July 27 – July 29 : Busan

Traveling around Busan is easy due to its well-connected network of subways and buses, which can all reliably be consulted through the local Naver App. However, Busan’s points of interest are quite spread out; therefore, one should plan at least two full days to comfortably explore this city.

The best way to explore Busan would be to dedicate one day to the southwest and one day to the eastern part of it:

West :

• Visit Gamcheon Cultural Village, a beautiful residential area nestled in one of Busan’s hills. At the entrance, you can buy a tourist map at the info point. Don’t miss DUF Coffee at the end of the trail, a peculiar little place run by a North Korean defector where you can have a drink, feed ducks in the garden, and walk through a funny-scary maze.
• Further down south, you can ride the cable cars at Songdo Bay Station.
• Visit the area around Busan’s Diamond Tower, from which you can have a nice view over the city.
• In this area, you’ll also find BIFF Square, which stands for Busan International Film Festival, a Korean walk of fame with national actors having their stars on this street.
• Close to this area, you’ll also come across Gukje Market, a huge street market where you can buy just about anything. Check out the small book street a little further north, which is exclusively dedicated to, well, you guessed it, books.
• Check out the busy area around Seomyeon with its many bars and restaurants. This is also an ideal place to have your dinner of the day and maybe enjoy some of Busan’s nightlife.

East :

• Start the day by taking public transport all the way east to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. This is said to be the most beautiful temple in South Korea, and it’s indeed hard to argue with that. Estimate a good hour to get there.
• After the temple, you can head back west and check off different points of interest on your way. You can either hop buses from one point of interest to the next or follow some of the itineraries by walking. The first stop after the temple would be the beautiful Haeundae Beach.
• At Haeundae Beach, you can have a classic beach day and/or visit the Busan Sea Life Aquarium (with big sharks and everything—very impressive).
• Furthermore, at Haeundae Beach, you can board the Busan Beach Train or the Blue Line Cabs. Both of these tend to be booked out hours in advance, so it’s better to make your booking first thing when you arrive at the beach or even book it online a day in advance.
• After Haeundae Beach, you can head further west towards Gwangalli Beach. This is a great place to spend the evening, as the impressive Gwangan Bridge, which spans the entire bay, is beautifully illuminated at night. There are also many traditional and Western restaurants in the area.