Busan blog. The ultimate guide to Busan for all kinds of travelers

A self-guided trip to Busan is the best way to “F5” your life inspiration. Take advantage of useful guide to Busan through this Busan blog from Klook.

Busan is a port city and one of Korea’s important transportation hubs by sea, road and air. Therefore, it has become a favorite destination for local and international tourists, not only because of the convenience of traveling to Busan but also because of its cultural diversity, customs and beautiful nature.

Visit Busan Pass

Traveling to Busan brings wonderful experiences to tourists, from delicious street food to traditional costumes and architecture imbued with historical colors. In addition, Busan people are also extremely friendly and lovable, and the climate here is also extremely cool and pleasant. Join Klook on your journey to explore this beautiful port city with interesting suggestions for comprehensive Busan travel experiences in the article below!

Where is Busan? (#Busan blog)

Busan is a vibrant city located in the southeast of South Korea. It’s famous for its beautiful beaches, delectable seafood and rich culture and history. It is also home to the largest port in South Korea and the fifth largest in the world, serving as a major gateway for trading between the two continents of Asia and Europe.

eSIM South Korea with high-speed and stable Internet connection

In addition to being an important economic and cultural center of the land of kimchi, Busan is also an extremely famous tourist destination with beautiful natural scenery and unique culture and art. This place is also often chosen to host important sporting events, top-scale festivals and unique exhibitions.

Where to go and what to do in Busan? (#guide to busan)

Busan One Day City Tour: Haeundae Sky Capsule & Gamcheon & Yacht

Want to visit a city with bright city lights, bustling beaches, some of the best restaurants in the world? With Busan, you will find all of that here. If you do not know what to do in Busan, check out the most popular Busan tourist attractions!

Busan Tower

With a height of 120 meters from Busan Tower, visitors will have the opportunity to see the entire beautiful city from above. This tower was built in 1973 and until now, its attraction has never diminished with visitors to Busan. Coming into your sight are unique architectural works and poetic harbor. This place also has cafes where visitors can have a snack while enjoying the beautiful scenery below.

Taejongdae Park in Busan

If you are looking for a place to relax and explore, Taejongdae Park in Busan will be the perfect choice. Here, you can enjoy the peaceful feeling when walking on the forest paths, watching the vast ocean and breathing fresh air. At the same time, you can also explore interesting things such as mysterious caves, colorful rocks and unique plants.

Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan

Busan Skywalks & Gamcheon Village & Haedong Yonggungsa Temple Tour

Why should you visit Gamcheon village when you come to Busan? Because this village is so beautiful! The vibrant colors of Gamcheon are not only a great opportunity for you to capture “virtual life” photos, but also a place where you can learn about the culture and art of the indigenous people. The pretty little houses, winding roads, and steep stairs leading you to colorful murals, public sculptures… all create a lively and inspiring space.

Haeundae Beach in Busan

Among Busan’s diverse beaches, Haeundae Beach is the most famous destination. Haeundae is only about 40 minutes drive or train from Busan Station, or 1 hour from the nearest airport. This is one of the most beautiful beaches in Korea and you definitely won’t want to miss the beautiful sunset here. This place is also very suitable for sunbathing or playing outdoor sports. In addition, you can also explore Dongbaekseom Island, enjoy fresh seafood at Haeundae traditional market and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of this coastal city.

Famous Gwangbok-dong Food Street in Busan

If you often have a hungry stomach, Gwangbo-dong food street is definitely a great place. Here, you will easily find traditional Korean street foods such as seafood noodles, rice noodles, rice cakes, dumplings, skewers, fish cakes… without having to go to expensive restaurants. Besides, this food area also has many cafes and souvenir shops, so you can freely shop for gifts to bring back home.

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple (#Busan blog)

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is one of the rare temples in Korea with a view of the sea, making it more peaceful and attractive than ever. Because it is located very close to Haeundae beach, you can go to the beach to play after visiting the temple. Find yourself some relaxing, peaceful moments at this beautiful temple!

Paradise Hotel Spa Cimer In Busan

What could be better than the feeling of soaking in a relaxing hot spring and watching the ocean? That’s what you’ll experience when you come to Paradise Hotel Spa Cimer. Although Korea has many famous mineral baths, Paradise Hotel Spa Cimer is still one of the most highly rated. However, you must be a guest at Paradise Busan Hotel to use this service. Although the price is a bit high, the experience it brings is “worth the money”.

Busan Museum Of Movies

If you are a fan of the big screen, especially Korean films, you should definitely visit the Busan Film Museum when visiting this city. This place is a combination of an exhibition area about the history of the film industry and a film studio – the birthplace of a series of famous works that make the audience unable to take their eyes off the screen.

Busan Skywalk – See the City from a “Bird’s Eye” Perspective

Anyone who comes to Busan will be captivated by the long sandy beaches and poetic coastal roads, offering an extremely impressive view of the ocean. To explore the beauty of the ocean from a new perspective, you should try walking on unique skywalks, including: Oryukdo Skywalk, Songdo Cloud Walk and Cheongsapo Daritdol Observatory.

With transparent glass floors extending out to the sea, you will feel like you are walking on water, admiring the murmuring waves and the vast ocean view. In particular, at Cheongsapo Daritdol Observatory, you can also admire unique coral reefs and enjoy a more panoramic view thanks to the telescope.

Eden Valley Ski Resort

Busan Eden Valley Ski Day Tour

Eden Valley Ski Resort is located in Yangsan City, Gyeongsangnam-do. The resort is divided into seven different levels of ski slopes, designed for players of all levels. Even if you are not a good skier, you can still join the 1-hour basic ski course to get acquainted with the slopes. If you want to be more active, you can try snowmobile, and don’t forget to stop by Spa Land to relax after hours of outdoor activities.

Lotte World Busan Theme Park

Lotte World Busan is a place where you and your family will be immersed in a wonderful space with extremely interesting games such as swings or roller coasters. If you are traveling with children, this will be the ideal space for them to freely run, play and take pictures with cute and funny cartoon characters.

Busan Lotte World Ticket

SEA LIFE Aquarium Busan

With a mission to preserve marine heritage for future generations, SEA LIFE Busan Aquarium opens up before your eyes a magical marine world with more than 10,000 diverse creatures of 250 different species. You will admire the “residents” from the murky waters of the Amazon to the deepest seas of the ocean at SEA LIFE Busan Aquarium.

You also have the opportunity to walk with sea creatures in the amazing 180-degree glass tunnel on the ocean floor and watch sharks during feeding time! If you are still not “satisfied”, spend the rest of your visit to see the feeding time of penguins and otters!

Busan SEA LIFE Aquarium / Brickman Admission Ticket

After leaving Sea Life, the kids can continue to visit Brickman Wonders of the World – a unique art exhibition, displaying LEGO sculptures recreating famous world wonders. With over 50 million LEGO bricks used to create these works, the Brickman Wonders of the World exhibition inspires creativity with LEGO for both children and adults.

Busan X The Sky In Haeundae

Busan Haeundae X The Sky is located in the Haeundae L City Landmark Tower, which is 411.6m high, the second tallest tower in Korea. This is the best and largest observatory in the country, where you can simultaneously admire the vast ocean view of Haeundae and the colorful cityscape of Busan. Couples who are “struggling” to find a place to date, come to Busan Haeundae X The Sky!

Busan Haeundae X the Sky Admission Ticket

Jagalchi Fish Market In Busan – Enjoy Local Specialties

Isn’t it hard to believe that a fish market has become a particularly popular tourist destination? In addition to fresh seafood, Jagalchi Fish Market is also a place where visitors can enjoy extremely delicious street food. If you like grilled octopus, spicy rice cakes, fish cakes, sweet pancakes… then this will definitely become a culinary “paradise” not to be missed.

Jukseong Church Film Set in Busan

Jukseong Church is also known as Jukseong Dream Church, a beautiful and poetic location that appeared in the famous movie “Dream”. This is not a real church but was built for the purpose of serving the filming of the movie. With its romantic architecture and beautiful natural scenery, this church has become a tourist destination that attracts many visitors to visit and take pictures.

How to get from Vietnam to Busan, South Korea

The flight from Saigon or Hanoi to Busan lasts from 4 hours to 8 hours, depending on whether you fly directly or transit at one stop. However, according to the experience of us, you should choose direct flights to save costs and time.

Currently, most flights to Busan land at Gimhae Airport (PUS). This international airport is about 30km from the city center, you can use a taxi or book an airport shuttle service in advance at Klook. If you want to save costs, visitors can also use a taxi or train to get to the city center.

Where to stay

To be able to book cheap hotels in Busan in particular and Korea in general, Klook suggests that you should book online 2-3 months before departure to get a preferential price, as well as avoid the situation of no rooms available.

If you are looking for cheap hotels in Busan, check out these hotels that are considered affordable compared to the standard of living of Koreans as suggested by Klook!

HOTEL LENITH Seomyeon

Located in the center of Busan, HOTEL LENITH Seomyeon (Hotel Elephant) is 500m from Seomyeon Station and 4.9 km from Busan Asiad Main Stadium. All rooms at the hotel are equipped with flat-screen TVs, bed linens, towels. You can order a daily continental à la carte breakfast. From Gimhae International Airport to HOTEL LENITH Seomyeon is only 14km, so it is very easy for you to travel to the hotel. Reference price: $31.36/night (agoda, booking)

No25 Hotel Yeonsan

No25 Hotel Yeonsan’s rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen satellite TV, a refrigerator, a coffee maker, a bidet, free toiletries and a desk. In addition to a private bathroom equipped with a shower and a hairdryer, rooms at the hotel also have city views. At No25 Hotel Yeonsan, each room includes bed linen and towels. Reference price: $22.42/night (agoda, booking)

Kenny Stay Busan Gijang Hotel

Rooms at Kenny Stay Busan Gijang Hotel are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen cable TV, a fridge, a kettle, a shower, free toiletries and a desk. All rooms are equipped with a private bathroom, a hairdryer and bed linen. BEXCO is 14 km from the hotel, while Busan Museum of Art is 15 km away. The nearest airport is Gimhae International Airport, 39 km from the property. Reference price: $42.96/night (agoda, booking)

Prime Tourist Hotel

If you want to stay at a hotel that is not too expensive but still ensures the necessary amenities, Prime Tourist Hotel is one of the very worthy choices. Just a 5-minute walk from Busanjin Subway Station, Prime Tourist offers air-conditioned rooms with cable TV and private bathrooms with bathtubs and hairdryers. Prime Tourist Hotel is 12 km from the beautiful cliffs of Taejongdae and 15 km from Haeundae Beach. It offers free parking and is a 30-minute drive from Busan International Airport. Reference price: 41.36/night (agoda, booking)

LOUIS HOTEL (Best Louis Hamilton Hotel Haeundae)

All rooms at Louis Hotel are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen cable TV, a refrigerator, a kettle, a bidet, free toiletries and a desk. The private bathroom is equipped with a shower, a hairdryer and slippers. Rooms at the hotel are equipped with bathrobes and a computer. Busan Chinatown is 9.2 km from Louis Hotel, while Busan Station is 10 km away. The nearest airport is Gimhae International Airport, 7 km away. Reference price: $72.20/night (agoda, booking)

What to eat

When traveling to a new land, cuisine is definitely one of the most important factors, right? If you are planning to travel to Busan, so take note of the dishes that tourists enjoy the most here!

Eomuk Fish Cake

As a port city, it is not surprising that Busan has an abundant source of seafood with shrimp, fish, squid, … If you come to Busan, you will definitely have to try this “famous” fish cake. Fragrant, chewy, flavorful fish cake steamed or grilled with moderate seasoning is a street food that can make any tourist “flutter”.

Ganjang Gejang Soy Sauce Crab

Soy sauce-marinated crab is also one of the special dishes that cannot be missed when traveling to Busan. This dish is made from completely live crabs, washed and soaked in soy sauce as well as other spices, left in the refrigerator for a few days for the spices to soak in before being served to diners. The crab meat is chewy, firm, flavorful, and not fishy at all, making it wonderful to eat with hot rice.

Jokbal Braised Pig’s Trotters

Different from the usual boiled pig’s trotters dish, braised pig’s Trotters in Busan are cooked with soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, so they have a very special flavor. The dish becomes more perfect if served with cucumbers, carrots, onions, and mustard.

Mung Bean Pancakes (Bindaetteok)

Mung bean pancake is made from glutinous rice mixed with sugar and cinnamon, then fried in a pan of butter. After the dish is cooked, the chef will add pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds to make the flavor more fragrant.

Grilled Seafood Jogae Gui

In addition to the famous fish cake dish, Busan is also considered a “promised land” to enjoy seafood dishes, including grilled seafood. This dish is quite simple, mainly seafood such as shrimp, fish, clams, squid, … What makes it attractive is the freshness of the seafood, caught directly on the coast of Busan with a delicious flavor that is completely different from dishes made from frozen food.

What to Buy as Gifts When Traveling to Busan on Your Own?

Busan is one of the tourist destinations with a strong history, culture and local customs. Therefore, you will have countless options to buy souvenirs or food for friends and family in Vietnam. If you have come to Busan, you can consider buying the following:

Korean Ginseng

Known as the land of ginseng, it is not surprising that tourist destinations in Korea sell ginseng to help improve health. With the characteristics of land, soil and water resources, only Korean ginseng can bring the best effects. Take this opportunity to show your care to your loved ones!

Herbal Tea

In addition to ginseng, tea is also a good gift for family and friends after a trip to Korea. Different from traditional green tea, teas in Busan are very diverse and rich in flavor, from yellow apricot teas to unique cereal teas.

Korean Ceramics

If someone in your family likes to cook and decorate the house, why not buy a set of ceramics from the famous Meet Antique Items store in Busan? The ceramic designs here are both traditional Korean and deeply influenced by Japanese culture with excellent quality.

Buchae Folding Fans

Paper fans are indispensable items for Korean people from ancient times to the present. In Busan, you can easily buy these paper fans at souvenir shops, where artisans create them 100%, even hand-painting directly on the fan surface. It can be said that these fans are unique, cannot be found elsewhere.

Bokbunja-ju Raspberry Wine

Thanks to the favorable climate and soil, raspberries in Korea are all of excellent quality. If you cannot buy raspberries for your family or friends, don’t forget that Busan still sells delicious raspberry wines with equally excellent quality!

Necessary Travel Utilities When Traveling to Busan on Your Own

To have a smooth trip, don’t forget to fully prepare yourself with the extremely important utilities below!

Korean Tourist Visa

Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, Korea is a country that requires visitors to have a valid visa. Therefore, you will need to prepare yourself a Korean tourist visa before visiting this country. The visa application procedure is not too easy but not difficult either, as long as you follow the step-by-step instructions on Klook, you will be able to “buy” yourself a super cool visa.

Mobile Internet: 4G SIM, WiFi Pocket device, or 4G eSIM

When traveling abroad, the internet is one of the extremely important factors. It will be difficult for you to start looking for a place to sell SIM, eSIM or WiFi router when you land at the airport. Instead, you should buy in advance from Vietnam and just receive the SIM/eSIM/WiFi when you arrive at the Korean airport. This will save you a lot of time and effort!

Korail Pass

KORAIL PASS – KTX Train Ticket

Korea Rail Pass allows you to freely travel within Korea with high-speed trains at 600 train stations and 80 different routes. If you want to explore Busan by public means Korea Rail Pass (2, 3, 4 or 5 day package), or want to extend your trip to other regions in Korea, don’t forget to equip yourself with this “powerful” card!

T-Money Card

[KR pick up] Klook T-money Card

With just one Klook T-Money card, you can comfortably travel by public transport, shop freely at convenience stores and automatic stores throughout Korea without worrying about preparing small change. The card is pre-loaded with 5,000KRW as soon as you receive it, and the special thing is that the Klook T-Money card is valid forever, the remaining amount will be saved for up to 5 years, helping you save the most.

With the information suggested by Klook above, hopefully you will have a smooth and memorable trip to Busan. Don’t forget to take lots of beautiful photos, enjoy delicious meals and share your memories with us!

The post first appeared on Klook Vietnam and was translated and edited by Living Nomads. If you find any images or text that belong to you, please contact us, so we can credit you or give us permission to use them. Thank you very much!

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
• Exploring Busan Full Day Tour
• Busan East Coast Cultural Day Tour
• East Busan Exploration
• Gimhae Nakdong River Railbike, BIFF Square, Wine Cave, and Gamcheon Culture Village Day Tour
• Exploring Busan Full Day Tour
• BUTI Busan City Tour One Day Bus Pass
• Busan City Jumbo Tour Bus Pass
• [Klook Exclusive] Busan SEA LIFE Aquarium Skip-the-Line Admission Ticket with Souvenir Photo
• Busan Tower Ticket
• 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
• [Special Promo] Train to Busan Horror House Combo Admission Ticket
• [Limited Offer] AREX Incheon Airport Express Train One Way Ticket in Seoul
• 4G Prepaid SIM Card (SK Airports Pick Up) for South Korea
• [Sale] Hanbok Experience (Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Store) with Korean Hairstyling
• [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

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.