Korea Route

Things to do in Busan

The best things to do in Busan, from our ranking of the places foreign travellers visit most: 8 top sights, 11 neighbourhoods worth a day, what is on this month and how to plan your days.

Top places in Busan

  1. Haeundae Beach

    #13 · 해운대해수욕장 · Haeundae-gu, east Busan

    Haeundae Beach

    Busan's best-known beach, with a broad sandy shore, shallow gentle water and high-rise hotels along the coast. It is busy all year and popular with foreign visitors, who come to swim, walk the shoreline and see nearby Dongbaek Island and the Oryukdo rocks.

  2. Gamcheon Culture Village

    #17 · 감천문화마을 · Saha-gu, western Busan

    Gamcheon Culture Village

    Gamcheon Culture Village began in the 1950s as a settlement for refugees of the Korean War and was later transformed into an art village. Visitors wander its steep stepped alleys with pastel houses, see street art and works by resident artists, and can join some craft workshops.

  3. Gwangalli Beach

    #19 · 광안리해수욕장 · Suyeong-gu, south Busan

    Gwangalli Beach

    A wide sandy beach in Busan with clear water, with cafés and restaurants lining the shore. Visitors come for the sea views and the Gwangan Bridge, which is especially striking when lit up at night, and for water sports in summer.

  4. Jagalchi Market

    #24 · 자갈치시장 · Jung-gu, central Busan, by the harbor

    Jagalchi Market

    Jagalchi is Busan's best-known fish market, on the waterfront, selling live fish, dried seafood and fresh catches. Visitors go to watch the vendors, many of them women, sell mackerel, sea squirts and other seafood, and to eat sashimi bought in the Shin-Dong-A market building.

  5. Gukje Market

    #28 · 국제시장 · Jung-gu, central Busan

    Gukje Market

    A market that grew after 1945 from goods left behind by Japanese residents and items from US military bases, and today has many themed alleys. Visitors go to browse the streets, eat at the food alleys and stalls, and climb the footbridge to get their bearings and see the market from above.

  6. BIFF Square (Nampo-dong)

    #29 · BIFF광장 · Jung-gu, central Busan

    BIFF Square (Nampo-dong)

    A cluster of cinemas around Nampo-dong that became the heart of the Busan International Film Festival after its first edition in 1996, with handprints of film figures set into the ground. Visitors go to watch films in long-running theatres, eat and shop nearby, and see the festival's history on the streets.

  7. Haeundae Blueline Park

    #30 · 해운대 블루라인파크 · Haeundae-gu, east Busan

    Haeundae Blueline Park

    A 4.8 km coastal park built on a former railway line between Miponam, Cheongsapo and Songjeong, with a beach train and an aerial capsule running along the shore. Visitors come to see the coastline from a different angle, riding the train there and back or the four-seat capsule about 7 to 10 m above the rails.

  8. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

    #31 · 해동용궁사 · Gijang-gun, Busan, east coast

    Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

    Haedong Yonggungsa is a seaside Buddhist temple on rocks above the East Sea, founded in the 14th century and rebuilt after the Japanese invasions. Its large seated Avalokiteshvara statue and the sea views make it one of Busan's best-known temples. Visitors come for the coastal setting, the cave shrine and the stone pagoda in front of the main hall.

Neighbourhoods by interest

Food and markets

Cafés and shopping

History and culture

Nightlife and K-pop

Nature and a slow day

On in Busan in October

Plan your days

Day-by-day itineraries

From the airport

Gimhae Airport to each neighbourhood of Busan

Getting there from other cities

Trains, buses and flights between cities

Questions

What is the number one thing to do in Busan?

Haeundae Beach is the most visited place in Busan by foreign travellers in our ranking. Busan's best-known beach, with a broad sandy shore, shallow gentle water and high-rise hotels along the coast. It is busy all year and popular with foreign visitors, who come to swim, walk the shoreline and see nearby Dongbaek Island and the Oryukdo rocks.

How many days do you need in Busan?

Two or three days are enough for the beaches, Gamcheon, the markets and a seaside temple.

What can you do in Busan at night?

Good evening areas include Haeundae Beach & Dongbaek Island, Gwangalli, Nampo-dong, Jagalchi & BIFF Square, Seomyeon.