer cover. This is also a good suggestion for you to give to the people you love.

Nameplate

Small and useful souvenirs such as nameplates are sold in tourist areas in Busan. One of the shops that you should visit is Little Planet (Address: 256-11 Bujeon-dong, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea/Hours: 9:30AM–10PM). Tourists walking into this small shop will not help but be surprised at the variety of items.

This place stands out from other places because they have a service to write names on nameplates. You ask the seller to write on the nameplate you choose with the names of the people you want to give. Surely, this small gift will be very meaningful. Besides, this shop also sells eye-catching stickers, postcards and playing cards.

Handmade souvenirs

In the neighborhoods of Busan, you have the opportunity to encounter extremely unique handmade souvenir shops. Some stores that you should visit include:

Souvenir shop in Gamcheon Cultural Village: Souvenir Shop is designed extremely beautiful and cute. Participating in a drawing class at this store will bring you many interesting experiences. Choose for yourself a mini house to your liking and decorate it to become more catchy. Besides, there are also many statues with different shapes for you to choose from. After painting, it will become a very meaningful and memorable souvenir.

Orange Ocean at Busan Guanganri: With an ocean vibe, the souvenirs at the store will help bring back fond memories of Busan’s beaches. Here, visitors are spoiled for choice of small and beautiful items such as decorations, purses, accessories, and hand-painted postcards. All of them have their own characteristics because they are made by meticulous and skillful hands. Surely, you will make even the recipient feel delighted.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Busan you can refer to

• Private Gimhae Airport Transfers (PUS) for Busan
• Busan East Coast Cultural Day Tour
• East Busan Exploration
• BUTI Busan City Tour One Day Bus Pass
• [Klook Exclusive] Busan SEA LIFE Aquarium Skip-the-Line Admission Ticket with Souvenir Photo
• Busan Tower Ticket
• [Special Promo] Train to Busan Horror House Combo Admission Ticket
• 4G Prepaid SIM Card (SK Airports Pick Up) for South Korea
• [SALE] South Korea 4G Pocket WiFi (KR Airports Pick Up) from KT Olleh
• 4G WiFi (MY Airport Pick Up) for South Korea (Unlimited Data)
• 4G Portable WiFi for South Korea from Uroaming (Unlimited Data)
• [SALE] Instant Ticket: Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS) 2/3/4/5Days
• [Limited Offer] Incheon International Airport (ICN) Luggage Services (Between Airport and Hotel) by Safex
• Visit Busan Pass
• Busan One Day City Tour: Haeundae Sky Capsule, Beach Train
• Spa Land Centum City Ticket in Busan
• Memorable Autumn Hunting Day Tour from Busan
• Cheongyang Ice Festival & Nami & Eobi Ice Valley & Morning Calm Tour
• Busan Night Tour with Songdo Cable Car, The Bay 101, Gwangalli Beach, and Yeongdo Seaside Park
• Naejangsan National Park Autumn Maple Day Tour from Busan

Are you looking for more Busan travel guide: Things to do, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out our Busan blog — The fullest Busan travel guide & suggested Busan itinerary on how to spend 3 days in Busan, South Korea.